Faith Options in Your User Profile

[DarylFawcett]

As Christian Forums is a faith based ministry, it has been decided that a user's faith can no longer be private or hidden in any user's profile, therefore, the Private option has been removed and everybody needs to choose one of the other options available.

We have also changed the ability for a user to change their own faith option, therefore, if you had previously chosen the Private option, or you wish to change your faith option, you may do so one time. If you wish to change it a second time ( your third faith icon pic ) please go to the Member Services Center (MSC) and post your request there.

If a faith option that you would like to choose is missing, let us know and we will see if it can be added.

 

[SepiaAndDust]

The link to this in the Notice is broken. Needs a colon.

 

[DarylFawcett]

The link to this in the Notice is broken. Needs a colon.

Thank you for alerting me about this.

Fixed and working now.

 

[St. Helens]

Good move.
A. I know who I am dealing with
B. People now can't change it on a whim.

Same should be true of gender. Just a suggestion.

 

[Fish and Bread]

As Christian Forums is a faith based ministry

When did this start? I thought CF was a message forum for the discussion of Christianity and related topics. I didn't know it was a ministry of a church. What church is it ministering on behalf of? And what is the aim or goal of the ministry? Is this site supposed to be converting people and, if so, to what? Are we providing food to the hungry or clothes to the naked? I am not sure I understand what this means.

it has been decided that a user's faith can no longer be private or hidden in any user's profile, therefore, the Private option has been removed and everybody needs to choose one of the other options available.

We have also changed the ability for a user to change their own faith option, therefore, if you had previously chosen the Private option, or you wish to change your faith option, please go to the Member Services Center (MSC) and post your request there.

I'm not sure I like that people have to declare and disclose a faith, but I understand that's a long standing practice and unlikely to be changed, even though eliminating the ability to make it private "steps it up a notch". You guys could at least bring back those cool faith icons if you're going to force this through, though.

I am really baffled by the inability to change one's faith icon, though. What happens if, say, a Methodist joins a Lutheran congregation, or a Catholic decides he or she is better identified by the general Christian icon that includes Catholicism and other Christian faiths after previously choosing the Catholic icon, or wants the Catholic icon after previously choosing the Christian icon?

What happens if someone wants to change their faith icon because his or her child was molested by a priest or a pastor or some other very traumatic thing happens? Will they have to relive that trauma by explaining it in depth to a moderator and requesting that they be granted permission for a change, while having to stare at that icon on their posts in the meantime? What if the moderator doesn't think that's a good enough reason?

Why do people even need to have a reason?

I don't think I like the way this site is headed.

 

[SepiaAndDust]

Why do people even need to have a reason?

I don't think I like the way this site is headed.

Well, at least they're not taking your Christian status away if they don't think you measure up.

 

[Fish and Bread]

Well, at least they're not taking your Christian status away if they don't think you measure up.

Yet...

 

[TheBarrd]

When did this start? I thought CF was a message forum for the discussion of Christianity and related topics. I didn't know it was a ministry of a church. What church is it ministering on behalf of? And what is the aim or goal of the ministry? Is this site supposed to be converting people and, if so, to what? Are we providing food to the hungry or clothes to the naked? I am not sure I understand what this means.



I'm not sure I like that people have to declare and disclose a faith, but I understand that's a long standing practice and unlikely to be changed, even though eliminating the ability to make it private "steps it up a notch". You guys could at least bring back those cool faith icons if you're going to force this through, though.

I am really baffled by the inability to change one's faith icon, though. What happens if, say, a Methodist joins a Lutheran congregation, or a Catholic decides he or she is better identified by the general Christian icon that includes Catholicism and other Christian faiths after previously choosing the Catholic icon, or wants the Catholic icon after previously choosing the Christian icon?

