What You Like About This Forum!

[WinePusher]

Well, there really isn't anything I don't like about this site. The physical layout is very nice, it's easy to read and comprehend posts, the quote system is easy to understand, there's a high level of debate, civility and knowledge on here, and many more things.

If there was one thing we need more of, it would be more diversity in perspective. I'd say that atheists slightly outnumber christians on here, but not by much. However, liberals outnumber conservatives by alot, which is unfortunate, but then again, a part of me likes that.

What are your feelings on this subject?

[Lux]

I like the high level of debate, the moderation (yes, I would say that even if I wasn't a moderator, I swear), the usergroup thing, the token system and the variety of subforums.

I do wish there was more diversity, but rather than conservative/liberal, I wish we had more members representing religions other than Christianity (Judaism and Islam have very few active members, and other religions have even less/nothing)

[Zzyzx]

.

Well, there really isn't anything I don't like about this site. The physical layout is very nice, it's easy to read and comprehend posts, the quote system is easy to understand, there's a high level of debate, civility and knowledge on here, and many more things.

I wholeheartedly agree on all these points -- and commend Otseng and the Moderators.

If there was one thing we need more of, it would be more diversity in perspective. I'd say that atheists slightly outnumber christians on here, but not by much.

I agree that the number of members self-identifying as Christians and those who identify as Non-Christians to be about equal; however, there is often or usually a large difference in posting activity, with Non-Christians typically being much more active.

However, liberals outnumber conservatives by alot, which is unfortunate, but then again, a part of me likes that.

The labels "liberal" and "conservative" don't mean much to me. Instead, I consider the imbalance to be between Biblicists / Fundamentalists / Literalists on one hand, and Non-Biblicists (whether Christian or Non-Christian) on the other.

[Druijf]

There is a lot I like about this site. Not every topic is my cup of tea, but that's okay I guess. I get the impression that Christians are playing a lot of defence and in this sense it gets a bit onesided.

If I could one thing a like to see more. Book debates! I love them! It motivates me reading books, think issues trough and see how books are perceived from someone with another perspective. Maybe we could, if others are interested, start a book usergroup that strives to read books and discuss them together on a regular basis.

How about reading some christian classics together? Augustine's Confessiones? (I need to keep my Latin reading skills sharp. )

[Kuan]

Well, after reading through this I was kind of surprised. More diversity? This is the most diverse thing i've been exposed to! Anyways, I like how civil people are and respectful. It goes for a lot, i've had a lot of rude comments to me before about my religion before I came here. Just my 2 cents.

[JoeyKnothead]

I love the site as it is, with the above mentions of diversity, while understanding the site's name and address are geared towards a more C vs A membership (nothing overtly wrong with that either), but there's one glaring hole I feel needs addressing...

Free beer!

I think otseng and McCulloch as admins have done one heckuva job on a clean, easy to navigate site, and the moderators do a great job of sorting through the issues as best they can.

(edit for speling)

[McCulloch]

Free beer!

I think that the best we can do is free virtual beer. Not so much fun.

I think otseng and McCulloch as admins have done one heckuva job on a clean, easy to navigate site,

Aw shucks. I'd like to take credit, but really it belongs to otseng. He just asked me to sign on as an admin because I don't ever seem to be off the site very long. I'm really just a back-up admin.

and the moderators do a great job of sorting through the issues as best they can.

Yes, really good things come down to the people. I think we've got a heck of a team of mods.

(edit for speling)

The site provides so many opportunities for irony.

[cnorman18]

I'd agree with everything said so far, including the need for more diversity. I'd love to have some Hindus and some actual, avowed Buddhists, as in monks or scholars, around. Bah'ai, Christian Science, Tibetan Buddhism, Scientologists, Zoroastrians, etc. Some more mystics would be fun: Sufis, Zen monks, even a genuine kabbalist or two would be a natural gas. But those folks aren't exactly thick on the ground anywhere, so I guess we can't have everything.

I have been on many other forums, though, and this one is by far the best-administered and easiest to use. I learned on the old Netscape forums, where the moderators were like the atheists' God: it was rumored that they existed, but no evidence for that was ever found. That was a real snakepit. Anything -- and I mean anything -- was permissible. Personal threats, obscenity, REAL Nazis, REAL psychos, you name it. A few nice people around, but wow, what an environment. I've been to biker bars where the atmosphere was friendlier, safer, and less toxic.

I recently posted to another forum -- the Jews for Jesus forum, if you can believe that -- and found that it takes four to five days for a post to go up, and if they don't like what you have to say -- civil, respectful, and reasonable though it may be -- it will not go up at all. You will be muzzled while others are allowed to insult, bait, and berate you as freely as they like. Lovely place, if you like being tied down, gagged, and preached to. I've been to a couple of atheist-oriented forums that work similarly in the opposite direction; if you mention the word "God" with anything other than a contemptuous sneer, God help you. So to speak.

This is the only forum I've ever seen where people can speak freely and are not censored before the fact, and where all points of view compete on an equal basis -- and yet where the nutballs, serial insulters, preachers, con artists and pottymouths are summarily thrown out on their butts after a fair (and quick) process of review. I like it here.

And if you guys who value this place haven't already done it, send Otseng some money. This place doesn't stay online for free, and I for one am grateful that the most interesting threads are not periodically interrupted by Pledge Week. If you're grateful for this forum, show it.

He didn't ask me to say that.

[Lux]

If I could one thing a like to see more. Book debates! I love them!

You can start a book debate anytime, if you get a few people interested in it. Just make a thread in one of the Chat subforums, saying which book you'd like to debate (a few paragraphs on what the book is about would probably help get people interested), and if there's others who want to participate, you got yourself a Book debate.



Free virtual beer time!



And for the members of sober religions/underage members:

[JoeyKnothead]

(edit for speling)

The site provides so many opportunities for irony.

It amuses me