Runningmom80 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Why is Religion allowed on TWTM forums, but not Politics? They seem to be equally polarizing.... Just curious. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 We have had a lot of successful conversations about religion on this board. There are times when people can really stay away from attacking and have good honest conversations. There are what I see as 3 main reasons that we don't discuss politics. 1. They pretty much all devolve to where people are forgetting their manners. 2. If politics can be discussed we are opening the board up to people lobbying. The third and main reason is that the host of this board Susan, has asked us not to. She is nice enough to host this forum for us, and I for one and not going to quibble with her saying no politics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Because SWB said so and she pays the bills:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Yeah, I wasn't trying to quibble. I was just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Because we really can't handle it, even when we really really try.:001_smile: I remember 2004 and 2008...yikes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I have noticed, most can have a civil discussion of religoius belief. political threads always seem to degenerate into incivility and the mods get testy playing referee. easier to just ban the subject. I have been on religiuos threads where some person shows up and does nothing but troll. (out come the pics) sometimes posts and entire threads have been deleted. I have been on more religous threads where there is a sharing of beliefs so those of different belief systems can learn more about another and I appreciate learning more about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Because SWB said so and she pays the bills:D but, but, but, MOM! WHY?????:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I do feel like the board does a bit better with discussions of religion - certain specific topics excepted. There are a lot of religious discussions here that never go awry at all and are very respectful. But political topics, as I understand it, always go awry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 If you've ever been here during an election year, you'd understand. :) It's amazing and more than a little scary. I took about a year and half break from the board sometime after the 2004 election year. People I really respect were even pretty vicious. I am fascinated that we can USUALLY handle pretty tough topics (religion, abortion, alcohol, "recreational drugs", ...) but talk about Presidents, crock pots or shopping carts and everybody has to be sent to their time-out corners. :) LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Politics gets beyond ugly. For the most part religion is discussed with well behaved people. Not sure about the latest threads. I was gone after I read the thread from last night. Off to catch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 As long as the issue isn't one of the issues that cross over both religion and politics (gay marriage, abortion, etc), then we do pretty well discussing religion. Many of us have learned from the discussion with other faiths than our own. I know I have and I have appreciated them very much. Politics always gets ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Yeah, I wasn't trying to quibble. I was just curious. Politics=95% of threads get ugly Religion only=20% of threads get ugly Religion and politics= 110% of them get ugly. Don't confuse the religion threads with the religion as a front for politics threads. The surefire way to start fireworks is to come trumpeting in about how great something or how awful something is when it is religion mixed with politics. We can all be happy when the child who fell down the well is rescued, but we aren't all happy when the 10 commandments statue/creation museum/whatever is or isn't paid for by the taxpayers. Oh, and step away from crockpots, shopping carts, shoes on in the house, and the causes of the Civil War. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Yeah, I wasn't trying to quibble. I was just curious. I was considering coming here to ask the same question earlier today but got busy with stuff. Being a relative newbie to regular posting here I was curious myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I don't know, but I would be fine with both subjects being banned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I don't know, but I would be fine with both subjects being banned. :iagree: Politics gets ugly fast around here. Religion takes longer to fester, but I would be happy to see neither again. We have to keep kilts and crock pots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 We have had a lot of successful conversations about religion on this board. There are times when people can really stay away from attacking and have good honest conversations. :iagree: It's one of the things I really love about this board. I've seen some really great threads where people have a good discussion going, even whilst respectfully disagreeing with each other :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 politics threads were downright scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I don't know, but I would be fine with both subjects being banned. I'd hope not. Most of the religious discussion I've seen (and maybe I just frequent the right threads, LOL) have been civil. I'm talking about ones that don't combine religion with politics, that is. Those ones get yoogly. But when folks have sincere questions about religious beliefs, whether Christian, Muslim, pagan, Hindu, Jewish, or what-have-you, I've seen honest, helpful replies, and I've also seen people make major decisions based on the religious discussions that happen here on the board. (While I've never seen anyone change their political stance or have any kind of aha! moment on political threads; those seem to just be arguing one's position.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Canadian politics are allowed :D We have had a few threads on them. They all devolve to which hockey team is worse. Having been on here for many years now, trust me ifyou think the religious threads are bad you have not been through election year on the boards. I am so very very thankful that SWB banned them. So many online friends began to hate each other during election time. The religious threads are not like that. SOmeone may decide the respect they have for someone has lowered based on what they are reading, but I have not seen the venom and hate in the religion threads that occured during the election years on the board. The majority of religion threads on here are educational...not a single one of the politics ones remained that way past post 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) I'd hope not. Most of the religious discussion I've seen (and maybe I just frequent the right threads, LOL) have been civil. I'm talking about ones that don't combine religion with politics, that is. Those ones get yoogly. But when folks have sincere questions about religious beliefs, whether Christian, Muslim, pagan, Hindu, Jewish, or what-have-you, I've seen honest, helpful replies, and I've also seen people make major decisions based on the religious discussions that happen here on the board. (While I've never seen anyone change their political stance or have any kind of aha! moment on political threads; those seem to just be arguing one's position.) While this is true for a few religion threads, the bulk of them seem to end up with a lot of ickyness. The fighting between religions and the "innocent, sincere" questions which are really thinly veiled attacks are some of the worst, but the Christian ones in particular seem to get bogged down in who is the right kind or of the right interpretation. There are a couple of those going on right now. It's really sad reading threads where Christians essentially rip each other apart. It looks really, really bad from an outsiders view. It certainly does nothing to endear one to the religion. But, then I can always skip reading them, I know. I suppose if you want to dine on each others theological differences, here is as good a place as any. Still, I'd prefer no religion and no politics on the boards. Edited July 23, 2012 by Audrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 While this is true for a few religion threads, the bulk of them seem to end up with a lot of ickyness. The fighting between religions and the "innocent, sincere" questions which are really thinly veiled attacks are some of the worst, but the Christian ones in particular seem to get bogged down in who is the right kind or of the right interpretation. There are a couple of those going on right now. It's really sad reading threads where Christians essentially rip each other apart. It looks really, really bad from an outsiders view. It certainly does nothing to endear one to the religion. But, then I can always skip reading them, I know. I suppose if you want to dine on each others theological differences, here is as good a place as any. Still, I'd prefer no religion and no politics on the boards. I understand that, and there are a lot of threads I just don't read. However, I have learnt a lot on here. I have a totally different view of Mormon missionaries for one. I had some genuine questions that I would normally have no where to ask, and I got answers, and it was a great conversation. A lot of religion threads are just done to stir the pot, or to further a political agenda, those I stay away from. I love learning about new things, and other ideas. You do have to pick and choose the threads though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Something about politics causes people to lose their minds. This seems to be more true of passionate, highly intelligent people, which we have lots of here. In religious discussions, people seem more aware that someone can disagree with you or see things differently without causing the utter destruction of the world as you know it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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