Question about a deleted post.

[Jokerman]

I'm very surprised that my post was deleted. In response to a poster who was claiming that a "true christian" cannot be a terrorist I simply stated that the groups intersect, meaning that they share SOME membership. This was not a broad-brush attack or a criticism of religious belief.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9638696&mesg_id=9639969

Thank you.

[Skinner]

1. I understand your point.

But I think, when we are discussing very personal issues like religion, we need to be more careful to clearly articulate what we are saying.

I know it's annoying. But the potential for people to take it the wrong way is very big.

[Jokerman]

2. Skinner,

I would like to thank you for your reply and for bringing back the “Ask the Administrator’s” forum. I can appreciate the effort it takes to moderate D.U. however, I must strongly disagree with the implementation of your policy in this case.

I can’t recall more than a few times in the last ten years that I have had a post deleted. Previously when this happened I was not surprised because I could see that I had violated a rule. This time I was addressing the tired, old claim that the status of a self-proclaimed Christian can somehow be negated simply because they did something the O.P. finds objectionable. This assertion is a form of religious bigotry that many people find offensive. In my reply I took care to address this assertion without violating posting rules, yet my post was deleted while the O.P.’s assertion was allowed to stand unchallenged. To me, this is an example of heavy-handed and possibly biased action on the part of the moderator.

“The potential for people to take it the wrong way” is often a product of someone looking to be offended in order to censor differing opinions. In this case, the ploy worked flawlessly.

[Skinner]

3. It's not an example of bias.

It's an example of the moderators trying to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone.