Comment Policy
We value the responsibility entrusted to us to write truthfully and honestly. We also value maintaining a culture that allows you to dialogue with us and each other in a way that demonstrates our love for God and for one another. We appreciate your desire to interact with us and comment on our posts…really.
We also want you to remember that we are real people and we recognize that you are too. Blogs can often become bitterly antagonistic places or little more than opportunities for overly critical people to get into unprofitable arguments. We don’t want to discourage disagreement, but we do want you to do it graciously and honorably. We’ll treat you with respect and we want you to treat us and one another the same way. All of that being said, here are some things to keep in mind as you comment:
1. Please don’t be anonymous
We won’t post comments from “Theology Dude” or “HeresyHunter47”, unless it’s your actual name. Allow us to know who you are. Get to know us and get to know others who comment here. Write and respond in ways that you would with your own friends or a person you might talk with face-to-face over a cup of coffee.
There are few exceptions to this rule (such as being a missionary in a restricted access country) and you must state “why” in your comment if you would like to comment without leaving a real name. You must have a real and verifiable email to go with that real name (though that email will never be shared). If you have a blog or website, you should include that, but it is not required. Also, feel free to email us if you feel a conversation would be better to have in private.
2. Stay on topic.
If the topic of the discussion is Christianity and The Arts, it is not helpful to start a new conversation on gender roles, Calvinism, or the possibility of life on other planets or parallel universes. If you would like to have a conversation or read a blog post about something else, search through the archives to see if we’ve already written about the topic, or request a post here.
3. You can share opinions, disagree and even argue, but you must be polite.
The point of this blog is to have discussion. Do not use our blog for your agenda. If you can add to the discussion, please do. If you can’t, we’ll remove you from the discussion. Also, don’t bully people.
4. Don’t personally attack people.
We do not allow ad hominem attacks here. We do allow robust discussion and critical thought. No personal attacks are permitted in this blog’s comments. You may question or argue the content, but not attack the bloggers, nor any other commenters.
5. If you’re not respectful, we will have to delete your comments and possibly block you from commenting.
This is always a last resort. But no one has the “right” to comment on this blog. Failure to respect fellow participants on this blog could result in removal and blocked access.
6. Don’t be a troll.
In internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.
If you are a troll we will delete your comments.
7. Don’t post external links.
We often receive comments that marginally engage the discussion (or not at all) and then link to something the commentor or someone else has written on the subject (or some unrelated subject). Please don’t include external links in your comments. If your comment includes an external link, we will either delete the link from your comment or delete your comment altogether (except in special circumstances).
8. Feel free to make your point, once.
If people engage with your point, disagree with it, or discuss it, you can engage in that. But, do not make the same point over and over on that post or other posts.
If you’re unable to abide by these guidelines we will not post your comments or respond to you.
As the blog owners, we have the following rights:
Control over content and comments.
Ability to edit comments.
Ability to censor comments.
Ability to delete comments.
Ability to prevent comments by specific persons or groups.
Having these rights does not necessarily mean we will use them. We will be respectful to you and do our best to ensure that we do not misrepresent you or your comments. We’ll be gracious and give you the benefit of the doubt by trying to contact you before rejecting your comment or blocking you.
Thanks for engaging with us! Enjoy the blog!