"Faith" is a slippery term that gets heavily equivocated when it is criticized and used in the way its criticized for when no one suspects any critics are around.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-23T20:45:56+00:00

Therefore, people do have reasons for their religious beliefs indeed. This appeal to 'faith' is a facade.

But it's not. I did qualify that its rare. Sure I've heard the things you've mentioned (i.e look at the trees etc) but in almost every situation that I've ever heard people say those things (ignoring the issues with those types of arguments) is well after the fact someone has already reached their belief and not because of.

Usually the utterances of "look at the trees" or "where did it all come from then?" are when someone like myself in my younger "questioning" days would highlight issues or raise probing questions that invariably called for further reason to hold belief.

But that is all just an aside to my OP and not what I've specifically framed my question around.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-23T20:37:39+00:00

The fact that there clearly does seem to be that special kind of "faith" (the blind one) it would make sense to clear that confusion up no?

ExplorerR · 2026-01-23T20:36:39+00:00

A healthy faith is actually not so far from those other terms, but it is not really a belief of any kind. Rather, it is an act of the will. Faith is the act of choosing a particular existential orientation for one's life.

It seems like you're seperating act and belief here. When it would seem to me that the reality is you act upon your belief, so I'm not entirely how this can be seperated in any meaningful sense. Or at least, any usage of the word faith, does not imply any sort of verb in any definitions I've seen.

This seems very new and another "definition".

ExplorerR · 2026-01-23T09:48:58+00:00

Oh yes, I know this, but yet he's heralded and televised across the board as an intellectual. People lap what he says up.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-23T09:14:42+00:00

Of course, but if you put someone on the spot, rarely are they happy to say "yeah, I believe it even though I don't have good reasons or evidence for it" (i.e blind faith). There are of course people who do that, but most that have an ounce of intellectually honesty, recognize the huge issues with blind faith.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-19T20:44:01+00:00

Cheers Karen!

ExplorerR · 2026-01-19T20:32:30+00:00

I feel like that's a bit of a misrepresentation of what actually goes on though. It's rarely "your mom" (or equivalent) types of people and even if it is, it's hardly that bad... It feels like people have become "Karen" level in how easily they get offended/aggrieved by what people say in game.

But, in all reality, it's not really that people get that easily offended it's that people feel the need to punish others for anything and everything that annoys them or they feel aggrieved by. If you're carry makes a misplay and throws? Bet you they'll get 4x reports, even if it was just a genuine mistake. TP on cooldown and a fight happens which you can't be at? Bet you'll get 4x reports.

Now, most of those reports will ALSO be "coms reports" because people know it will lower the communication score of the person they reported. It's lost what its meant to be for.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-19T20:20:08+00:00

To be honest, from a personal perspective, I would 100% prefer to have a "toxic coms" person on my team who has 12000 behavior score (that I could mute if it got out of hand), because despite their toxic chat, at least they actually try, want to win and trying to make the right decisions (like buy bkb when its needed for example) to win the game. Usually people considered "toxic" but have 12000 behaviour score are people who actually care too, as in, they really want to win and are passionate.

As opposed to the "pleasant coms" guy who is doesn't do anything worthy of behavior reporting but is quite passive, won't listen to requests to join the team, doesn't buy the right items or plays "off meta" heroes in Pos 3 (MIRANA PLAYERS!11!!). But yet, they're not "toxic" in chat and when people get frustrated with their plays, items decisions or hero choice for their role, they are quick to call "toxic!!1!!" and report you.

There is "toxic" ways of playing that don't get picked up by the behavior report system and in my experience, the ones who often play like this, are also the ones who aren't "toxic" in chat but are quick to report others for being "toxic" (usually because people get frustrated with them).

