A New Standard of Interaction on TheologyOnline

Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Starting in 2009 TheologyOnline.com will be instituting a new standard of interaction on the TheologyOnline.com forums. Since 1997 TheologyOnline.com has encouraged spirited debate at a level officially referred to as "in your face smack". The new standard starting in 2009 will be described as "Cordial Correction". (see TruthSmack Gauge below)

truthsmack-gage.gif

When asked in a recent press conference... "Does this mean TOL is becoming fair and balanced to all view points?"

"Of course not!" Answered TOL's CEO Knight. "TOL will always be a right-wing Christian website as long as I am in charge.". Knight continued, "it's merely the fact that in an effort to create a website with the purpose of smacking liberals around we have often times sunken to a level that we would prefer not to have sunken to."

When asked to explain the meaning of that tortured sentence Knight responded... "It's obvious isn't it?" :noid:

So what exactly does this change mean? The bottom line is... being extremely harsh can at times be the right thing to do, however those cases are often times few and far-between yet have become the "norm" on TOL in recent years. In most cases simply stating a counter argument in a loving, civil, and intelligent way is the best thing to do. This doesn't mean that all views will now be given a "pass" on TOL, instead... it means that love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control should be the first tools used in any discussion. Yes there will still be times when righteous indignation and harsh rebuke will still be in order. Question: Will folks be warned or possibly banned if they don't follow the new standard? In time yes (possibly, and depending on the circumstance), but initially the TOL staff will do our best to help educate the membership regarding the new standard.

This is officially the first time in the history of TOL that we have instituted such a change in focus and mission of this website.

Please feel free to ask your questions here in this thread and I will do my best to answer them.
 
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Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
A personal follow-up. I want to be clear that I am just as guilty as anyone for being overly harsh at times over the past few years and I hope that some of you have noticed that within the past year or so I have been going through a bit of a change in my approach.

Dogma isn't bad until it gets rabies and starts unnecessarily attacking people. :dog:

I want to publicly apologize to anyone I have unnecessarily offended or mistreated. Hopefully this new standard of interaction will make TOL a more inviting place to participate.

Yes, it's true that....
Homosexuality is still a sin.
Abortion is still murder.
God is still free.
Welfare and public schools are still bad.
etc.

But that doesn't mean I can't deal with these arguments using gentleness and self control.
 
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assuranceagent

New member
:think: I like this.

So does this mean that the remaining two weeks or so of 2008 should be a mardi-gras-like celebration of foul behavior and a general festival of condenscension in preparation for the big change?

A sort of "get it out of your system" period prior to the 2009 nicer, more polite (yet still firm, of course) version of TOL? :plain:

I only ask because I have this friend who wants to know... :noid:
 

Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
:think: I like this.

So does this mean that the remaining two weeks or so of 2008 should be a mardi-gras-like celebration of foul behavior and a general festival of condenscension in preparation for the big change?

A sort of "get it out of your system" period prior to the 2009 nicer, more polite (yet still firm, of course) version of TOL? :plain:

I only ask because I have this friend who wants to know... :noid:
:rotfl:
 

Maximeee

Death2impiety's Wife
Gold Subscriber
Sounds like a great idea, Knight. :up:

A personal follow-up. I want to be clear that I am just as guilty as anyone for being overly harsh at times over the past few years and I hope that some of you have noticed that within the past year or so I have been going through a bit of a change in my approach.

Dogma isn't bad until it gets rabies and starts unnecessarily attacking people. :dog:

I want to publicly apologize to anyone I have unnecessarily offended or mistreated. Hopefully this new standard of interaction will make TOL a more inviting place to participate on.

Homosexuality is still a sin.
Abortion is still murder.
God is still free.
Welfare and public schools are still bad.

But that doesn't mean I can't deal with these arguments using gentleness and self control.

Great idea. It sounds like Holy Spirit humble pie to me.

Cool beans :up:
 

spider

New member
Maybe I haven't been here long enough, but most of the time it's been "cordial correction" anyway, hasn't it?

A least what I've experienced has been.
 

Aimiel

Well-known member
So does this mean that the remaining two weeks or so of 2008 should be a mardi-gras-like celebration of foul behavior and a general festival of condenscension in preparation for the big change? A sort of "get it out of your system" period prior to the 2009 nicer, more polite (yet still firm, of course) version of TOL? :plain:

I only ask because I have this friend who wants to know... :noid:
That's funny :rotfl:
 

Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Maybe I haven't been here long enough, but most of the time it's been "cordial correction" anyway, hasn't it?

A least what I've experienced has been.
We have been heading that way.... but have never said anything "official".
 

The Graphite

New member
As another guilty party, I want to say bravo! Long overdue and I'm proud to be here at TOL when this happens.

Amen! :BRAVO:
 

tetelestai

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
A personal follow-up. I want to be clear that I am just as guilty as anyone for being overly harsh at times over the past few years and I hope that some of you have noticed that within the past year or so I have been going through a bit of a change in my approach.

Does this mean that Ask Mr. Religon will be unbanned, and allowed to come back?

How about Simcha?

Prakk?

Door?
 
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