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dulcissima
Guest
Unless there are specific rules posted, I think community bulletin boards are kind of like the wild wild west. Most of the ones that I have seen don’t have anyone monitoring them.
OK to remove poster from public bulletin board you disagree with, or not?
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tnbella7
Guest
Having been in charge of one of the community bulletin boards at my college, as long as they followed the rules (should be a certain size with a contact number, etc.), then just about anything went up. I was also in charge of removing all the posters every week from the board. So if you had an activity that was perpetual, you would have to provide a poster every week. Which everyone was cool with.
The one time we had a similar discussion as this discussion was when the KKK (yes - the KKK) wanted to march thru our town and advertise on our bulletin boards on campus. After a lot of “cussing and discussing”, it was decided since it was not a school sponsored event, they could not advertise on campus.
Let me clearly state, I am not relating the KKK with astral projection, but maybe the issues are the same in terms of posting an advertisement. Perhaps because it was not a school sponsored event (or even sponsored by a school club/sorority/fraternity), they didn’t want it up? Just a thought. In general, our college was very liberal with what went up on the bulletin boards. For this very reason - people cry censorship.
The one time we had a similar discussion as this discussion was when the KKK (yes - the KKK) wanted to march thru our town and advertise on our bulletin boards on campus. After a lot of “cussing and discussing”, it was decided since it was not a school sponsored event, they could not advertise on campus.
Let me clearly state, I am not relating the KKK with astral projection, but maybe the issues are the same in terms of posting an advertisement. Perhaps because it was not a school sponsored event (or even sponsored by a school club/sorority/fraternity), they didn’t want it up? Just a thought. In general, our college was very liberal with what went up on the bulletin boards. For this very reason - people cry censorship.
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TimOliv
Guest
Call me a censor. I’d take it down. That’s just me, I can’t expect society as a whole to agree with me. I would just do what I would feel was my moral obligation at the time.
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mosher
Guest
If it was in error I would expect it to be taken down. If it was not in error I would fight to keep it up.
No, it doesn’t. I guess you don’t recognize the quote but it was the watchword of the Church for many years especially by Pope Leo XIII. The Constitution or any country does not trump the natural moral law nor Divine Decree. And in both of these superior laws “error has no rights.”
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Liberalsaved
Guest
You can do what you want, of course, but were I too see you removing an opinion you didn’t agree with, you would see a swift reaction for me, and that goes for everyone who’d do that. It wouldn’t matter if I agreed with that opinion, I’d take it and put it right back up. You like your version of morality; I like my freedom of speech.
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mosher
Guest
True freedom does not allow for the choice against what is good.
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tnbella7
Guest
I certainly agree with you. At the time (even being 21), I was amazed that the administration had to consider what to do. And that was 25 years ago! Craziness.
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Sailboat
Guest
Now, back in the 60s and 70s, we were taught our responsibilities as citizens. The patriotism taught in those days was very much more idealistic, such as JFK said “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” I think those sort of ideals led to the civil rights movement and more equality.
My parents loved JFK. They believed in the ideals of tolerance for Jews, Blacks, and other religions. He was our first and only Catholic president. My mother had loved Adlai Stevenson, who they say lost the election because he was Catholic.
So, as Catholics we have a history in America of not being tolerated. So, we should be the first to fight for tolerance for others, and even when the law doesn’t strictly require it, we should not rip down posters of people who have different beliefs.
My parents loved JFK. They believed in the ideals of tolerance for Jews, Blacks, and other religions. He was our first and only Catholic president. My mother had loved Adlai Stevenson, who they say lost the election because he was Catholic.
So, as Catholics we have a history in America of not being tolerated. So, we should be the first to fight for tolerance for others, and even when the law doesn’t strictly require it, we should not rip down posters of people who have different beliefs.
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Sailboat
Guest
My parents were both Irish Catholics, by the way. They knew very well what intolerance was like, on the receiving end. It looks to me that Catholics, such as found here on Catholic Answers, have forgotten that lesson.
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catsrus
Guest
Amen brother.
I’m reminded of Jesus driving out the moneychangers from the Temple…I hope that’s not too far fetched for this discussion, but I know what I’m thinking anyway.
I have tossed Chick tracts and watchtower magazines from laundry rooms, bus stops, etc. And will continue to do so.
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Scott_Waddell
Guest
Mere academic disagreement should not be taken down. Pastoral advice to Catholics to ignore or disobey Catholic teaching should be.
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utica
Guest
I live in a very liberal neighborhood that couldn’t get any bluer (unless I moved out 
). We have a corner store with a moderated public bulletin board. The board has rules limiting the size of posts, as well as the length of time that the posts may stay up. The usual time is one month.
Over a period of four or five months, I regularly posted printouts from the feministsforlife.org website. They had headlines like “Question Abortion”. All of them are very well done.
