Please Read! : Softening the forums by changing how they are labeled

[mscat]

I just finished reading this thread and I think what a great support it would be to have members regularly check the boards for urgently needed responses.

I have a question: if we're going to have an urgent section in the forum is it only for the newcomers or is it for old members as well? Because if it's only for the newcomers then maybe we don't need to create an urgent section and just vigilantly view the new members section for those urgent attentions.

Also, I am just concerned that such a plan for a section, although its intention is wonderful, can backfire, and can scare some people away from the site. What do you guys think?

I hope if their is a thread created for urgent needs , it will be open for all members here. My opinion is that any us can find it useful during a crisis. Just having the support, feedback , of others who respond could deter a individual from acting out unhealthy behaviors , or minimize the impulsive or desire to carry out these destructive behaviors.

[Dark Enity]

I vote for both of these threads being added to the forum. I believe that there is a real need for the urgent care thread and can attest to this as you can see in my first post. I also believe that a spiritual thread can be a good thing, because it is used guidance in 12 step programs.

[finding my way]

When I was brand new to the community, I was encouraged by the Terms of Use statement on religion. I think this is what I read:

Religious and spiritual convictions (or the lack thereof) are a fundamental part of people's identities. Consequently, it is appropriate for Members to make religious or spiritual comments in any forum, subject to the general Respect for Members and Readers rule. It is never appropriate to put down another's religious or spiritual convictions, or to insist that your own convictions are more correct than another's. Posts which violate the Respect for Members and Readers rule are subject to censorship.

In the past, people have started up a thread with religious or spiritual topics when they had the need. Some are wounded by religion and need to talk about that, and some are helped by religion and need to share about that. If we stay centered on the person who is posting and their needs, it should be OK to discuss any aspect of these issues.

[John Rutledge]

deleted.....

Edited October 28, 2009 by John Rutledge

[danni]

I've been following this thread with a heavy heart regarding the discussion of a "spirituality" form. It's one of those areas that can be very healing. It can unite people on a very positive and special level. It can also tear people apart and be very divisive.

but....that said....I think it is an important part to the very being of many people and, when approached respectfully and carefully, could be an asset to this site and healing to many people.

I think the "ground rules" need to be well thought out and intentional and it would need to be moderated carefully. I.E.....spell out exactly what the forum is and isn't.

In my limited experience on these boards, the members have proven themselves again and again to be wise, reasonable, appropriate, and kind. I have no doubt that a spirituality forum can provide a safe healing space for those who desire it. Not every topic on these boards applies to everyone who visits here and therefore, people don't necessarily visit those topics that don't apply to them. Spirituality could fall into that too.

So....just some ideas that could be a "jumping off point."

What this forum is:

An arena to discuss spirituality as it relates to your healing. This is a place to speak openly but respectfully about your struggle to integrate your struggles with aspects of your faith.

A place for all faiths. All aspects of spirituality are welcome here.

What this forum is not:

-A place to to try to convert another member to your religion.

-A place for dogmatic debate. Disputes about which religion is "correct" would have no place in this forum.

-A place to bash another's religion or religious beliefs.

-A place to pass judgment on any member or their beliefs or choices.

I don't know......just some thoughts that came into my head. What do you think???

[OCDmom]

Hi danni, I like your post. And I agree that we ought to have a section for spirituality. As long as the ground rules show both what it IS and what is NOT.

[David O]

In an effort to present a rules format for the Sanctuary And Sprituality Forum, here are my plagiarized (from several sources) thoughts:

Introduction

The Sanctuary and Spirituality Forum is a service of Mental Health.net, and an interactive community for anyone who wishes to post. The goal is to serve the community only through fellowship, discussion, and support. This forum is a "safe haven" for members of the community to discuss personal and spiritual matters without religious condemnation, evangelizing or intolerance.

Please read the "forum-specific" rules before posting on this forum. All posts are in the opinion of the individual poster, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the forum. The administrators and moderators are not responsible for the remarks of individual posters, though every attempt will be made to ensure compliance with our rules.

As it may be obvious, our forums serve a specific purpose, and as such -- rules are necessary. Those who hope to find a forum for unregulated speech about any and all topics, or a place to spam for their own services are hereby invited to take their participation elsewhere.

All rules are subject to change without notice.

I. Posting Rules

1. All members must read and agree with the following participation rules in order to participate in this forum. Any posting by a new member will be interpreted as a complete and unequivocal agreement with these rules.

