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The moderation team has concluded a thorough review of the various sections of the forum relating to Religious and Philosophical beliefs. In the early days of Debate Politics, the two topics were found in a single joint forum. Over time, they have been split apart and rules have been put in place with the hopes of better facilitating different topics of debate and discussion. However, in recent months we’ve identified a number of issues relating to our goals with these two sections.
If we enforced the rules in each section too stringently, then legitimate debate between belief and disbelief would be stifled, which would run counter to our original goals of facilitating more diverse debating topics. However, by not enforcing them in a very narrow fashion, we found that both sections still too often found their threads being derailed from their theological / philosophical foundation into the more standard back and forth fight. As such, the team has noted growing discontent within a varied portion of our user base, and conflict in terms of this forums goals.
Due to this observation, the moderation team is instituting a realignment and alteration to the sections of the forum focused around these kind of discussions. We believe this realignment will best provide venues where all manners of these kind of debates can occur. The follow realignment will occur as follows:
1. The Philosophical Discussions, Religious Discussions, and Religion and Politics sections will be closed and archived
2. A section will be created under the “Non-Political Forum” titled Beliefs and Skepticism
- Description: “For debating and discussing matters relating to beliefs from a skeptical and/or faith-based standpoint.”
- Purpose: General free-for-all discussion forum anything relating to systems of belief, or the lack there of. A place for those desiring to debate these topics with those from a wide variety of foundational standpoints.
- Rule Set: Standard Forum Rules.
3. A subsection will be created under Beliefs and Skepticism entitled Philosophy
- Description: “Discussions and debate regarding the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence from a non-religious basis.”
- Purpose: A place to discuss philosophical matters free from those relying on faith in the divine, scripture, or other religious basis.
- Rule Set: Threads and posts that are critical of disbelief, or are focused on attacking religion/spirituality, are not allowed. Posts/threads from a religious basis, or deemed overly antagonistic towards non-belief, will be considered “trolling”.
4. A subsection will be created under Beliefs and Skepticism entitled Theology
- Description: “Discussion of religion and spirituality from a theological, faith-based foundation.”
- Purpose: A place to discuss religious matters from a religious mindset and free from any sort of derailment or focus on disbelief from a non-religious stand point.
- Rule Set: Threads and posts that are critical of religion or its spiritual aspects in a broad fashion, or are focused on attacking non-belief, are not allowed. Skeptical posts/threads from a non-religious basis, or ones deemed overly antagonistic towards religious beliefs, will be considered “trolling”.
5. Both the Philosophy and Theology sub sections will adhere to 2-4-6 method of section suspension/bans, similar to in the Abortion and Conspiracy Theory sections of the forum
This means that your second infraction or thread ban within a year in one of these sections will result in a one week suspension from that section. Your fourth instance within a year will result in a month long suspension form the section. Finally, your sixth violation within a year will result in a permanent banishment from that section. These totals are tied to the specific section (i.e. violations that occur in Theology aren’t counted towards your violation totals in Philosophy and vice versa. Likewise, a suspension in Philosophy does not restrict your participation in Theology and vice versa).
To begin, we will leave this thread open to answer any general questions people may have. Please note that rule 6a DOES still apply, and that the purpose of leaving this thread open is to help clarify matters regarding the change and not simply as a means for any poster to air their grievances with the forum, these rules, or other posters. If the thread begins to go down that path it will be closed.
If we enforced the rules in each section too stringently, then legitimate debate between belief and disbelief would be stifled, which would run counter to our original goals of facilitating more diverse debating topics. However, by not enforcing them in a very narrow fashion, we found that both sections still too often found their threads being derailed from their theological / philosophical foundation into the more standard back and forth fight. As such, the team has noted growing discontent within a varied portion of our user base, and conflict in terms of this forums goals.
Due to this observation, the moderation team is instituting a realignment and alteration to the sections of the forum focused around these kind of discussions. We believe this realignment will best provide venues where all manners of these kind of debates can occur. The follow realignment will occur as follows:
1. The Philosophical Discussions, Religious Discussions, and Religion and Politics sections will be closed and archived
2. A section will be created under the “Non-Political Forum” titled Beliefs and Skepticism
- Description: “For debating and discussing matters relating to beliefs from a skeptical and/or faith-based standpoint.”
- Purpose: General free-for-all discussion forum anything relating to systems of belief, or the lack there of. A place for those desiring to debate these topics with those from a wide variety of foundational standpoints.
- Rule Set: Standard Forum Rules.
3. A subsection will be created under Beliefs and Skepticism entitled Philosophy
- Description: “Discussions and debate regarding the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence from a non-religious basis.”
- Purpose: A place to discuss philosophical matters free from those relying on faith in the divine, scripture, or other religious basis.
- Rule Set: Threads and posts that are critical of disbelief, or are focused on attacking religion/spirituality, are not allowed. Posts/threads from a religious basis, or deemed overly antagonistic towards non-belief, will be considered “trolling”.
4. A subsection will be created under Beliefs and Skepticism entitled Theology
- Description: “Discussion of religion and spirituality from a theological, faith-based foundation.”
- Purpose: A place to discuss religious matters from a religious mindset and free from any sort of derailment or focus on disbelief from a non-religious stand point.
- Rule Set: Threads and posts that are critical of religion or its spiritual aspects in a broad fashion, or are focused on attacking non-belief, are not allowed. Skeptical posts/threads from a non-religious basis, or ones deemed overly antagonistic towards religious beliefs, will be considered “trolling”.
5. Both the Philosophy and Theology sub sections will adhere to 2-4-6 method of section suspension/bans, similar to in the Abortion and Conspiracy Theory sections of the forum
This means that your second infraction or thread ban within a year in one of these sections will result in a one week suspension from that section. Your fourth instance within a year will result in a month long suspension form the section. Finally, your sixth violation within a year will result in a permanent banishment from that section. These totals are tied to the specific section (i.e. violations that occur in Theology aren’t counted towards your violation totals in Philosophy and vice versa. Likewise, a suspension in Philosophy does not restrict your participation in Theology and vice versa).
To begin, we will leave this thread open to answer any general questions people may have. Please note that rule 6a DOES still apply, and that the purpose of leaving this thread open is to help clarify matters regarding the change and not simply as a means for any poster to air their grievances with the forum, these rules, or other posters. If the thread begins to go down that path it will be closed.
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