The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Forum Rules and Policies

**This forum is dedicated to respectful discussions related to Evangelical Universalism.

Please read the forum rules below:

Primary Rules:

  1. We ask all Christians to prayerfully dedicate all forum discussions to our Lord Jesus Christ
  2. Forum participants may have any religious or nonreligious beliefs
  3. No disrespectful, vulgar or inflammatory comments about any person or any institution*
  4. Please introduce yourself and your beliefs in “Getting Started - Introductions”
  5. Members may not challenge or rebuke beliefs expressed in “Getting Started - Introductions” while clarifying questions are permitted
  6. Please read “Getting Started - Statement Of Faith”
  7. All decisions of administrators and moderators are final, apart from reasonable appeals
  8. Questions about forum operations or the “Forum Rules and Policies” may be respectfully posted in “Suggestions For Improving This Forum” or sent by PM to a moderator or administrator
  9. Problems with moderator decisions may be discussed with moderators only by PM; likewise, no posts may complain about moderator decisions

*For example, we may debate about the validity or invalidity of any point of doctrine in Arminianism, Calvinism, Catholicism, Unitarianism, Judaism, and Islam. But in this board we must avoid disrespectful or negative comments about Arminians, Calvinists, Catholics, Unitarians, Jews, Muslims and the schools of Arminianism, Calvinism, Catholicism, Unitarianism, Judaism, and Islam.

In other words, nobody may rebuke or condemn others in this forum, apart from rebukes required while moderating the rules and policies of the forum. Likewise, biblical rebukes and condemnations appropriate within the context of a church are not allowed in this forum, apart from rebukes required while moderating the rules and policies of the forum. This forum focuses more along the lines of an academic discussion group instead of a church that enforces biblical doctrines.

Secondary Rules:

  1. Members must respond to private messages related to moderation
  2. Private messages related to moderation are subject to review by all moderators because the moderators work as a group
  3. Members may not cross post a topic in more than one forum category. We understand that most topics can fit into more than one category, but we limit the topic to one category for the sake of the commentators
    (Clarification: ad/mods may move, or may be asked to move, threads from one category to another, leaving behind a ‘shadow topic’, so that people already familiar with looking for it in one category may reach it in the new category by clicking the topic link in the old category. This isn’t the same as double-posting a topic in multiple categories.)
  4. Members may not excessively post new topics with minimal followup to the topics**

Moderation Guidelines

  1. If a member with no history of warnings breaks a board rule, then any moderator has the discretion to edit all or part of the post while formally or informally warning the member by PM
  2. If a member with two formal warnings in the previous six months breaks a rule, then any moderator has the discretion to implement a ban lasting from 1 day to 1 month
  3. While a member with repeat bans is under a 1-month ban, then any moderator has the discretion to post a poll for a permanent ban; and a quorum majority vote would permanently ban a repeat offender
  4. Permanently banned members may request “unbanment” after one year, provided they write an explanation of how they plan to follow the rules; and a quorum majority vote to unban would unban the member; if the vote does not result in unbanment, then the member may request unbanment after another year, and so on.
  5. Moderators, when voting on banning a particular member, should consider how much time and action has already been spent moderating that member
  6. The presiding moderator for the vote is the first administrator; if the first administrator is unavailable, then the second administrator; if the second administrator is unavailable, then the third administrator; if the third administrator is unavailable, then the moderator with most forum seniority may assume the position of presiding moderator or appoint another as presiding moderator