The part of the CoC that relates to the topic of this thread is brief and "to the point". It goes like so:
This is the Code of Conduct ("CoC") we expect all members to follow:
- [Several unrelated list items...]
- No politics, no religion. If you even think it might be considered political or religious, it is. Please don’t post it. [Emphasis added]
- [Several more unrelated list items]
I think it's wonderfully clear ...
If you even think it might be considered political or religious, it is. Please don’t post it.
What's to keep us from abiding by what we agreed to? I can only think of 3 things:
- Ignorance (we never read the CoC, or didn't understand it or forgot)
- We have a lapse of judgment
- We willfully cross the line
In the first two cases, if our gentle but firm Mods come long and (re?)educate us about the rules, we would probably be humble and apologetic, and try not to let it happen again. The
third case is the sticky one.
The CoC isn't laid out in dictatorial fashion. It doesn't say, "If you cross the line, the establishment will hunt you down and...." What it does say (later on) is:
The administrators and moderators of Family Woodworking reserve the right to remove, edit, move or close any thread for violations of the forum rules as determined by the Moderators.
We all agreed to that, too.
Some might say, "Cool. So I can write whatever I want and leave it up to the Mods to catch me." Hmmmm.... A wise leader once said, "I teach the people correct principles, and let them govern themselves." There's only one way that kind of system can work, and that's if each individual abides by the governing principles.
I consider myself an actively religious person. But that aspect of my self is overshadowed in this community by the desire to do what I said I would do when I joined. If the CoC is changed, I'll review it and re-evaluate my participation.
Meanwhile ... I'm here for the woodworking, and a measure of camaraderie, so I'll go back to the more conventional forum areas now that I've said my piece.