Comments Re-Opening

After careful and prayer reconsideration, I have decided to re-open comments on my blog. I welcome feedback and discussion, and have always wanted the blog to be a place where people can talk to me and to one another, and engage in healthy debate and conversation about the stuff I write about.

In service of that, though, I have decided on some ground rules. I have always said that comments with obscene or blasphemous language will be deleted. I now extend that to include comments that are abusive, insulting, or rude. And I will be the one who decides what falls under that category (my blog, my rules).

There are many people who have been able to express disagreement with me on various issues without descending to the level of personal insult and rudeness--those who are long time readers of the blog will remember the commenters 'Catherine' and also 'Rationalist' who have both made very welcome contributions to this blog, quite often disagreeing with me on various matters, but always with intelligence and charity.

But there have been others who have lacked this, who out of respect I will not name. And they have added nothing of value to this blog, in my opinion. I firmly believe that it is possible to express any range of opinion on any subject in a way that is respectful and courteous; those who are unable to do so will find their comments deleted as soon as I see them.

In re-opening comments at this time, I also need to make clear that in the years since I have started blogging, my life and priestly ministry has grown exponentially busier. Because of this, I may not be able to respond to comments as I would wish. It has always been my hope for the blog that my readers would feel free to discuss issues among themselves, rather than it being simply a two-way conversation between me and the individual commenter.

So, comments are open as of now, and have at it, all (courteously! courteously!)

Updated to add: Uhhh... having some technical difficulties in allowing people to comment. Don't quite know what, will fix soon, I hope!
Updated Again: Fixed!