Posted on 02/28/2009 7:58:29 AM PST by restornu
Thank you.
Sorry...
I’ll be nice...
However, as a Christian for more than 50 years, I felt that I was part of the group entitled to post here...
Participation is only limited on a “caucus” thread. Anyone can post to an “ecumenical” thread - as long as (s)he complies with the guideline of “no antagonism.”
A LOT of stuff 'antagonizes' ME; but I am mature enough to be able to take it.
What are the GUIDLINES on just WHAT is considered antagonistic and what is not in an ECUMENICAL thread?
MORMONs have a HISTORY of considering CHRISTIANS to be, shall we say, a little less than being 'correct' in their religious practices.
NOW they what to known as CHRISTIANS themselves.
So when a MORMON posts an article as to WHEN the word 'christian' was first used, we Christians tend to wonder if their is some kind of hidden agenda going to be revealed in the thread in subsequent posts in it.
To antagonize is to incur or to provoke hostility in others.
Unlike the “caucus” threads, the article and reply posts of an “ecumenic” thread can discuss more than one belief, but antagonism is not tolerable.
More leeway is granted to what is acceptable in the text of the article than to the reply posts. For example, the term “gross error” in an article will not prevent an ecumenical discussion, but a poster should not use that term in his reply because it is antagonistic. As another example, the article might be a passage from the Bible which would be antagonistic to Jews. The passage should be considered historical fact and a legitimate subject for an ecumenic discussion. The reply posts however must not be antagonistic.
Contrasting of beliefs or even criticisms can be made without provoking hostilities. But when in doubt, only post what you are “for” and not what you are “against.” Or ask questions.
Ecumenical threads will be moderated on a “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” basis. When hostility has broken out on an “ecumenic” thread, I’ll be looking for the source.
Therefore “anti” posters must not try to finesse the guidelines by asking loaded questions, using inflammatory taglines, gratuitous quote mining or trying to slip in an “anti” or “ex” article under the color of the “ecumenic” tag.
Posters who try to tear down other’s beliefs or use subterfuge to accomplish the same goal are the disrupters on ecumenic threads and will be booted from the thread and/or suspended.
Once again; how does one KNOW what that might be?
Or ask questions.
You have seen that THIS does not work too well with most MORMON posters on FR.
Tearing down?
Is 'ecumenical' now a term that means to sit down and eat pap together?
If your post got an indignate reply, it was antagonistic.
Well, THAT comment gives ammunition to certain posters whose stock-in-trade, along with thinly-veiled insults is "indignant replies" to anything that rebuts their religious beliefs.
Manipulation of the ecumenical label to enable the posting of inflammatory articles to avoid rebuttal is beginning to be a fine art.
That's why many of us simply stay away from them.
The "open" threads on the Religion Forum are for the thick skinned.
If posters will find and stay in their appropriate niche, then we can avoid flame wars.
I certainly stay in my "niche", but some refuse to.
What happened to "booting out the thin-skinned" on the open threads?
There are a couple of posters who ignore this regularly, and are never booted.
I don't mind being reprimanded when I err, but when someone else is given a pass for the same thing over and over, it gets tiresome.
You are right. I will try to be more vigilant to boot thin-skinned posters from “open” threads.
Well...thank you. I will start pinging you to remind you ;)
Ok, just don’t expect curb service. I’m not here 24/7.
:)
We are painfully aware of that.
ouch LOL
Possibly; but not always.
"The dog that yelps is the one that was hit." seems to apply a lot.
A quite benign reply will get an unappropriate response, hoping that the poster will either be cowed into submission of silence or abandonment of the item being discussed.
The "CAUCUS" threads exist as safe harbor for the thin skinned posters to discuss what they believe with others who do believe the same way.
Ecumenical, to me, are about worthless.
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