This is an online forum - that's all it is. Expect this type of behaviour from people. In real life, most don't behave this way, but once online, they let loose the things that have been keeping hold on their heart. I'm sure even you have done that before on CC - things you wouldn't say to a friend or stranger but once online, it becomes more acceptable to throw away the fluff and tell it like it is.
I will not lower my standards just because I am online. As I said, this is a Christian site, so the standards should be higher. I realize people act differently online than they do in real life, but this does not mean we should allow such behavior. This is not some online game where people can get away with name-calling and childish behavior. This is a monitored Christian forum. I expect more.
If you're going to ban them, ban them on name calling but not because they disagree with your viewpoints.
I am not requesting people be banned for disagreeing with me. I am requesting blatant racist and insulting comments not be allowed on a Christian site. I really don't think I am asking for much.
The rest is up to you - how you deal with these people here is indicative of how you deal with people and your own feelings in real life. For example, I now choose to take what they say lightly and with jest. That's a personal choice I made because I see no point to allow their type of person affect how God works in my life. I know what he says about me is not true, so there is no point to fight it.
I personally tend to ignore any post made by Cup. I realize nothing I say is going to change the way he feels about things, so I pray for him instead. This does not mean I am going to be accepting of the fact that he and others get away with insulting, libelous, and racist comments daily.
I can't take such comments lightly or with jest. I've been called a n*gger before as an insult. Racism is not a light or funny matter to me. It is real, and I don't accept it. I especially do not accept it among my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I love justice, and so for me it is the highest level of insult for someone to escape punishment that is duly deserved. If this was an expression of grace or mercy, I would understand, but it isn't. This is just negligence and insulting. Insulting that others get banned for less and are not shown grace or mercy when Cup is allowed to stay.
It's like Romans 14, Paul explains to the Jews that eating meat that had been sacrificed to pagan idols is not a sin because at the root of it, you realize that the idols are just pieces of wood and that nothing was actually "sacrificed" to them.
I don't see that in Romans 14.
This is the same thing. At the root of it, you know that what they say is untrue and holds no water. So it is meaningless to argue, to get upset, to get angry, or to get hurt over it. Like how I am upset with Keith - I am upset at his behaviour while holding himself out as a pastor, not at his words because I know the things he said about me is not true.
To each their own.
The power of the tongue. James tells us the tongue is a powerful weapon, and people will be hurt by it. To try and teach others not to be is an effort in futility. People are going to be hurt when insulted. People are going to be hurt when subjected to racist comments. Not all of us can simply let it roll off our backs. Even if it doesn't hurt me personally, it is still a matter of principle. In principle, I cannot stand back and watch racist propaganda being spread. I would be remiss to simply say "well, it doesn't hurt my feelings, so why worry about it?" We should make every effort to crush racism and needless insults.
We are called to be peace-makers, not peace-keepers (James 3:18). Peace-keepers are the ones who say "well, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut so I don't cause any arguments to start up." Peace-makers are the ones who go forth and set wrong to right so that there can be true peace.