just an FYI, religious and political opinionated threads are always going to be a magnet for negative rep by those who don't share your views.
Y'know, Dook, it isn't even that... There is nothing wrong with a differing opinion, so long as one can objectively and intelligently speak to that difference in opinion. When one comes in spouting bullshit a mile a second, making ignorant and unfounded blanket statements and generalizations, or blatantly shit-talking people who would be otherwise less than bothered, THAT is where negative rep comes from.
For instance, I disagree with ThatGuy and his stated opinion on the very existence of off-topic and that anyone talking about anything other than cars should be banned for the act. I rather enjoy that we can all speak to one another like human beings and be able to mingle and such about what, OTHER than cars we may be interested in. It allows for a tighter community, and that is my objective opinion, for which I do not have to -rep him, nor him me. See how it works?
All things being as they are, the rep system is in place as a means of users speaking to whether or not they "approve of," or "like" what was posted by another user, and THAT aesthetic has approximately dick to do with where on the forum it takes place, does it? Why should off-topic be any different? Shit, I +rep people for smooth transactions when I buy/sell anything from/to them, as my way of saying "thank you," is there anything wrong with that? Perhaps rep should be disabled in the marketplace as well?
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight... The answer is "no," simple as that.
