Postby Ashley » Sun May 09, 2004 8:23 am
Since you can't see the difference in these threads and feel the need to call me on this issue, I'll explain.
It's not that all religious questions/threads are banned from discussion--what kind of Christian community would THAT be? But there are three kinds of theological discussions:
1. The kind asked by new believers or those sincerely curious--usually non-believers. This type of discussion, if judged sincere and not just troll tactics, is usually welcomed with open arms because it is bringing light to a darkened place. And that's always a good thing.
2. The kind like this, which is aimed at a certain belief and that poses little or no theological debate over. This thread was aimed strictly at Catholics, and did not challenge any other doctrine. It was only when certain Protestants who felt the need to chide their Catholic fellow members came in did any real issues come up. I, for example, am not Catholic and I disagree with many things the Catholic church abides by, but I was not going to open my mouth against them because this thread was not directly challenging any of my beliefs.
3. The kind more like your thread, where a question is posed that could bring up massive debate. This is a little harder to judge--it's a fine line between being cautionary and being paranoid and we try very hard to walk it. These questions, while meant to bring about discussion on a topic, are dangerous because asking an online community a question about what they believe--such as Sabbath practices, baptism, etc.--is quite different from doing so in real life. In real life, there is an understood courtesy, and usually one denomination. Online, it's much easier to tear into someone who is just pixels without giving thought to their human mind behind it. Plus, with such a wide variety of denominations represented here, questions like that could (and do) bring up scriptual evidence supporting one doctrine, evidence on the other side supporting theirs, and before you know it people's feelings are hurt (how often do you like hearing your faith is wrong?) and members leave in bitterness and anger. That is not the sort of community I want.
I refuse to sacrifice membership for "rigorous discussion" of faiths. That kind of community only encourages cliquish behaviors and even sometimes persecution. Real Christian like, huh.
Nothing is randomly locked, Vyse. The staff has a difficult job as it is, but when theology is involved, it gets even worse. We have to trust our own instincts, guess at the possible consequences, and be able to act quickly when things go sour to keep minor skirmishes from resulting in all out wars. So while it may not always make sense to you--these categories, for example, are admittedly simplified and the lines get blurry--we are the ones ultimately accountable to God for it.
Do me a favor, if you're still reading this. Next time you have a disagreement with myself or anyone of my staff, take it to PM's. To call a staffer on the rug before the entire community is incredibly rude.
