Blasphemy

Onesie

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That would indeed be a reasonable response, but they could now be avoiding the thread, as I will. It is very true that keeping clear of religious controversy is the best policy. The heightened emotions they provoke often end in tears for all involved.

It is all very well to excuse someone who mistakenly posted 'fact' which wasn't but surely it is reasonable that they should apologise when it is pointed out not only that they are wrong but that their post is offensive?

I hope that Aasayia is welcomed by a Catholic country.

That’s very true Elegran I remember a howler which involved the Pope, put on GN by a very prolific poster ( no longer here on the forum.)

Absolutely not! People are entitled to believe in anything they want. To make it a crime not to have the same beliefs is tyranny

Some of the things posted on here as sensational news which turned out to be hugely misrepresentative were posted by people who believed themselves to be knowledgeable political activists.

It's not the first fake news that has been posted on the internet and it won't be the last.
Someone may start it off maliciously and others pass it on in all innocence.

I personally would, and so would many posters, but it is not bigheaded to say that we are among the more critically aware users of the internet. The longer I use sites like Facebook, the more unquestioning belief in utter crap I see. It is not just "fake news" like that quoted, it is the things like "Click here to discover which famous composer you were in a previous life, based on your favourite breakfast cereal". Duh!!!

mmm true Elegran, but if it was something a bit dodgy wouldn't you take a second look, use your critical faculties?

You are right that she should have checked such a thing, but going on at her as vehemently as though she were responsible for the rumour was over the top. You said "your post is a racist lie aimed at inciting racial hatred" as though she had invented it. Had that been, "Your post is repeating a racist lie that is circulating, aimed at inciting racial hatred" I would not have picked up on it and commented.

I often read posts accusing someone of lying, and I do not like it. Often what they are actually doing is mistakenly repeating something they have heard, under the erroneous impression that it is the truth. There is a difference between telling a lie on one's own behalf, and repeating someone else's lie in good faith, believing it to be a truth. Confusing the two is inaccurate.

As we've discussed it extensively and shown our disbelief, on reflection I may let it stay, unless GNHQ decide otherwise.

You can be as guilable as you want but that doesn’t mean you have to post what you’ve heard and believed . If you decide you can then expect to be called out for it. Actions have consequences. If you post something wrong a out the number of cupcakes the average adult eats then who cares but posting something that is so clearly inflammatory is a totally different ball game. You’re wrong on this and you think I am so that’s it . But I’m right

A foolish thing to post without checking, yes, and I speak as one who checks a lot of things before I post them. However, I can't imagine that she concocted the story herself, and the tone of some responses to her did sound as though she was suspected of "telling lies".

Why am I "being such an apologist for her" ? That sounds accusatory. Do you suspect that it is because I approve of posting inflammatory stuff wholesale, MaryEliza? Or perhaps that I was behind the false rumour and am expressing solidarity with a spreader of it? Is that what you think of me? It is nice to know that my reputation is so high with you, I am sure!

I commented as I did because I don't like to see people being crushed by several tons of disapproval for gullibly believing what they hear or read. If everyone who believed a rumour were to vanish in a puff of smoke, the country would be nine-tenths empty in a week. You can advise everyone to check and recheck and be sceptical, but I am afraid many ordinary people (who perhaps, like the bulk of the population, were not "taught to debate at school", as a poster once assumed was normal for everyone), are going to believe what they hear and repeat it. Teaching them to be more suspicious can surely be done without humiliatingly accusing them of lies.

Elegran, something as offensive should have at least prompted a quick google. It takes seconds.

If in doubt Jal do so.

FFS Elegran we all have responsibilities to not post RACIST inflammatory posts. By posting it without checking she was contributing towards the toxic racism in this country. And again the usual reductio ad absurdum argument - the last refuge of those with no argument at all. Using the example of checking the date - don’t be so ridiculous. Read the guidelines re racist posts - if a post is racist it’s ABSOLUTELY no excuse to say that you heard it somewhere and couldn’t be expected to check it. Why are you being such an apologist for her?

I repeated the post but doubted its veracity and I couldn't find anything at all online to back it up - in fact I think the Muslim Council of Britain would be most vociferous in condemning such a petition.

Should I ask GNHQ to delete my post, do you think?

Perhaps a predominantly Catholic country might be a good place as a sanctuary - I think she is Catholic.

It was a very inflammatory thing to repeat without checking though.

But maybe wellwalked had heard the "fact" talked about and believed it and repeated it. No need to blame her as though she invented it herself and posted it here as a downright calculated lie. Not everyone has the background to research everything they hear, or the time, come to that. We'd spend hours checking things like whether today is indeed Tuesday the 13th November or whether it is really Monday the 12th, or possibly Wednesday the 14th.

Whenever anyone posts ‘facts’ that don’t ring true, if it’s something that matters I always check it out. I just knew this couldn’t be true as if it were the tabloid press would have been spitting tacks. When we log onto GN we shouldn’t leave our critical faculties behind and just believe what we read because it’s been posted.

Thank goodness it the information re. the petition is incorrect. It didn’t seem to ring true.

It was me of course - I’m not all bad. I had to report iloves as well just because it repeated well s post - no other reason for its deletion.