I found FR in 2000. I almost met you awhile back. Basil invited me to some event but something happened and I couldn't make it. I believe you provide a wonderful service for this country and want you to remember that I will continue to support FR after you read this , regardless of any decisions you make. I am very proud to be a freeper.
That said I do have a major concern regarding moderation of the religious forum . I have been a regular poster on the NES thread for almost two years and it was up running good long before I got there. I counted about 14 frequent posters with a handful of others that drop in a few times a week.
We are compromised of Baptists (3 fundamentalists) Catholics, a Jew, a Unitarian, one guy that believes Christ has already returned (sorry, I can't remember his denomination), one Mormon, one Pentecostal and one other. We all believe we are right and challenge different beliefs. Lot's of debating goes on and I have learned a lot and grown spiritually during my time there.
Funny thing is that we get along really well (most of the time). We send each other Christmas Cards, celebrate children's accomplishments, pray for each other when times are hard , talk on the phone and 2 of us have even visited each other.
We ought to be at each others throats but we aren't. Yes, occasionally someone crosses the line but apologies follow. Why? Because we like and respect each other.
There are people that do not like this thread and would like to have it shut down. Check the threads if you don't believe me. We have been called things like a biker bar, a love feast with heresy and even told that serious apologists think we are a joke. Some want us in chat . Others just want us to go away.
A few days ago a poster came on that did not like a post questioning catholic doctrine. New guy out of the blue. He insulted the NES poster, his wife and his children. We have an internal policy that we do not ping the RM and work our own problems out but it was so out of line that I did hit the abuse button. I wish I had not done so now and have apologized to the group.
Anyway this poster was "scolded". Not banned. I couldn't believe it. The poster even came back and gloated. The other poster who was insulted was told to back off with his religious beliefs. The RM acknowledged though that he was being provoked. Sometimes when things get tense we joke. Another poster made a light comment and was told to back off for flaming the flames. Then a second poster that we had not heard of showed up Sat to insult this NES poster again. This one was banned.
PNAMBC made a comment about wanting "whine" with the cheese on another post yesterday and was suspended? Someone that the RM had already stated was being provoked. He got suspended! How many times does this phrase get used on regular threads? It's very common
I feel like some people have an agenda and have invaded the NES thread to drive the stake now that it's showing signs of dieing. Look at all the posters that hardly ever show up. Why the interest now? There are some exceptions but some Baptists and Catholics just do not like this thread .
I do not believe we have been treated fairly and I don't understand why. I am requesting that you lift the suspension on PNAMBC (You could put him under NES house arrest if you wanted LOL) and make Malakhi (if he would even accept it) the NES moderator so that all abuse reports would go thru him first and he could have the authority to tell us to knock it off or go elsewhere. It's his thread and he has unofficially done a great job doing so up until now.
Thanks Janis
(Cindydawg)
On the other matter, attempts were made to pull the offending remark on the NES, but it had gotten so long that the system simply wasn't working. It was then that you all were asked to begin a new thread because the long one was unmanageable. Nothing that was tried worked.
RM