What I mean is that a character has values, beliefs, attitudes, experiences, behavior patterns, prejudices, etc... the alignment describes, in a very rough form, all of those other aspects of a character. Except for being helpful to the player in RPing, it should not be something that locks the character into scripted responses that don't don't take into account those factors listed above, that, in my view, define a character....Players should play their characters, and not forget the reasons that their characters are a certain alignment - and sometimes the very reasons for being a particular alignment may cause a character to take a specific action which is opposed to their general outlook or behavior. RP is about playing a character, telling a story, and nine little boxes can never tell you how a person would act in every situation in real life, and shouldn't be expected to in a game either
Again, I can see why some people feel that way, I don't know that I have seen "free" dispensing of contrary adjustments, any more that positive adjustments. I think its unfortunate that that is the perception of some (many? most?), and again, I can only say I think its because alignment shift are rare things that people have that attitude.
But I also request alignment shifts when I feel that they are warranted.
But we also shouldn't be completely against them.
You might not be so in favour of alignment shifts if you did not agree with the reason they were given out.
Please be aware (and mindful and considerate) that when subsuming knowledge of another character's class (or race or alignment for that matter), that the other player is being denied the opportunity to play those components of their own character.
Certain things about the different classes/races/alignments are common (character) knowledge, but when their own doctrines/dogmas/creeds/racial outlooks are quoted at them, well, that component of that character has just been rendered superfluous and impotent.
Somehow turning it into a group decision doesn't seem helpful by way of not rendering the alignment component (as that player chooses to portray it) of a PC superfluous. What happened to the thought of letting the DMs be the only ones to be the "RP police"?