The one rule beneath the rules
Speak to one another as you would speak to Christ in your neighbour. Everything below is a footnote to that sentence.
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." 1 John 4:7
1. Kindness — spoken slowly
The household speaks slowly and kindly. Sarcasm belongs to a louder internet, not this one. Rhetorical questions that mean the opposite of their words belong to a louder internet, not this one. If a brother writes something clumsy, we assume the best of him. If a sister types too quickly, we read her twice before we answer.
- No mocking. No belittling. No condescension.
- No pile-ons. If a brother is being wrong, one voice is enough to correct him — kindly, once.
- Praise in public. Correct in private, when possible.
2. Scripture at the centre
The King James Bible is the shared text of this house. Discussions return to the Word. When a brother makes a claim, ask kindly: Where does Scripture say that? When a sister disagrees with the historic Church, ask kindly: Which Fathers or Councils have said otherwise?
- KJV citations are preferred. Book, chapter, verse. Full quotations are welcome and beautiful.
- When the historic traditions agree, we agree. When they disagree, we name the disagreement and return each brother to his own pastor.
- No new revelation. No private prophecies for the household. No "the Lord told me" said as if it settles an argument.
3. Respect across traditions
This is a Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Coptic, and quiet-independent house. Respect the sacraments, the calendars, the fasts, and the pastors of your brother's tradition — even where you have decided differently in your own. No one here is required to convert to anyone else's view of the sacraments or the Church.
- Denominational shibboleths are lovingly discouraged.
- Anti-Catholic, anti-Orthodox, anti-Protestant script is out of place.
- Disagreement is fine — sneering is not.
4. Privacy — Matthew 6 by design
The Community honours anonymity. Members are known by a chosen name and a private mailbox — not a real-name profile, not a photograph, not a follower count. What you share in a private room stays in that room and is not screenshotted, exported, or crossposted. If you must quote a brother outside the room, ask him first.
- No tracking pixels. No analytics. No advertiser buys attention here.
- No profiles ranked by engagement. No leaderboards. No "top prayer requester."
- Personal medical, financial, legal, and pastoral details are handled with care. Do not press for them.
5. Prayer above debate
When a brother posts a prayer request, we pray first and comment second. When a sister names a burden, we hold it before we opine on it. The Prayer Wall is a slow, moderated surface — every intention is read by a human before it appears, so that no cruelty and no scam reaches the household.
- Reply with prayer, not with unsolicited advice.
- Do not use the Wall for gossip about a third person by name.
- If the Lord answers a prayer, share the thanksgiving — quietly.
6. AI discernment — plain words
When we discuss AI tools together, we use plain mechanism words. A large language model is a calculator that has read a great deal — not a mind, not a soul, not a spirit. We do not attribute personhood to models. We do not treat chatbot output as pastoral counsel. And we always name where we used AI to draft or translate.
- Disclose AI-assisted writing when it matters (a translation, a summary, a first draft).
- Do not paste chatbot text as if it were your own reflection.
- Never let a model stand between you and Scripture, prayer, or a pastor.
7. Prohibited — clearly and without exception
- Personal attacks, threats, harassment, doxxing.
- Racist, sexist, or dehumanising language — even ironically.
- Sexual content and lewd imagery — even in scripture-adjacent framing.
- Advocacy of violence against any person, church, or people group.
- Spam, scam, MLM, financial solicitation, "buy my course."
- Content sexualising minors — reported immediately to the appropriate authorities.
- Fraudulent claims of clerical office. If you are a priest, deacon, minister, or pastor, be honestly so; if not, say plainly.
- Sharing another member's private message publicly without consent.
8. How we correct one another
In love, in private, in patience. The order of Matthew 18 is a good order for this room too: speak to your brother first, gently. If it does not resolve, bring one witness who will pray with you both. If that fails, name it to the household stewards, who will handle it quietly and without spectacle.
- First correction: private message, kind, brief.
- Second correction: private message plus one other steward, still kind.
- Third and rarest: a quiet pause from a room, with the door still open to prayer and return.
"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." Matthew 18:15
9. Stewardship — human, hand-moderated
The Community is moderated by human stewards, not by an algorithm. Reports of a broken guideline are read by a real person. Decisions are slow, gentle, and reversible. There is no ban-and-forget. There is no shadow-ban. If a brother is asked to pause, he will be told why, in plain words, and the door will remain open for return.
10. Reporting — and what happens next
If you see something that breaks these Guidelines, write to [email protected] or use the Report control that will appear beside each future post. A steward will read the report within one day (usually much sooner) and will act with care. Reporters remain anonymous to the reported party unless they choose otherwise.
11. Revisions
These Guidelines are living. They will be amended when we learn a better way, when the historic Church clarifies something for us, or when a household member kindly points out a gap. Every substantive change is logged in Community Updates, in plain words, with a date.
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8
Peace be upon this house, and upon every brother and sister who walks in.