Asking clarification regarding moderation

[LongTimeLurker]

Huh, that's intetesting, cause i WAS totally mocking the buy bull and the atrocities/silliness therein in my commentary (adventure ideas #1 through #7) and i don't think i got modded at all. I'll have to goback and check.

 

[Irlo]

I'm merely asking that we could discuss all mythologies in a neutral manner, especially as it comes to their use in the gaming context. Whether some mythology is or isn't part of someone's religion is their personal matter, and shouldn't really enter the discussion or warrant any special deference or judgement.

Honestly, was your moderated comment neutral?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Myth, as in meaning "a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events."

That's what religions are, and it is completely unreasonable to demand that people treat metaphysical of historical aspects of other people's religions as factual. That goes completely beyond normal respect or politeness.

“Myth” in the context of discussion of major religions also has accreted the additional colloquial connotation of dismissing the faith as false. So it’s a little loaded.

Better practice: call it a “tradition” if you’re talking about a religion with active memberships in the 50M+ range.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Honestly, was your moderated comment neutral?

It was a joke, that relied on comparing the Bible to fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings. Something a fantasy forum like this might appreciate. And yes, it implied that Bible might not be factual, which, as a prevailing consensus among historians, is hopefully an opinion that is allowed to be expressed.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

“Myth” in the context of discussion of major religions also has accreted the additional colloquial connotation of dismissing the faith as false. So it’s a little loaded.

Better practice: call it a “tradition” if you’re talking about a religion with active memberships in the 50M+ range.

It might indeed have such connotation. Yet we talk about Greek or Norse myths etc all the time. Are you saying that it is not allowed to express an opinion, that you do not personally believe that things that might be subject of someone's religious belief might not be factually true? That effectively forces people who do not believe in certain religion to pretend that they do. That doesn't seem at all reasonable to me. Also, I'm not sure what size of the religion has to do with anything. If anything, one would expect that marginalised religions might need more protection that dominant and privileged ones.

 

[Irlo]

It was a joke, that relied on comparing the Bible to fantasy epics like Lord of the Rings. Something a fantasy forum like this might appreciate. And yes, it implied that Bible might not be factual, which, as a prevailing consensus among historians, is hopefully an opinion that is allowed to be expressed.

For what it’s worth, I thought it was funny.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Are you saying that it is not allowed to express an opinion, that you do not personally believe that things that might be subject of someone's religious belief might not be factually true?

Don’t twist my words- I meant precisely what I said.

There are many religious beliefs that are commonly called myths. While they may have living adherents, they are few in number. If a practitioner were to ask me to not call their belief a “myth”, I would honor that request and use other, less loaded terminology.

For example, I am a practicing Roman Catholic. I accept that my religious beliefs may not be provable as fact, and I do not insist that they be considered so to be.*. They are accepted by me on the basis of faith. But someone using rhetorical language that essentially implies that Christianity is a lie is going to get on my bad side.

Knowing this about ME, I’m not going to turn around and call Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, or any other major world belief system about the nature and existence of the divine a “myth”. That includes atheism.

It’s just basic respectfulness.




* For the record, in ANY context.

 

[AnotherGuy]

...it is completely unreasonable to demand that people treat metaphysical of historical aspects of other people's religions as factual. That goes completely beyond normal respect or politeness.

AND

That effectively forces people who do not believe in certain religion to pretend that they do. That doesn't seem at all reasonable to me.

I'm gonna replace a few words here from these quotes

...it is completely unreasonable to demand that people treat aspects of other people's concept of xyz. That goes completely beyond normal respect or politeness.

That effectively forces people who do not believe in certain concepts to pretend that they do. That doesn't seem at all reasonable to me.

Moderation comes down heavy on the xyz all the time. I do not see why you believe moderation on religion should be any different.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Don’t twist my words- I meant precisely what I said.

There are many religious beliefs that are commonly called myths. While they may have living adherents, they are few in number. If a practitioner were to ask me to not call their belief a “myth”, I would honor that request and use other, less loaded terminology.

For example, I am a practicing Roman Catholic. I accept that my religious beliefs may not be probable as fact, and I do not insist that they be considered so to be.*. They are accepted by me on the basis of faith. But someone using rhetorical language that essentially implies that Christianity is a lie is going to get on my bad side.

Knowing this about ME, I’m not going to turn around and call Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, or any other major world belief system about the nature and existence of the divine a “myth”. That includes atheism.

It’s just basic respectfulness.




* For the record, in ANY context.

"Lie" carries an added connotation of deceptions, that myths' "might not necessarily be true" really doesn't. The latter is pretty much your "may not be probable as fact" and is pretty normal language in anthropological context. For example "flood myths" refers to various stories around the world relating to giant deluges, and that obviously includes the one in the Bible.

 

[Cadence]

While one of the top definitions of myth is "traditional story", another is "a widely held but false belief or idea". Describing something as myth feels different to me than, say, either "folktale" or "belief" or "traditional belief".