If you remove religious discussion from this board, you have now introduced censorship. Is that what this board wants? Is there so many here who have no sense of right and wrong in basic Christian sensibilities that they are much more comfortable with ignoring the subject altogether. Religious discussions spring forth from Bradbury's writings. His writings provoke it. The trouble is few here seem to know what to do with it. They feel there's too much. They want to be editors. Let Spaulding run around here on the board making occasional outrageous comments and not a person says anything. That must mean something. Maybe the depth of the character of a lot of this board is simply veneer.

I agree all around, i.e. that "religious discussions" should not be "censored", but also that it may be a good idea to have a separate thread for those who want to participate.
The motive for the latter for some may be to simply avoid such things; but for me, the desire for a thread dedicated to this arises from my frustration with other threads getting off topic and becoming religious discussions.
Also, some of us get quite prolix to the extent that it's something of an effort to find the original topic!
"End Of The World" might be a good title for such a forum.

philnic,
There has been a bit of a dust up and I agree with what you and Rocket say. But please, please don’t get inhibited about cultural differences. The more you teach me about yours the more I realize how much I need to learn.

Mr. Knox, Mr. Douglas and Mr. Kordell:
I and I’m sure others have no intention of stifling talk on the board by petition or decree but I believe that certain areas of discussion should be approached very carefully and with the concern for the feelings of others. Debate (on ANY subject is good) but arrogant and mean spirited debate turn many away (sadly perhaps, some who have decided not to participate because of it; What of all the lovely wickens, where have they all gone to? Or those who worship the termites out in the back yard. “Leave two freshly cut young saplings out back by the bench or never sit confidently in a chair again. Let the Word go forth.” And all of the divine atheists, and silent Muslims…

Seems to me that Ray Bradbury is about freedom and open mindedness (look back at some of the posts in your recent dog fight using that test).

No one who truly understands Ray Bradbury would ever sensor you but might instead recommend discretion and self-control. I believe that some would never argue or speak out against it but rather allow themselves to be turned away and so be lost to the forum. And those gentle souls are the forums life’s blood.

Perhaps as in the constitution of the United States there should be “No religious test.”

You infer that “the character of a lot of this board is simply veneer.” I say RUBBISH!

As for me, in future, if I encounter another religious discussion, I will turn away from and not read and not return to it. In short, I will flip MY switch.

It's interesting that no one knows really what to do about religious postings. Chapter 31 wants to turn off the switch. So I'll just either go ahead with my comments as I see fit, and others can go ahead and complain and turn the switch. Otherwise, someone has to leave or move or confront or tolerate, or even just plain ol'learn something new. Myself included.

See, it's not that complicated.

I fully agree with Chapter...except flipping the switch, then its dark and scary, and you can hear something breathing under the bed and the giant mushrooms growing in the cellar...Don't flip it!

I also want to be perfectly clear on the censorship aspect, I never once advocated that. I simply believe that there are folks on here who want to debate religion, those who don't, and those who don't want to even see it. Why should we lose anyone because of it. If it comes up every once in a while, that'd be different but it has become rather prolific lately. Why can't it have its own thread, that is not remotely censorship. By the way, some people are particularly judgemental, can we not name call or catagorize anyone, please!

By the way, Doug, I was just pulling your leg with all the medication talk. I am completely clean and sober. With all that I have done, I'm on permautobuzz....

I treasure your presence here bro.

Wow! Everyone is starting to sound scary here. Flipping switches. Not knowing what to do with religious talk except segregate it. Is this what Bradbury is all about?

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Knox:
Doug Spaulding. I take it you read and understand scripture in the way you do sound-bites of the postings. Out of context, everything sounds pretty good.

Not at all, Friend Knox! In fact, I studied ten thousand years of pre-Genesis history before I even began to try to understand Genesis!

Depth, my friend, depth.

quote:

Originally posted by rocket:
grass? ain't seen ya in a while. ya there kid?

She's upset with me because I talk about spiritual things too much on here, and for that I am heartily sorry (offending grass, I mean - not talking about spiritual things)!


"I Don't Know Anything"

Its not about religion 101 24/7 either. A guy at work has a dinosaur (t-rex, of course) action figure and of all things a Jesus action figure and he is constantly having them do battle in different positions and such. We are always looking on his shelf to see what is happening next. There's even a little plate of fish that I guess came with the Jesus action figure. On this board, the dinosaur wins, hands down every time. Sorry, but thats how it is. Some people, me included don't like it in their face all the time. I guarantee we are losing some fine people and talk because of it. Segregation isn't even what I'm talking about, I'm talking about a thread that starts about Bradbury and ends in the same old talk about salvation and whether or not there is a God or who's god is better. Its gettin tedious! Yes Doug, tedious is a good word.

quote:

Originally posted by rocket:
Can we maybe curtail the religious debates a tad ...

I'll try, but they bait me so!

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
If everyone would agree to this, I promise not to make any more puns or feeble jokes about differences between US and UK foodstuffs.

Foodstuffs is a good word, and I promise.

The day God and Jesus and religious talk becomes tedious, it's the day to crawl in a hole, cover the dirt on top of you, and plan for...nothing.

quote:

Originally posted by rocket:
I treasure your presence here bro.

Aren't you kind, aren't you kind?

quote:

Originally posted by rocket:
Yes Doug, tedious is a good word.

Yes it is.