Would you like more congenial Political discussions?

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 P.O.V.) does not PRECLUDE discussions with a broad spectrum of views. They'd take place in the categories that already exist.

6 minutes ago
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

I agree. Divisiveness is the name of the game when people sit behind computers. Board out of their mind, they decide to get their fancies by trying to make others mad. Righties and lefties do it, heck, I've probably even been guilty of it.

I don't think you have to have everyone be the same or like-minded in order to have better discussions. You need people who are willing to respect others and be willing to speak their mind without fear of being attacked for their opinions. You can disagree with me as I can with you...just don't disrepect each other.

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

I have noticed that many pretty interesting topics get super-extremist treatment in both the question and the answers. If there was a separate group where people could agree not to post ridiculous, inflammatory questions and answers and have a more reasoned debate would be nice. I'm sure the moderators would have to remove people pretty regularly, but it would probably be a significant improvement.