Your Thoughts on the Religion Forum

[CalHunter]

Without insulting, accusing or berating any other member, mod or admin, I would be curious to read what each member that posts (or even lurks) in this forum thinks this forum should allow as topics, posts and appropriate material. This is an opportunity for each of you to offer your input on this forum and help refine this forum. Thanks in advance and I look forward to your input.

CalHunter

[CalHunter]

I was hoping to get more feedback than 2 out of 29 people looking at this topic. If you have some thoughts on what you would like to see in this forum, please post them.

The description at the top of this forum states "Discuss how your religious views affect your hunting lifestyle. All religions are welcome to post." Reading through this description, one comes away with 2 points regarding post content:

1. All religions are welcome to post;
2. The discussion is supposed to reflect how your religious views affect your hunting lifestyle.

Item # 1 (IMHO) pretty clearly seems to allow a deist to post. Although people differ as to whether atheism is a religion or not (no offense intended), I think that should also be something people are allowed to post about. In the past, I recall 1 Satanist who broke some of HNI's rules and ended up permabanned. I believe we've had a few Muslims (or Islamists) post and don't recall a huge problem from them.

All of the HNI rules (see Rules link at top left of page) apply to this forum. Those are pretty much the same rules that HNI has had for over 10 years more or less and are fairly straight forward. The most common violation in any of the HNI forums (and including the religion forum) is insulting other members. For obvious reasons, that simply cannot and won't be allowed.

In the religion forum, we have added 1 rule (for this forum only) that is designed to prevent members from insulting each other--"Don't bash other religions."

I realize it is difficult to discuss shortcomings of a religion, question some of its' beliefs or ask penetrating and searching questions sometimes without coming across like you're "bashing" a religion but many members on here seem to be able to do just that and not appear to be bashing a religion. Those members often accomplish this by still remaining respectful of others and civil.

Members posting on here are allowed to disagree/agree, believe in different religions (or not), believe in different versions of creation/evolution, big bang/ID and many other things as long as they are not insulting another member (no flame wars, attacks, insults, etc.) or bashing a religion (this is admittedly sometimes a subject call/ruling by a mod or admin).

This brings up one other HNI rule that is enforced in ALL forums, including the religion forum.
5. No discussion or challenge to our editing policy are allowed within the forums. If you disagree, or want clarification as to why a particular topic, post or individual was removed, you must email webmaster@huntingnet.com. HuntingNet.Com moderators, administrators and staff will NOT respond to any inquiries or challenges of these rules or decisions on the public forum. However, we will respond to email or private message inquiries.

If you have a question, concern, problem or disagreement with a mod or admin's editing/locking/removal of a post or topic or a suspension/warning/permaban, etc., please PM or email a mod or admin and handle the matter privately. Please do NOT post, copy/share, paste into your signature line, etc. such private communications/disagreements in the forums.

Now as for the 2nd point made in the forum description, I honestly think that is too restrictive in content as it would not allow most of the current topics/posts and would arguably deny some of the best/most interesting ones. This forum is a tremendous opportunity and resource for many members and it should allow/enable them to discuss and explore their religion, others' religions and hopefully obtain answers for their questions.

I've posted enough on this subject. What do you guys (and Stephanie) honestly think?

[sachiko]

I'm not sure I can add much to what Calhunter posted just above. I do agree that if the forum is open to all religions, those adhering to different faiths or belief systems should be permitted to express those views. I fail to see where it is disrespectful of others to post views at variance with theirs. It doesn't bother me a bit if someone expresses doubts or disagreement with my views.

I have never started a thread discussing science or evolution, but I have participated. The church to which I adhere sees no conflict between the Bible and science so I feel perfectly comfortable discussing those topics.

I think I should be permitted to state my acceptance of scientific findings as fact if I truly accept those findings. Likewise, someone who accepts every word of the Bible as the inerrant word of God should be allowed to express that belief even though we may not agree. We can courteously agree to disagree.

I once apologized, sincerely, for calling some stories in the Bible "myths." It was inappropriate because the term presupposes a conclusion. However, I think I should be free to state that I cannot accept those stories which research has demonstrated did not happen, or could not have happened as described. Those who do accept those stories as factual can disagree with me.

I see no reason to bar atheists either. The existence or non-existence of God cannot be proven. So once you have stated that you believe or don't believe, there's really no more to be said. I sometimes suspect that atheists who come here to expess their views are looking for some cause to, perhaps, rethink their views. They might be more likely to rethink those views if those of us who are believers were to express the value we find in belief rather than bashing the atheists.

