Pilate

I have a suggestion to make:
This forum should be a place where people get together to exchange ideas and knowledge, instead of exchanging insults. This knowledge (about religion) is rare and very useful to those who come to visit the forum. This forum can become "a window of ideas and knowledge" to the world: a place where people come to learn things, which they have no opportunity to learn in their churches or in their schools. This forum provides the opportunity to witness and to attract people to join this movement. The confrontatnional approach does not work. We need to institute an approach that promotes cooperation; an approach that builds our common ground. Confrontations and insults put walls between us. When you insult someone you lose the connection to that person and even if you have something valuable to say that person will, most likely, refuse to learn from you. There is strength in unity. We need to put our brains to pull together instead of against each other.
What can we do to make this happen? Any ideas?
Let's

Amaleq13

If you believe someone is being insulting, please use the triangular Request Moderator Action button in the lower left of the post.


-Amaleq13, BC&H moderator

Toto

Pilate - we try to do a balancing act. We don't allow personal insults, and we try to tamp down on inflammatory rhetoric. But if you come to the forum and make assertions that some of our more expert members think uninformed, you might interpret their responses as insulting.

Scholarship advances by tearing down wrong ideas so better ideas can take hold. Don't be so emotionally invested in your ideas that you take any disagreement as an insult.

Clivedurdle

Many years ago, I got torn apart in a viva. Deservedly. But maybe there is a bullying attitude in academia that isn't at the level of formal insult or bad behaviour.

The aim should be that the student is more expert than the teacher - is that achieved by tearing down or by careful pruning and watering? My tai chi, and martial arts training is about the appropriate use of force - and using the other's movements. Direct attacks do feel like bullying.

Pilate

Attitude is a very improtant in academia. The attitude of moderation is the sign of a scholar.

I suggest to everyone that when someone makes a point, which you don't like or disagree with,
1. Do not attack the integrity of that person (with contemptuous, derogatory comments, etc.). This is a NO NO. It is bad manners: unsportsmanlike conduct. :down: You cannot kick or slap someone at a chess game because he captured or is attempting to capture your pawn. If you guys don't see this point and insist on caryying on in the same manner, you will have no future growth. People will come and leave, and you will be left with one guru, the gladiator, who chases people away. [This is constructive criticism: trying to help you make this forum a friendlier place. "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." If you want to be unlike the Fundamentalist Christians, be open-minded (humble yourselves) and listen. I am trying to help you.]
2. Instead of attacking the person concentrate on his point and deal with it alone. Do not poo-poo his point with contemptuous comments, either. This is bad manners (bad "packaging"). Bad manners will not win you converts to your movement. Best way to deal with your opponent's point is to destroy it with evidence to the contrary.
You wrote,
You, all of you, should not make judgement calls as to who deserves to be "torn apart in a viva" and who doesn't (i.e. if we disagree with him, he deserves it). No one deserves to be "torn appart," not even the ignorant. And if you see someone being torn appart, don't be tempted to "kick him," too. This is mobbing. I tell you, you will not gain many converts doing this.

All this goes with this philosophy: human beings are primarily emotional and secondarily intellectual. All human beings deserve respect (including, when they express their thoughts). And if you disregard the emotions of a person, you fail to make the connection. And what you guys, I hope, are trying to do here is make a connection with those who come to your forum.

Someone said "you are asking for better packaging." Yes! Packaging is important because it protects the contents. True: the contents are more improtant that the packaging. But if you don't package something right it may be damaged, destroyed, or lost.
Remember, bad attitude breeds bad attitude. If one does it, then the next person feels free to do it too.
(He who has ears, let him listen.)

Mageth

Another thing we all should strive to do is to not presume to tell "all of you" what you all should do or not do.

BTW, that's no way to "win converts" either.

Chris Weimer

People who make claims without evidence deserves to be torn apart, especially if they make the claims and knowingly can't handle the evidence. This isn't nursery school.

Chris

judge

Stop being soft. They deserve to be torn apart even if they do provide evidence. :devil3: :angry: :devil1: :rolling:

Chris Weimer

Right judge. You sure know how to make an example out of yourself. So let me correct myself, even if they provide evidence, it better be the correct evidence, and they sure better know how to use it. :devil1:

John A. Broussard

Yup! Volunteer to be a moderator. If you can't find out how to volunteer, I'll fill you in.