WikiChristian:Frequently Asked Questions
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This page answers a number of common questions that have been asked of WikiChristian over the years.
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Why not just use Wikipedia?
- Question: Why try and re-invent the wheel? Wikipedia has extensive information on Christian topics. What's the point of WikiChristian?
This is the most common question asked of WikiChristian. Certainly Wikipedia does have an extensive amount of articles on Christian topics and many of them are very useful. But it doesn't logically follow that just because Wikipedia exists, WikiChristian shouldn't. By taking that logic to the nth degree it could be argued that there is no point in any website existing other than Wikipedia. Obviously that is absurd. Furthermore, diversity tends to be a good thing. That there are multiple websites dedicated to Christian topics is actually a good thing.
But more importantly, WikiChristian is not Wikipedia. The articles aren't the same and they aren't written from the same perspective. Wikipedia has a strict neutral point of view policy. WikiChristian contends that a neutral point of view is actually an impossibility when it comes to matters of faith. An author writes from the perspecitve that God exists or God does not exist and that the Bible is God's word or it is not - he cannot write from both perspectives. And so whilst Wikipedia's attempt to maintain a neutral viewpoint is admirable it leads to real problems in matters of faith and endless arguments which water-down Christianity.
WikiChristian's purpose also differs from Wikipedia. WikiChristian's primary purpose is for it to be a vehicle that spreads knowledge of God's love and mercy in Jesus Christ.
Futhermore WikiChristian encourages articles about local churches and events that Wikipedia would consider insignificant.
Finally, WikiChristian encourages personal opinions and original ideas to be voiced in personal opinion pages.
More can be read about this at WikiChristian:Page Layout and WikiChristian:Statement of Faith.
Are there any other Christian wikis?
- Question: Is this the only Christian wiki? Or are there others?
There are a number of other wikis related to Christianity. WikiChristian keeps information on these on its Christian wikis page.
How do I edit an article?
- Question: What do I have to do to edit an article?
The first thing you need to do is create an account. This is easy and takes about 10 seconds. You don't need to reveal any personal details if you do not want to. WikiChristian prefers you to create an account using your real name, but if you wish to use an alias that's still acceptable. It is preferable to leave a little bit of information such as your name and Christian background on your associated user page. To create an account click on the "sign in" link at the top of any page and click on "create account", or simply click here.
Once you have created an account you should simply be able to click "edit" at the top of any page to edit it. A few pages have been protected from editing because of recurrent vandalism and so if you still cannot edit a page, let one of the sysops know that you need the page to be un-protected.
Are there any rules for editing a page?
- Question: What should a page look like? Are there any rules to follow?
There are no absolute rules, however, pages should be written from a Christian perspective. WikiChristian has a statement of faith which can be found here. Additionally WikiChristian has a unique style that is a little different from Wikipedia. This is described in the Page layout and Writing guide page.
Can I write something that is clearly my own opinion?
- Question: If I wish to leave upload a sermon or essay that I have previously written, or simply write my own opinion, can I do that?
WikiChristian encourages users to write their opinion from their perspective. After all we all have our own unique understanding of Christianity, each one of us with our own little differences. If you wish to write your opinion you can leave a short sentence in the "Page name (discussion)" page or you can write a larger article giving it its name as follows "Page name (your initials)" and linking to it from the appropriate information page. See the Page layout and Writing guide page for more details.
What's the difference between a "Talk:..." page and a "... (discussion)" page?
The standard "Talk:..." page has the same function it does in wikipedia. It is a page where you can make a comment or point of dispute about the actual information or the grammar in the Information Article. The "... (discussion)" page is where you can voice a one or two sentence personal opinion about a topic, for example, a comment on how helpful a a particular Christian book was to you. See WikiChristian:Page Layout#Opinion Articles for more information.
How do I log in to WikiChristian?
- Create an account where your username is your FirstnameLastname. Make sure that you have "cookies enabled" in your web browser. Cookies are used by WikiChristian to differentiate between Member users and to operate under your user preferences. Cookies allow our web server to know that you the user is already authenticated, and therefore is allowed to perform operations that are restricted to our logged-in users.
- With your username FirstnameLastname and your password, login here.
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