On 6/1/06, Steve Summit scs@eskimo.com wrote:
MacGyverMagic wrote:
Either cut all religious userboxes or keep them all, don't start getting selective. The box is just as useful as a "I am a Christian"-box. Disrepute due to beliefs is only an issue if said editors consistently misbehave.
People worry too much over userboxes.
On the one hand, I agree, the ongoing train wreck that is the userbox "war" is silly and unnecessary. On the one hand, I agree, all "I am a whatever-tian" boxes should either stand together or fall together. Personally, I don't care if you proclaim yourself to be a Christian or a Satanist or a Democrat or a Republican or a vegetarian or a Martian or a pedophile or a Nazi; the only thing that matters to me is whether you can edit encyclopedia articles intelligently, cooperatively, and productively.
But. On the other hand:
If you honestly believe, in this society, that there is no difference between saying "I am a Christian" and "I am a Satanist", you are either being wilfully ignorant, or disruptive to make a point. And it's exactly this sort of wilfulness, disruption, and point-making that gives rise to big problems with those seemingly silly, unimportant userboxes.
So we can promote things only if they are not divisive and inflammatory in American English Christian culture? Because saying that you are a christian will be extremely inflammatory in some parts. And non-religious people may not even take offense to the satanist statement.
Your point of view is no better than any other point of view. Stop revealing your biases in such a tangible way. Wikipedia should allow editors no matter what background they come from. You are tailoring wikipedia to your select group of editors, which will not ultimately fulfill the neutral point of view policy.
Also, calling someone disruptive because they dont hold your point of view is poor form.
Peter Ansell