# Policy on witnessing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 9, 1999, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902 "1999-07-09T22:29:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 1999, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902/1 "1999-07-10T05:20:00Z")

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After some debate the management has decided to establish a new policy for “witnessing” (religious proselytizing), which attempts to balance the following considerations:

(1) Free speech is good.

(2) A lot of SDMB members (and some SDMB staff) would sooner put up with suppertime telemarketing calls than submit to witnessing.

(3) We don’t want to come across like Nero persecuting the Christians.

So here’s the policy, effective immediately:

a. Proselytizing and religious discussions generally (other than strictly factual inquiries) should be confined to the Great Debates forum. Proselytizing in other forums will be deleted.

b. In the Great Debates forum, proselytizing should be limited to threads started for that purpose or to which a discussion of religion and related matters has some relevance. Proselytizing inserted into inappropriate threads will be deleted. We reserve the right to limit what we consider redundant or excessive posts or threads along these lines.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 1999, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902/2 "1999-07-10T05:37:00Z")

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## Hear, hear.

Nickrz  
GQ Mod

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 1999, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902/3 "1999-07-09T22:29:00Z")

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Hear it here.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 1999, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902/4 "1999-07-09T23:56:00Z")

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Amen to that, brother! Can I get a witness? Praise be!!

* * *

Tim  
“My hovercraft is full of eels.”

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 1999, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902/5 "1999-07-10T07:02:00Z")

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Would this include expressions of religious belief centered on Cecil by his various acolytes ? [Cecilists ? Adamites ?]

* * *

“Proverbs for Paranoids, 2: The innocence of the creatures is in inverse proportion to the immortality of the Master.”  
Thomas Pynchon, _Gravity’s Rainbow_.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 1999, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902/6 "1999-07-11T01:35:00Z")

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Cecilians?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 1999, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/policy-on-witnessing/1902/7 "1999-07-11T07:44:00Z")

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Hail Cecil, full of knowledge…

Or is it “Font of knowledge”

* * *

Ranger Jeff  
The Idol of American Youth

Server’s poor response  
Not quick enough for browser.  
Timed out, plum blossom.