- Dec 8, 2007
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Hi everyone,
I've started this thread as a reminder that this is an Outreach Forum. It is a place for those who are exploring Christianity to ask Christians and learn more about our faith. That is pretty simple and straight forward and is why this forum is here.
What this forum is not is a place for Christians to debate fellow Christians about the finer points of doctrine and dogmatics. CF has lots of places for Christians to explore our differences; Theology and GT have a vast spectrum of forums which cover all aspects of Christianity; we also have the discussion and debate areas.
I do get that we are not all the same and do not come out of a Christian Punch Press; there are lots of differences in Christianity and if we were to say that we all are 100% unified, we would be deluding ourselves.
From this point forward, staff will be moderating threads in here more aggressively; Christian vs. Christian discussions are off topic in this forum; they not only derail threads, they alienate our non Christian friends that come here to learn about us.
Staff will be as gracious as we can towards all of our members, but if members persist in derailing threads, making off topic posts, flaming, goading etc. they may find themselves on the receiving end of staff actions which can result in warnings, and even restriction of access to this forum or even CF as a whole.
Questions and comments are welcome, but there is no wiggle room on this; it is what it is.
For those who need more clarification; here is the Statement of Purpose (which is also posted in it's own thread at the top of the forums main page:
If this is not clear enough, feel free to ask as may questions as we need.
I've started this thread as a reminder that this is an Outreach Forum. It is a place for those who are exploring Christianity to ask Christians and learn more about our faith. That is pretty simple and straight forward and is why this forum is here.
What this forum is not is a place for Christians to debate fellow Christians about the finer points of doctrine and dogmatics. CF has lots of places for Christians to explore our differences; Theology and GT have a vast spectrum of forums which cover all aspects of Christianity; we also have the discussion and debate areas.
I do get that we are not all the same and do not come out of a Christian Punch Press; there are lots of differences in Christianity and if we were to say that we all are 100% unified, we would be deluding ourselves.
From this point forward, staff will be moderating threads in here more aggressively; Christian vs. Christian discussions are off topic in this forum; they not only derail threads, they alienate our non Christian friends that come here to learn about us.
Staff will be as gracious as we can towards all of our members, but if members persist in derailing threads, making off topic posts, flaming, goading etc. they may find themselves on the receiving end of staff actions which can result in warnings, and even restriction of access to this forum or even CF as a whole.
Questions and comments are welcome, but there is no wiggle room on this; it is what it is.
For those who need more clarification; here is the Statement of Purpose (which is also posted in it's own thread at the top of the forums main page:
Exploring Christianity Forum Statement of Purpose
This is a forum where non-Christian Seekers and new Christian believers are encouraged to ask questions about those aspects of the Christian faith which seem hard to understand or accept, and where Christians can enter into discussion with them on these questions. The primary focus of this forum is Christian evangelism and discipleship, not to debate Christian Theology or challenge, attack, or argue against, Christianity. If any non-Christian member would like to challenge Christianity, they may do so in the Christian Apologetics forum. Please read and agree with this thread before posting in the Christian Apologetics forum.
We recognize that non-Christian seekers and new believers are looking for real answers, and the first reply given may be insufficient to achieve this. It is acceptable for the Original Poster (OP) to probe the answers given, and to continue the discussion on lines which help to clarify their understanding of the Christian faith. If another non-Christian seeker or new Christian believer wishes to ask questions about the Christian faith, they may start their own thread. No more than one non-Christian Seeker or new believer (the OP) may post in a thread.
All Original Posts (OPs) -- the posts that start a new thread -- must contain an identifiable question or concern about the Christian faith. Questions and statements that are either direct flames or imply a flame against Christianity, Christians, or any other group are inappropriate to this site, may be subject to staff action.
Forum Guidelines
Blasphemy
The site-wide rules prohibit all blasphemy on this site. To clarify, members will not speak in a disrespectful way of the Christian God. Expressing disbelief in God is acceptable, as is questioning Christian beliefs, but this should be done in a polite, respectful manner.
