Forums
Welcome to the Christianity Discussion Forum!
The forum is an interactive extension of the About Christianity site. It is designed primarily for Christians and people who will treat members of the Christian faith with respect, even if you do not practice Christianity. Feel free to discuss topics you find on the Christianity site and issues associated with Christianity. You may ask questions, share advice and voice opinions. Your forum moderators will visit regularly and participate in discussions.
The Christianity forum includes members of various faith groups and diverse spiritual orientations. All are welcome to participate. You will meet individuals who hold to different beliefs and convictions than your own. We ask you to exercise and encourage an attitude of acceptance and tolerance, allowing others the freedom to pursue their own religious beliefs, even when they seem offensive or false to you.
We are committed to maintaining a high standard of quality discussion with freedom of expression. We are equally committed to protecting a spirit of mutual respect within a welcoming and cordial community. We will not prohibit members from expressing opinions and viewpoints within the limits of these guidelines.
Get to Know the Format
To meet the needs of all members we have adopted a dual format. The forum is divided into 2 distinct areas, one called Christian Community (CC) primarily for Christians who seek a community atmosphere, and the other called Debate (DB) for both followers and critics of Christianity. Folders marked CC are primarily designed for Christians, to discuss issues related to Christianity in a non-confrontational community atmosphere. Folders marked DB are exclusively geared for Debate. We ask that you respect fellow members by observing the guidelines for each of the folder types and directing discussions to the appropriate folders.
General Guidelines
- These guidelines reflect the standard of behavior acceptable for the Christianity forum. They apply to anything you upload or create on the forum, including posts, screen names, signatures, profiles, discussion titles, or any text, graphics or images.
- The Christian Community folders (marked CC) are designed primarily for Christians who seek a community atmosphere. We request that you treat all members with equal respect. The challenging of, denigration of, or mockery of core Christian beliefs is not allowed in CC. What constitutes a challenge to, or denigration of beliefs will be determined by the moderators.
- The Debate folders (marked DB) have been established for open debate. They are for both followers and critics of Christianity. In DB you may debate the validity and relative merits of Christianity, Christian doctrines or faith groups.
- In all areas, both in DB and CC, members agree to be courteous and respectful, even to those whose beliefs seem offensive or false. Make your case, but do not make negative remarks about members.
- Please refrain from belligerent preaching or aggressively imposing your beliefs upon others.
- Healthy debate is welcome. Personal attacks, "flaming," inflammatory posts, insensitive remarks, mockery, violence and hate speech, profanity, excessive antagonistic posting, and disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Offending users may be gagged or banned without notice. We will do our best to inform members of violations and the resulting corrective action.
- We ask you to refrain from insulting a members' ethnicity, religion, race, gender, social class, intelligence, and any other personal characteristics. Each member has equal value and deserves respect. You agree not to post any negative generalizations about other faith groups and people of other spiritual orientations, including comments about intelligence level, character, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, health, mental health, etc.
Your Guide to Christianity at About.com,
Mary Fairchild
FAQ
- Q. Do I have to register to use the forums?A. You can enter as a guest and read posts, but you must register before you can post or answer a post that's already there. Registering is quick, simple, and free. Please join us.
- Q. Are there any types of posts that are prohibited here?A. We will delete any spam or commercial posts. Please do not post to sell something or involve anyone in a money-making proposition. Flames or rude / insensitive remarks will be removed. Users who are disruptive may be gagged at the Guide's discretion.
- Q. May I promote my product or Web site here?A. As with most places on the Internet, you may make your URL part of your "signature" by typing it under your name at the end of your posts, but please do not place commercial posts on the forum. They will be considered spam and be deleted.
- Q. What should I do if I have a problem logging on?A. Please fill out the problem report form with as much detail about the problem as possible. About's Customer Care team will work with you to find a solution.
- Q. How do I find general instructions for using the forum?A. For general instructions about using the forum see our Forum How To's Page.
- Q. Do I have free speech here?A. This forum is privately owned and operated. Therefore, you do not actually have a constitutional right to free speech here. Your ability to say what you want is limited by the User Agreement and the rules of the forum. Although we are committed to maintaining a high standard of quality discussion with freedom of expression, the administration of the forum and of About.com have the right to exclude anyone they choose.
- Q. How long will my posts stay in the forum?A. Posts are removed at the discretion of the forum moderator(s). Posts that are informative, helpful, and relevant may remain indefinitely. Occasionally and unfortunately, these posts may be removed when they reside in a thread that has degenerated into an offensive thread.
- Q. What types of posts and threads will be moved or removed without notice?A. Posts that are irrelevant to Christianity, advertisements, spam, solicitations, money-making propositions, political advertisements and commercial posts will be removed or placed into a more appropriate folder at the moderators' discretion without notice. Inflammatory posts ("flames"), personal attacks, nudity and profanity will not be tolerated and will be removed immediately.
- Q. Who manages this forum?A. The Christian Community (CC) folders of the forum are moderated by your host, Mary Fairchild, and the Debate Community (DB) folders are moderated by Citizen12. The forum host is About.com's Christianity Guide, Mary Fairchild.