2. New members are recommended to "Sign In" in the General Discussion forum to introduce themselves before they can post here.

II. General Participation Rules

The following rules apply to the Sanctuary and Spirituality forum without exception (except where listed):

1. Do not make slanderous or libelous remarks,

2. Do not engage in copyright or trademark infringement. If quoting a previously published work, only quote essential elements to make your point, surrounded by quotation marks, and with the name of the publication and author listed. Any other "quotation" (such as "copying and pasting" an entire article) is generally outside of "fair use" laws and is considered copyright infringement, unless you have obtained permission from the necessary sources.

3. Do not label any religious organization or individual congregation as a "cult", not a real religion, right winged, left winged, religious zealots, primitive, etc.

4. Spam is prohibited. Established posters (senior members) may recommend outside websites, but not for personal gain.

5. Members should adhere to the topic restrictions of the specific forums.

6. No debate or divisive speech of any kind is permitted. The only exception to this rule is if such a topic is used in describing personal history ("My pastor encouraged us to vote Libertarian . . ."), but never as topics themselves.

7. Do not make posts that are judgmental or intolerant of others spiritual, religious or lifestyle choices.

8. Do not defend the unique beliefs, practices, or doctrines of salvation or lifestyle of your religion or attack those of another. Do not attack those who may not believe as you do or who may not adhere to a specific religion.

9. Do not condemn others to hell, or to eternal punishment, or question anyone's religious or spiritual beliefs in a way intended to evoke a debate.

10. Do not promulgate one religion, denomination, or faith system as the "one, true faith."

11. Do not air overtly negative complaints about the forums, the website, or moderator decisions on the forums. Discuss problems privately through email with the administrators/moderators, or add constructive suggestions.

12. The forum is open to everyone, regardless of faith/religion (e.g., Hindu, Islam, Wiccan, Christian, Buddhist, etc.) inclusive of those who may be non-believers, atheists, agnostics or anyone else wishing to contribute to the discussion.

III. Censorship & Freedom of Speech

13. The only protected form of speech is what occurs outside of this website: private entities (of which this forum is one) can not, by definition, be guilty of censorship. In short, you have no "freedom of speech", nor will the complaint of "censorship" be considered as valid.

14. In the interest of fairness and balance, as well as to help focus and improve quality of discussion, there is a team of moderators who have the ability to remove posts and threads from the public eye. There are many legitimate reasons for a moderator to remove comments, which are outlined elsewhere in this thread.

IV. Post Deletion

15. Posts can and will be deleted if they breach any of the rules outlined above.

V. Thread Deletion

16. Typically, threads are deleted when they fall into one of the following categories:

- Pointless - the thread contributes no value to the forum;

- Crosspost - the thread was posted to more than one forum;

- Flame baiting - the goal of the thread is to flame or start a fight;

- Duplicate - there is already a thread on the same or very similar topic;

- Spam - the thread was advertising for a business or was thinly disguised market research;

- For Sale or Wanted to Buy – the thread was posted to ask for offers for buying or selling something (please use eBay or some other auction site);

- Porn - see notes about unacceptable material above; or

17. Threads which do not fall exactly into one of the above categories, but are deemed inappropriate due to their content or nature, will also be deleted.

VI. Thread Closure/locked

18. Threads will be closed under any of the following circumstances:

- Off topic - the thread is going off topic, but mostly contains useful information;

- Flame war - the thread is turning into a flame war;

- FAQ Thread - the thread contains answers to frequently asked questions, which do not require further discussion;

19. Threads which do not fall exactly into one of the above categories, but are deemed to have reached the end of their useful life, may also be closed. In cases where the reason for closure is not immediately obvious, a moderator will normally post a final message explaining the closure.

V.Moderation Explanations

20. Please do not start a new thread asking why your last thread was moved, deleted or closed, or why your post was hidden. If you want to know why, PM a moderator, but please do not ask the community.

X.Problems with Mods

21. If you have a problem with something a moderator has done, and believe they have not done their job properly or abused their power, do not create a thread about it.

21. In the first instance, contact the mod in question. If you are still not satisfied then contact the Administrator. They will be happy to look into the matter and see if any further action is required. The Adminstrators decision is final.

