In Reply to: There were no new rules posted by WC on September 01, 2006 at 20:16:17:
| This board offers a safe, non-threatening environment for ex-members who still have faith—or are on a spiritual journey, unsure of what they believe. It was created for those who, while de-toxing from the spiritual atmosphere of The Family, wish to discuss spiritual and Biblical issues, including comparing genuine Christianity to heresies and spiritual abuse. While we encourage active dialogue, we must caution you that respect for those of different beliefs is imperative. The purpose of this board is not to preach at or instruct others, but to share our hearts regarding our personal journey out of the Family experience. Like war vets, we have all been through a great deal together and although some people have emerged from Berg’s injurious teachings with faith in God intact, for others this is an ongoing process; some have had their faith nearly destroyed by the group and have put spiritual matters on ice. This board is a space for dialogue between those who are of different spiritual persuasions. While we certainly encourage you to discuss Family doctrine, we ask you to please not repeatedly argue the same points, quoting verse after verse to prove your arguments. If you wish to engage in prolonged discussions about doctrines that are not crucial to understanding our cultic experience and recovery from it, we ask you to continue such discussions privately in emails. We wish “Journeys” to be a place where ex-members can feel comfortable discussing their faith or their personal spiritual journey, seek advice, receive affirmation and find healing from spiritual abuse. It is a place where questions can be asked and mental chains can be unlocked. Politics Free Boards: While we understand that it may be difficult or impossible to make posts completely void of political views and expressions, we no longer allow general political discussions on our boards. Dissecting Berg's political views in his teachings may be allowed if they do not attack a legitimate political affiliation. All opinions are welcome. However, phrasing and tone are important. Insensitivity will not be tolerated. Harassing behavior will result in being banned from the forums. Courtesy and respect first and foremost. It is imperative that anyone using this board shows courtesy and respect to fellow posters, and their faith and beliefs. We will make provision for inevitable unintentional misunderstandings and marked differences of opinion that can arise from interaction between posters, but deliberate hurtful or abrasive behavior will result in being banned. Not a pulpit. Repeated unsolicited advice and instruction will not be considered dialogue nor discussion, but rather preaching - this is not a platform for preachers with a "mission" to instruct - it is a place to share your experience as fellow journeymen. Dialogue, not monologue. Speak with each other and not at each other. Address the issues discussed, bring up more issues for discussion; but lengthy or repeated one-way communications or exhortations will be considered monologue/preaching. Context is important. Answer to posts in the context of the thread as much as possible. Multiple pen names (handles). The use of multiple pen names is permitted on our bulletin boards, as long as there is no malicious intent for doing so. Posting under a pen name allows you to express your views and get support for your pain while maintaining control over your privacy, and separating your past cult affiliation from your new life and workplace. In addition, if you have a situation where you could be cut off from your friends or family for speaking out against The Family, it is wise to avoid posting with your legal name or former 'Bible name'. As a bulletin board user you are anonymous to other posters, but we will not allow misuse of this anonymity, such as using multiple anonymous names to: have several turns at the same local topic, especially in the same thread to manipulate readers into believing you have more support for your position than actually exists play mind games -- using the cover of anonymity and changing names to stalk other posters, confuse them, badger them or cause them grief Posters caught doing this will be given a warning. Continued violation of this policy will result in being banned from the board. No purposeless naming of legal names of ex-members, whether carelessly or deliberately: If you're going to cite any legal names, use them in compliance with our guidelines. The Family's policy has been to expose the faces and legal names of their followers, while protecting their leadership who live in hiding under assumed names - we aim to reverse that policy. When an individual has left the group and gone on to make something good out of his/her life, associating them with The Family can sometimes have adverse effects on their recovery. Unless you are reporting firsthand accounts of specific crimes which can hold up in a court of law, we do not need to cause former members unnecessary grief, creating "guilt by association" by connecting them to The Family. No unwelcome familiarity or badgering. While we recognize that in any virtual community, it is both natural and necessary that participants achieve some level of familiarity with each other's views and lifestyles, etc., this