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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.
I have to second annalex's comment, RM. Orthodoxy uses heretic and heresy in almost the exact way he has described Roman Catholic usage, the only difference being that for us a heretic is a heretic is a heretic whether or not they realize they are a heretic. To state that someone is a heretic or some belief heresy is merely a statement of theological fact within the contemplation of The Church. Neither are terms in any way synonomous with or equivalent to liar or idiot.
"I would not call a Muslim heretic...."
I would because many of its theological roots lie in Nestorianism, Arianism and an odd old Arabian heresy which indeed did worship the Theotokos as a goddess.
Quote: "The Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church tends to use the term 'heretic' only in reference to member of the ELCA."
And, is there a problem with that? :-)
White chocolate: 200 ounces per pound of body weight. It takes 250 pounds of white chocolate to cause signs of poisoning in a 20-pound dog, 125 pounds for a 10-pound dog.
:-0!
Catholic ping.
I'm disappointed in the recent moderation of the Religion threads. We Catholics are being held to a higher standard, imho.
We should be.
No, I was trying to be cute. The ELCA and the Missouri Synod don't agree on much.
No, I was trying to be cute. The ELCA and the Missouri Synod don't agree on much.
It is helpful to think of it his way...all liberals are heretics but not all heretics are ugly
Is that helpful?
Who's more powerful: You or the Admin Moderator?
Hmmmmmmm
Just kidding!
Bookmark
Who's more powerful: King or Prophet?
" It is helpful to think of it his way...all liberals are heretics but not all heretics are ugly
Is that helpful?"
Well, yes, in a precise and definitive Latin sort of way. As for me, it seems that the nous, when ensconced in a person advanced in theosis and thus filled with a degree of gnosis, perhaps even to the extent of encountering the Uncreated Light, might discern heresy in the most unwitting and seemingly innocent instrument of the Evil One, like a pretty liberal lady for example. Now I will go back to listening to the chanting of the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos in Arabic.
Catholic Ping List
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
No. The moderation should be impartial. Otherwise, it's not really moderation. If there is a bias present, it corrupts the process.
I know what you are saying, but it corrupts it in our favor. When one side posts researched material and the other responds with ignorant sneers, guess who looks better in the end?
The moderator who tends the garden?
Every branch ... that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
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