I’ve been online arguing for about five years or so. When I first got online in some forums and on some Blogs I was personally attacked and mocked because I revealed a lot of damaging information about myself in my previously self-published book, which was picked up by Prometheus Books, and is getting some astounding reviews. I was also impersonated as saying horrible things, which I never said. I was repeatedly lied about and personally maligned. So I felt compelled to defend myself and attacked back. It's an interesting phenomenon really. I post under my real name. So when personally attacked I can and did attack back. When I did so other readers thought to themselves what childish behavior of me, not considering how they would feel or respond to these personal attacks if they were to post in their real name. Some of the relationships I had with people who attacked me has degenerated to the point where all I do any more is blast them for their idiocy and deceit. I really do not care at all about some of these idiots.
These personal attacks are getting stronger and more and more desperate with each passing week, probably because I'm making a difference. And the Christians doing so are increasingly becoming frustrated because I will not link to them or mention their names, since they want to be noticed. A few of them have come out of the sewer of a particular forum to post comments here that are disrespectful and slanderous in order to disrupt the decent, civil discussion I have always wanted between believer and non-believer. They think that atheists are angry and malicious people. But I appear to be decent and civil, until personally attacked, and I am. Unlike other atheists who just don’t give a damn, I do. I suppose that galls these ignorant Christians to no end. This can’t be, that an atheist cares about a civil, reasonable, and respectful discussion of the ideas that separate us. But I do. I have only wanted this. For this very reason I have gained the respect of many intelligent, educated Christians who would much rather deal with my kind of atheism following the likes of Bertrand Russell, J.I. Mackie, and former atheist Anthony Flew, than with the so-called new atheists, especially the many younger ones, who dismiss all religions out-of-hand along with all of the people who believe them to be completely stupid and ignorant. I don’t think believers are stupid nor ignorant, although some of them are, as are some skeptics, and I admit this. I even link to several Christian apologetics sites in our sidebar, which can provide some answers to our arguments, at least from a Christian perspective. You don’t see other skeptical sites do that, and you most emphatically don’t see Christian sites do that in most all cases.
I emailed him and told him I can appreciate his frustration. I'm sure some readers of Atheist Watch are expecting m to mock John for this move, or at least to chide him. While I don't think it's a good move, I can deinately empathize with his feelings. I think the net takes a tool. There's a vast over suppoly of stupid people on the net, and neither side, atheist or Christian has a monopoly on being stupid.
I'm sorry John has closed the site to comments becasue it will greatly lessen the abilitiy to contact them with links to counter articles. They may never know I've countered something they said, (which I certainly intend to continue doing). But on the other hand, I can still email John and tell him.
while I have thought many times about just killing my blogs and not doing this anymore because of the constant negative materail people are always putting on here. On the other hand I htink critics are good. It's good to have critics. I am sorry John feels this frustration and I not putting him down for it. I hope he will change his mind soon. But for examle I think Hermit contributed something good to this blog in keeping me from just running wild with my sense of anger. I hope Jhon will re consider.
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