Channel Rules:

1) Threats or abusive behaviour of any kind is subject to immediate and permanent removal from the channel. This includes any stalking behaviour that occurs on our, or other channels our members happen to go on as well as private messaging. This includes users following our members into our channel from other channels to harrass them or attempts to uncover, or posting uncovered, personal information about our users.

2) Negative remarks directed at our members beliefs or claims are protected provided they remain reasonable. This includes heated exchanges during the course of an animated debate up to the point where it becomes strictly personal and abusive. Non debate related comments directed at the character of a fellow channel member are strictly prohibited. This includes swearing at the person or any other derogatory comments of a similar nature. Attack the beliefs, and not the individual holding the beliefs.

3) Hate speech will not be tolerated. Hate speech is defined for the purposes of the channel rules as any speech containing comments whose intent is clearly designed to incite a violent and angry reaction from channel members.

4) Moderate swearing is technically permitted as long as the user remains reasonable and does not become excessive. Examples of unreasonable swearing include overly vulgar nicknames, idents, vhosts, and quit messages. Any of the above will be treated as written text.

5) The posting of material deemed unsuitable for children, or for public work or school enviroments such as material containing nudity, violence, or other inappropriate content may be tolerated provided the material is not too excessively offensive, and that the poster gives a NSFW (Not safe for work) warning when posting.

6) Annoying actions such as excessive use of colors, link floods, slaps and away scripts may be tolerated provided the user remain reasonable in their use.

7) Advertising of any kind is strictly prohibited. This includes any promotion or invitation to other channels or web sites with the express purpose of attracting members to the site. Contextual web links used as reference in a discussion is permitted provided this is done in moderation and not with the obvious intent of advertising the site or disrupting the channel.

8) Deliberate disruption of channel activity is strictly prohibited. While joking around is generally encouraged, it is only permitted until it inteferes with the primary purpose of the channel, which involves critical debates on serious subjects of intellectual interest. This includes ranting on off topic subjects or monologues and repetative announcements of being away and back.

9) Jokes and non topical banter is permitted provided the channel is not engaged in a topical debate. When channel members are engaged in a debate it is expected that users take unrelated "banter" private so as to not interfere with the main purpose of the channel. Interruption of channel activity with jokes and non topical banter is prohibited

10) Constant monopolizing of the channel discussion contradicts the interests of the channel. Users are asked to respect the right of all our members to have their individual interests expressed and to give other subjects a chance to be discussed. Users found monopolizing the channel on a continual nightly basis with a single pet topic may removed from the channel if they refuse to allow other topics to have an equal chance to be discussed.

11) We ask users to respect the right of all our members to present their views and beliefs in a safe enviroment which allows their views a fair hearing. We strongly discourage the ganging up on people who offer an unpopular idea. Please try to ensure you do not gang up on an individual pelting them with questions without allowing them time to reply. Our Ops will monitor such situations to ensure people are not ganged up on in this way.

12) We welcome people tell us about their beliefs and exchange ideas with us on religion. We do not however allow lectures and sermons on a soap box. Please remember that this is a debate channel and that discussions about faith must be in the form of a dialogue and not a monologue, that means interaction including questions and answers. 

13) The ridiculing or mocking of religious icons is strictly prohibited. This refers to slandering of religious figures with the intent of enraging or purposefuly offending religious members of the channel. Debates should be an exposition of contrasting ideas, and not reduce to schoolyard taunting nor baiting with the sole intent of angering or belittling people or belittling their beliefs.

14) The use of nicknames including overt references to deities or other religious icons may be tolerated if it is deemed that the nickname is not intended to offend or otherwise bait members of that faith. 

15) Trolling is defined for the purposes of our channel rules as the act of making comments for the explicit purpose of irritating and harrassing other members, rather than in the attempt to ignite or engage others in a discussion of a subject. A troll's intent is simply to cause stress and harm to other users and has no intention or interest in actually discussing the subject. A user posting a controversial comment on a subject with the intention of igniting a discussion in a subject he enjoys is not trolling, nor is a user trolling if he consistantly demonstrates that he actually holds the view he proposes.

16) Fun kicking is considered a form of Op abuse. Op abuse in all it's forms is strictly prohibited and is subject to sanctions up to and including the removal of Ops. Op responsibly. 

17) It is prohibited for Aops to remove one another's bans or devoices or mutes while the Op who set the mode is still active and responsive in the channel. You may do so after the Op departs if the situation with the user has been resolved. If a mode was set inappropriately please see a Sop.

18) Sops may remove modes when the mode was set completely inappropriately and in clear and excessive violation of the rules.

19) Users are encouraged to inquire as to the reason for an op ban or mute, and the Ops are Required to explain the reason to the user. All Ops must be publicly accountable for their actions and must make themselves available to the users to explain the rationale for their actions

20) Complaints or disagreements over an Ops actions or decisions should be made to the Op in question in private or in #Debate (no S). #Debate is the appropriate venue for airing grievances or lodging a complaint against an Op. Should this not successfully resolve the issue the channel member is encouraged to PRIVATELY request the assistance of a Sop. Public displays of anger or disagreement over Op actions in #Debates (with the S) is strictly prohibited.