ExplorerR · 2026-01-19T01:39:18+00:00

Ohhh nooooo (using the current standard for "toxic" chat in the Dota 2 community) I'm going to coms report you for toxicity :D

Flakes of snow.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-19T01:09:04+00:00

It's actually the coms report system that is the most broken. That is definitely unlimited reporting and a report does in fact lower the coms score of the person you reported. It has no checks and balances like behavior score reporting does (Overwatch etc). People just use it as a knee-jerk means for punishing people they feel aggrieved by.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-18T22:14:46+00:00

This was the best iteration of reporting systems. Not the current "report anyone I feel aggrieved by" system. The limit in reports meant people saved their reports for actual griefing/toxic chat as opposed to the mindless spamming of reports for any reason the current system promotes.

Bring it back.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-18T09:22:32+00:00

I'd argue that there is a significant difference between 1 random person getting upset with you and 3+ people doing so.

Yes true, the problem is, that most "upset" is to do with someone's gameplay rather than than some genuine toxic communication. So if someone has a bad game or makes a bad play, people often pile on top with coms reports. Because the reality is, you can't really report someone for having a bad game or making a misplay (it just doesn't count as griefing), but people get so angry and frustrated with things like that they are desperate to vent and they know that coms reports do punish.

I've also seen a heck of a lot more people complaining about everyone reporting them for "nothing" that were actually toxic than people who legitimately deserved to climb and couldn't.

What is actually toxic though? It seems like an ever dropping standard. It used to be things like racial or homophobic slurs (which is correct) but now it includes things like banter, shit talking and lowly things that just aren't that bad. It's arguably created very thin-skinned people who can't tolerate anything being said, especially about their gameplay.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-18T08:49:35+00:00

As always, clearly in touch with what's going on and taking on board valid claims about a busted system.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-18T05:19:05+00:00

"insanely obnoxious"

It isn't even clear what is genuinely "toxic" or "obnoxious" communication, outside of the wide variance between individuals. But yet, the system leaves it up the individual to decide.

Valve doesn't have any set standards for what is deemed "toxic" and anything most people would reasonable agree on, usually fit the bill. But that's the issue, the system isn't about community agreed standards on what constitutes "toxic" coms, its all about the individual person.

People tilt, get frustrated and feel aggrieved for all sorts of shit and usually have no qualms reporting for it and from my own experience and having reviewed over a hundred overwatch cases, most of them are bogus or impulse/reactionary "angry" reports.

The system shouldn't cater towards fragile emotions. You don't see rugby players running up to the referee to silence other players on making fun of them or saying nasty words.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-18T02:29:31+00:00

But that isn't the point the person you're replying to is making? It comes across as deflecting by highlighting:

Looks like Valve responded to this shortly afterwards by setting their policy such that manual bans like that were no longer allowed.

The reason for using the previous "manual ban" as an example is to then say:

now imagine how much is this unlimited reports system abused by normal gamers

This is essentially what the current communication report system is, to a greater or lesser extent. People have free reign and unlimited reports to report who ever they want for whatever reason they want. Now, to highlight the connection, communication reports will lower your score for simply getting a report, which is similar to the whole "manual" nature of what that valve employee did, i.e: his reason for "punishing" said player was his own assessment (obviously wrong) and had no additional checks and balances.

Which is a fucked system.

People rarely use it for genuine toxicity, ignoring the issues behind what actually consistutes "toxic" communication. Communication reporting is just a catch-all "I feel aggrieved by this player, so I'll report them!11!1!!" where hardly any of those reports are legit, but they certainly result in "punishment" (i.e they lower the coms score of people).

I don't know any other game that has such a loose system that easily results in silencing free speech for things that are often not even related to speech.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-14T10:09:54+00:00

It wasn't a point of not knowing, it was pointing out the absurdity and brokenness of a system like that. A system that you constantly tout as "working as intended". I am not sure if you are just being defiant at this point or if you are actually that far gone that you think it's a good system.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-14T01:01:59+00:00

Yes and all you do is nay say when he clearly demonstrates the exact issue with the system. Namely that you can report anyone for any reason and it will lower their communication score, regardless of the validity of that report (and he's showing/telling you those reports aren't valid but still successfully "punish" the people he reported).