Statement of Faith
All replies in this forum must be in accordance with the CF Statement of Faith (SoF). This means that your replies cannot disagree with the SoF. As an example, you may not answer a seeker or new believer's question with a statement that God is not a Trinity, nor may you state that Jesus was merely a very good, human leader. All replies must help the questioner to understand orthodox Christian beliefs and practices, and the theology on which they are based.
Flaming
The site-wide rules prohibit flaming on this site. In this forum, all respectful discussion of the questions presented by Christianity is welcome. However, you may not attack the character, intelligence, or reputation of other members. This is considered flaming. You may not express or post hatred against another person or group, or refer to other posters or groups by derogatory or insulting names. This applies to all members, whatever their beliefs. In general, you may discuss the topic at hand, but not the poster or the people who hold to different beliefs/opinions.
Debate
This forum is for discussion of questions with non-Christians and new believers. There are some areas of theology in which different Christians may believe differently. In these situations, we would ask Christians to refrain from debating the matter here. You may point out that there is a differing viewpoint, but please do not use this forum to debate with other Christians. If Christians wish to discuss various doctrines with other Christians, they should do so in one of the Theology forums.
All posts must adhere to the Christian Forums sitewide rules.
This is a forum where non-Christian Seekers and new Christian believers are encouraged to ask questions about those aspects of the Christian faith which seem hard to understand or accept, and where Christians can enter into discussion with them on these questions. The primary focus of this forum is Christian evangelism and discipleship, not to debate Christian Theology or challenge, attack, or argue against, Christianity. If any non-Christian member would like to challenge Christianity, they may do so in the Christian Apologetics forum. Please read and agree with this thread before posting in the Christian Apologetics forum.
We recognize that non-Christian seekers and new believers are looking for real answers, and the first reply given may be insufficient to achieve this. It is acceptable for the Original Poster (OP) to probe the answers given, and to continue the discussion on lines which help to clarify their understanding of the Christian faith. If another non-Christian seeker or new Christian believer wishes to ask questions about the Christian faith, they may start their own thread. No more than one non-Christian Seeker or new believer (the OP) may post in a thread.
All Original Posts (OPs) -- the posts that start a new thread -- must contain an identifiable question or concern about the Christian faith. Questions and statements that are either direct flames or imply a flame against Christianity, Christians, or any other group are inappropriate to this site, may be subject to staff action.
Forum Guidelines
Blasphemy
The site-wide rules prohibit all blasphemy on this site. To clarify, members will not speak in a disrespectful way of the Christian God. Expressing disbelief in God is acceptable, as is questioning Christian beliefs, but this should be done in a polite, respectful manner.
Statement of Faith
All replies in this forum must be in accordance with the CF Statement of Faith (SoF). This means that your replies cannot disagree with the SoF. As an example, you may not answer a seeker or new believer's question with a statement that God is not a Trinity, nor may you state that Jesus was merely a very good, human leader. All replies must help the questioner to understand orthodox Christian beliefs and practices, and the theology on which they are based.
Flaming
The site-wide rules prohibit flaming on this site. In this forum, all respectful discussion of the questions presented by Christianity is welcome. However, you may not attack the character, intelligence, or reputation of other members. This is considered flaming. You may not express or post hatred against another person or group, or refer to other posters or groups by derogatory or insulting names. This applies to all members, whatever their beliefs. In general, you may discuss the topic at hand, but not the poster or the people who hold to different beliefs/opinions.
Debate
This forum is for discussion of questions with non-Christians and new believers. There are some areas of theology in which different Christians may believe differently. In these situations, we would ask Christians to refrain from debating the matter here. You may point out that there is a differing viewpoint, but please do not use this forum to debate with other Christians. If Christians wish to discuss various doctrines with other Christians, they should do so in one of the Theology forums.
All posts must adhere to the Christian Forums sitewide rules.
