Thread closures as Moderator Censorship

[_Fiannan]

One thing that bugs me about some LDS forums (not mentioning any names here) is what I would like to call the "Marriot Standard." I mean, on one forum I used to go to it seemed someone was going through some crises regarding porn or masterbation (I wondered how many of these threads were started by people wanting a good laugh and doing some creative writing). However, if anyone brought up the issue of Marriot hotels and pay-per-view porn many of the "faithful" circled the wagons, so to speak, and found some way to rationalize away the issue. I have seen this behavior on several boards with high LDS participation. Ironically, the LDS people who seem to be either far to the right, or far to the left, on socio-political-religious issues are the ones who feel something is wrong while the "follow the bretheren" crowd seem to have all kinds of ways to sidestep the issue.
Maybe that explains why some people get booted from boards who are hard-core LDS as well as those who have gripes about the Church. People who run these boards have a way of seeing issues that pits anyone who is against them as heathen whether those people go to the temple once a month or hang out at the local pub.

[_beastie]

After one or two readings I get a good sense of the boards direction and most of the LDS topic boards aren't worth Harry Trumans' bucket of warm spit. They are run by the type of folks who would burn books they don't like so everyone would have only their choice and viewpoint. They have the attitude of 'you can believe what I say or have your own stupid, misguided, idiotic Satan inspired wrong opinion'. That they cut off discussion and even change posts to reflect more what their prejudices are is a sad commentary on insecurity.

I bolded the part that I think is the most outrageous. If this has been done to me, I didn't notice, but EA asserts that he's seen it done to his posts.

Silently editing posts is simple dishonesty. I truly don't see how even the MAD mods justify it. Sure, I understand the editing out of "banned" words, or temple references...but that is not my impression of what occurred, per EA.

[_Dr. Shades]

With all humility, the posts in this thread remind me why I love MormonDiscussions.com so dearly and deeply!

[_Yoda]

With all humility, the posts in this thread remind me why I love MormonDiscussions.com so dearly and deeply!

Same here. :)

[_moksha]

1) When they harass, ban or limit people who are actually LDS they risk antagonizing those LDS people towards a certain type of "traditional" LDS person. It's unfair but the taste in their mouth might be that such "traditionalists" are just a bunch of hypocritical and capricious people proclaiming themselves to be all good, but having little regard for true exchanges of ideas or fairness.

You certainly have nailed things here Fiannan.

... like many idealists they accomplish far more harm instead.

Nailed it again.

People who run these boards have a way of seeing issues that pits anyone who is against them as heathen whether those people go to the temple once a month or hang out at the local pub.

Touchdown.

I assume that boards which shut down active threads for no good reason will continue doing so, but wouldn't it be great if someone reading this could suggest that the moderators ponder their next thread closure. Perhaps even introspect the dynamics of their reaction and whether allowing this reaction to serve as censorship, constitutes unrighteous dominion on their part.