(FSGs) Forum-specific Guidelines for The Lord's Table: Liberal Catholics
The admins have been tasked with reviewing all the FSGs on the site to make sure they are consistent, clear, and concise.
Because The Lord's Table is a newer forum, its FSGs currently are inconsistent with the format and purpose of the other congregational FSGs. I have pulled together a draft, below, which takes much of what you already have and puts it into the correct format.
We have one Congregation-Wide Guidelines that addresses the definition of who is a member, and the definition of Fellowship posts. Each congregation-specific FSGs should capture a shorter, more concise Statement of Faith and any Special Issues they have. This separates the general issues (memberships and debate) from the things specific to each forum.
Thus, I have removed from your specific FSGs most of the historical information (which can be found elsewhere) and any specific interpretations of rules (which is laid out in the site-wide rules).
So here are the draft FSGs for your forum. Things that have been removed:
General Definition of Fellowship/Debate
General history/background of the denomination
Interpretations of rules
The things that can and should remain in your FSGs are:
A Statement of Faith (what beliefs do you hold that make you unique)
Any debate allowances or restrictions (some examples: non-members may debate within limits, debate can only be done in a particular forum, you may not debate against the forum's SoF, etc. The default is that members may debate and non-members are restricted to fellowship posts)
Any other issues that are particular to your forum
This thread will be open for a few days for you to discuss any changes you need to these FSGs. Then the admins will compile a final that takes your comments into consideration.
For reference, here is a link to the current FSGs for Liberal Catholics.
__________________ Many people think that the question should be: have you made Jesus your Lord? Have you invited him unreservedly into your heart? Have you completely dedicated every part of yourself and your life to him?
The trouble is that when we are truthful, the answer must always be "No." So let's ask the question a different way.
Has Jesus given everything for you? Has he dedicated his whole life to you? Has he invited you into his heart? And the answer to that is a glorious and gracious and conscious, freeing, comforting YES!
(paraphrased from Pastor Wolfmueller, Table Talk Radio)
These guidelines do not replace the site-wide rules, but rather clarify the rule "Congregational Forums wishing to remain safe havens may choose to limit debate to members of their own denomination, insist that all posts conform to their creed etc."
Therefore, posters in this forum and its subforums must post in conformance with all of the following:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Liberal Catholics Forum
The Congregation-Wide Guidelines apply to this forum. They outline the basic membership and debate guidelines for this forum. Additional guidelines are explained below.
Additional guidelines on debate: There are no membership limitations on debate.
Statement of Faith:
All those who consider themselves Liberal Catholics, in the broadest sense, are welcome to fully participate in the life and work of this forum community, including participating in debates. We also want to explicitly and especially extend an invitation to lapsed and former Catholics who have an attachment to Catholicism and view themselves as sharing some of the same values or cultural backgrounds as other members of the forum, to participate as full members.
It is joyfully anticipated that a lively group of moderate and progressive Roman Catholics, Old Catholics, Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutherans, former Catholics, those that are re-entering faith formation and others will join us in community here. We want to cast the widest net possible in building community.
The “Liberal Catholic” forum is for members of Apostolic Churches and similar associated groups or categories, who express a range of perspectives on different doctrines. Despite this breadth of thought within our Churches and groups, it is possible for them to coexist.
Because we want to include as many people as possible, we recognize that there will invariably be some strong disagreement on the part of forum members with regard to doctrine and liturgical practice. This might be found more especially among those denominations and communions who identify as Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox (Eastern or Oriental). There is a rich tradition of pluralistic sentiment, even within the Roman Catholic Church. Please respect the diversity of thought, belief, and liturgical practices of everyone present, taking care not to engage a forum member on the validity of either their Sacraments, dogma, or worship style.
As Catholic means "universal" so we have the need to convey our faith to other members, to non-Catholics and non-Christians in an informational and spiritual way.
Regarding Homosexuality in the Church and its members:
We affirm with the apostle Paul that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female" (Galatians 3:28). Christ has made us one. We acknowledge that this extends to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Because gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons and their families are often scorned by society and alienated from the Church, we wish to make known our caring and concern. It is for this purpose that we affirm the following:
that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities share the worth that comes from being unique individuals created by God;
that people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome within the membership of this congregation.
Special Issues:
Debates on the morality of homosexuality are not on-topic in The Lord's Table- Liberal Catholics. These debates belong in the eponymous forum.
Note that I removed the "gradations" of disagreement from this draft. Remember that the FSGs need to be understandable to both the members and the staff. Staff will use the FSGs to determine what is on- and off-topic in the forum. I could not tell how these, while interesting, would be useful in FSGs. Perhaps you can suggest clearer wording and purpose for this section?
