Public Forum Rules

1. Purpose

The Public Forum is a moderated place for serious, evidence-based debate about Scripture, interpretation, history, and scholarship. These rules keep it fair and respectful. They add to the Submission Guidelines and How It Works.

2. Who may take part

• Anyone may read the Forum.
• To file an Opinion or a Challenge, you need a Berean member account.

3. What you may file

Each Opinion or Challenge brief must follow the Submission Guidelines: one main argument, sources for factual claims, and 200 to 3,000 words, not counting citations. It must be your own work.

4. How to act

• Answer arguments and evidence, not the person who made them.
• No insults, slurs, threats, or harassment.
• No personal information about anyone, such as addresses or phone numbers.
• No spam, advertising, or fundraising.
• Do not pretend to be someone else.
• No plagiarism, made-up sources, or misquoted evidence.
• Stay on the topic of the proceeding.

5. Review before publication

Every filing is checked against the published standards before it appears. Berean does not edit filings. A filing that does not meet the standards may be returned with comments that point to the standard, or declined.

6. Moderation and removal

• Berean may hide or remove material that breaks these rules or the law.
• For serious or repeated breaks, Berean may limit or close a member account.
• Berean tells the member by email what was removed and why.

7. Verdicts

Proceedings are judged by a volunteer panel. A verdict is published only after a second adjudicator approves it. A verdict states the status of the arguments, not a judgment of any person.

8. Asking for a review

1. Within 14 days of a moderation decision, email info@bereaninstitutes.org.
2. Give the title of the filing and explain why you think the decision was wrong.
3. A panel member who did not make the first decision reviews it and answers you in writing. That answer is final.

9. Your rights in what you file

You keep the copyright in your filings. By filing, you give Berean a non-exclusive right to publish, display, and keep your filing as part of the public Forum record.

Published proceedings stay in the public archive. If something must be removed for a legal or safety reason, email info@bereaninstitutes.org. To report a copyright problem, see the Copyright & DMCA Process.

10. Contact

Email info@bereaninstitutes.org or use the Contact page. The Acceptable Use Policy also applies.

Berean Institutes · A Colorado nonprofit corporation · Headquarters: Plano, Texas, United States