In the grand scheme of things, our discussions are for the enjoyment of a pastime, not raging political or religious debates. From the
ABOUT MERIT POINTS post:
Reasons to hand out a merit penalty include things like a member being rude, demeaning or any action unbecoming of a member. Remember, in addition to a penalty you can also use the "Report to moderator" link in his or her post if you feel it should be looked at. You should not hand out more than one penalty to a fellow member for any one thing, nor should you use it to "get even" with or punish someone simply because you don't like them!
I think that in retrospect, the listed reasons for penalizing a member should be left up to the moderators if it ever reaches that level. Most of our discussions, even when we disagree, are well-natured and civil. After some thought, and given the positive nature of the Carc Central community, I think the best thing to do would be to allow members to reward each other, but not penalize.
It's set up now. Unless there's a huge outcry against this, I'll leave it as is.