Starting a thread such as this never seems to fail to provide food for thought. One thing that I have never found in all my years on the planet is a one-sided coin. No matter my thought or position on something, there is someone somewhere who's thought or position is the exact opposite. I am not omniscient. I do not have all the answers. Therefore, I can be and am wrong on a not insignificant (in my opinion) number of times. Thus, another who does not share my view in whole or in part may in fact be right. As such, I should respect thier view regardless of whether I agree or disagree with it. The venacular would put it as - when you point a finger at someone, don't forget the three you're pointing at yourself.

The threads in the Team forum are for "teams to communicate among members and recruit new members." A team organized around a membership with a common religious affiliation should have a right to express that common religious affiliation - including quoting their religious writings. Flip the coin - threads in the Team forum are subject to the forum rules no less than threads in any of the other forums. Quotes taken from religious writings and posted in a forum are forced to stand on their own as is without the context of adjacent text from their source. Such quotes have a real probability that a reasonable interpretation is in fact in direct opposition to its true meaning within its original context. That reasonable interpretation can in fact be in direct conflict with the forum rules.

As a community, we do best when we police ourselves. Policing ourselves is not necessarily policing others. We risk becoming judge, jury and executioner when we do so. There is a specific process available for any of us to use on any post we might believe to be in violation of any of the forum rules. I am of the opinion that using the process provided is far more effective than attempting to take that role upon myself. I would prefer to believe that in the vast number of instances, a poster did not intend to violate one of the forum rules and, when having the possibility raised, will, while acknowledging that was not their intent, edit the post approriately. I am an optimist too it would seem. When I choose to not use the process provided, I take the risk that, in an attempt to be polite and give one the benifit of the doubt, I in fact end up "slapping the backside of the polecat."

I love being an American because of the freedoms I have. That includes freedoms that I may in fact sometimes wish I didn't have as we all have the right to make a complete fool of ourself. I have done that before and I will undoubtedly do it again. When I feel someone ELSE has done so, it is far too easy and sometimes exceedingly tempting to point that out. Indeed, I also, not being omniscient, may well be incorrect in my conclusion. Thus, in doing so, I have, unintentionally at the least, engaged in a direct personal attack. Ah the curse of the three fingers.

As a member of this community, I have the freedom, within the context of the forum rules, to express my knowledge, thoughts and opinions. With that comes the responsibility to recognize my own lack of omniscience. To do so, I must give the same level of respect that I expect I should receive. It has been my perception, right or wrong, that we are failing to do that as a community that has been the impetus for my starting this thread.

On a personal note: Nelsoc, you have my respect and admiration. You do NOT have my envy.

Unless you voice your disagreement you may never learn anything, debate is good for that reason.



So none members are allowed.



Would the same be true for a Nazi team, which would be legal in some Countries. If their religious writings promote intolerance to others or illegal activities and links pointed to these writings it would be against forum rules.



If one finds something abhorrent you should speak up. Admin are not alway`s infallible and do at times in the view of some lean in the wrong direction and I know that has two sides.



When asking for reasoned debate it is showing respect, the fact is in doing so some, including myself, have been sniped at by others whom Admin seem to be on the side of as they do nothing about those but do choose to punish those who do nothing but defend themselves.

My bold. The trouble is often definition when so many factors are in play as previously stated, putting my feet up in the UK is fine but in the Middle East ? The diversity of people here and their personal sensitivities are many fold, their passion howether is obvious hence the project. Given that passion is an emotion and the other factors from time to time one has to expect such outbursts.

Thankyou Keith for your moderate tone and attempt at lengthy reasoning. There are many things we`ll agree on and some we`ll disagree on. For now I`m closing my own chapter of my book.

PS. I never said I was sane nor was it a prerequisite of membership ! ;-)

Well said boss