We are starting another thread on this specific rule, because it did provoke some questions and concerns when it was first announced (as Rule 14, but it’s still pretty much the same now that it’s been moved to Rule 3). Ivar is going to delete all of the comments in the general rules discussion so that we will have a clean document that does nothing other than lay out the rules. We thought it would be helpful to have a discussion here that will hopefully clear the air and then serve as something we can refer people to when the issue arises.
First, here is the new rule:
3) No arguments about who is a tourist and who is a “real" pilgrim. The forum is intended for all who are interested in the Camino. Please do not challenge the sincerity, intentions, or authenticity of another person’s Camino.
Despite some concerns voiced by forum members, it is absolutely not our intention to stop discussions about pilgrimage, about what pilgrimage means to you, and about your experiences as a pilgrim. Our only target are those dismissive and disparaging comments that sugggest that we can label you as either a tourist or a pilgrim depending on whether you use pack transport, sleep in hotels, book through an agency, take a taxi, etc. In our view, those factors have nothing to do with the state of mind or intent of the person going to Santiago, so we would like to keep those judgments off the forum.
As an example, some members probably remember a recent thread linking to an article discussing the revival of pilgrimage. The OP requested that the thread be deleted, but you might be interested to know that it was the incendiary political commentary in the linked article, and not the discussion of pilgrimage, that had gotten our attention and would probably have led to the thread’s closing.
To close with a bit of nostalgia — The
very first post on the forum, written by Ivar, welcomed us with these words:
There are mainly two groups of people that travel to Santiago, pilgrims and tourists. This board is meant for both types of visitors, the board is about Santiago de Compostela, no matter how you got here you will have something interesting to share.
We want to restore that equal opportunity welcome — no matter what your mindset, and no matter how you got here, you are welcome on the forum.