Off Topix: Embrace the Unexpected in Every Discussion
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Controversial Topics
- Thread starter Randy
- Start date
I don't own a forum but I can tell you the most controversial topics I stay far away from have to do with religion and abortion issues. I'm a member of a forum where these two topics are discussed and have seen people rear their ugly heads and attack other members for their opinions. It got so bad with one member that she was banned.
In most places on the internet Religion is allowed to be debated, which I believe in part occurs because religion gets such a free ride in life, and anyone to speak out or criticize it is seen as a bigot who is a ranting atheist . Yet you see religious people always criticizing other religions and cults... people subscribing to mainstream religions are even worse than cultists I think because mainstream religious people chose to believe in things that are so entirely different from the things that cultists were brainwashed into endorsing.
But for the sake of a nice, kind, warming forum, I can understand asking members to avoid certain topics. (let the sheep retain ignorance and not be challenged into ever really thinking about their views)
But for the sake of a nice, kind, warming forum, I can understand asking members to avoid certain topics. (let the sheep retain ignorance and not be challenged into ever really thinking about their views)
I don't encourage them. Some things you just can't talk about because some people are very opinionated and feel their opinion is right and will attack anyone who respectfully disagrees. So it's best not to go down that road by not even bringing up such topics. Religion, political, etc.
Controversial Topics. While we SHOULD be able to act like adults, many people don't. They believe what they believe & are adamant about having others believe the same thing & if the other doesn't, they are berated. That is NOT Equality. There's no Agree to Disagree nor Respect.
There are many things I don't accept nor believe in HOWEVER I can accept the person as a human being because that is what we are first.
There are many things I don't accept nor believe in HOWEVER I can accept the person as a human being because that is what we are first.
Religious debates seem to be the biggest topic that triggers people. I've witnessed members on a few religious debate forums get banned for resorting to name calling and trolling when they lose with their arguments.
I have nothing against controversial topics as long as they are in a private section where only level-headed individuals can be allowed by the moderators.
If controversial topics are in the public, it will always lead to flame wars, and trolling and create a bad reputation for the forum. It also drives away users who just want to chill peacefully as they do not like forum drama. While it will increase forum activity, it is still not worth it considering the damage that it can cause.
Case in point, a majority of general chat discords that I know allow controversial topics but only in dedicated private channels.
If controversial topics are in the public, it will always lead to flame wars, and trolling and create a bad reputation for the forum. It also drives away users who just want to chill peacefully as they do not like forum drama. While it will increase forum activity, it is still not worth it considering the damage that it can cause.
Case in point, a majority of general chat discords that I know allow controversial topics but only in dedicated private channels.
Well, I am the admin for a discussion forum about religion and spirituality. Or it is supposed to be. Our social forums tends to be livelier these days than our religion forums though things tend to come and go with current events and who is posting. There have certainly been some epic battles in the main religion forum between progressive and conservative believers in the past but it has kind of died down as all but one or two of the conservatives seem to have given up.
Oddly, only one person ever got permabanned out of that group and that wasn't related to religious discussions but to some general bad habits he exhibited in all the forums, e.g. making controversial statements and then trying to run away from them. He was also bad for trolling certain members on certain topics (e.g. one woman was taunted constantly about her quilting even though others expressed appreciation for her handicrafts).
That said, there were some warnings and temporary suspensions over things like people posting supercessionist views (an anti-Semitic theology that basically says, roughly, Christianity is meant to replace Judaism and Jews will one day recognize and accept that) or lobbing obvious insults. Doesn't happen as often as you might think, though.
We also have a active political forum but, again, with the conservative crowd withering away, that has also become quieter and less contentious. We did kick one person there for constantly spewing COVID and anti-vaxx conspiracy crap all over the forums even after being told to keep it in one dedicated thread on the subject.
So I think how problematic controversial topics can be depends on the community to some degree, as well as how willing mods are to police things.
Now, I am also a member on a singer's fan site and they are almost fanatical about stopping any kind of religious or political discussion, to the point where I get nervous posting certain music videos that are pretty obviously political (in one case, I just posted the video without comment and that seemed to pass muster). These are videos by other, related, artists not the singer in question, who tends to stick to more personal themes rather than social or political ones.
Oddly, only one person ever got permabanned out of that group and that wasn't related to religious discussions but to some general bad habits he exhibited in all the forums, e.g. making controversial statements and then trying to run away from them. He was also bad for trolling certain members on certain topics (e.g. one woman was taunted constantly about her quilting even though others expressed appreciation for her handicrafts).
That said, there were some warnings and temporary suspensions over things like people posting supercessionist views (an anti-Semitic theology that basically says, roughly, Christianity is meant to replace Judaism and Jews will one day recognize and accept that) or lobbing obvious insults. Doesn't happen as often as you might think, though.
We also have a active political forum but, again, with the conservative crowd withering away, that has also become quieter and less contentious. We did kick one person there for constantly spewing COVID and anti-vaxx conspiracy crap all over the forums even after being told to keep it in one dedicated thread on the subject.
So I think how problematic controversial topics can be depends on the community to some degree, as well as how willing mods are to police things.
Now, I am also a member on a singer's fan site and they are almost fanatical about stopping any kind of religious or political discussion, to the point where I get nervous posting certain music videos that are pretty obviously political (in one case, I just posted the video without comment and that seemed to pass muster). These are videos by other, related, artists not the singer in question, who tends to stick to more personal themes rather than social or political ones.