familiarity can be misused in the bulletin board medium, as a tool for badgering. In all discussions, where possible, kindly stay in context, address the points in the thread and refrain from introducing random references to another participant's previous stated views/lifestyle/etc. in a badgering manner. No arrogant speech or over-assertive dogma. It is acceptable to share what your beliefs are and speak for yourself. However, opinions which invalidate another's beliefs or views as lies, and remarks which cast a fellow poster of a different view or faith as one not following the truth, will be considered religious arrogance and dogma. No angry debating allowed please. Posts are subject to removal if content is vulgar and/or willfully offensive. Lively discussions are encouraged as long as a certain level of civility is maintained. Please don't make it personal. There is no need for personal attacks. If you have a specific problem with a poster, settle it outside of the forum. Threads of that nature will be deleted. Avoid mindless rhetoric. If you wish to debate, do your homework. No harassment or cyber-stalking. Harassing behavior will result in being banned from all our forums. Cyber-stalking can be defined as (but not limited to) a poster with a vendetta, following another poster around on the boards whenever he/she posts, challenging anything/everything about his/her views over a period of time. Initiating Posts must contain subject matter ("message" box must be filled) - not just a subject line with no text - "(NT)". A name or handle is required The subject line may not be empty The websites (the "optional link URL" box) and email address boxes are optional No advertising or linking for commercial purposes, or to sites and products which may be understood to be disruptive of the commercial rights of others - such as pirate software, or sites which encourage piracy. Unintelligible posts or posts which make no sense to the purpose of the site will be deleted. Interpretation of the above is the responsibility of the coordinator(s). This version of the rules and guidelines may be updated without notice and supersedes all previous versions. The main policies page of this site overrides and supersedes all rules and guidelines on this page. Complaints, suggestions or questions can be sent to the coordinator: journeys-coord@exFamily.org | This board offers a safe, non-threatening environment for ex-members who wish to discuss their beliefs, who still have faith—or are on a spiritual journey, unsure of what they believe. It was created for those who, while de-toxing from the spiritual atmosphere of The Family, wish to discuss spiritual and Biblical issues, including comparing genuine Christianity to heresies and spiritual abuse. In this environment, skeptics, agnostics, atheists or anti-thesists who wish to contribute to discussions will be understood to have a belief system (or system of belief) of their own, and must adhere to these rules and guidelines accordingly. While we encourage active dialogue, we must caution you that respect for those of different beliefs is imperative. The purpose of this board is not to preach at or instruct others, but to share our hearts regarding our personal journey out of the Family experience. Like war vets, we have all been through a great deal together and although some people have emerged from Berg’s injurious teachings with faith in God intact, for others this is an ongoing process; some have had their faith nearly destroyed by the group and have put spiritual matters on ice; yet others have found the answers in rejecting all things religious and spiritual. This board is a space for dialogue between those who are of different spiritual persuasions and belief systems. While we certainly encourage you to discuss Family doctrine, we ask you to please not repeatedly argue the same points, quoting verse after verse to prove your arguments. If you wish to engage in prolonged discussions about doctrines that are not crucial to understanding our cultic experience and recovery from it, we ask you to continue such discussions privately in emails. By the same token, we ask that you do not post link after link to reinforce your own beliefs, but rather share your journey. We wish “Journeys” to be a place where ex-members can feel comfortable discussing their faith or their personal spiritual journey, seek advice, receive affirmation and find healing from spiritual abuse. It is a place where questions can be asked and mental chains can be unlocked. Politics Free Boards: While we understand that it may be difficult or impossible to make posts completely void of political views and expressions, we no longer allow general political discussions on our boards. Dissecting Berg's political views in his teachings may be allowed if they do not attack a legitimate political affiliation. All opinions are welcome. However, phrasing and tone are important. Insensitivity will not be tolerated. Posts that deliberately seek to provoke another poster to anger will be deleted. Continued harassing behavior will result in being banned from the forums. Courtesy and respect first and foremost. It is imperative that anyone using this board shows courtesy and respect to fellow posters, and their faith and beliefs. We will make provision for inevitable unintentional misunderstandings