What happens if someone wants to change their faith icon because his or her child was molested by a priest or a pastor or some other very traumatic thing happens? Will they have to relive that trauma by explaining it in depth to a moderator and requesting that they be granted permission for a change, while having to stare at that icon on their posts in the meantime? What if the moderator doesn't think that's a good enough reason?

Why do people even need to have a reason?

I don't think I like the way this site is headed.

He did say that if you needed to change your faith icon, that you needed to discuss it with staff. I'm pretty sure that the reasons you listed would be accepted.

 

[DarylFawcett]

He did say that if you needed to change your faith icon, that you needed to discuss it with staff. I'm pretty sure that the reasons you listed would be accepted.

Yes, it can still be changed by the Admins/Advisors by requesting the change in the Member Services Center.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

If a faith option that you would like to choose is missing, let us know and we will see if it can be added.

How is this decided? If someone wants to list their faith as "Jedi" will this be acceptable?

 

[arensb]

Tangentially related: It occurred to me that Christian Forums has years' worth of data on users changing their religious affiliation. Is this data available anywhere? (Not necessarily to me, but to researchers in sociology.) I'd be curious to know how it compares to things like Pew and Barna surveys on religion.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Tangentially related: It occurred to me that Christian Forums has years' worth of data on users changing their religious affiliation. Is this data available anywhere? (Not necessarily to me, but to researchers in sociology.) I'd be curious to know how it compares to things like Pew and Barna surveys on religion.

That would be very interesting. One could plot the trajectories of individual members across time, as compared to a cross-sectional examination of overall group trends. One would have to find some way of filtering non-active members from the dataset, however, as a large segment of the userbase may consist of members who have posted only once or twice since joining years ago.

 

[inlight12]

Good move.
A. I know who I am dealing with
B. People now can't change it on a whim.

Same should be true of gender. Just a suggestion.

AMEN AND AMEN.

 

[pgp_protector]

Good move.
A. I know who I am dealing with
B. People now can't change it on a whim.

Same should be true of gender. Just a suggestion.

Never did worry about someone's faith when reading their postings, I more prefer to go by what they say then what they claim to be.

And Is their going to be some limit / test for when people start changing their faith?

 

[SilverAvenger]

Good move.
A. I know who I am dealing with
B. People now can't change it on a whim.

Same should be true of gender. Just a suggestion.

What's the problem about wanting to keep your gender a secret? Maybe you're talking to a hermaphrodite who had to pick a gender to register, but keeps it a secret because he/she had to lie? Or someone who preferes others to read what they're writting instead of being bashed for being a gal writting. It has happened in the past in other forums.

 

[SilverAvenger]

Sorry, my phone double posted.

 

[pgp_protector]

What's the problem about wanting to keep your gender a secret? Maybe you're talking to a hermaphrodite who had to pick a gender to register, but keeps it a secret because he/she had to lie? Or someone who preferes others to read what they're writting instead of being bashed for being a gal writting. It has happened in the past in other forums.

One can say the same about Religion.
One should go by what was posted, not who posted. (That's what all the rules say any ways. "Address the post, not the poster")
If so, why force the Poster to reveal info they don't wish to reveal?

 

[pdudgeon]

One can say the same about Religion.
One should go by what was posted, not who posted. (That's what all the rules say any ways. "Address the post, not the poster")
If so, why force the Poster to reveal info they don't wish to reveal?

probably because there are some forums where posting is restricted by age, gender, faith, and marital status, as well as whether one is on staff here.

 

[pgp_protector]

probably because there are some forums where posting is restricted by age, gender, faith, and marital status, as well as whether one is on staff here.

And the software can run those checks without the data being displayed to the public.

 

[SepiaAndDust]

Never did worry about someone's faith when reading their postings, I more prefer to go by what they say then what they claim to be.

One can say the same about Religion.
One should go by what was posted, not who posted. (That's what all the rules say any ways. "Address the post, not the poster")
If so, why force the Poster to reveal info they don't wish to reveal?

You seriously rock, pgp.