What is a Guild without rules? What is a nation without laws? It would be absolute chaos.
1) You need to be able to deliver your message/ viewpoint in a way that is loving and respectful. If you are going to discuss subjects that are controversial, then hear the other people out. Listen to what they say. Be cordial, thankful, and patient.
2) You need to keep in mind that the forum is different from open-air preaching. Don't preach, but rather teach. You really need to have a Shepherd's heart towards the people here. Let your gentleness be made known to all knowing the Lord is at hand. Respect the people and give them time to grow and work through issues the way you did.
3) Bashing, name calling, and belittling will not be tolerated. We will use our discretion to delete a thread if we sense this is happening. You may discuss just about any topic you desire in the chit-chat section of the forum. We will usually only delete it when people are not being cordial. If the subject is going well, but someone is out of line we will delete only their responses. There are nearly 10,000 students that access this school. We could spend our whole day acting as the mediator, but we simply don't have time.
a. Ephesians 4:29 and 5:4 is the standard when determining if humor or satire, in any form, is appropriate. When in doubt, leave it out of your posts and comments.
b. The forum will not be used to tear down other ministries, churches, or individuals.
4) We think it would be great to discuss, in love, doctrinal issues such as Calvinism, Armenianism, spiritual gifts, eschatology, favorite food recipes, etc... in the chit-chat room.
a. Other religions, cults, or unbiblical movements within Christianity may be discussed, but only in the context of reaching participants and leaders of these various groups with the Law and the Gospel.
5) In regards to thread titles, if someone desires to start a thread on "Spiritual Gifts" then the title should be "Spiritual Gifts". This makes it easy for a student in the school to know what s/he is getting himself into with the option to avoid it altogether. You should keep your points short, clear, and concise if you want others to actually read it. If you do not use line breaks then don't expect others to read your post. It becomes increasingly difficult to follow a thread when an individual posts one long paragraph. We advise you to not post more than one or two questions at a time or the thread will become scattered. If the posted thread heads in a new direction you should restart a new thread to discuss that new subject and leave the current topic at hand to remain organized. Build your case, present your thoughts and then leave the outcome up to them and the Lord.
a. Gossip in any form will not be tolerated. This includes any gossip that takes the form of a prayer request.
b. If you have a complaint or concern about another member or associate member, you are obligated to go to that person first, with your concern. With very rare exceptions, no moderator will hear or handle a complaint about another member unless the person lodging the complaint has first gone to the other person and made every reasonable effort to achieve reconciliation.
Please take note that The School of Biblical Evangelism DOES NOT agree with the following and any student who adheres and/or preaches/teaches the following will be removed from the school forum:
Moral Government Theology (A theological error that maintains that God is not immutable but changes His mind, that He does not exercise sovereign control over earthly matters, that He does not know all future events - particularly the free-will choices of individuals, etc.. It denies that the atonement pays for our sins, denies Jesus’ substitutionary death, and denies the imputed righteousness of Christ to the believer. It asserts that people are capable of keeping the whole Law of God, that there is no depravity of human nature, and that salvation is up to a person’s free will choice.).
Sinless Perfectionism (the belief that Christians can attain or have attained a state of completed sanctification or moral perfection in this earthly life).
Open Theism (the belief, in part, that God does not have exhaustive foreknowledge of the future).
The belief in Purgatory.
Baptismal Regeneration (baptism as a requirement for salvation).
The requirement of speaking in tongues as evidence of authentic salvation (this does not pertain to whether or not this particular gift of the Spirit is available to and/or active among Christians today).
The theory of Theistic Evolution (It states that God initiated life on earth and allowed evolutionary principles to bring man to where he is)
The doctrine known as Annihilationism (non-existence after death for sinners who do not receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Annihilationism is a denial of the doctrine of Hell)
