Mrzzy,

You can ask me any questions you want about playing the guitar, or chord progressions to songs, or about music theory, and such things. I will be happy to answer them to the best of my ability, and even to do a little research or calculating, if need be.

As to this thread, and this issue, I feel that it's tone has been inappropriate from the beginning. I think that you, and others, have behaved badly, and I have asked you, and others, to stop, because I felt that the ill feelings were spilling out into the broader forum.

You made the following statement:

"Even insulting you by saying Belief in Jesus is Stupid isn't violence. That's the whole point of talking about stuff, arguing about stuff even shouting at each other about stuff - it isn't hitting people."

My response to that is simply that verbal abuse is a form of violence, too. If the verbal abuse concerns the religious beliefs of an individual, or are directed at an individual because they are a member of a religious group, that violence can rise to the level of a hate crime.

I am not suggesting this to accuse you, or anyone else who has participated in this thread of a hate crime. I bring it up to show you what the stakes are when the passions rise in a discussion
on this subject.

I think that this thread, and threads like it, hurt Mudcat, because they strain relationships between people who share music on-line, as well as in sessions, folk clubs, and a lot of other situations. I also think that the harm far outweighs any good that they might do.

You may not believe me, but that's all.