and marked differences of opinion that can arise from interaction between posters, but deliberate hurtful or abrasive behavior will result in the posts being deleted. If, despite warnings, the behavior continues, the offending poster will be banned. Not a pulpit. Repeated unsolicited advice and instruction will not be considered dialogue nor discussion, but rather preaching - this is not a platform for teachers and preachers with a "mission" to instruct - it is a place to share your experience as fellow journeymen. Dialogue, not monologue. Speak with each other and not at each other. Address the issues discussed, bring up more issues for discussion; but lengthy or repeated one-way communications or exhortations will be considered monologue/preaching. Context is important. Answer to posts in the context of the thread as much as possible. Multiple pen names (handles). The use of multiple pen names is permitted on our bulletin boards, as long as there is no malicious intent for doing so. Posting under a pen name allows you to express your views and get support for your pain while maintaining control over your privacy, and separating your past cult affiliation from your new life and workplace. In addition, if you have a situation where you could be cut off from your friends or family for speaking out against The Family, it is wise to avoid posting with your legal name or former 'Bible name'. As a bulletin board user you are anonymous to other posters, but we will not allow misuse of this anonymity, such as using multiple anonymous names to: have several turns at the same local topic, especially in the same thread to manipulate readers into believing you have more support for your position than actually exists play mind games -- using the cover of anonymity and changing names to stalk other posters, confuse them, badger them or cause them grief Posters caught doing this will be given a warning. Continued violation of this policy will result in being banned from the board. No purposeless naming of legal names of ex-members, whether carelessly or deliberately: If you're going to cite any legal names, use them in compliance with our guidelines. The Family's policy has been to expose the faces and legal names of their followers, while protecting their leadership who live in hiding under assumed names - we aim to reverse that policy. When an individual has left the group and gone on to make something good out of his/her life, associating them with The Family can sometimes have adverse effects on their recovery. Unless you are reporting firsthand accounts of specific crimes which can hold up in a court of law, we do not need to cause former members unnecessary grief, creating "guilt by association" by connecting them to The Family. No unwelcome familiarity or badgering. While we recognize that in any virtual community, it is both natural and necessary that participants achieve some level of familiarity with each other's views and lifestyles, etc., this familiarity can be misused in the bulletin board medium, as a tool for badgering. In all discussions, where possible, kindly stay in context, address the points in the thread and refrain from introducing random references to another participant's previous stated views/lifestyle/etc. in a badgering manner. No arrogant speech or over-assertive dogma. It is acceptable to share what your beliefs are and speak for yourself. However, opinions which invalidate another's beliefs or views as lies, and remarks which cast a fellow poster of a different view or faith as one not following the truth, will be considered religious arrogance and dogma. No angry debating allowed please. Posts are subject to removal if content is vulgar and/or willfully offensive. Lively discussions are encouraged as long as a certain level of civility is maintained. Please don't make it personal. There is no need for personal attacks. If you have a specific problem with a poster, settle it outside of the forum. Threads of that nature will be deleted. Avoid mindless rhetoric. If you wish to debate, do your homework. No harassment or cyber-stalking. Harassing behavior will result in being banned from all our forums. Cyber-stalking can be defined as (but not limited to) a poster with a vendetta, following another poster around on the boards whenever he/she posts, challenging anything/everything about his/her views over a period of time. Initiating Posts must contain subject matter ("message" box must be filled) - not just a subject line with no text - "(NT)". A name or handle is required The subject line may not be empty The websites (the "optional link URL" box) and email address boxes are optional No advertising or linking for commercial purposes, or to sites and products which may be understood to be disruptive of the commercial rights of others - such as pirate software, or sites which encourage piracy. Unintelligible posts or posts which make no sense to the purpose of the site will be deleted. Interpretation of the above is the responsibility of the coordinator(s). This version of the rules and guidelines may be updated without notice and supersedes all previous versions. The main policies page of this site overrides and supersedes all rules and guidelines on this page. Complaints, suggestions or questions can be sent to the coordinator: journeys-coord@exFamily.org |