Forum Goals & Rules of the Road

[SDP]

Welcome to an experiment in spiritual dialogue.

If you are looking for deeper understanding and more meaningful conversations with others that arise from our inter-connectedness with Spirit, we invite you to join us. This is a place to explore the spiritual side of our lives. You might want to share an experience that was profound for you or perhaps one that was puzzling. You may have a spiritual question that you’ve carried for years or a personal insight you’ve gained through your own dialogue with Spirit.

The art of dialogue seems to have been lost in our modern age of criticism, where broadcasters rant and rave to capture the public stage. Surrounded by such monologues, our culture has forgotten the magic of real discourse, where people listen to each other, ask thoughtful questions and explore topics together. This forum is a place to recapture the magic of conversation. It’s not easy given our culture of monologue and it takes practice.

The moderators of this forum have been leading spiritual Internet discussion groups for over 10 years. Here are some lessons we have learned:

* Listening is the heart of dialogue. Setting aside attachments to our opinions and beliefs helps us find that soul searching sense of openness and wonder that can lead us to greater awareness.

* Questions are the soul of dialogue. When they are asked from the core of our being, they can bring profound realization. In sincerely seeking to understand the truth, we engage a power far beyond our minds and egos.

* Editing your posts for clarity helps the whole discussion reach deeper levels where the gold is. Ask yourself: What is my point or what is my question? What do I want to learn from this? Reread your words and distill them down to their essence or you might set your post aside and come back later to refine it. If your post is a response to another’s, try to lift it beyond your first reactions. Treat your writing as an exercise in exploration and self-awareness.

* In dialogue we certainly want to communicate our perspective and be understood. But it's the balance between being heard and listening that is the foundation of dialogue. It is a shared space where we walk side-by-side for a few moments and jointly bring something new into the world. To build on what others have said requires deep listening and a willingness to be changed by what we hear.

Rules of the Road

For the sake of this experiment in spiritual conversation, we ask everyone to follow a few basic rules. We understand that everyone slips from time to time, especially when our truth or belief is challenged by another’s seemingly opposing truth. Hang in there, the miracle of dialogue can be just beyond the last word.

That said, posts may be removed if they aren't aligned with the following:

1. All posts need to be respectful of others. Disagreements are fine and can broaden the discussion, but they should always be put in a way that honors everyone's right to their own point of view. This forum has space for everyone, but posts that flame or attack others will be removed.

2. If another person says something that doesn’t sound right, first ask them what they mean. It is all too easy to misunderstand, especially without facial expressions or tone of voice to guide us. Before you react, listen to what they are trying to say and why it is important to them. Ask them if you aren’t sure.

3. No preaching please! That's monologue and this is a place for dialogue.

4. Posts may be removed if they are off-topic.

If you want to propose a new topic for discussion, please send your suggestions to mail(at)spiritualdialogues.com. We are trying to keep the number of different discussions to a few at first, to encourage deeper dialogue.

We look forward to hearing from you,

The Spiritual Dialogues Project Team.

[peterarev]

Having just joined SDP and read the Goals and Rules, I am gratified to see the ideal values I hold expressed so clearly and concisely. Having them as the guidelines for this discussion is a personal encouragement for me to constantly monitor my thoughts and contributions to the discussion. How easy it is to think one thing and say another. Or not clearly express or even fully understand my own point of view. There is so much knee-jerk dialogue going on in the world that it's easy to get swept up in the rabble rather than to keep the focus on where my thoughts and opinions are coming from. Not to mention the tendency to base my opinion of others on my own "correct" view.

A hearty thank you to those who started and moderate this forum. I look forward to an enlightening experience.

Peter Anton
Tucson, Arizona, USA, Planet Earth, God's Creation

[Genie]

Hello friends at Spiritual Dialogues Project
Thank you so much for creating this place! A friend just sent me a link to 'If the Secret Doesn't Work' article, so I decided to explore and here I am! your newest member.
I am very interested in dialoguing with the other members on the topics. So much better to 'dialogue' than to 'discuss'. Look forward to learning a lot with you, and I know I will enjoy the experience.
Best wishes