Huh. I’m an atheist, and none of those things has ever happened to me. If these things happen frequently to you, I’d suggest it is more your attitude than your beliefs which is to blame.
Really? Did they stab you in the hand?
No, they didn’t. And inasmuch as (1) I haven’t used that term in five years, and (2) TubaDiva has forbidden its use since about six months ago, I’m surprised to see you make reference to it. Well, a little surprised.
I just went back and looked at the thread again, and it’s worth noting that Der Trihs didn’t just say Christians were diseased. He said,
Bolding mine. C’mon, that’s way over the line. “[You’re] the human manifestation of corruption?” Is anyone seriously arguing that this appropriate content for GD?
Just wondering if you were, as you did then, making shit up as you go along.
Since when was saying someone had a disease insulting? One would assume he is saying:" You have a disease, it’s not your fault; luckily there is a cure though! and it is X".
Seems a lot like the cut and thrust of healthy debate to me. D.T. is a one trick pony to be sure, but I think he deserves as much fair play, and protection as do the religiously minded. I would like to think that the modding would be as vigorous in the other direction but I’ve yet to see it personally. Generally, I like Tom as mod, but I haven’t seen anything yet that convinces me than this was anything other than 1. a personal smack, or 2. a bad and overeaching interpreting of the rules.
Not anymore than the OP was really. It didn’t have any real point to debate either. I don’t see why one kind of fruitcake gets preference over the other simply because one came first.
Wait, what? Der Trihs got warned for being insulting, not for being stupid and crazy. The OP in that thread didn’t insult anyone, so he didn’t get a warning. Der Trihs did insult someone and did get a warning. How are you drawing an equivalence between the two?
No problem. If you’re going to try to stir up shit for no particular reason, I reckon this is the place for it. 
Since they didn’t, of course. It’s an insult when you say that someone has the disease of Islam, or the disease of atheism, or the Democrat disease. See how it works?
shrug There’s a beam in your eye, Lib.
But not in yours, is that the gist of it?
god made me an atheist . who are yie to question his wisdom?
if there is a god let him tell me not you
Since… always?
I think trying to claim that Der Trihs calls religious folks diseased out of honest and genuine concern for their well being is really reaching. He doesn’t care about religious people, he despises them, and he’s never made any bones about how he feels. There are ways to phrase controversial opinions so as to at least minimize the possibility of offence. Der Trihs chose to maximize the possibility of offence. Why? Because offence was his sole intent.
Then apparently, you stopped reading that thread after the 13th post, because in this post, tom delivers a second warning, this time to mswas, for his (far, far milder) cut at Der Trihs.
Works for me.
Tomndebb is always being accused of this. It has always seemed to me that this is a knowable/provable thing (in court you can often prove harassment or prejudice).
I have looked at at his last 13 “moderations” over 17 days – because that was where I got bored and tired.
#’s are not in order but for counting
Closest to the “moderation’ in question (#1) Are two where he grabs folks for saying minor bad stuff:
#2 Post 44 On Killing Animals for Fun
#3 Post 159 is Bush Dumb
#4 Post 115, in a Religious thread, he swats at both sides
So do I see anywhere that the accusation leveled in thread might be true?
#5 Post 95 on Atheism may support your (and others) argument – he seems to say the guy did nothing wrong but tells him to “rachet it back”. It is a thin reed to hang this threads accusation on tho given the accumulated weight the other way
#6 Post 115 on God Existing starts something similar – I think it expands far enough out that it isn’t – quite the same. IOW I think there really isn’t much question the guy needed to be called on his behavior
So do I have a theory on what is going on with the accusations?
One possible explanation might be what we see in #7 Are White People in Denial? in Post 266 Tom suddenly moderates in the middle of some heated stuff he was up to his eyeballs in. Now, would that make me uncomfortable if I was fightin’ him? You bet. But reading this can I honestly say he was being unfair? No. I don’t think I can.
I think that is where TomnDebb moderating on the religious stuff leaves those opposite his positions uneasy… but I can’t say I have seen “unfair”.
Completely different Unrealted moderation Posts 8-13
#8 Over the top rudeness (not the same as above IMO)
Sexism Post 33
#9 He scolds for a Zombie thread Humans have more Rights than Dolphins
#10 Don’t call people trolls Post 36 Rape vs. Child Porn
#11 Don’t break laws in How to Beat a Firewall
#12 on Credential checks on a Homosexuality Thread
#13 Telling everyone to chill out on the Fairness Doctrine thread
It’s not a beam, it’s a mote…
With apologies to Niven and Pournelle. 
First, let me note that no poster was officially Warned in that thread. I admonished some folks to behave themselves, but I never went as far as putting a black check mark in their Permanent Record.
As far as I can recall, this was the first time I have given Der Trihs a direct instruction to change his behavior. Now, given the style with which Der Trihs approaches any discussion of religion, politics, or warfare, I suspect that if I was going to slap his wrists simply to express my personal disagreement with his beliefs, I could find a lot of places to do so.
Are you actually arguing that
is a not a personal attack?
I disagree.
Since it was used in a derogatory way of course. Here’s an example: ‘Man, you have a really nasty rash all over your body! That flesh eating bacteria is just gross! Dude, you gots a really nasty disease, gangstah!’. While technically the poor slob in the example actually DOESN’T have a disease, per se, this wouldn’t be considered an insult (I through in the obligatory ‘gangstah’ simply because I went shopping with my cousin earlier and she told her 3 year old daughter that if she wore the baggy pants and teeshirt presented she’d look ‘gangstah!’…for no other reason that as a swipe at my idiot cousin and her prison bait husband for telling a cute little girl something so stupid…and, well, this IS the Pit…).
Too continue. Counter example: “Dude, you believe that religious crap? You are diseased” The implications being that you have something wrong with your head. I seriously doubt that any REALLY thinks that people who believe in religion (or certain brands of politics) HAS a disease…they are being derogatory.
See the difference?
lol…you don’t REALLY buy that do you? DT is implying a MENTAL disease on an entire group of people (including the poster) simply because he doesn’t agree with their belief. Personally, though I’m an agnostic myself, I’d have to say that WE are the aberration, looking at things from a numerical and historical perspective.
He gets more slack cut toward him than he deserves sometimes. He COULD debate the theists instead of insulting them. Look at DtC sometime. He’s an atheist, he’s outspoken. But he is knowledgeable of the subject, well read, writes well and DEBATES well about religion. Hell, I’ve learned a ton by reading his contributions to the myriad theological discussions in GD. DT is simply insulting and condescending toward those of faith without actually offering much except venom. The rare times I’ve seen him actually make the effort to form a real, logical argument he does a decent job…leading me to believe that DT is simply lazy and probably young and hot headed to boot.
Mods walk a fine line between letting discussions go and holding the line on the rules we all agreed too when we signed up for this stuff. We all, as posters, push the limits from time to time. However, I think we all WANT the rules to be enforced, or else our experience here posting won’t be as enjoyable. Go on a message board where they either don’t Mod at all or are arbitrary…then you’ll see why, at least I, am willing to pay for the pleasure of spouting the BS I spout off. I think Tom does an outstanding job of walking that tightrope, to be honest. I know that whenever he’s spanked ME its been because I deserved it.
The case you’ve presented here is cut and dried…its a slam dunk. Its obvious that even if you are twisting and turning every way you can, DT used the term in a derogatory fashion…thus it was INTENDED as an insult. Nuff said, he got spanked for it.
-XT