The squares of bitter, dark, unsweetened "baker's chocolate" are the ones you have to watch out for. Eating a couple of those can kill a dog.
Posted on 01/26/2007 9:05:39 AM PST by Religion Moderator
I am the current Religion Moderator and have general responsibility for this Religion Forum on Free Republic. However, all moderators have authority on the RF as well – and prior RMs may log in with my handle. So the person handling your abuse reports may or may not be me, but usually it will be.
I diligently try to read all of your posts, but am not here 24/7 and cannot remember all of the slights and parties involved on every single sidebar much less when posters carry grudges between threads. So if you are wondering why I singled one guy out and not the other involved in a dispute, often it is because I either did not see a previous post or did not remember it as part of the sidebar.
If the other guy in the dispute was given a warning, consider yourself warned as well.
I make every effort to treat all confessions with an even hand. Some here say that is not so evidently because their own confession is the target of what they consider to be more challenges and ridicule than the other guy’s confession. First, there is no confession on the Religion Forum with “clean hands” – if you doubt that, check out the threads where the article is “for” the other guy’s confession. Secondly, some confessions are far more contentious than others evidently as part of the doctrine.
Some posters argue for their confessions as if their lives depended on it because, frankly, to many of them it does. Flame wars ignite over petty, miserably petty, minutia. Therefore, I hold all the Religion Forum posters to a tough standard:
1. Discuss the issues all you want, but do NOT make it personal. You’ll see this warning frequently on threads because the first offense in a flame war is often when one of the participants makes a personal remark about another Freeper, e.g. you’re an idiot, liar, heretic and so on. Attributing motives to another poster or otherwise reading his mind is “making it personal.” Stick with the issues and you’ll be fine. When in doubt, double check your use of pronouns before hitting “post.”
2. Thin skinned RF posters should stick with the “closed” threads. I can and do intercede to keep posters from “making it personal.” There is nothing I can do to prevent a poster from “taking it personal.” And, frankly, many posters come to the RF with huge chips on their shoulders. Such posters are as guilty of causing flame wars as the ones who actually do “make it personal.”
3. “Closed” threads on the Religion Forum include devotionals, prayer threads and caucuses. The header of the thread should make it obvious that the thread is closed, i.e. like a church meeting behind closed doors. Such assemblies will not be disturbed. Any challenges or ridicule will be removed. Any thread can be designated a caucus - e.g. labeled as a “[Catholic Caucus]” or “[LDS Caucus]” - provided that neither the article nor any of the posts challenge or ridicule any other confession. These are “safe harbors” for those who are easily offended or are ill equipped to defend their own confession.
It is disingenuous to complain that your confession is being maligned when you are NOT using the caucus designation to protect the thread from challenges!
4. All other threads on the Religion Forum are “Open” which means they are like a town square. Challenges and ridicule will occur. Expect them to be contentious, rough or even insulting. Your confession will be maligned on open threads. Your beloved religious figures will be ridiculed. Don’t complain because the author or a religious figure is called a liar, demon, heretic or whatever on an open thread. It is to be expected in the town square. Remember too that the Religion Forum is densely populated with highly educated theologians. If you are ill-equipped to defend your confession, you’ll get beat up on “Open” thread. When in doubt, ping one of your best defenders and withdraw to a “Closed” thread.
As much as is possible I try to use a progressive method with uncooperative Religion Forum posters – a warning, and if that warning is ignored, a cookie (making him log in again), and if that is ignored, an hour suspension … and so on up to a banishment. I do this because an occasional misstep on such sensitive matters as one’s confession should be tolerable. But I will not be ignored.
Posters who have been previously banned and try to come back with a different handle will be banished as soon as they are “found out.” Some retreads stay off the “radar” by behaving themselves, but once they start picking fights – they cause the moderators – any of us – to investigate. If you have been previously banned and want to come back on the forum, make a request, promise not to do whatever caused the first banning.
A poster may also be banned in an instant if he is discovered to be a racist, a hate monger including an anti-Semitist, troll, anti-Freeper, etc.