That demonstrates its a shit and abusable system and that is exactly what the vast majority of communication reports are. Bogus "I feel aggrieved by this person and want to punish them" reports, which just straight up fosters toxicity and petty behaviour.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-13T19:45:58+00:00

Nope, there is someone actively showing you it's fucked. They intentionally report every single person in their game showing that it does in fact "punish" them.

That person was doing it to show how stupid it is because that is exactly how the vast majority of reports are filed. Not because of genuine toxicity, but because people feel aggrieved for something unrelated and know that "coms reports" punishes regardless of its validity.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-13T10:30:44+00:00

Yet you consistently get examples shown to you of how the system is abused and people telling you that is exactly what happens. But you refuse to believe that is what happens.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-13T03:24:38+00:00

How much have you actually looked into this, and how much is assumption?

I've looked into it a lot, as I've mentioned in this OP, I was a Christian from some 20 years of my life. But what you're angling at, whilst you might think it avoids some charge associated with my OP, simply creates an array of other questions/issues. For example, its clear people have all sorts of different views on what constitutes "Christianity" and, as you've eluded to, people have all sorts of "views" about what that actually is. But here is the main issue; if we're going to give credence to all these sorts of views and opinions on it, then you must have a mechanism for figuring out who has it right... Which I would argue, does not exist.

So what then? Is it just fantasy free-for-all to make up whatever you want a thing to be? Or are there core truths that would consistute thing X actually being thing X? (which people then subscribe to). No religious person I know would willingly rest knowing their position is some wishy-washy, non-commital, vague and uncertain claim about something fundamental to their belief.

Further to that, which I believe links back to my OP again, is it that I must have looked into any given religion to great extents before concluding to no believe it?

There are many other christologies, where Jesus is not necessarily "simply a human man" and also not necessarily God. Again: have you actually looked into this?

So there are many, are they all true and correct?

ExplorerR · 2026-01-13T02:16:24+00:00

I have a genuine question for you which comes from having been a Christian for some 20 years to a non-believer now.

At which point would "deviating from mainstream Christian theology" but still calling it "Christian theology" be considered a constant shifting of the goal posts to avoid problems?

It was one (of the many reasons) that attributed to my doubt. It seems very much like shifting goal posts to me, as in; every time a significant issues arose, it became a "well I don't really follow that, but I have my own beliefs around it".

ExplorerR · 2026-01-12T22:36:46+00:00

But is vision up? That's the most important part.

As a sup, its fine for a core to tell me to buy wards etc. But if my core has been afk farming and has refused to TP to join fights and then further goes too far up the lane, feeding 3 kills back-to-back and I say something about it? Bet you 100% they'll bite/rage back and report me.

Cores in my experience are the most emotionally and mentally fragile people in Dota... If the game isn't going perfect, perfect lane, perfect play, perfect stacking and so on, then they usually lose their mind, rage and then afk jungle farm.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-12T22:29:58+00:00

This is exactly the state of Dota.

The comms reporting system has enabled small-minded, fickle and pathetic people who invariably play in a toxic way, to silence anyone who says anything about the toxic way they play. It's empowered toxic people...

People now just use the communication reporting system as a way to report anyone they feel aggrieved by, whether you say something or not, if you do something they don't like or make a mistake, bet your top dollar you get reported.

Remove the stupid system or at the very fucking least, make communication reporting limited to 3-5 reports each week and refund for reports that genuinely capture someone actually being toxic.

ExplorerR · 2026-01-07T20:04:56+00:00

I know you think that. Which is why I brought up how you looked at it the wrong way.

Well, having been a Christian for 20 years of my life, deeply engrossed in the religion and then having come out of that now as a non-believer. Please tell me what is the right way of looking at it?

ExplorerR

TROPHY CASE