Too much preaching on Hub Forum

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   Shinkickerposted 12 years ago

   I don't mind folk debating Theology and the Meaning of Life but there are some people on Hubpages who keep banging on from their electronic pulpit about Jesus and the Bible.
   
   I think it's time that Hubpages considered whether this is appropriate content. I think it belongs on religious websites not a social network that is inclusive of all people of all religions or no religion.

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      Disappearingheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      The clue is in the title "Religion and Philosophy". Last time I looked in a dictionary Jesus and the bible were religious topics. If you don't like the topics being discussed perhaps this is not the forum for you.

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         Shinkickerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Hi Disappearinghead
         I like the topics and I'm interested in discussionl. I just don't like people pontificating and bringing dogma to an otherwise interesting debate.

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         Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         The way I read the OP, Shinkicker isn't complaining about discussion.  He's complaining about the people who create threads with no intention of debating anything - they just want to proclaim.  And if anyone dares question their proclamation, they get abusive.
         
         I do think a lot of people think the Religion forum is a place for the religious to have a cosy chat about how wonderful their religion is, rather than a forum for interesting debate.  They really need to go and find a private forum for their own interests and stop polluting HP.  But there's nothing we can really do to persuade them of that.

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      GoldenBirdposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      "electronic pulpit"
      
      You are perhaps correct. But we can not control, it's their website. And 'perhaps', you are correct; 'perhaps'.

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      calpol25posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I wrote a hub about it as I am sick to death of all this "I am right and your wrong" BS on all sides, I think people should just agree to disagree and get on with their lives and find something else to talk about.
      Too many people are afraid to come into the forums for fear they are gonna be sucked into a religious debate! Its time it all stopped and people realize that not everyone wants to hear this BS over and over again and that instead of going on and on about it in  the forums why not just write a hub instead? Then people can actually talk about intellectual things instead of debating and disputing religion and atheism

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         GoldenBirdposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         What do 'people' want to hear?

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            calpol25posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Common Sense

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               GoldenBirdposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Most of the time, though, they are found interested in the un-common sense.

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      A Troubled Manposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      True, it certainly is a pain in a public forum to deal with evangelism, but those believers only make themselves look childish and desperate. As alleged grown adults, it is laughable.

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      Paragliderposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Fit like, ma loun?
      What I've never quite understood is why HP decided that 'Religion and Philosophy' was a sensible category. Philosophy is all about rigorous inquiry at the limits of human understanding. Religion is all about avoiding it!

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         Shinkickerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Well put Paraglider. The Scottish Enlightenment is alive and well. David Hume would be proud of you. Wherever he is LOL

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            Paragliderposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            David Hume never actually died. He was taken up to the great library in the sky

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      tirelesstravelerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I believe what you have suggested is called censorship. HubPages has specific rules about how and what is allowed.  Religion and philosophy are acceptable. You have freedom of choice to follow hubs, forums and whomever you like.
      A forum is designed to let people share their opinions.
      
      Do you feel the same about other religions or is it just Christians?
      
      Diversity in the true sense of the word is what truly enlightens us.

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   Mark Ewbieposted 12 years ago

   I get the point.
   
   By all means have rational discussions about the meaning of whatever, but not the preaching thing.  Preachers should blog it.
   
   Did not the Lord say "he that spaketh the religious stuff should stay out of the forum temple?"

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   mischeviousmeposted 12 years ago

   This is a religion and philosophy forum. What were you expecting, do it yourself threads? Jesus isn't gonna help me build a deck, not any time soon anyway.

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   wildernessposted 12 years ago

   Seems to me that you mistake the purpose of lots of these threads. 
   
   Rather than a pulpit, although some are indeed using the forums that way, many are started as a "fellowship meeting" or "testimonial" - a method to bolster their own and other's faith.  Not particularly appropriate IMO, but not totally inappropriate either, given that these are open forums.
   
   What is inappropriate are the complaints from the faithful trying to have such fellowship on an open forum when non-believers chime in.  If you want a private meeting of believers to pat each other on the back, an HP forum is not the place to do it.

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5. 61

   Xenonlitposted 12 years ago

   It seems that Hub Pages puts any and all forum posts in the feed, regardless of the nature or category of the posts. Perhaps the powers that be can categorize the feed so readers can choose the latest forum content that they want to view.
   
   I have absolutely no problem with people who love to discuss their religion and politics as much as they want to.
   
   My only problem is with an open feed that puts up some titles that upset me to no end. I'd rather not encounter them.
   
   Finally, a jumbled feed makes it hard to track the posts that I like to follow without getting tons of e-mails.

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      Disappearingheadposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Why are you complaining about all forum posts being in the feed? There is a simple remedy; don't look at the feed, just look at the forums that interest you. If you get upset by forum titles then perhaps you get upset too easily. You can also select the topics that you want to receive email about, so just deselect the topics you are not interested in. Simple.

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   janesixposted 12 years ago

   You have to option of not reading or coming to the forums. Maybe you should use it.

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      Shinkickerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      True janesix, but I like to read them. It's just the attitude of some folk who think they have a hotline to the absolute truth.

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   zzronposted 12 years ago

   I hear ya Shinkicker, but I'm glad we still have somewhat free speech. The nice thing about these forums is that we do have the freedom to voice our opinions in them as you did if we choose to do so. Some forums just don't seem to interest me so I just pass on them.
   

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      Shinkickerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Free speech is great Ron, free thinking even better. There are many closed minds here when it comes to religion. That's on both sides of the divide of course :-)

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         zzronposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Right on brother!

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   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   
   Sorry, I couldn't pass this one up.

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   AEvansposted 12 years ago

   If they took religion they would have to remove politics it all goes hand-in-hand.
   Here are my thoughts, if we don't like a topic we don't have to express ourselves on it. Just my opinion.

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    Alexander Markposted 12 years ago

    From the Microsoft Works Word Processor dictionary: Forum - place to express yourself: a medium in which the public may debate an issue or express opinions, e.g. a magazine or newspaper
    
    I don't see anything there that says we should censor anyone because they're annoying to a portion of the community.
    
    Moreover, a large portion of the HP community is religious, just like a large portion is atheist, New Age and so on, you are absolutely off your rocker to say that a group should be singled out to be silenced. Religious people are a part of your Hubpages experience, not a separate entity. I don't mean to be rude, but all I can say to you is: deal with it.
    
    Let's keep things open and free so that we can both voice our opinions.

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       calpol25posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Why dont we just have an agree to disagree button on the threads so that when you click it, people dont have to see the religious and political threads? That way people who dont wish to be involved can avoid being sucked in to all the drama, and see topics they want to see

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          Jean Bakulaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          It's not the short posts that are bad, it's the people who post a 1,000 word essay on a forum. I try to stay off the religious ones, but it's hard sometimes. When religious people use a hub to explain their views, and use over a certain amount of quoted scriptures, I think it's duplicate content. If they want to explain how a scripture gave them a new outlook on a problem, changed their life, etc, that's different. But there's too much preaching and no original thought.

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             Shinkickerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             Agreed Jean, and I've noticed how people introduce it unprompted into other forum threads too as if foisting dogma on others is a positive way of discussing a topic.

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          Alexander Markposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          How is that different from censorship? If we made it equal for all groups, there would be no religious or political forums on either side!

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