All the politics threads...

[Silentchapel]

I noticed that St. Justin's Corner is primarily filled with politics threads (majoriy of which are started by the same poster). I will rant about the threads, I'm curious what you people think.

First of all - I know that the presidental elections are drawing near and that it is really important to you people. It will affect your lives to a great measure, and considering the strength of the USA - most likely everyone in the world.

But - do we really really need that many threads? When I take a look at St. Justin's Corner, it feels like I'm on some kind of ultra-religious presidental candidate website. All those threads could be as easily put under one 'For whom should[n't] we vote' thread or something along those lines. Recently a lot of pagan-themed threads were removed. I fail to see why the same wouldn't be done for countless politics threads, majority of which are totally irrelevant to Orthodoxy or TAW or St. J's C - it's like seeing St. John the Evangelist carry a 'Vote for Diocleitan' sign and St. George wearing a 'No, vote for Nero' badge.

As one priest said: "When a Christian is fanatical about politics, it means something's horribly amiss. Because in that case he believes that politics can create utopia - which it can't since this world lies in evil - and only God can create true utopia, which is our homeland, Kingdom of Heaven."

PS - This isn't a jab at moderators. It is thinking outloud from my side. :-)

[Philothei]

I will second that... There are politics and current issues forum here at CF for that purpose...too. We need to keep consistant with the threads we cannot let some posters go on posting one thing and not allowing others.

God bless,
Philothei

[Macarius]

I third the notion. When that board was started it was intended as a place for those who wished to challenge or debate Orthodox Christians about specifically Orthodox issues - or at least, that's what I recall.

You'll note a number of truly good threads up there - St. Peter and the Keys, The "H" Word, one on II Timothy 3:15-16 and Sola Scriptura...

Those are the threads originally intended for that board, so that we could keep them clear from the main board but still have a space for that form of exploration and discourse.

Hope that clarifies... but I agree on the political... spam. Eh.... :sick:

In Christ,
Macarius

[rusmeister]

I'll fourth the notion! (I woulda seconded it, but ladies first, you know (or second)...)

[Akathist]

If you don't want to participate in any politicial discussion then don't.

But if a thread started is not a rule violation, it does not seem fair to tell that someone that they can't post it.

Even if you didn't look at the issue of the rules of CF... It just does not seem very polite and kind to tell someone "No more political talk" when they are not just a visitor here but a member of TAW.

My suggestion is that people ignore those threads and don't even post in them. Then start other more interesting (to you) threads. Eventually those other threads will die off to page 2.

Alternatively, you can send a private message to the member and ask them politely to refrain from certain kinds of posts.

But publically confronting someone in a thread is not very kind IMO.

[Dorothea]

In another board I'm on, there are only TWO threads on politics: the 2008 presidental election (strictly about the upcoming election and its candidates), and the Political Pub (for any talk about politics). This may be a good thing to have in the debate forum so that people stick to those two threads and new ones don't need to be made. Just a suggestion.

[Vasileios]

...a great suggestion!

[Khaleas]

But then I could just as well, as a TAW member, say that these threads interfere with my walk in Christ. That I cannot focus on the other issues because of these. It would have been equally easy to tell people not to read and post in the threads that were deleted.
Most of them have nothing to do with Orthodoxy anyways either... There are some good threads in the debate forum but as stated before me...
A sub forum for politics only would be a good idea or be directed to the politics/current events area at CF.

[rusmeister]

Now just imagine if I started a thread on education every other day... :swoon:
;)

[Khaleas]

Now just imagine if I started a thread on education every other day... :swoon:
;)
*runs away screaming* :P

But I really want to discuss Rush Limbaugh's new girlfriend... :D

[Silentchapel]

To Akathist: I apologize. I've just read the rules regarding St. Justin's Corner and I had no idea that political debates were allowed in there. I also agree on the rudeness part.

But I didn't say that SpyridonOCA should stop posting entirely or whatever. I think I'd have some problems to explain why I exactly mind the quantity of political posts. Here's how I see it. Some time ago, Justin asked if people minded his Buddha image. I said no, nutroll said yes, and among the reasons he minded it was the fact that inquirers will come here, see all the pagan threads and the Buddha picture and think God-knows-what of Orthodoxy.

[Disclaimer: I'm sorry to drag either Justin or nutroll into this, I'm on a tangent here]

I think that is essentially the same with the politics threads. It can distort view of Orthodoxy.