The problem with forging messages is that the target of the forgery will claim that it's a forgery, and many (most?) people will believe him. Forgeries only convince people that *want* to be convinced. i.e. Those who already want to do something, and just need a public excuse. And once you forge something that is declaimed as a forgery, you get a reputation as someone who forges letters, and thus as a liar.
So you're saying YOU forged the letter to the Zuma, then? I knew it! I always had suspicions of Brance...
Because I haven't really seen people claim forgery when the letter is actually real. That is a problem that can easily be fixed 
If we have people starting to claim that real letters are forgeries, then claiming forgeries are real letters becomes easier too.
Done it twice, and, interestingly, succeeded in getting folks to believe me and distrust the other person both times.
I have seen people do this, though it is rare. Biggest problem is the few times I've seen it happen, a OOC war started about it. With a good number of people claiming it was against the spirit of the game to imply that IG messages are forgeries.
So we need a way for it to come before the Magistrates.
Next time there's a forgery, file a Magistrates complaint about it. I'm pretty sure we could hand down a clear verdict to govern this issue in about as much time as it takes to let a poll run on the topic.
Heck, kinda makes me want to forge a message, get caught, then open a case against myself. As a dedicated letter-forger and careful misquoter myself, I've several times encountered people claiming it is, as you said, against the spirit of the game. Tom has many times disagreed, and I think most players disagree (see the discussion of the OOC/IC nature of scout reports for materials) with that idea, but it'd be great to get it down officially somewhere.
Exactly. I'm totally fine with nobles who don't make religion a major part of their lives, or only pay lip service or don't give a damn. I'm pretty sure you can find sufficient historic examples to justify that.
Find me a noble who was never baptized, or some similar early-life ritual.
I'm fine as well with nobles not making religion a major part of their lives. I'm not fine with the great majority of players, it seems like, just not having any relation to religion at all.