There will be people on the forum who are anti- your confession whether anti-Christian, anti-Calvinist, anti-Catholic, anti-Protestant, anti-Mormon, anti-Atheist, anti-Scientologist and so on. As long as they are arguing for their position on an “Open” thread – and are not using hate mongering material such as the false “oath for Knights of Columbus” or Jack Chick cartoons – and are otherwise abiding by the guidelines, their challenges will be tolerated.
Threads that become “toxic” – which is to say have devolved into an unredeemable mess of hurt feelings will be locked or pulled. I prefer to lock the threads because many posters put a great deal of effort in their replies and would like to keep them bookmarked.
Let me put that another way. Too many Catholics and others may be put off by the hostility of these out of control threads. Some have admitted as much. Fair moderation can keep things on a fair playing field. Expecting one side to be under constant assault and yet remain so is unreasonable.
Unfortunately, our Admin Mod is human.
>>We Catholics are being held to a higher standard, imho.<<
Yes.
In seriousness, one cannot moderate the tone. You cannot expect the moderator to grade each post as a college paper. "Don't make it personal" and "Take it to a caucus" are simple objective rules. Outright blasphemy does get removed. I think, it is a perfect world out there.
bumpus ad summum
The squares of bitter, dark, unsweetened "baker's chocolate" are the ones you have to watch out for. Eating a couple of those can kill a dog.
Yes.
Fortunately that is not a problem . . . ;-)
**Remember this: the demeanor of the poster says more about his own confession than the post says about yours. When he is being rude or mean it drives people away from his confession and towards yours. That is of course if you can resist the urge to meet fire with fire, in which case neither confession is appealing to the lurkers. The poster who “turns the other cheek” wins – every – single – time.**
Very wise words. I try to state my beliefs and not get drawn into some of the outrageious statements, but I am not always that self-disciplinned. When we turn the other cheek -- after defending our point validly -- we do win!
You also mentioned "rude" posts. These (such as the neener threads) only demean the people who post them and those who contribute to these ridiculous threads. Again wise words on your part. And all who do not post on these rude threads are winners!
Thank you for listening/reading!
**Any thread can be designated a caucus - e.g. labeled as a “[Catholic Caucus]” or “[LDS Caucus]” - provided that neither the article nor any of the posts challenge or ridicule any other confession. **
A question or two or three.
What if the article or a part of the post presents ridicule or challenging disdain for another confession?
What action will be taken by you? What actions should be taken by us?
**It is disingenuous to complain that your confession is being maligned when you are NOT using the caucus designation to protect the thread from challenges!**
This is true. And in fairness, other than the Daily Readings, I usually will post an open thread possibly with a Catholic viewpoint, for instance about the Blessed Virgin Mary.
So am I understanding you in the statement above, that we cannot complain if someone belittles the Blessed Virgin Mary again and again and again and we get fed up with it and ask them to stop -- we would then be judged disengenuous?
Is it fair to say that I will pray for their mind to be opened to other viewpoints........and then leave the thread?
bookmark
**A poster may also be banned in an instant if he is discovered to be a racist, a hate monger including an anti-Semitist, troll, anti-Freeper, etc.**
You did not include anti-Catholic. Are Catholics "fair game," then, so to speak?
I guess you answered my #72 in your following paragraph. Sorry, I was posting, paragraph by paragraph as I went through your essay.
You may wish to weigh in here.
Catholic Discussion Ping!
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The rest of us Christians are, why not you?
Read further...
There will be people on the forum who are anti- your confession whether anti-Christian, anti-Calvinist, anti-Catholic, anti-Protestant, ...
So did Belloc in his work on the Five Great Heresies.
Peace to you, Religious Mod! You have your "work" cut out for you and deserve a halo!
--Peace to you, Religious Mod! You have your "work" cut out for you and deserve a halo!--
I've thought that one for a long time now...
Precisely. I for one would use the "nuclear option" much too often. FR would end up composed of 11 members none of whom are prone to donate. JimRob would close up shop in about 4 minutes.
;-o)
Thank you for doing your job, but what a terrible shame that Christians should need a post like this. Christians need to buck up, grow a thick skin and start treating others as Christ would.
Indeed!
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? (Matthew 23:13-17 KJV)
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