Rules Of The Road

This is the document that guided the original facebook group, and the original Google+ Circle that were under the name Not All Catholics Are Roman...But All Catholics Are One, with some small changes to take into account the move to those channels becoming part of TodaysCatholics.com. While a bit of it may seem out of date, it is still a good way to see where we came from, and most of the rules about conduct are still the same today. -

Brenda, Easter 2016

 

The Rules of the Road Revised 4/9/13

Posted By Todd Garvin on Monday, December 26, 2011 at 2:56pm

 

Not All Catholics Are Roman, But All Catholics Are One

 

The Rules of the Road

Revised: 4/9/13

         

by Brenda Eckels Burrows, aMGC, Moderator

 

Hi folks! I wanted to just leave a few simple rules for the discussion board:

 

1. Everyone is welcome to post as long as it is in a respectful way, so no foul language or personal attacks.

 

It is important that you remember that Catholicism varies place to place and runs from extremely conservative to extremely progressive and not everyone will agree. 

 

It is also important to remember that just as I won't allow the KKK to put an ad on the wall, neither will I let the "Kill Straight Men Club" either.  You have the right to your denominational beliefs.  I have the right to welcome both the celibate Romans and the Gay Independents.  And everyone else in between.

 

However, there is at least a reasonable chance that belonging to this group indicates some level of interest or involvement in Catholicism, so no sermonizing or trying to convert anyone. We are here to share, laugh, learn, cry, support Catholic Unity across all the denominations, even if in little ways, and pray.

 

Laity, please go to section 2.

 

This entire section is hereby deemed to apply especially to clerics of all types when discussing governance, theology, vestments, liturgical rules, and validity of orders.  If you disagree with your same denomination brother Bishop, take it up at your next synod. (Roman Catholic Clerics, look in Baltimore Catechism under "Pope". Go talk to him.) If you disagree with your Brother Bishop from another denomination, Welcome! You Are At CATHOLICISM! Get used to it!

 

Discussion is wonderful, as is exchange of ideas or examples.  Debate can be constructive, and will be moderated closely.  All out flame wars that make my smartphone go into a seizure at 3 am will not be tolerated.

 

2. No one, including me, has the time to check out the credentials of every person posting, or even those of the members.

 

Like any religion Catholicism has had it's share of charlatans and criminals on both the Roman and non-Roman sides of the garden.

 

Don't be afraid to check out the churches mentioned or the people involved.

 

Legitimate clergy and churches will be more than happy to welcome you to mass, provide information etc.

 

Since anyone can make a profile or a web site, don't go on those sources alone.

 

3. PLEASE when quoting scripture let everyone know which bible you are using.

 

Also, when quoting from another source give a link if you have one to where you found it.

 

If you don't have a link, be specific about whether it was from an ancient manuscript, a book, a movie, God Spoke To ME (hereafter known as GSTM) or reddit.com

 

 

 

4. Spamming, HiJacking, Hacking, and so on may wound us, but won't kill us, because we still exist in real life, and community hospitals do manage to patch us back together.  And in Real Life, we file police reports.  Detailed Ones.

 

5. Posting cute but useless glitter graphics, advertisements for products or services, and other nonsense is forbidden. Just don't. It takes time to run this, and I don't have time for it.

 

6. New Members: We welcome new members, and current members can suggest new members. 

 

However, between 2009ish and now this group has grown to over 400 people, and I have had enough with a certain restaurant chain sending it's crazies over here to cause trouble over gay marriage. United States Legal Marriage is a secular civil government procedure just like incorporating or forming a partnership.  We have no business being involved in whether trusts should pay taxes, whether corporations are people in actual reality, so we have likewise no business being involved in the current debate over civil marriage. Put those posts on your personal wall, and if you think I am interested, friend me.

 

Therefore, as of 4/9/13 somewhere around 10pm EST United States, all new members will have to be approved by me.  Upon receiving a request, a Poll will be placed on the group wall with the following options for current members to vote: Yes, Know in Real Life - Yes, Do Not know In Real Life - No, Know in Real Life - No, Don't know in real life - No - Currently under arrest/indictment/imprisonment/dead and I Can't Decide.  Poll results will be consulted, public records checked briefly, and your name will be goggled.  If you are using a "religious name", or a pseudonym, I will decide if I trust you when you say you are real, or message you for more information.

 

This group is entirely my own, therefore any post, picture or link I deem objectionable can be removed. I can change the layout, colors, or anything else whenever I choose.  I can also block users who don't respect the rules of the board.

 

Last rule. I am a real human being, who happens to inhabit a very disabled body.  I live in a magical place called Real Life, which I hope you spend more time at than on Facebook.  In Real Life, I have many roles as a lay Franciscan, an Old Catholic, a writer, a chief cook and bottle washer at a very tiny non profit, a mom and Babka (Slovak for Granny), a fiance, a friend, a lover of cooking, gardening, quilting, and video games (and no, I do not play on Facebook. Favorite platform is PS2 and I don't care how old it is).

 

This means that I rely on members to message me if they see something seriously going wrong, like a threat of violence, evidence of a child being abused, or someone more interested in throwing barbs than discussing.  In the event of the first two, violence and hurt kids, please do not wait for me. Each and every post has the ability to be reported to Facebook. That little X in the upper right hand corner (move your move there, you will see it) is there for a reason.  If you report something, please go to your own personal settings and find today's location of the service dashboard and see if anything comes back asking for more information.  THEN message me.  Safety first, please.

 

It also means that sometimes I may seem to vanish.  I haven't. I will be back as soon as they get enough IV fluid in me or tar and feathers off me.  I do have people check on things when I am in the ER etc. and trust me, those who take advantage of my being sicker than normal will face consequences.  Be kind to the disabled...today and everyday.

 

Wow.  This is a lot longer than it was when I first wrote it, but hopefully you will all be as interested as I am to see a flash on your screen with NACAR on it, and be excited to see what your fellow member has to say or show. While it sometimes takes me a while, I at least speed read every single line of every single post. I care very much that small faith groups thrive and that bog faith groups don't run aground.  We are all part of the same garden, all Catholic.  Let's act like it, put on Love, Faith, and Charity and go out to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

I'll keep the old closing....

Treat everyone with respect, and we'll all get along just fine!

Take care, Brenda