The crevo debate is like “child’s play” compared to some of the deadly serious hostilities held among the various confessions. It is not at all unusual for a member of one to consider the practice, belief or roots of another to be anathema, damnable, cursed, demonic, satanic, the very source of evil in the world.
So the posters argue as if the differences are a matter of life and death for everyone – because in their minds, it is. Many if not most of them believe it is their commission in life to spread their particular doctrine. And none of them are likely to change beliefs. After all, if they believed there was anything faulty with their own confession, why would they embrace it in the first place – much less prosecute all other beliefs?
This forum has no “official” doctrine. Therefore, it is tolerable for all sides to air their grievances, poke fun at each other, dispute beliefs and so on – but when the discussion turns personal, even slightly, a flame war is apt to quickly follow. Thus the guideline of ”discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal” is strictly enforced here.
Despite all of this, still there are some who take affronts to their confession as a personal affront. But there is nothing I can do to help the particularly thin-skinned among us.
Nevertheless, it has been evidenced quite clearly that it is possible for posters of various confessions to air their differences frankly but respectfully to the benefit of all lurkers. My “shining example” of this is the Luther and Erasmus thread.
Now that this crevo thread is on the Religion Forum, all participants must comply with the guidelines. Philosophical beliefs (methodological naturalism, metaphysical naturalism, scientism, scientific materialism, realism, idealism, etc.) will be treated here with the same equal hand as theological beliefs.
Thank you.
Thanks you for explaining these things!
It seems sometimes that the Mods are above it all, applying judgement with having to explain themselves.
So the posters argue as if the differences are a matter of life and death for everyone – because in their minds, it is. Many if not most of them believe it is their commission in life to spread their particular doctrine. And none of them are likely to change beliefs.
Very true. Unfortunately, the same people bring those notions with them when they participate in the science threads -- especially, but not limited to evolution threads. Such posters aren't there to discuss science, of which they know nothing and care less, but only to profess their religious creeds.
Rather than moving such threads into the religion forum (as was done here) perhaps it would be better if religiously-motivated, anti-science people were told to stay off the thread (but gently, of course, as you mods are famous for doing). That's common practice in other threads, but it's never yet been done in a science thread. It would help a lot in preventing flame wars.
I beg to differ. One of the standard creationist bullet points is that science is merely another sort of religion. By declaring that methodological naturalism - the foundation of science itself - is to be treated as a theological belief, you are effectively declaring that the official position of FR is that the creationists are correct in this assertion, that science is in fact merely another sort of religion. However, having given away the farm, you will generously permit the debate - what's left of it, anyway - to continue.
No thanks.
hrmn... so, we can expect you to purge this thread of all iterations of broad declarations that "evolution is pure rubbish" et omnia generis alia, right?
surprise me: give me empirical evidence that you mean what you say.