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For the record, determining who is thin-skinned on a particular thread has to do with more than just looking for whiners. Some of the toughest "open" Religion Forum posters wail as if it were a debate strategy, e.g. "wah, make him stop."

Also, posters on a Religion Forum should be aware that when they falsely accuse another Freeper of telling a lie (or bearing false witness) then they are guilty of the exact same thing.

But RF posters should not be surprised when other posters tell them that if they don’t believe exactly the same way they do, then they’re doomed to hell. When one belief spawns from another, both typically condemn the other, i.e. apostate, anathema, cult, heretic, Satanic, etc.

It’s rough in the town square and that's why thin-skinned posters should IGNORE "open" RF threads altogether and instead post to caucus, ecumenical, prayer or devotional threads.

Still accusing another poster individually of a sin is inflammatory. Telling another poster he is bearing a false witness may not sound so bad, but what if you had said “you are an adulterer?”

Religion Forum posters probably are much more sensitive to accusations of sin or moral failures. The accusation itself understandably can incite a flame war or cause resentment.

My thinking now is that accusing any Religion Forum poster individually of breaking any of the “ten commandments” or of hating God or other people should be considered “making it personal.”

That prohibition would not apply to deities, religious figures, religious authorities, authors or groups of believers. For instance, it would not be making it personal to say “Muslims are adulterers” or “Protestants bear false witness” or “Catholics worship idols”.

Mull this over and let me know what you think. I won't make a change until I get some feedback.

It is not unusual on the web for a group of posters to gang up and call another group of posters "trolls" and post the "do not feed the trolls" cartoons.

Yes, I have seen it on political threads here and with the responses of a poster they have been warranted, IMO. It's easy for a conservative to spot a troll. But this is not a political thread - but a 'religious' thread and a troll would be an atheist, i.e.,someone who would trash God's Word or come against it in any way.

That kind of post says more about the poster than it does about the target.

I agree.

Ignore it.

On this thread, there have been complaints about 'making it personal' that are much much less severe than the post in question. Is now accusing one of being a troll acceptable on a RF and then add the 'no proof' to back up their accusation? Is posting God's Word on a RF - now open reign to be accused of being a troll acceptable?