__________________ Many people think that the question should be: have you made Jesus your Lord? Have you invited him unreservedly into your heart? Have you completely dedicated every part of yourself and your life to him?
The trouble is that when we are truthful, the answer must always be "No." So let's ask the question a different way.
Has Jesus given everything for you? Has he dedicated his whole life to you? Has he invited you into his heart? And the answer to that is a glorious and gracious and conscious, freeing, comforting YES!
(paraphrased from Pastor Wolfmueller, Table Talk Radio)
I am taken aback by the removal of the gradations of dissent which inform and proclaim knowledge to others, especially the other Catholic forum, that lawful dissent is possible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
I really have to reflect and calm down a bit before I write more.
__________________ "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
The gradations of dissent are a necessary part of our FSG, as the Catholic church has been given the charism of infallibility, and we need a way to incorporate that charism into our forum. The gradations show how we do this. We are not a forum that stands against the infallibility of the Pope, rather we seek ways to understand it.
If anyone does not understand the gradations of dissent, we would be happy to explain them, but we believe that their presence in our FSG would allow that explanation to take place. Their removal would eliminate that discussion.
Please restore the gradations of dissent to our FSG
As I said, perhaps you could suggest clearer wording and purpose for that section? The whole idea of the congregational FSGs is to provide a Statement of Faith for members, and to outline any additional debate restrictions or allowances.
The gradations of dissent sound like they might have to do with debate. But it was unclear how they were supposed to be used as additional debate restrictions or allowances.
Feel free to offer suggestions on how to clarify them, if it is something you need as debate restrictions/allowances.
__________________ Many people think that the question should be: have you made Jesus your Lord? Have you invited him unreservedly into your heart? Have you completely dedicated every part of yourself and your life to him?
The trouble is that when we are truthful, the answer must always be "No." So let's ask the question a different way.
Has Jesus given everything for you? Has he dedicated his whole life to you? Has he invited you into his heart? And the answer to that is a glorious and gracious and conscious, freeing, comforting YES!
(paraphrased from Pastor Wolfmueller, Table Talk Radio)
I don't have a copy of them handy, as I am not on staff, perhaps you could repost them in this thread and we could talk about it? What I remember about them was that they were to be used by our staff as a way of limiting debate or dissent from Catholic teaching. We founded the Lord's Table as a forum that could freely discuss dissent, but we wished to avoid the "free for all" attack on Catholic teaching; the gradations help us do that as a way of defining the arguments being discussed in the dissent.
The current FSGs, including the gradations, are available via the link in the first post of this thread.
__________________ Many people think that the question should be: have you made Jesus your Lord? Have you invited him unreservedly into your heart? Have you completely dedicated every part of yourself and your life to him?
The trouble is that when we are truthful, the answer must always be "No." So let's ask the question a different way.
Has Jesus given everything for you? Has he dedicated his whole life to you? Has he invited you into his heart? And the answer to that is a glorious and gracious and conscious, freeing, comforting YES!
(paraphrased from Pastor Wolfmueller, Table Talk Radio)
We just want the FSG's clear. This is a process that we are going though in most, if not all of the areas. You and OBOB are just the first. If you want the gradations back in let's work on a concise clear form. I am willing to help in any way needed.
__________________ Other causes demand commitment, abortion demands complicity. Other causes survive by energy and attention. The survival of the abortion industry - and it is an industry - depends upon avoidance and silence. Bob Casey Sr.
If pregnancy presents a challenge, do we as a society rise to the challenge by dispensing with the child? And when a pregnancy comes at a difficult time, what is the worthier response? Do we surround mother and child with protection and love, or do we hold out to her the cold comfort of a trip to an abortionist? Where is our true character as a nation to be seen - let's ask ourselves this question: Where is our true character to be seen, in an adoptive home, or in an abortion clinic? Who are we? Who are we America? That question deserves an answer. Bob Casey Sr.
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The congregation guidelines are only for your beliefs not the protection of Homosexuality members. Flaming is not acceptable, so the section that partains to homosexuality needs to be removed. Again Congregation Guidlelines are for the protection of your religious beliefs.
__________________ "Apart from Jesus I am nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing, I know nothing, But with JESUS I AM something, I HAVE something, I CAN DO something, and I KNOW SOMETHING!" - Rev. B. R. Hicks
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Bwap is essential in this discussion as he was founder of the forum.
I am welcome to Christian oversight on this website...fellowship can bring amazing insights and we all know this.
But TLT-LC is a concept that progressive Catholics can exchange ideas AND invite others to discuss pertinent issues.
OBOB does not reveal itself as a projection of real inclusion...thereby the inception of our forum. It does not allow discussions that are normal within our consideration. It routinely ridicules our forum as "unsanctioned" and "heretical".
We need our FSGs intact and fulfilled.
__________________ "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
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