You can't be too careful . . .

[Celia]

 . . . or can you?

While I suppose dividing the Spirituality forum into smaller forums dedicated to specific religious (dis)belief systems is good for bringing together people with similar views and cuts down sharply on flame warfare . . . I wonder if the result isn't somewhat compartmentalized and sterile.

Am I Christian?  No.  Am I Pagan?  No.  Am I Islamic?  No.  Am I Atheist?  No.  Am I Buddhist?  Yes, but something about locking myself in the Buddhist forum just seems kind of stagnant.   If I go into any subforum, I feel like a guest at best, an outsider at worst.  The root of the forum feels like a lobby, and Other feels like some sort of catch-all/footnote (and why is there no forum for Agnostics, for example?).

I don't mean to suggest that the Spirituality forum is somehow unacceptable to me.  I just wonder if it might improve things a bit if people with different spiritual perspectives were more directly encouraged to mingle.  As it is, no alarms and no surprises.

I apologize if this seems more like a meta-post than a post, but I wouldn't be much of a lab rat (would I?) if all I worried about was the pellet at the end of the maze and never the maze itself.

[Anatta]

Kia Ora Celia,

I'm not quite sure what you mean...Do you mean a 'all religious/spiritual beliefs' section where people from all belief systems can post a topic that's open to followers of all the different beliefs ?

But I guess here in the spiritual section is a place where commonality can prevail...This is where I would post an open topic on beliefs...

Metta Zenda

[Sailor_Saturn]

The more security walls you install, the harder it is for your people to enter. Simultaneously, the more security walls you install, the harder it is for you to leave. You can certainly be too careful, and I think that people should feel welcome to comment in any forum they choose. If someone has something to say about Christianity, I want them to slide on over to the Christian forums and throw in their two cents. I was never reticent about swinging on over to the Paganism section to chit-chat with them. I regularly watch Atheists' videos on YouTube, and if I feel like it I leave a comment.

People shouldn't be shy about talking to one another about spirituality, even if they have different religions. No, especially if they have different religions. Only by encountering something besides myself can I learn anything new.

[Celia]

Perhaps you're right.  Maybe I should check out Other.  I might just be a bit too afraid I might end up stepping on someone's toes.  I guess that's a danger when you dare to discuss matters of spirituality, religion, etc.

[Felix]

Hey Celia, I post all over the place. I read all over the place. I think it's okay to do that. If you're respectful and comfortable with your internal ethics, you don't need any special permission to mingle.

[Sailor_Saturn]

Perhaps you're right.  Maybe I should check out Other.  I might just be a bit too afraid I might end up stepping on someone's toes.  I guess that's a danger when you dare to discuss matters of spirituality, religion, etc.

Heaven forbid you say something on the internet that offends someone! In order to avoid ever saying something which would offend someone you have to speak entirely in tautologies. And odds are that if you do someone will probably get mad about that. Respecting other peoples' feelings is very noble, but as long as you present your argument in a respectful manner then you'll probably more often than not simply get reasonable responses (even if you say controversial things).

Besides, in part it's a matter of the maturity level of the person you're talking to. You could present a perfectly reasonable, respectfully framed challenge to someone's beliefs and they could explode as if you just smacked their mother in the face if they're emotionally underdeveloped. Best to ignore such respondents and concentrate on those that make reasonable, respectfully framed answers to your challenges.

[VeryGnawty]

Heaven forbid you say something on the internet that offends someone!

The internet is serious business.

[Anatta]

Kia Ora Celia,

Sailor's right, at times it can be quite challenging[a battle field] when presenting a topic or posting on a thread[And if it happens to be on religious or belief systems even more so]...There will always be someone who finds what the other person has said somewhat offensive...

The debate/argument intensifies when ones ego feels hurt...Some however do manage to keep their ego in check and remain calm throughout the debate,[a good example of this is the debate between Jacelyn, Miniar and some others in the "Why do some M2Fs act like gay men" thread  https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,108807.280.html  ] sadly some have a tendency  to just fly off the handle and all their penned up anger and frustration[which quite often has nothing to do with the topic at hand] is let loose in their uncontrolled/unbalanced response...

Also one must take into account the amount of emotional tension floating around such forums has these...I'm not sure of your background - whether or not you have overcome most of your inner demons, that at times being trans can conjure up...

If your topic is specifically about Buddhism, it's best to keep it in the Buddhist section[safe haven] , if it about how you feel Buddhist psychology/philosophy can help in a 'secular' way those who are struggling, then it can normally go into any section...If it's about differences or things different belief systems have in common, then the spirituality section is from what I gather a good place to start... I'm sure the mods will move it into the appropriate section if this is not the case...

Be prepare to have your beliefs challenged and try to compensate for emotional tension, that is don't cling/take to heart what's been said in anger by others...

Remember for the most part "Anger begets anger! Hatred begets hatred!" But it doesn't always have to be this way...

Metta Zenda

[Sailor_Saturn]

Kia Ora Celia,

Sailor's right, at times it can be quite challenging[a battle field] when presenting a topic or posting on a thread[And if it happens to be on religious or belief systems even more so]...There will always be someone who finds what the other person has said somewhat offensive...

HOW DARE YOU PATRONIZE ME? I AM SO OFFENDED RIGHT NOW, ZENDA!!! 

Heh. Just kidding. 

If your topic is specifically about Buddhism, it's best to keep it in the Buddhist section[safe haven] , if it about how you feel Buddhist psychology/philosophy can help in a 'secular' way those who are struggling, then it can normally go into any section...If it's about differences or things different belief systems have in common, then the spirituality section is from what I gather a good place to start... I'm sure the mods will move it into the appropriate section if this is not the case...

That's mostly a question of relevance, but you're right on all counts (though I think the metaphor for each religion's section more closely fits drawers in a file cabinet than a safe haven).

[Anatta]

HOW DARE YOU PATRONIZE ME? I AM SO OFFENDED RIGHT NOW, ZENDA!!! 

Heh. Just kidding. 

Kia Ora Sailor,

Were you ? .............Just kidding 


Metta Zenda