Vision Statement

Table of Contents

1. Vision Statement

2. Rationale

3. Postscript

(Vision Statement)

A community is made up of individuals; individuals that bring with them needs and desires of the community for fellowship, for fun, or for enlightened discussion on their faith journeys. As an interfaith community, there is much discussion and contention between these individuals on matters of religion and individual philosophies. To this end, we offer the forums as a place where these discussions can take place, but with a focus. That focus is on (1) mutual stimulation of discussion (2) individual faith development and (3) having fun.

* Stimulation of Discussion - Post content that promotes discussion on topics not limits them, such as when members do not consider other members posts or try to end the discussion with aggressive posting. Keep the discussion focused and civil. All points of view should be respected and disagreements of methodology or approach should be focused upon specific issues and not rendered in sweeping, stereotypical, offensive declarations, such as "All Catholics are hell-bound" or "All Deists don't care." Those statements detract from conversation and cause it to die rather than stimulate the conversation to bear fruit.

* Individual Faith Development - For every individual, they come with their own faith or philisophical background, so the key element for community interaction is inclusion of beliefs. Statements with an attitude of "I must get others to believe as I believe" or "If they believe that, they are not a true Christian" are statements of exclusion not inclusion, and promote schizm with a community rather than unification of it. To this end, the Cross+Flame Community needs to prevent posting habits that attempt to degrade other faiths. To discuss or criticize others' expressions of faith is an acceptable practice when done respectfully; to criticize others faith is not.

* Having Fun - This is an open and caring community, so this is a safe place for you to have fun and enjoy discussing religion in an open and tolerant environment. To that end, there is a distinction between religious discussions and fun discussions (though they both intertwine often), so feel free to enjoy yourself and have fun in appropriate situations, and be mindful of others in all discussions. All discussions are on a case-by-case basis, so use your judgement to make sure everyone has a fruitful, enjoyable, and ultimately beneficial discussion.

These are the goals of the Cross+Flame Community and form the backbone of the most religiously-diverse and edifying community on the Internet. Please share with us in that goal and you will find yourself filled as well.

(Rationale)

The Cross+Flame Community began as an email list of individuals chastised by other communities and desiring a forum of their own to discuss their journeys through life and their resulting perspectives of how the world works. In our roots, we desired open discussion free from an agenda. However, even behind this laid-back desire there was a hidden purpose: we want to know more about our own beliefs and also about the beliefs of others. We asked ourselves and others "Those people we respect: what makes them tick? Those faiths we don't know anything about: how do they operate?"

These questions, when woven together, form one ultimate goal: we want to know about others beliefs while understanding and strengthening our own beliefs by comparison and refinement through conversation. Taken even further, the ultimate goal of Cross+Flame Community is mutual faith development. (I know "faith development" is a loaded word for those that are atheists or agnostics, but it is the most universal language I can find. See the thread here)

What is Faith Development? Faith development, at least in this community, is ecumenical and interfaith-based. One could quote Mother Teresa "If in coming face to face with God we accept Him in our lives, then we ... become a better Hindu, a better Muslim, a better Catholic, a better whatever we are ... What God is in your mind you must accept." We are an interfaith community, so faith development is universally an image of the world we create from our experiences and how that image changes in time. It is an individual journey that ultimately not only reflects how we view the world, but how we respond to the world in every way. It is of utmost importance in everyday life!

The point here is that everyone is at some point on their faith journey, and we need to recognize that our words and actions will impact them on their faith journey. That is a lot of responsibility! Consider the impact one could have on the faith development of others by aggressive attacks on the individuals, or by chastising entire faith communities on the actions of a few. Potentially quite significant! And detrimental!

In this community, it is not enough to offer a place for spiritual freedom and religious tolerance; one needs to fill these people emptied of tolerance for other christian boards with something powerful. That something, since the nature of C+F is not to push an agenda, must come from the community. Therefore, the most visibly and univerally recognized form of this need is personal faith development as encouraged by the community.

The Cross+Flame Community needs to be partial the the individual edification and empowerment of our members as they interact with the community.

To this end, Cross+Flame members need to promote individual beliefs that assert their own identity which carefully responds to difference and diversity. We don't want to become a website with an agenda, one that forces everyone to submit to our theological policy. We just want to have a community of individuals that interacts and understands others while maintaining their own core beliefs as they desire to. If you share in this vision of Cross+Flame community, then you can claim your own theological (or philosophical) center while at the same time listen to the voices of others and participate in interfaith dialogue that betters yourself and the community as a whole.

(Postscript)

This document is meant mostly to explain the three main ideals of the Cross+Flame Community: the encouragement of others on their faith journeys, the promotion of respectful discussion, and the enjoyment of the community by all. The Vision Statement is not an agenda or a philosophy: it is an ideal members should have in their heads whenever they are posting in religiously-oriented discussions. Please see the Related Links below if you need further information about the objectives of the community.