Religion and Ethics board

[french frank]

Poll will close at noon(ish) on Thursday, 11 August

The BBC has axed the much-used Religion and Ethics messageboard and I've been asked if there could be such a board here.

For it, is the fact that R3 does have a specific remit in its service licence to cover 'religion' - mainly confined to Choral Evensong and a few other services, and Joan Bakewell's Belief programmes. Against, is that there are no regular R3 programmes which would stimulate discussion.

I have suggested a sub-forum on the Arts & Ideas board, perhaps 'Ideas, Religion and Ethics' including more abstract topics.

I'm more than willing to support this (at least for a trial period to see what use it gets), but perhaps the community should say whether such a board which (I gather) often became a bit inflammatory would fit in with what we have.

I'd be grateful if you would vote and, of course, add any comments you wish to the thread.

[charles t]

I'd be grateful if you would vote and, of course, add any comments you wish to the thread.

french frank: I would like to place my vote in the affirmative, please.

Thank you.

[french frank]

french frank: I would like to place my vote in the affirmative, please.

Thank you.

You have to do that yourself! Click on the appropriate radio button above.

[charles t]

Dah!

[PatrickOD]

ff, I've voted good idea and probably use it. What I mean is that I would certainly read it. I think there have already been some good discussions along the lines of the proposed thread, and this could provide a focus for more, for those who have an obvious interest.

[Serial_Apologist]

Religion has become such a current concern, hasn't it. Yes please, French Frank - and thanks for raising this. I'm sure there will be many red-faced postings, but there we go...

S-A

[french frank]

Religion has become such a current concern, hasn't it. Yes please, French Frank - and thanks for raising this. I'm sure there will be many red-faced postings, but there we go...

S-A

Have you actually voted, S-A?

[Serial_Apologist]

I have now.

[DracoM]

Not happy. Having seen what can happen on other boards who encompass the same issues it is a magnet to some very, very inflammatory, uncomfortable and in some cases downright hysterical rows. If The Radio 3 Forum gets a name as a safe haven for such, then I think we will be swamped. The task of moderating could get very messy indeed.

[Serial_Apologist]

Not happy. Having seen what can happen on other boards who encompass the same issues it is a magnet to some very, very inflammatory, uncomfortable and in some cases downright hysterical rows. If The Radio 3 Forum gets a name as a safe haven for such, then I think we will be swamped. The task of moderating could get very messy indeed.

There is that possibility DracoM. On the other hand it should be possible to talk about these things rationally. But, being an agnostic, I would say that...

[Anna]

I used to occasionally read the old BBC Religion Boards, mainly because dear old smittims used to post there and, as you would expect, his posts were considered and very thoughtful. However, Moderation was a nightmare it seemed as it got very, very, heated and quite frankly very nasty with a lot of namecalling. That's the reason I voted against. However, perhaps we are all too well behaved here and that scenario can be avoided?

[Pianorak]

Have voted option 2 by which I mean I wouldn't post on it (for the reasons stated by DracoM), but would definitely read it.

[french frank]

Well, this is the reason [Draco and Anna's comments] why I suggested that it should go to a poll, and people can post their comments as well as their votes.

It could be made clear that people who show that they have nothing but abuse to offer can be excluded from that board - though my inclination would be simply to close their accounts. It's fairly clear that I have a preference for certain topics not to be brought up here, not as some bar to free speech but because experience shows they can't be discussed by people with opposing views in a constructive and intelligent manner.

If there is a strong feeling in the community that this forum would create an unfriendly and disruptive atmosphere, especially bringing in new people who had no interest in BBC Radio or Radio 3, then they can vote No. Or, on an experimental basis, it could be given a trial ...

[salymap]

I used to occasionally read the old BBC Religion Boards, mainly because dear old smittims used to post there and, as you would expect, his posts were considered and very thoughtful. However, Moderation was a nightmare it seemed as it got very, very, heated and quite frankly very nasty with a lot of namecalling. That's the reason I voted against. However, perhaps we are all too well behaved here and that scenario can be avoided?

Anna, I was about to post exactly the same thing. Smittims was on his own quite a lot of the time and there were some fearsome people there. I might read it but wouldn't post after doing that on the old board.

[Anna]

Or, on an experimental basis, it could be given a trial ...

Hmm ........ well, free speech and all that. It's not the Ethics or Ideas part of the proposed new board that bothers me as the Religion aspect and the maulings that may result. However, at the mo it's 65/30 for having it on a trial basis and as we don't have a STV system here ..... it's for the majority to decide