House rules

Internet discussion boards are great for debating issues, asking questions, sharing information, telling stories and jokes, and meeting people who share your interests. But sometimes things go wrong – which is why we have a set of house rules which we ask people to agree before they join the rejesus.co.uk board.
 
If you're planning to contribute to the discussion board, please print out and read this page, as it contains information you need to know.
 
Respect – The number one rule here is respect your fellow contributors. In a perfect world this would go without saying, but we are all humans and rather less than 100 per cent perfect. Before you post your message, ask yourself if you would say the same words if the person was standing in front of you.
 
Debate – Attack the issue, not the person. Strong and lively debate is encouraged, but personal attacks are not. If you can't state your argument without making it personal, please remove yourself from the conversation before one of the board Administrators does it for you.
 
Personal stuff – We discourage people from using these boards for sharing seriously personal information, because this is a public forum and is open for the whole world to read. However, if you are sharing a personal experience, please remember that not everybody will agree with you, and you might not receive the affirmation you are looking for. Be careful. And if you're reading personal information someone else has shared, please be mindful of the fact that it was probably painful and difficult to share, and treat it accordingly.
 
Netiquette – Netiquette covers the basic rules of courtesy for communicating on the Internet. A few quick tips: correct punctuation and spelling show that you respect others enough to take the time to do it right. Posting in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is widely regarded as shouting and is considered to be extremely rude. Emoticons are a useful way to convey the emotions behind the words, while abbreviations and acronyms are the shorthand of the Internet. Click here to find out more about them.
 
Stick to the point – Off-topic posts are the bane of every Internet bulletin board. When you post a message, please stick to the point of the thread. There is nothing quite so frustrating (and infuriating) as watching a good discussion veer off onto some wildly-tangential path, never to be seen or heard from again. If you want to launch a new subject for discussion, just start your own thread.
 
Linking to other sites – Do not link to pornography, websites advocating illegal activities, or blatantly offensive material. If you do this, your message will be removed immediately and you may be banned from the board without notice.
 
Copyright – Copyright, libel, and defamation laws apply here, and we ask that you respect them. In particular, please do not copy and paste large amounts of text from other websites onto these boards. Violations will result in your message being deleted and you will be issued an official warning. Subsequent violations will result in immediate and permanent revocation of posting privileges.
 
Multiple names – We do not allow multiple usernames because it violates the trust of other members. Please register only once for this discussion board and post messages under your registered username. In a text-only space such as this one, honest discussion can only take place when everyone knows who has posted what. Please respect this simple rule.

Christians – If you are a Christian please familiarize yourself with the About Us section before registering so that you understand what the intention of rejesus and the community is.

The primary purpose of these boards is to provide a place for those will very little or no knowledge of Jesus to share their questions and opinions in a friendly environment. Christians talking about their own issues are of no help and there are plenty of other message boards available.

If you do decide to post then avoid using jargon, and don't assume that the only people you are talking to are other Christians. If you want to start your own discussion topic word your opening post so anyone can understand and contribute to it. Registrations may be declined if you choose an inappropriate or in-your-face username.

If you are primarily interested in talking about Church or only talking to other Christians about issues affecting your faith then there are more appropriate places.

Experience has taught the moderators that some Christian posters find the above rules difficult to understand or have been unaware of how they come across to others - so after you have been here for a while you may be asked to adapt your posting style or refrain from repeated posting on a particular issue or you may be asked to stop posting altogether. It that happens it will be based on the best judgement of the moderators who will make a majority decision after careful discussion. Obviously our intended audience comes first.

The most important way you can help is to promote the whole site. It has been created as a resource to help you share your faith. The ‘Support Rejesus’ section has ideas and suggestions to get you started.