I was kicked out of the autism support chat room this website links to (IRC) I've been attending for 8 years because I decided on a whim to change my name to "GodisGreat". It wasn't a few minutes before the one moderator of the room who is a self professed religious family man who goes by "anderson", and someone on there I thought was a good friend of mine asked me, "Don't you think your name is out of line?"
Excuse me? The word "God" is OUT OF LINE???
Then he had the nerve, along with others who were laughing at and bullying me, to threaten me with a time frame (1 minute) to change my name or be kicked. Well of course I get kicked. I came back in and the mod from China (who probably has a nice corporate job or business at the expense of Americans) who goes by "LordLionM" (talk about all out blatant hypocrisy - look up "Lord" and how many times it is associated with the "lion" in the Bible) tells me "you have one minute or you will be banned".
I told him you do as your conscience dictates. Well he didn't "ban" me as I understand banning, as I can still enter the room, but he muted me, so I can't say anything in there, and have to sit in there like some mute watching everyone else chat. The topic has also included "still no preaching" for some time but didn't lately. That was QUICKLY changed during this situation by the mod who goes by "Arbition", who inserted it again. They then said my name was "preaching" and when someone said it wasn't Arbition said it was "linked" to it. And that has been the end of it. There were a few angry protesters who saw what happened, and a few who had scrolled back and read it (one was particularly infuriated, as he should have been), but they were pretty much "softly" threatened and talked away into other subjects to quiet the whole thing.
I would have NEVER changed my name to something like that, but when it has got to the point to where you can't go into an open forum and say that "G" word or even WORSE that awful "J" word (YIKES!! !!) without even REALIZING it and get laughed at and bullied because someone has an issue with it, then something is VERY WRONG. That is exactly what happened. I "slipped up" (OOPS!! !! !! !! !!) and instead of saying "every creature on earth has a right to self defense", I said "every creature on earth has a God-given right to self defense". I KNEW there was a 90% chance there would be a negative response because I said that word. This is how intolerable it has become of the "G" word there, even though these are the kinds of things most people say in movies, on the street, in forums, in conversations, in other chats, in speeches (even *gasp* government speeches, etc). Sure enough, someone couldn't leave it alone and jumped on that with "snorts at "God-given". As an aspie, I'm probably very sensitive to my environment, so naturally this stood out for me, especially since it was so predictable and I felt it was unfair. I felt bullied and condescended to, and rightfully so.
BTW - to be fair (unlike the mods of that chat room), the person who did THAT later apologized to me in private message after I was "banned"
I am a Christian, but I have refrained (as per the rules) from "preaching" (to them this means also to "profess" or "express") what I am to anyone there. It hasn't really ever mattered to me there anyway. It is not a place for religion, politics, race or sex discussion, etc. I agree with this. It is supposed to be a place for autism support and CASUAL conversation. So for 8 years I have been a part of this IRC chat room and always made sure I "behaved myself" in that way, though the "sex" discussions are definitely NOT acceptable. Of course there is an "alt" channel for "adult" discussion ("age 16 and up") that is rarely ever chatted in, because it isn't needed since the "adult" discussion goes on to some extent in the main channel. To what extent? To the extent that the ALL AGE GROUPS who come in there are subject to statements like "I'll put it right up your a** and you'll love it", and THAT was said by a MOD!! !
There are possible legal implications for this not only in the USA, but certainly other nations around the world.
There is one problem with people's understanding of semantics in that chat room when it comes to religion, though, and that is the one little thing that actually got me banned. "God" does not have to represent any religion. God can be the name of my dog, or the name of my fish. This was never asked of me. I was instantly confronted with an ultimatum and that was it. You can say God bless America, and it can mean anything to anyone, but you can't do it in that chat room. This was WRONG!!
As I type this, I am putting aside the fact that people can rail AGAINST Christians in particular all they want to, or any belief in anything spiritual. They can go on and on about this and that which contradicts someone's religion, and it is not only "ok", it is "smart". It is "hip". It is "legit winning" in many of their eyes, especially the eyes of the ones running things there. I ask you, is to permit the bashing of religion and religious people, or any kind of belief in something one does not profess, but NOT permit even the expression of anything religious, FAIR? I THINK NOT!! !
I don't think it's fair that people can come in with names like "Jeebus" and "GodisDead", etc and that is permitted, but nothing is permitted that allows personal expression that is dear to one's heart in a positive light, even if it may not mean a particular religion. This is not only not fair, it is not only censorship, but it is oppression. It is bashing and bullying. This is downright hate. They casually participate in hate speech in that room on a regular basis and it is celebrated. And THIS in some kind of channel that is supposed to be providing people of all kinds of different backgrounds some kind of inclusive SUPPORT? WHAT A JOKE!
In their protests of my "ban", one person even pointed out the fact that someone came in with the name "praise allah" or something and no one batted an eyelash. Nothing, of course, was said to that. It became very quiet. The person probably would have eventually been given an ultimatum and banned, but there is particular hatred and loathing for Christianity and Christians themselves (even though it is the Christian nations where people are allowed to loath them, try loathing Muslims in their own country and see where that gets you, or loathing atheism in the old USSR).
Not discussing things like religion, politics, race, sex, etc in an autism support chat room is PERFECTLY understandable. But the word "God" can mean anything to anyone, anyway. It doesn't necessarily mean anything "religious" in and of itself. So simply having God in my name certainly wasn't "crossing the line", and to have been kicked/muted/threatened with a ban while being laughed at, ganged up on and bullied for having it there only created an atmosphere of fear of individual expression and oppression. This especially rings true when it CAN be used as an attack word ON religion and be permitted without ever even being seen in a negative light. I felt PROVOKED to create the name to start with.
I realize this forum doesn't want anything to do with the IRC chat this site otherwise perfectly links to (and thus would not exist without the site). I just wanted an audience to vent the injustice I experienced and let people know the hurt and hatred and bullying I experienced during my 8 years as a part of it, since I was point blank muted and can't even talk to mods there anymore.
23 Sep 2014, 6:20 am
