Do you ever actually try to understand what other posters say? You said, Almost my whole last post was devoted to a careful explanation of why, when you press an ideological attack in a public forum, the inevitable result is a spiral of escalating verbal violence that leaves the topic of the discussion in the dirt. That's what we are engaging in now.

I have not defended my ideology here. I have strongly and angrily criticised your ideological aggressiveness. Of course, to an ideologue any criticism is seen as an attack on their strongly held personal beliefs. But, I haven't revealed much of what I'd call my ideology here, other than an abiding distaste I have for bullies. And I really don't care about your higher level beliefs, except for your attempts to impose them in every thread and highjack every topic.

Note that one's ideology is a belief that they can not allow to be challenged. Yes. I think bullies are assholes and I will not hesitate to say that to their face. Call that my ideology if you like. But any logical proposition I have offered in this forum has been offered with an open invitation to show me where I am wrong. I have read papers and books that were suggested and I have encouraged different views, respectfully - except when others cross that line and personalize their disagreement. I precede almost every assertion with I suspect, or IMO, or it seems to me, etc.

Attacking someone's ideology (or throwing your own in their face) is questioning their self-worth at the most fundamental level. When you do that publicly they have to attack you back or be seen by others as admitting that their whole identity, their personhood, is a sham. That's why there are wars.

Most sane people understand this. They don't go around throwing sand in the face of others' beliefs. Knowing that no-one ever wins in these exchanges - and that everyone loses - they actually take some pains to avoid it in a conversation. Those who aggressively attack others' beliefs publicly are insecure people who have formed their lives around their ideological mission. Their self-worth depends on their ability to discredit others' ideology and champion their own. They need to do it every day and must take every opportunity. It's very much like a drug addiction - and I suspect it has a similar chemical etiology.

There are plenty of places on the internet where ideologues can gather and throw sand in each others' faces - try the alt news groups. This was advertised as a scientific forum which is a different thing. Or should be. When the moderator has a personal ideological agenda and repeatedly throws it in members' faces - that kind of sets the whole tone. I guess I can see why you like it here.

Your ego has you convinced that you are some brave warrior for the notion of personal responsibility and morality in a dangerous and atheistic world. I may disagree with your notion of free-will but that is only a technical difference, semantics. Every person in this forum has a sense of morality, most of them superior to yours, IMO. I make no claim that my notion of free-will makes me a better person than anyone else - nor that yours makes you any worse.

When I confront you over my dashed hopes for reasonable discussion in these already toxic waters I could care less whether you see free-will through a different window than I do. I am simply calling you out as a bully (and a coward for attacking others from behind the anonymous safety of the internet).

Margaret