Verdict

In response to all of the discussion about “to ban or not to ban,” I think I will take the suggestion by Webmonk and others to delete certain comments that I find repetitive, tangential, or obnoxious.

I will be constrained by time, how busy I am, and when I get around to reading the comments. But I will try to supervise the discussions a little more. Hopefully, I can avoid banning people, though if I find myself always striking their comments that could happen. But I hope to keep this a positive forum in accord with its past reputation.

I do want this to remain a place where Lutherans and non-Lutherans, conservatives and liberals, Christians and non-Christians, can come together to discuss and interact. That can’t happen if any of the sides are vicious and insulting to each other. So all of us would do well to mind our manners. Again, I prize vigorous debate, but gratuitous rudeness will get your comment smitten (even if I do agree with it). A good test: Would you say this to a person’s face, without the anonymity of the internet? If not, rephrase.