For almost two days now, there has been a thread in GQ entitled rather sensationally as “Mormons and their Lies”. Such a phrasing, as pointed out rather eloquently within hours of its appearance by Leo Bloom, cannot but have prejudicial overtones. At best, the wording in the title is insensitive. At worst, it is an overt attempt to target Mormons in a way that would be hailed at the vile Stormfront. It does not belong in these pages. Accordingly, I reported it, fully expecting the title to be changed to something less inflammatory without altering the content of the thread one iota. In other words, I was not advocating nor expecting censorship. Still, it stands.
Some may say that the posts within the thread make it clear that the thread is not an attack on Mormons in general, or that LSD members themselves have contributed to it (yes, and some of my best friends are Jewish). Such assertions miss the point - the title seems to be an attempt to malign members of a particular religion. And, if it’s not, it has done so inadvertantly, i.e. all the more reason not to retain that particular wording.
Shame on TPTB for leaving it there unchanged for all to see (and some to cringe).
I saw the thread report. I decided not to change it for exactly those reasons: the OP made it clear that the thread title wasn’t an actual attack (if it had been I would have moved it to the Pit or possibly GD), and the Mormons who replied to the thread did not seem to object to it. Neither did any Mormons report the thread as being offensive. (I am assuming that neither you nor Leo Bloom, who as you mention objected in the thread but did not report it, are Mormon.)
Given that it could be seen as offensive to Mormons for those who do not actually read the thread, I’ll edit it. I should probably also move it to GD as a thread about religion.
Wait, so the measure of whether a thread title is offensive is whether a member of that group find it so? I’m not Mormon but I thought it was an inflammatory way to phrase a question.
