The Great Divide.

[baza]

In R & S could we have a section for believers and one for atheists so that believers can safely express their opinions and the atheists can wind up others of the same ilk.

[joko]

yeah... because that would totally work ...

[AB Editor]

Hi Baza,

I think that you're pointing out a real problem - that there are people here who just want to "bash god" in a fairly non-constructive way. We've asked people to be kinder to one another, and we've tried further moderation.

Neither work, it seems, and neither are sustainable. Frankly we're at a loose end as to what to do.

We'd like those with faith to feel like they were able to post questions without being savaged by some of the more aggressive posters.

I have suggested before that those who want to talk about it should just go ahead, start their own threads and others "of faith" can join in. Please report unnecessarily aggressive/off topic posts.

All the best,

Ed

[AB Editor]

It could work Joko, but I don't see why we need to create another topic for it.

[wolf63]

Personally I can't understand why people debate about religion - you either believe in it or you don't. Debating is not going to change anybody's opinion.

What about a debating section - religion, news etc where the more forthright of the AB members can sit and have a chat without upsetting anybody.

[AB Editor]

Well, I still think it would be a debate... just between people with different faiths - or flavours of the same faith.

[Zeuhl]

ed

if you created a reality-free Topic zone for the religious what could you call it?

'The Chapel' - might deter the ungodly from disrespectful trespassing

Isn't that what they call them in hospitals or is it too Christian and excluding of other faiths?

Any other ideas?

[Prudie]

What about one for the agnostics - or would they have to finally choose? :-)

[jackthehat]

......And then we could have it sub-divided:

Christian - Protestant
Christian - Roman Catholic
Christian - Orthodox; Russian
Christian - Orthodox; Greek
Christian - Coptic
Christian - Baptist
Christian - Mormon
Christian - Jehovahs Witnesses
Christian - 'Others'

Islam - Sunni
Islam - Shia
Islam - Wahhabism
Islam - 'Others'

........and that's without really trying..........

[andy-hughes]

I think debating religion is fine - it's the non-rersponsive cut-and-paste preaching i can't do with - but I have more or less given up trying to get rersponses from that particular AB'er.

I hope I am never nasty about anyone for any reason - that's not condusive to a good site morale.

[grasscarp]

Ab Editor - you say
"We'd like those with faith to feel like they were able to post questions without being savaged by some of the more aggressive posters."
This is exactly what is currently wrong with R&S.
To a religious person who dares to post there it feels like being a fly caught in a web and the spiders will rush in to wrap more silk round you and silence you.

[AB Editor]

It's easy to argue that on a Q&A site the "religion and spirituality" section should be for questions about religion and spirituality, not questioning the validity of their existence entirely ad nauseum...?

[ChillDoubt]

Oh for a secular site!

[AB Editor]

Pardon?

[baza]

Ab Editor a recent post asked "why do you" some of the posters proceded to knock some of the views given, surely if they did not believe then why post if not to try to score points?

[AB Editor]

This one?

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Society-and-Culture/Religion-and-Spirituality/Question1276332.html

Yes, it's a bit off isn't it? Not particularly inclusive.

[doctordb]

Question: why do you believe in god?

Aber1. Because I do.
Aber2. Me too
Aber3. Because he spoke to me
Aber1. Me too
Aber4. It helps me through life.
Aber2. Me too.
Etc,etc,etc.

(like-minded people make boring threads) it does sometimes get heated but as someone who pops in every now and then I feel it seems to work both ways.

[sandyRoe]

"Neither work, it seems, and neither are sustainable. Frankly we're at a loose end as to what to do...."
Ab Editor, have you considered praying for the goodly unGodly that they may be brought by grace to see the error of their ways?

[bibblebub]

would Jedi come under R&S or film?

[wolf63]

maybe a meeting of all the believers of AB in a place to be determined Sandy? They could all then pray/chant for the non-believers.

I think that most of the people on the site are quite able to hold their own in a debate and argue their point of view.

[ll_billym]

Separate sections, it would then be like people that believe in God don't exist either.

Realistically any public post about religion is going to get an atheist rubbishing the fundamental concept because to us it is utter nonsense and unfortunately there is no 'constructive' way to get that across. I am sure that this type of divide happens in other topics too, where sides are never, ever going to agree but for some reason some perceive religion to be a special case where allowances should be made.

To be honest I get bored with the exists/doesn't exist etc, etc, but then fundamentally that's what it's about and if people believe that strongly then why care what a load of heathens write about what they say and as for 'safe' surely God's got their back.