Your Spirituality & Religion Guidelines

[christy]

This section has been opened as a positive place to discuss religion & spirituality. It is a place to learn about other’s beliefs, to learn more about your own, and to hopefully break down some of the myths and stereotypes that exist.

This is not a place to debate any of the above, and although members are encouraged to questions things to gain a deeper understanding, it is expected that this is being done because they genuinely wish to find an answer, and not just to stir. It goes without saying that posts must be phrased in a non-offensive way.
If you feel you don’t have anything positive to contribute, PLEASE DO NOT POST HERE.

Please be aware while posting in this section that we are talking about something which is intensely close to people's hearts. People have a right to feel supported and not persecuted for their religious or spiritual beliefs.
As such, posts within this forum will be subject to scrutiny from the moderators, and we will take a policy of banning people from this area to keep this forum a positive place for people to be.

As a group the moderators and administrators have come up with some guidelines to follow.

1) No offensive or off colour comments, jokes etc. about individuals associated with religions like the Pope, Dalai Lama etcl, or about religious groups in general.

2) Threads that may be seen as "Which religion is best" should be avoided as well as anything that is a put down to other religions. Same goes for those that believe they are better at their religion than say other denominations or other subgroups within their religion.

3) No quotes that are deemed offensive, regardless of where they come from – be it the Bible, Koran, Torah or religious leaders.
Everyone should remember this; not everything that is thought should be said, not everything that is said should be written down, and not everything that is written down should be published.

4) The purpose is to have a positive place to discuss religions, learn about other cultures and break down stereotypes and myths. This is not a place for one to post saying religion is stupid/outdated etc and isn’t needed.
Everyone is entitled to their views, and as legitimate as this view is, it is not the purpose of this forum. One can talk about problems the have within their own religion, personal struggles, and the like, but it must be done in a constructive way.

5) People should be very careful when implying one way of practicing religion is better than another. There are members on here who follow a more ritualistic religion such as Islam, Judaism or Catholicism. Implying that these members don't have any real meaning behind their actions, that they are blind followers is extremely offensive and will not be tolerated.

If your posts are deemed to be inappropriate, offensive or not following these guidelines they will be moved to prevent people from getting upset. A private message will be issued to notify you that this has occurred. Members will receive 2 such warnings before infractions will be given. After 3 infractions, members will be banned from this area. If the post is deemed offensive enough, members will be banned without warnings.
If is expected that everyone has read these guidelines before posting, so self-imposed ignorance will not be considered an excuse.

If you have anything you would like to add please feel free to contact the administrator of this forum: christy7@bellybelly.com.au

or the moderator: yael@bellybelly.com.au