Would you like discussions on Spirituality to be more congenial?

Question

How about 2 new Y.A. "members only" Categories, divided into subcategories? Interested people identify themselves (via two optionally answered questions at registration time) as 1 faith: Roman Catholic, Wiccan, KJVonly, Jewish, Atheist, Born-Again Christian, Muslim (subdivided into Sikh, Sunni), Hindu, Buddhist, Eastern Orthodox Christian, LDS, Jehovah’s Witnesses etc. & 2 politics: Conservative, Socialist/Communist, Liberal, or Libertarian. Yahoo would store this information and it would enable members who had identified themselves as belonging to one of those subcategories to ask and answer questions classified into one of those subcategories. Anybody would be able to READ the discussions, but insulting, irrelevant, or unlearned remarks (and hence COMPLAINTS TO THE MODERATORS) would be reduced, and quality of the discussions elevated. Debate could still take place in other categories, but there'd be a place for discussion among like minds. Rude "posers" would be easy to spot.

Note: Existence of "Members Only" Categories (the number of which could be expanded into subcategories to accomodate even the tiniest of sects) does not PRECLUDE discussions with a broad spectrum of views. They'd take place in the categories that already exist.

Let me give an example of where a Members Only discussion would be more fruitful than an Open one. I've been to interesting discussions here where Bible believers are discussing an interesting/hard to understand Bible verse.
They've been interesting, because I got in early and only saw answers from people who were genuinely interested in helping out. Later on, there was a series of long answers from people expressing why the Bible was a "load of crap." I think that might have turned off a lot of people who might have had something worthwhile to say, or at least made it more difficult and TIME CONSUMING for them to glean anything useful from the discussion.

Answer 1

Well, it's not a bad idea, but do you really only want to elicit responses from people who think and believe exactly as you do? I know the ignorant answers are annoying, but I actually enjoy reading different points of view from other cultures. I like to learn from them. Even when they are being vehement and fanatical I find that I can learn something about their culture and beliefs. And what category would you put someone like me, who identifies with no specific religion. I just follow my own spiritual path, made up of beliefs from several religions, new age spirituality and my own gut.

Answer 2

Frankly, the Scriptures do not teach that there would or should be congeniality between true worship and false worship.

(2 Corinthians 6:14-16) For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols?


Christians certainly do not personally attack or insult the members of false religion.
(Matthew 7:12) All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them. . .


Yet, bigotry and vitriol commonly disgorge from Satanic enemies of true worship. Such "hatred" should be expected by true Christians in this time of the end, and it actually helps identify Jehovah's Witnesses as Christ's true disciples:

(John 15:19) If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.

(Luke 6:22) “Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.

(1 Peter 4:4) Because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of you.

(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.


It seems signficant that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones best known for their worldwide preaching work. Yet Jesus commanded that ALL who would call themselves "Christian" perform this public work:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”

Answer 3

What would be the point ? All you'd end up with would be a series of dogmatic questions answered by a series of dogmatic answers. Answers is here to expose every question to the rigours of a democratic, open forum. There are already plenty of dedicated sites for those with ideologically fixed points of view.

We enjoy the fact that religious mythology is open to a broad spectrum of questioning here on Answers.

If you don't like the heat ....

Answer 4

Well....there would have to be a lot....A LOT of religious choices. I am a pagan, but I do not identify as Wiccan for various reasons. So I wouldn't like having to put Wiccan. That could be fixed by simply making the category more broad..because Wicca is only one branch of Paganism. It could be done....but it would be complicated. Not a bad idea though.

Answer 5

that's silly. You will find people with vehemothly (yes I did say vehemoth...as in venomous and behemoth mixed in a giant proportional way) opposing views regardless of what category you place it into.

I would love for spiritual debates to be more congenial, but I will never see that in my lifetime and I accept that. The most I can ever do is be congenial back to the "bad guys" maybe they will take the hint and lay off. But alas, I know that is just wishful thinking.

Answer 6

I think if you need to have separate places to discuss your beliefs with other like minded people, your beliefs must not be that strong. It would just promote the closed mindlessness that is so prevalent in society today. Part of having a healthy belief system is being able to defend it to people who don't believe and question you. The quality of the discussions wouldn't get better, they would just turn into a bunch of people being self-congratulatory and preaching to the choir about their beliefs. So no, I don't agree with you.

Answer 7

I think people should be able to report answers or questions and those reported have a sort of three strike system or something, rather than it just being deleted or whatever happens.

Answer 8

Discussions on Spirituality, yes, but people keep dragging religion into it as well.

Answer 9

Yes, something like what you propose would be a, well, a "godsend".

Answer 10

Yep. Sign me up.