That’s a very diplomatic overview. Thank you for your candor. I agree in part.
In my own way, I’ve also attempted to keep the pot from boiling over.
My first inclination is to be encouraging and maybe even a bit of a random/positive distraction. But often those involved in serious head butting skim over that post that’s unrelated to their developing argument and think you’re not measuring up to their level of intellect (which is humbly not the case) so they choose to leapfrog over you and continue in a war of words. To my knowledge, two members can still engage in a private, less distracting to others, conversation within PM. Love and reconciliation should always be the goal. Otherwise, we can’t effectively do anything for The Lord. No matter what angle you may try to look at it; this will always be true.
I don’t think I’m casting an unreasonable burden on anyone by reminding them that they’re in a quite invisible bubble when they’re battling it out. It does matter. It’s why we have flagging etc. What is the nature of this forum going to be???
It’s not anyone’s business how other people use their time. But it often seems that people get hooked in to taking the bait over and over and over again in these threads. I’ve heard so many tell me outside the forum and in PM that they simply don’t come here anymore because it seems to be taken over by a handful of people who really enjoy then frenzy of casting out bait and consuming it.
I’d like to see the forum continue and even potentially grow again. It was wonderful. But at this rate I worry about it’s longevity.