Does the community guidelines apply to the R&S section of this or ANY website?

Just the Yahoo website.

They are oddly applied though, I have just received a violation notice for an answer, not couched in the best of terms, asking for clarification.

So when I go to check out the question again, the question has been deleted, is this an indicator of someone playing tit for tat.

I know I did not complain and I'm not going to appeal, but it does not inspire a sense of fair play when an answer to a question that has been deleted has been complained about.

Yes. You are right. It has full jurisdiction in all Yahoo Answers. Besides Religion & Spirituality under Society & Culture, it also includes all categories like arts and humanities, beauty and style, business and finance, cars and transportation, computers and internet, consumer electronics, dining out, education and references, etc. Community guidelines applies to all categories in Yahoo Answers.

They apply to all sections of Yahoo!Answers. Other websites have other guidelines.

They apply to other categories of Yahoo Answers if that's what you mean.

They apply to this website only.