For example, my doctor has asked me to refrain from getting pregnant again because of my small size and the difficulty I had with my first pregnancy. My husband and I discussed this A LOT. One day before mass, I went into the chapel and asked the Blessed Virgin to ask for some guidance for me. As I was going back to my seat by my husband, I got an answer. When I sat down next to him, he had also gotten the answer. I am pregnant now and we are confident that everything will work out fine.

These are personal matters of course, but religion is personal. We all have our own views and I think expressing them in a positive manner is the best way.



May The Sheep Be With You

[Leafrivermac]

I personally feel that this forum should not be an all inclusive "religion" forum. As a christian, I do not see how any christian can make room for any other religion to be sanctioned. . . However, thats probably not going to happen.
I do believe this would be a better place if non-religeous content would not be allowed. In my view allowing atheistic, evolutionist etc threads is just a way for folk who are against God to cause disruption.
I'd like to say in as a generic way as possible that . . .that which is not good tries to get strongholds in whatever rightfully belongs to God. Most of the folk that used to post here are christian. Only if this were a christian forum could these non-edifying disruptions be eliminated.
Myself, I used to post here because of the Bible discussions/debates, but all that has changed. For the most part I'm just a lurker now waiting for things to pick up again.

[The Rev]

I agree with most everything, but I think those that come in only to start trouble should be permanently kicked out! You know who you are!

[Sylvan]

IMHO, if this forum is to continue as a religion forum for hunters as opposed to say a Christian forum for hunters then no hunter should be prohibited from expressing his/her view simply because of what his/her view happens to be. That of course would include even the atheists and I would make it more clear than it is now that atheists are welcome. Now of course HNI moderators should remove any poster who is abusive, disrespectfull or clearly just posting to agitate those who hold a different view. Of course keep in mind that that kind of post can come from any point of view including the Christian perspective.

The only exception I would make to the above would be to prohibit mods/admins from participating in the discussion.

One other point... At the top it reads "Discuss how your religious views affect your hunting lifestyle"--As I understand that statement, it doesn't seem to apply. I see almost no thread where this idea is actually expressed yet it is stated as the expressed purpose of the forum. Kind of confusing but maybe it's just me, in which case maybe its meaning could be made more clearly. I would suggest it read something like "A forum for hunters to discuss their views regarding God and religion".

[sachiko]

I don't think making this a Christian only forum would change much. Recently we've had a deist and an atheist/agnostic posting. But except for those two, the rest of us are Christians.

As far as discussion about matters of science, that is, evolution, etc., those threads have always been started by people who are opposed to the results of scientific research, not by me or anyone else who accepts the results of scientific research. As one might expect, once the thread has been started, those of us who are working in or studying topics like biology, for example, will join in the conversation.

Although I am a completely committed Catholic, I do have one practice related to hunting that I'm not sure would conform to Church teachings. When I kill an animal, I thank the animals spirit for allowing me to take its life. This is a practice more akin to Shinto than Catholic teaching I believe. Also, when we eat meat, we always finish it all. We never throw it away. We consider it sinful to throw away the meat of an animal that gave its life to feed us.



Sheepism is not a religion of course It just consists of being sheepy and rejecting polypropylene

[The Rev]

Hey, you got to admit since we've been getting visited by non-believers this forum has come on... it was getting a little stale. I would visit every day, but I rarely posted..

Welcome Non-Believers, but be ready to hear scripture!!

[DaveH]

I have to agree with most of what has already been posted. I would add that this forum used to be called the "hunting and religion" forum and allowed a little bit more about hunting in the threads - not surprising since the entire website is built on that premise. I would like to see the hunting aspect returned to this forum. Regulars here get to know each other and (I think) would like to share hunting experiences with those that "know" them - at least I know I would enjoy that. I realize that other forums are built for precisely that purpose, but I'd rather tell those I know about successes . . . and read about theirs. When that used to happen here, it didn't monopolize the forum or take away anything, so I'll get off my soapbox about that.

I enjoy the debates and am inclined to want to continue to allow non-believers, evolutionists and other non-Christians to visit here and POLITELY and RESPECTFULLY discuss their views . . . so they can be shown how they're wrong! ;-) When we only see "dry" posts and there isn't much "fire" there, I look at the thread titles . . . and go to another forum. I have spent very little time online in the past few months due to computer problems -- including the fact that I'm still on dial-up (which was what the cavemen used). Posting for me takes time and, consequently, I don't usually respond or post -- unless I see someone defending evolution! THAT usually gets a response from me! Lastly, I think mods SHOULD be allowed to post - as long as their views mirror mine!

[Father Forkhorn]

I think the forum is pretty good as is.