Questioning Rule 1

[SYates]

"1) Posts about your personal political or religious beliefs are not allowed." see announces/topic14733.html

In my, often than not so humble opinion, a forum is made out of its members and not only made out of the admins and moderators. I might be wrong here, so feel free to kick me out ;-)

The Camino de Santiago does have a religious / spiritual aspect, however you define that aspect. Dis-encouraging members to voice their opinions about this aspect is missing, in my opinion, a lot of what makes the Camino. Granted, it will be more difficult to moderate such threads instead of simply locking them, but it might be still worthwhile ... Spirituality, in its widest possible definition is part of the Camino de Santiago.

On the other hand, I am continuously bombarded on this forum with opinions like:
"you don't have to carry your own backpack, just transport it by taxi" and "just bus it if you don't feel like walking it" and I do have difficulties to cope with it as I do love to carry my own backpack and I do love the feeling of going beyond my own comfort zone. But saying so would be also against the forum rules, me guesses ... SY

 

[William Marques]

This rule is there because strong political or religious statements often bring out the worst in people and threads end up in a slanging match between people of opposite views. It allows moderators to shut down such threads. As long as reasonable threads and posts are written they will not be moderated but when things get out of hand they will be. Where is the tipping point? I suppose that is a decision for Ivar and the moderators but usually it is obvious.

The "Gay Saint" thread that you referred to was always likely to end up locked sooner or later.

 

[Jakenmarie]

Their forum; their rules. It's really that simple. Abide by them or start another that focuses on the topics you wish in the manner you like. And send me the address! I'd be in.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Shrug -- it's the best rule ; and REALLY, political and religious differences take a back seat on the Camino, and so they should here.

The rule clearly does NOT prevent discussing the Spirituality of the Camino, nor does it prevent discussing the Catholic basis of the Camino either.

There's a difference between whichever Spirituality and the Spirituality of the Camino, and between Catholicism and the Catholic basis of the Camino --- of the Camino = on-topic ; Spirituality, Catholicism, Politics, etc = off-topic

Simples.

 

[Sue M]

At the end of my first LONG day walking from SJPdP to Roncesvalles I was cornered by a man who loudly proclaimed he was an atheist. He went on to engage me in the longest and deepest theological discussion I had on the enite walk. All I really wanted at that point was a shower and my dinner!

 

[Sojourner47]

At the end of my first LONG day walking from SJPdP to Roncesvalles I was cornered by a man who loudly proclaimed he was an atheist. He went on to engage me in the longest and deepest theological discussion I had on the enite walk. All I really wanted at that point was a shower and my dinner!

Well, (jokingly - almost) - learn a few words of some strange and exotic language, then you can easily deflect those to whom you do not wish to speak
Though knowing my luck, and having learnt some Tibetan, who's gonna be the first boring person I run into??

 

[Deleted member 12253]

I have found the perfect exotic language for camino, my native Irish language gaeilge. I turn to it when I want to be alone, or don't want to suffer from camino overload nonsense, Buen camino , slan

 

[Dael]

Thanks Galway Man - I thought that I was perhaps the only one to use this ruse. To be honest I don't speak Gaelic but if I meet a really boring person (like a timeshare tout) I start reciting the names of Scottish mountains to them, while smiling. Puts them off every time.

 

[antepacem]

I am planning to just be firm in my native tongue (or in any other language that's necessary)! I hope to meet and converse with many lovely pilgrims along the way, but I'll be damned (perhaps literally? haha) if I let some blowhard hijack my experience.

I'm planning to dedicate a good deal of time to private meditation, and I'm sure it will be pleasantly interrupted on multiple occasions, but I won't allow it to be UNpleasantly interrupted! Maybe I'm being naive about how difficult it is to put people off to whom you don't wish to speak, but let's face it...I've got lots of practice just from being a woman who sometimes goes to bars! Ha!