Goodbye Perhaps?

[SalixIncendium]

I've been a member of a forum that focusses mostly on religion and it's dead on its feet. The owner is considering binning it.

Same with the one that I'm on...unless it's the same one.

 

[Secret Chief]

Same with the one that I'm on...unless it's the same one.

I think it is! It used to have a pulse but it's on life support now.

 

[Rival]

They can start more threads then. Anyhoo, @SalixIncendium has confirmed there'll be no major culling. I've been a member of a forum that focusses mostly on religion and it's dead on its feet. The owner is considering binning it.

You think I, one mod, have the power to just junk the political fora? I think you have overestimated what I've been saying. Just because I want them gone doesn't mean they will be. I am allowed an opinion.

I would bin the politics.

It seems like a lot of people freaked out over thinking they were going to lose politics. I wish that were not the case. I wish folks were more for the religion.

 

[Secret Chief]

You think I, one mod, have the power to just junk the political fora? I think you have overestimated what I've been saying. Just because I want them gone doesn't mean they will be. I am allowed an opinion.

I would bin the politics.

It seems like a lot of people freaked out over thinking they were going to lose politics. I wish that were not the case.

I realise you are but one person and can of course express your opinion. I'm not overestimating your power. I'm not overestimating your opinion - it is that you would like politics binned from RF. Likewise, I am expressing my own opinion which happens to be contrary to yours.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I think it is! It used to have a pulse but it's on life support now.

You must have a different username there.

 

[Secret Chief]

You must have a different username there.

I do. I joined in the late 18th Century, before the existence of any Secret Chiefs.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I do. I joined in the late 18th Century, before the existence of any Secret Chiefs.

I have the same username and same avatar.

It's not that I'm unoriginal (though I am), but I like to have something of a monopoly on my username across many platforms. I'm not much for anonymity.

 

[JustGeorge]

I think it is! It used to have a pulse but it's on life support now.

I noticed that, and I was sad to see that.

My disappointment hasn't been that its only religion, but that the topics are 95% Abrahamic. I don't understand most of what's discussed.

 

[Secret Chief]

I noticed that, and I was sad to see that.

My disappointment hasn't been that its only religion, but that the topics are 95% Abrahamic. I don't understand most of what's discussed.

That's a reflection of the low numbers. When I was on there years ago it was a hive of variety. I learned a lot about Buddhism on there.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

If RF became soley Thomism vs Molinism, there'd be more than a few leaving.

Prior to joining RF, I was part of a Christian forum that was (and continues to be) dominated by conservative Christian right-wing MAGA members. They literally dominated the vast majority of the religious and political threads, drowning out me and others who believed differently than they did and also opposed Trump. They not only repeated the same talking points over and over, but they also tried to silence those who didn't agree with them. Having said this, I'd like to be perfectly clear that I don't want RF to eventually become a forum where religious or political topics dominate the threads and drive people away. I think there needs to be a fair balance between the two. Personally, I don't want all of the political threads to go away, and religious topics dominate the forum. If that happens, I will leave because the vast diversity of topics on RF is why I'm here and why I stay. I like the diversity of this forum.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I would bin the politics.

Why do you want to censor other members from participating in political topics that you seem to dislike?

I'm not surprised by the pushback you received when you stated, "I want all US politics, and preferably all politics to go away," and "I would bin the politics."

 

[Spice]

Err what? I don't know how you reached that conclusion.

I meant more academic and intellectual discussions instead of low brow layman stuff.

Like Thomism vs Molinism.

Which epistles did Paul write?

What happened in the first century that made monotheism so attractive?

I would like that kind of thing without all the snark and 'Jesus didn't even exist!' nonsense and where people cite books instead of random websites.

One of the things I like about RF is the various voices. I skimmed through some that are so academic I know I can't contribute to the discussion except maybe as comedic relief for building tension. But they can be fascinating.

And there are others I choose not to engage in because I've heard it all before and it's hamster wheeling. And yet I see posters rising above the baiting and maintaining integrity and that does my heart good.

And there is occasionally my niche here at RF that puts me into research mode, and/or shows me how I need to polish up my idea presentations, etc. That's why I keep coming back. . .those few that spark. And yet, I still haven't found the sweet spot for starting threads.

 

[Spice]

That's a reflection of the low numbers. When I was on there years ago it was a hive of variety. I learned a lot about Buddhism on there.

That sounds like my kind of place. I do wish there was more variety in the religions discussed here, in open boards.

 

[JustGeorge]

That sounds like my kind of place. I do wish there was more variety in the religions discussed here, in open boards.

Same here.

 

[Rival]

Why do you want to censor other members from participating in political topics that you seem to dislike?

I'm not surprised by the pushback you received when you stated, "I want all US politics, and preferably all politics to go away," and "I would bin the politics."

How is it censoring? You can talk about it anywhere on the internet. I want rid of all the politics, not specific topics.

 

[sun rise]

I see nothing idealistic or unrealistic about desiring high-quality religious discussion and debate on a forum titled Religious Forums. More than one member has had similar concerns to the OP's in the last few years, and it is crucial that the staff remain acquainted with feedback like his so that we can take it into account.

This site like others of course reflects the participants. And of course those who want a high quality site need to focus on threads that reflect that and not get involved in endless threads around someone's opinion grounded neither in theology/ritual nor personal experience.

 

[sun rise]

The political forums have existed for longer than I have been a member here, and they also existed during what some members would consider to be the forum's best days.

Politics to day are extremely toxic so RF reflects that.

One is fairly active and there are core members who are on everyday. You can certainly expect replies within a day or two and it has worked for decades. I much prefer it. If less activity means less toxicity, I would like that.

I would as well but I find the owners to be a big part of the problem. Threads I find interesting in might be around for days before I find them and after many pages of posts I'm loath to jump in.

One suggestion to work around the unwillingness of the owners to care about the site might be fore staff to create an "interesting religious threads" thread we could subscribe to that would highlight what they feel is a good thread. I would of course not always agree but at least good threads would be flagged before I happen to notice them.

 

[Secret Chief]

How is it censoring? You can talk about it anywhere on the internet. I want rid of all the politics, not specific topics.

Censoring on RF of course, not universally.
That's like saying Faux News doesn't censor because you can read actual news anywhere else on the internet.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Censoring on RF of course, not universally.
That's like saying Faux News doesn't censor because you can read actual news anywhere else on the internet.

I guess I should have been more specific and clarified that I meant on RF, not elsewhere on the internet.

 

[PureX]

That sounds like my kind of place. I do wish there was more variety in the religions discussed here, in open boards.

Yes, I get frustrated by the exclusive discussions, too. But I do understand why people do that. They don't want a huge debate about theism in general. They want to discuss specific theistic concepts. And if they try to do that on an open thread, the anti-theists will be all over it and derail the thread.

In a way, I think it comes with the territory if we want to keep the site diverse. And I assume that most of us do want that.