It has been suggested before, but the problem is that very few people would be able to keep their posts confined to that forum, and flaming between people with differing views would bleed into all of the other forums.

Then SMACK them. Or challenge them to a duel of cyber-rochambeau

But seriously, all people need to be is mature and discuss it in a calm and controlled way. No going hog-wild, just a series of closely monitored forums where people can at least mention the issues.

The problem is that especially with topics such as religion, people become *very* protective not to mention assertive. As these people feel so strongly about such issues, refraining from mentioning material from their previous threads in the religious forum would be nigh impossible for them.

Wilde, as much as I like your idea people wouldnt be mature enoughto understand or respect other peoples beliefs, rendering the idea impossible

my suggestion would be to go find a forum that allows religion and politics, and just post non-religious/plicitical stuff here

everybody wins

Religion leads to passion
Passion leads to dislike
Dislike turns into hate
Hate leads to suffering
Suffering leads to the Dark Side of the Force ...

The basic argument against religious/political discussions ...

but on the dark side of the force you get a really cool black cape and a robotic arm!

Only if you are the Skywalkers. Everyone else seems to be getting yellow eyes from the dark side.

I can understand why you want this - I'm a part of another Community, and they have a Fight Club forum where people can just go at it with their politics, religion and racial remarks. But allow me to clarify why we can't have the same formula here:

-that community is big, with hundreds of active posters, compared to our small presence.

-They have about 40 forums, from adult topics to hobbies, book/movie club, and gardening etc. Members stick to their sub-communities and can spend their entire membership without ever encountering posters outside their own hangout places. Thus the assholes stick to the Fight Club and the non-assholes avoid it like the plague. We are a specialized community. Animosities do not bleed to other forums because these people don't meet, they don't hang out in the same non-fight club forums.

-the community at TLR is too small for that. If you just had a flame war with someone in TLR's fight club, can you really guarantee that you WON'T be dragged into another round in the civilized OT or Freelancer Modding Forum? you 've met the guy in flame war and have constituted a certain prejudice against him, and you may think it's funny to make implicit and/or explicit references to that war - and NOW the civilized forums turn to pooh too.
It simply does not work in smaller communities.

just want to say that it probably wouldnt be a good idea to have racial comments at all..........

I remember back on the Freelancer Multiplayer forums when people couldn't even discuss the day's events on Elite server without it breaking down into a flamefest, and that is a video game. Certain topics just can't be debated intelligently and maturely on a forum where people of all ages visit. At some point that odd 13 year old will jump in and ignite it, they always do.

There are forums out there specifically for these sorts of serious discussions, but this family friendly site is probably not the best place for it.

Just to let you guys know that I support that idea of having such a forum. When it would be up to, there would be a forum like that. I sent out an email to the staff about this before you created this topic (I can read you mind you know) and we're discussing it. The biggest concern is the forum turning into a flamefest because that would be a shame to everyone who wants to contribute in an intelligent way.

Expect to hear more in a while but I can't promise anything right now.

There are only 2 problems that i can think of with such a forum:
1) religious, political and ethical differences may cause rifts between friends here on TLR, tearing us apart
2) straight out arguments. i know that it is possible to have intelligent conversations about religion without it degrading into an argument, but all it needs is some little idiot coming in and flaming, or ust some person who cant be othered reasoning any more.

HOWEVER:
we CAN put it to a test. if we could get a number of moderators and regulars from TLR into a Mass MSN conversation or IRC channel, we may be able to see how effective such a forum MIGHT be on a small scale. i know its probably a stupid idea, but its worth a try.... dont you think?

Unfortunatly, it wouldn't work. Personel experinance, I and another had a e-mail discussion on a topic, but there was no agreeable position, only heated views. Unless you have no knowledge of the subject, and took a class room view, could it ever work, but, if you had a personal point of view, it would create flack and heat. The topics in question have been known to divide flesh and blood familys, for years.