These guidelines are part of our Terms of Use. They exist to keep ODC what it is meant to be: a warm, reverent, honest place — a cafe next to the church.
The short version
Treat every person here as an icon of Christ. Speak as you would in the narthex after Liturgy: warmly, honestly, and with restraint. Protect the vulnerable, honor the faith, and when you disagree — disagree like a Christian.
1. Respect every person
- No harassment, bullying, mockery, name-calling, or dogpiling.
- No hate or discrimination against any person or group — full stop.
- Criticize ideas if you must; never attack the person holding them.
- Not everyone here is Orthodox. Seekers, inquirers, and skeptics who engage respectfully are honored guests. Answer their questions the way you'd want your own to be answered.
2. Honor the faith
- The sacraments, the saints, the Theotokos, the Scriptures, icons, and the clergy are treated with reverence here. Mockery or deliberate blasphemy is not tolerated.
- Honest doubt and hard questions are not blasphemy — they are how many of us arrived. Ask freely; answer gently.
- Debates between jurisdictions or traditions must stay charitable. ODC is pan-Orthodox: we do not host inter-Orthodox feuds, and we are not the venue for deciding them.
3. The Prayer Wall is sacred ground
- Post requests and thanksgivings sincerely; respond with prayer, not debate.
- Never mock, argue with, or interrogate someone's prayer request.
- Do not exploit prayer requests to push products, causes, or fundraising.
4. Be who you say you are
- One account, your real self. No impersonation of any person.
- Never present yourself as clergy unless verified by ODC. Unverified use of clerical titles (Fr., Deacon, Monk, Gerontissa, etc.) in names or bios is removed and may end your account.
- Verified clergy are held to the highest standard of conduct here.
5. Keep it family-appropriate
- No sexual content, graphic violence, gore, or shock content — anywhere, including DMs, rooms, and reels.
- No content glorifying self-harm, substance abuse, or crime. If someone expresses intent to harm themselves, treat it seriously: respond with care and encourage them to contact emergency services or a crisis line. ODC is not an emergency service.
6. No spam, scams, or unapproved commerce
- No unsolicited advertising, link-farming, repeated self-promotion, or chain-letter content ("share this or else…").
- Fundraising and commerce only through approved channels (e.g., the Marketplace with verified sellers). No payment solicitation in DMs.
- No scams, phishing, or "too good to be true" offers. We remove and report.
7. Truthfulness
- Do not present fabricated claims as fact, spread known falsehoods, or put invented words in the mouths of clergy, saints, or the Church.
- Share sources for serious claims when asked. It is godly to say "I may be wrong."
8. Privacy is protection
- Never post someone's private information (address, phone, workplace, private messages) without their consent.
- Do not screenshot-and-share friends-only content or private conversations.
- Respect people's audience choices; what is shared with friends stays there.
9. Reporting — use it, don't abuse it
- If you see something that breaks these guidelines, report it with the flag. Choose the reason honestly; add details if helpful.
- Reports are confidential. Retaliation against reporters is itself a violation.
- False or weaponized reporting is a violation.
10. How enforcement works
We aim to be fair, human, and proportionate:
- Reminder — a note pointing to the guideline, content may be removed.
- Warning — formal warning on record; content removed.
- Restriction — temporary loss of features (posting, rooms, DMs).
- Suspension — temporary account suspension.
- Removal — permanent ban for repeated or severe violations.
Severe violations — threats, hate, predatory behavior toward minors, clergy impersonation, scams — skip the ladder and may be removed immediately and reported to authorities where appropriate.
If you believe we got it wrong, you may appeal by contacting hello@orthodoxdigitalcafe.com. A human will review.
A final word
Every rule above is a fence around one commandment: love one another. Keep that, and you will never need to read this page again.
Glory to God for all things.