VII. Zero Tolerance Policy

The Sanctuary and Spirituality forum and has a strictly enforced policy of "Zero Tolerance" (ZT) for certain user behaviour. Rules which attract a ZT response are identified above, but repeated breaches of the other rules may also attract a ZT response. In cases where such breaches occur, the following action will be taken:

- The post or thread will be deleted, regardless of whether or not the rest of the post or thread is "valid";

- At the Moderator's discretion, the user's account may be banned for a period of time, ranging from 1 week to a permanent ban.

Finally, given the sensitive nature of this thread and the possible need to enforce certain rules at the outset, the names of staff involved in as Administrators will be...

OK----- Any thoughts. Please feel free to critique and comment or pm me.

Edited September 7, 2009 by David O

[Mark]

David O.'s suggested rules mostly exist already (see the FAQ area), but they are all generally good suggestions which we might incorporate where we are deficient.

My take on what I've seen so far is that there is more support for a spirituality forum than not, and there is a lot of concern that this is a hot potato sort of issue that could burn members. My sense is that we experiment with a spirituality forum (keeping in mind that it is not intended to be a ghetto for these issues which might occur naturally in other forums as well) and see how it goes. This is an important part of people's lives whether they are theists or not (atheists thinking about it differently but still generally recognizing the concepts of "sacredness" or "awe" and their potential for helping with the healing/stress management process).

Mark

[David O]

Geez... I didn't even think to look at our FAQ section... it would have saved me an hour!!! Oh well, this may be an opportunity, as you suggest, to add specifics to what currently exists. I'm all for such a forum, but will accept the will "of the people"!

[Guest GingerSnap]

I don't think most of us like the "ones" trying to convert us and they are only a very small percentage of people that are "religious" or "spiritual". I understand the negative feelings associated with that even though my life is God-centered. I found myself a couple weeks ago asking "Is there room for God in mental health" so did read some articles on the internet regarding that and decided there was. When I began looking at mental health issues, first I looked at a solely religious forum which was way over the top and I think they would create more problems than they would solve and I looked at one where religion was more or less frowned on and that didn't fit, here, it appears to be "optional" - that works.

[Guest ASchwartz]

Gingersnap and everyone,

There is most certainly room for religion in the practice of mental health and today more than ever. From a meditation point of view it is believed that spirituality helps a great deal. In addition, many of us "practitioners" believe in the supportive and helpful role that religion and spiritual beliefs play in the mental health of vast numbers of people. Of course, this is far from true of all mental health experts and there are definitely the ones who are atheist, but, they are people, like everyone else, and, so, their beliefs vary.

I also believe that a forum for this would be great. I want everyone to be respectful because there is a vast variety of beliefs, including atheism, and we must not scoff or insult but accept.

Speaking just for myself, I hold a strong spiritual belief but not in the way a Christian, religious Jewish person, Catholic person or Muslim would believe.

I will finish by re-emphasizing that there is plenty of acceptance of religion in the mental health community.

Allan

[OCDmom]

Aye, Allan...

[mscat]

I don't think most of us like the "ones" trying to convert us and they are only a very small percentage of people that are "religious" or "spiritual". I understand the negative feelings associated with that even though my life is God-centered. I found myself a couple weeks ago asking "Is there room for God in mental health" so did read some articles on the internet regarding that and decided there was. When I began looking at mental health issues, first I looked at a solely religious forum which was way over the top and I think they would create more problems than they would solve and I looked at one where religion was more or less frowned on and that didn't fit, here, it appears to be "optional" - that works.

Thank you GingerSnap,

I too am feeling this way . However , I hold much resentment from personal experiences regarding the entire subject matter. I am hoping that this community can and will maintain it's orginal focus.

As a supportive community to those who suffer from mental illness, without the worry of spirituality /religion taking over the entire community fourm. I just hope it will stay in just that one area, & none of the other threads will be hampered down by the upcoming , thread.

Allen , I always value your opinions and great insight. I totally respect you . So with what your last posting stated , I do hope you are right. Just worried that the fourm will turn into a entire "holly then now" community with all do respect .

cathy

[John Rutledge]

deleted.....

Edited October 28, 2009 by John Rutledge

[goose]

Sorry but this is not relevant to this thread. I would just like to say John that I love the way you sign off from your posts

Goose

[Guest ASchwartz]

Oh, JR, you are such a sceptic???

Allan

[mscat]

Oh, JR, you are such a sceptic???

Allan

Glad you found JR, so amusing , Allen.