[onyx]

I thought that comments was one of the worst I've ever read on FR and I just checked and it's still there. Like I said, I avoid the Religion Forum, but I think the Religion Moderator does a great job, (in a totally thankless and extremely difficult job) but the definition of "don't make it personal" puzzles me, because vicious slams against one's religion is certainly personal, in that there's no other way of followers taking it, other than personal!

Perhaps all should be caucus, and thus eliminating the arguments? I personally think that the majority of so-called "articles" posted by a certain few, are meant to inflame, so my advice is for all Catholics to completely ignore those threads and let those few have their glee and handle their snakes or prance around in their drum circles.

The posts are NOT 'teaching' instruments. That's for certain.

God bless and keep you, dearest Cicero.

[Lonely Bull]

Perhaps all should be caucus, and thus eliminating the arguments?

I've never been a fan of making too many threads caucus threads. Sometimes I've had something constructive to add to a thread in which I shouldn't have been posting according to the strict definition of a "caucus thread." Because of the label, I never posted what I would've posted otherwise.

Are you thinking of the "ecumenical" setting?

Ecumenical threads are closed to antagonism.

To antagonize is to incur or to provoke hostility in others.

Unlike the “caucus” threads, the article and reply posts of an “ecumenical” thread may discuss more than one belief, but antagonism is not tolerable.

--SNIP--

Contrasting of beliefs or even criticisms can be made without provoking hostilities.

[more follows]

I've favored making the default setting "ecumenical" and forcing "open" threads to be labeled as such. This way, the burden of a special effort lies on those who wish to make antagonistic threads. I'm not thinking of an onerous physical burden: adding "open thread" to the label should be easy enough for anyone who can already type a post. I'm thinking about the mental shift, however slight, that such a label just might produce.

The only problem that I'd have is practical: such a significant change in existing policy would require a bit of notification. I'd expect not a few people to forget about the new rule, and I'd even expect a few people to "forget" about the new rule intentionally. But maybe we've reached a point where such a proposal should be made more seriously. (I am not doing so right now, or else I'd be explicit about making the proposal.)

[stonehouse01]

“advice for all Catholics to completely ignore those threads...”

Excellent advice!! I am going to try this approach and see if I can stand letting them butcher our doctrines. (That is why I break down and answer). I AM going to try to stand it though, because ignoring IS the best tactic and I hope the rest of us try this too.