The Moderator Thread

[AbbathTheGrim]

OK, I was considering writing here, tomorrow was the plan, about this very warning but since VAMatt brought it up already I decided to just go ahead and ask about that warning and the reason behind it.

I contacted the moderator that issued that warning and we had an exchange in her wall about that warning yesterday and I just returned today to VGChartz to check for a reply to the last comment I made on her wall wall but have not received an answer to the last comment asking for clarification yet. I was going to wait a day day out thinking that maybe she would reply later because I thought: "Maybe the mod is busy so I will give some space and time."

But then the mod kind of let me know that she felt she already explained herself clear enough already about why she issued that warning, and that she had nothing else to explain so maybe I wasn't going to receive any further replies, but to be honest I am still not clear as to what in those pictures is deserving of a warning (that could turn into a suspension or worse in the future).

The thing is that I think we can agree that it is important that I get a clear message of what is not accepted in VGChartz and I need to understand what is accepted here and what is not so that I can make an informed decision of whether I stay here or not, and save us the time and effort of clashing with each other over religion.

The thing is that as an Atheist and the freedom I have to express myself (which I think VGChartz supports to some extent) I will give a counter to claims about the idea of a god and religion. There is no way to escape that.

Those two pictures I posted in that thread about "Easter" convey the following messages and I would like to understand which one of those messages is the one that will always get me a moderation by the Mod Team:

1) Easter has a pagan origin. Is this offensive? Is history offensive?

2) Christians who deny the pagan origin are mistaken. Is this what is offensive and deserving of a warning? To point out that someone or a group is mistaken?

3) The second picture depicts the absurdity of tying Jesus and the crucifixion to a bunny laying eggs. Is it offensive to point out the absurdity of this relation of a bunny laying eggs with the crucifixion when even in the bible there is no bunny at all in the story, even as a symbolism, in a thread about Easter?

4) Is there some kind of blasphemy laws here in effect in VGChartz where you cannot criticize the idea of a god?

I wrote that dissection of those two pictures and their content to the moderator that issued the warning but she didn't specify which of those things is going to land me another warning or worse, in the future.

It is my impression that as an Atheist I can say "There is no god" as believers are free to say "There is a god(s)" so I would like to know how can we talk about those view points when each of those two view points can be construed as telling each other: "You are wrong" and (if that is what issued the warning), be considered "offensive" by each group.

Is it unacceptable for an Atheist to start an argument about the idea of a god and religion? I mean, can an Atheist only express his view point only as a reaction to the claim that the idea of a god is true, but an Atheist cannot start the discussion because it is deemed "inflammatory"?

Was the real problem that I posted pictures instead of writing what those pictures convey and therefore the warning is not about the content but the manner in which I brought that content into discussion? If this is the case, would that make the warning really not about "degrading another religion" but about "posting pictures instead of words" and thus rendering what those pictures say "acceptable" but only when that post and those messages are made in written form?

My impression is that as an Atheist I could criticize the idea of a god as long as I didn't write something hateful like: "Christians are stupid." or "I hate Chrstians" or something along those lines, but I definitely didn't write any of those things and the pictures certainly don't convey that message.

I really need a clarification about this warning.