Read Here People! Click Here Before Posting That Thread!

[intricatic]

....and don't say I didn't warn you, if you don't bother to read here after I made it clear in the title that you're supposed to.

I know this is a long time coming, but hopefully we can regain a peaceable politics forum from the ashes of the fallout.

First and foremost: flaming, flame-baiting, and other such activities which create a hostile environment for other members who wish to engage in civil discussions will be outright denied from this section of the site. I mean that in the strongest terms possible.

Secondly: Anyone consistently violating this stated addendum will be subject to forum specific bans, post removal, and finally, a general ban from the forums as a whole. Obviously we all get into spats now and again, and that's excusable provided it's not a consistent attitude in posting. There will be no tolerance of this kind of repeat posting, and this will also reflect in how the rest of the forums are moderated outside of the politics and news section, although perhaps less strenuous, considering this is a major problem here and not elsewhere.

This forum is meant to host discussions of a civil nature, on the topic of civil government and the relevant subjects therein. It is not meant to be an airing ground for one's own bias and prejudice. It's okay to have a bias and a prejudice, but that needs to be kept in check - if you have the freedom to hold a bias and a prejudice, this means everyone else posting here does as well. Respect that right. Love it. Don't abuse it or you'll find yourself on the wrong end of a ban.

One thing I do not want to enable is the restriction of different points of view from interacting here. The intent is to curb abusive posting without creating an extensive and convoluted web of rules that will stifle any such interaction. I think it's fair to say; cest la vie, if someone disagrees with you, debate is one formality that needs to be understood as an exercise of reason and not emotion. The fact that someone disagrees with you should not be offensive to you, for disagreement is a part of being human. We all disagree on issues. The problem comes into play when those disagreements are given priority over how we all treat eachother. A berating attitude is not conducive to civil discourse. We are men and women, not little children, and men and women who live in glass houses should not throw stones. If this forum, overall, is to survive and flourish, it needs to start with you - the members posting here. Staff can only do so much to make this an engaging and healthy ministry grounds, and the example we set here will go a long way to helping to encourage those new in Christ. This is especially true in divisive and hostile forums such as these, where people become tempted to act stupidly without thinking of the consequences of such action. I'm even guilty of this from time to time, so I want to make it clear that before posting here, you must stop and think about what you're saying and how it will be taken by opponent views. Is it reasonable? Is it logical? Is it emotional? If it is emotional, you may need to re-think how you're presenting your argument. Being passionate about a topic is one thing, but being overly-emotional is one good way to make a fool out of yourself when you're unable to defend your arguments reasonably. Please think before posting in these specific forums.