Access Research Network

ARN Forum Rules

This board is controlled by Access Research Network (ARN), which may apply the following rules as it deems best for the purposes of effective, polite communication. 

1. The main topic for discussion here is the theory of intelligent design (ID). Other topics are acceptable if they relate significantly or relevantly to ID. The list moderator will be the final judge of relevance.  An “Off-Topic” Forum has been provided for those who would like to pursue non-related topics with members of this forum. Off-Topic posts are still subject to all other rules of the forum and may be deleted at the discretion of the Moderator if they are not suitable in anyway with the ARN Approach.

2. All posts to the list should address the content of arguments and evidence. Attacks on the person of other list participants will not be tolerated. If you think something you've written may border on an ad hominem or personal attack, don't post it.

3. Use only one name to post to the list. Impersonating others will not be tolerated.

4. Do not use profanity, obscenity, or vulgarity.

5. Posting links to other sites (URLs) is acceptable; reproducing large files or html documents is not. If you are worried about the size of a post, please consult the moderator first.

6. Users may only post a total of three messages per day.  The purpose of this rule is to encourage quality posts, not quantity.  This rule will only be enforced when the moderator feels a user enjoys hearing himself talk or does not have anything meaningful to add to the discussion (also known as “wasting thread”). In other words if you are being a good ARNie and following all the other rules, then you can keep posting and nobody will hassle you. If your style, tone, content or frequency starts to annoy the moderator, then Rule #6 will be invoked.

7. Users may only start one new thread per day in the Intelligent Design Forum. Users may start more than one thread per day in the Off-Topic and News Forums.

8. Moderators will close threads when they cease to be useful or relevant to the original topic title. 

Violating these rules will result in a warning and when necessary deleting, locking, or moving messages. A second violation may result in the moderator deleting any or all of your posts and banning you from the forum.

Please send any questions you may have about these rules to the list moderator.

Considering the real-time nature of this bulletin board, it is impossible for us to review messages or confirm the validity of information posted. Please remember that we do not actively monitor the contents of posted messages and are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of this BB or any entity associated with this BB. Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. This is a manual process, however, so please realize that we may not be able to remove or edit particular messages immediately.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this BB to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or by this BB.

Although this BB does not and cannot review the messages posted and is not responsible for the content of any of these messages, we at this BB reserve the right to delete any message for any or no reason whatsoever. You remain solely responsible for the content of your messages, and you agree to indemnify and hold harmless ARN, this BB, Madrona Park, Inc. (the makers of the bulletin board software), and their agents with respect to any claim based upon transmission of your message(s).

This is a public discussion forum.  Optional information that you provide in your user profile is available to all forum users.  Any other information you provide when registering or communicating with ARN is considered private and in general not provided to other individuals or organizations.  However, we at this BB also reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you.

Please note that advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are inappropriate on this BB.

The ARN Approach
Discussion of personal world-views and important origins issues often draws individuals with diverse and passionate viewpoints.  With this in mind, ARN recommends the following proverbial wisdom when engaging in dialog on our Forum.

Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

To seek the truth. Our first job is to examine the truth--not persuade others of our current version of the truth. We all have a world-view through which we filter the facts, and we all get caught up in persuasion. But when we do persuade, we must be careful not to use flawed, outdated or uninformed arguments--for when they are discovered, they discredit everything we say in the future. We would rather err on the side of being too cautious than too persuasive.

The first to present his case seems right, until another comes forward to question him.

To be critical. We cannot work in the scientific and technical arena without learning to be critical--critical of our friends, our opponents, and ourselves. As humans, we are often tempted to be more lenient with our own ideas than the ideas of others. By encouraging dialog and debate, we have tried to address this problem in our publications and forums.

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions.

To be open-minded. Scientific knowledge is constantly changing. We cannot hope to practice science by clinging to yesterday's evidence when today's evidence brings us fresh insight. To be sure, we must learn to recognize the "filters" through which others are sifting their data. But we shouldn't discard data simply because it conflicts with our preconceptions.

Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

To be humble. The fact that science often deals with circumstantial evidence, the fact that more evidence may turn up tomorrow, and the fact that we all make mistakes should work together to keep us humble. We don't have all the answers, and we shouldn't talk as if we do. We must be ready to admit our mistakes and face the fact that we will make them.

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

To be kind. We want to assume the best about people who disagree with us and allow them every opportunity to defend themselves

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