Right from the start, someone would take the post down after a short period of time. We started a pool in our home to see how quickly the latest post would be taken down.
The fastest was when I put one up, went into the store to buy some milk, and came out to find it gone!
My wife and I figured that whomever was taking the posts down was having to deal with the pro life message in them. And they were having to go against the rules of the board in order to do it. Hopefully, it had some impact when they looked at themselves in the mirror.
I’d say, follow the rules of the board. Don’t take someone’s post down if it is a moderated board. Instead, post something that lovingly expresses your opinion.
). We have a corner store with a moderated public bulletin board. The board has rules limiting the size of posts, as well as the length of time that the posts may stay up. The usual time is one month.Over a period of four or five months, I regularly posted printouts from the feministsforlife.org website. They had headlines like “Question Abortion”. All of them are very well done.
Right from the start, someone would take the post down after a short period of time. We started a pool in our home to see how quickly the latest post would be taken down.
The fastest was when I put one up, went into the store to buy some milk, and came out to find it gone!
My wife and I figured that whomever was taking the posts down was having to deal with the pro life message in them. And they were having to go against the rules of the board in order to do it. Hopefully, it had some impact when they looked at themselves in the mirror.
I’d say, follow the rules of the board. Don’t take someone’s post down if it is a moderated board. Instead, post something that lovingly expresses your opinion.
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Sailboat
Guest
Utica—
It sounds like your liberal neighbors need a lesson is civics.
It sounds like your liberal neighbors need a lesson is civics.
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Sir_Knight
Guest
Wow. Even Almighty God respects our free will and our right to choose for ourselves but you do not. Amazing.
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mosher
Guest
If we are acting under true freedom then you are correct. True freedom is the freedom to choose the good. Meaning that you are free from anything that would hinder your ability to do what is good according to the will of God. The lesser idea of freedom is the ability to choose good or evil. This is not freedom as such. Further, if a person chooses evil over good God does not respect that freedom but rather allows it by a function of His permissive will however His actual will is pushing you to choose the good.
It is a virtue to protect others from sin and vice and it is in fact a vice to not protect against these things. If we through some misguided sense of freedom allow for the perpetuation of error we will be judged accordingly by God for not being our brothers’ keeper. This misconception of freedom is part of the appropriately named heresy of Americanism.
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Sir_Knight
Guest
So, what about those who are under the mistaken notion that the Pope is the anti-Christ, we worship Mary and pray to statues and that the Catholic Church is leading it’s followers to hell. Based on what you said, can I conclude that you would have no problem if they came to your church, took down things from the bulletin board and disrupted things in THEIR attempt to save YOU from what THEY THINK is sin?
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Saul.Tentmaker
Guest
Does God allow us true freedom, since he does allow us choice which is against the good?
He does allow us to sin, after all…
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catsrus
Guest
But it is not being claimed nor suggested that one go into another’s church or meeting hall. I would NEVER even think of doing such a thing. That is an exaggeration.
However, tracts and magazines left to the public are free game. Likewise, if I leave “Pillar of Truth Pillar of Fire” tracts in a public place, they are subject to the interest or disposal of the people who come after me.
FYI, I was “involved” with the jws for 18 months, about 25 years ago. That experience twisted my brain so much that I renounced religion all together for years afterwards.
When I finally opened my heart a crack, The most good and gracious God led me directly into the arms of the One Holy Catholic Church.
If I can save just one person from my nightmare by tossing heresy to the trash, I will continue to keep on tossing.
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Sailboat
Guest
Right on Brother, preach it! I’m in total agreement. We have to be commited to free expression, even when we don’t agree, that’s the basis for a free country!
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AlanFromWichita
Guest
If it’s a private bulletin board or is on private property, one must respect the property owner.
If it’s a public bulletin board on public or private property, then as long as one observes the rules specific to that board, it’s fair game. I can take down their stuff, just as they can take down my stuff.
That’s one thing that money and worldly authority will do; give us a way to try to make others leave our stuff, including bulletins, alone. When it’s open to the public to modify, I have as much right to remove a poster as the other person had to place it there. Is it rude or unfair? Some might say so, and that’s OK with me – I’ve neither broken any promises nor disobeyed any legitimate authority here. That doesn’t mean I’ll actually do it, just that I would not consider myself morally bound not to.
Alan
If it’s a public bulletin board on public or private property, then as long as one observes the rules specific to that board, it’s fair game. I can take down their stuff, just as they can take down my stuff.
That’s one thing that money and worldly authority will do; give us a way to try to make others leave our stuff, including bulletins, alone. When it’s open to the public to modify, I have as much right to remove a poster as the other person had to place it there. Is it rude or unfair? Some might say so, and that’s OK with me – I’ve neither broken any promises nor disobeyed any legitimate authority here. That doesn’t mean I’ll actually do it, just that I would not consider myself morally bound not to.
Alan
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