Quote:
Originally posted by Timber Loftis:
We have a mix of people here at IWF that includes EVERYTHING under the sun. And, we're pretty darn intelligent, and all of us opinionated. And, when it comes to religion, we tend to see our opposing posters and thinK: "This person is otherwise smart, so how can they be so DUMB about something so OBVIOUS?" And then we look down on them, and berate them. While they do the same to us.
No one else is really saying it, so I will: I have reservations.
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The paragraph above is excellent, Timber. A very good summation.
And I also have reservations about a full-on religious discussion. No wait, I don't. I'm against it, in the context of the IW CE forum.
I have nothing against religious discussions in general and I have participated in many (face-to-face, not online). The value in it is exactly what Yorick has posted - self-examination and broadening of perspective. It is also a fascinating and interesting subject (as Jaradu stated) that gets to the roots of what people believe and why they do what they do. But it's too much of a hot topic here. When I first entered the forum a few months ago, I almost left again after reading some of the old posts. Reading some of those old threads was like listening to a recording of people screaming insults at each other. Emotions run too high and posters get too personal. Period.
That's why I would restrict it to threads where it is pertinent to some other issue. Even then it can turn bad, but that's why we have to self-moderate.