Thanks for the memories, but it's time for Christians to unite not fight

self | 3/2/2015 | two134711

[two134711]

Thank you Free Republic for allowing me to post and vent on this site for over ten years. I am a young, married conservative woman who is trying to raise her daughter to be a fine, upstanding lady, an educated woman and a worthy wife to a decent man. Despite the stupidity of my generation (I am on the cusp of GenX and GenY) there is hope. Many young people are more prolife than ever. And at last, many others are beginning to open their eyes to the lies of socialism.

However recent events on this site like witnessing the discord between fellow believers of Christ and how the Religious moderators have given carte blanche to those who wish to spread hate is not something I want to be part of.

I received this message from the Religion Moderator regarding Key words received 03/02/2015 8:45:19 PM PST

“DO NOT use keywords to snipe at other posters or beliefs. RM”

I certainly did not post key words that sniped at anyone; they were terms such as "enough already,” “Christianity,” “unity” and "peace." Now, yes, the comments I made were invectives thrown at posters. I don't deny that; but they deserved every word directed at them and more. Outside of Caucus threads the religious forum is based on sniping at posters and insulting other's beliefs. Mostly it’s a few alleged “Evangelicals” damning those Papists, pedophiles, pagans, cracker-eaters, cannibals and Mary-worshipping heretics to Hell if they don't convert to the Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism or the Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879. Then a very small contingent of Catholics tries to fight back.

These are the kind of comments are allowed on the religious forums without any moderation.

"I believe that Catholicism has caused more people to go to hell then [sic] Islam."
84 posted on 2/23/2015, 2:36:42 PM by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)

AND

**Have you accepted the Catholic Church** "I have accepted Jesus. Not some abomination created by man."
98 posted on 2/23/2015, 2:46:17 PM by Gamecock (Joel Osteen is a minister of the Gospel like Captain Crunch is a Naval line officer.)

I have no skin in this game other than to realize that Christians (and Jews) are not each other’s enemies. There is a much more diabolical force in this world that should be fought. Anti-theists, Islamists, secular amoralists, etc., they're nothing. But, hey, keep going after Catholics and Mormons because they're the ones ruining the world today!

I said those words because it was the truth, (a truth that many others see but do not mention; they merely avoid the conflicts). If the anti-Catholic delusional bigots have a problem with the truth, then a pox on their houses.

I have posted on and off this site for over ten years. Every time I come back here I think to myself, “Wow, FR is one of the only sites telling it like it is when it comes to politics!” But then the OCD religious posters take control over and over again. It’s not just the religious forums, but they’re the worst. In the past the moderation was far more even-handed. Now it’s out of control. Please use more judiciousness in moderating them in the future.

You are losing members left and right and your fundraisers take months to complete. I am aware that the owner of this site, Mr. Robinson, is a Catholic, and I’m sure it breaks his heart to see such infighting amongst fellow Christians. I hope his health betters and that he can continue to fight the goof fight.

Nevertheless, FR's days as a premium conservative site are over. There a quite a few decent folks around here like Mrs. Don-0, xzins, Morgana, miss marmelstein, wardaddy, that fellow named something like yefrugeturbrumuy, and lots of others. There are many good folks with diverse opinions and no malice in their hearts.

But some others seem possessed by other-world forces. Mostly they're old people scared of death, wanting to make sure they get in with God before the end, desperate to hold on to every penny they've ever come across, willing to kvetch about the future and frequently mentioning how glad they'll be when they're dead and won't have to deal with this world, while their children and grandchildren will. Or worse, they actively wish for the world to end today or soon. Sorry, I'm young enough to have a smidgen of hope despite the moral disaster this world is in.

The Apple squabbles, the griping about TV and art, heck even the "my candidate is better than your candidate" bloodletting is nothing compared to the nutters that run rampant on the religion forum.

So Religious moderator, if you thought my key words were examples of “sniping,” then I suppose this post was outright bashing. Every time I come to this site I get angry. Anger opens up the heart to dark forces; it’s best not to be part of that.

Got to go. May peace come to this once wonderful site and make it a place of harmony for future posters.

[cornelis]

Birds of a feather flock together.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

This makes no sense.

If that behavior would not be tolerated in the general forum, why is it tolerated in the Religion Forum?!?

Close the Religion Forum, then ban the trolls who can’t behave in the general forum.

[goodwithagun]

I often post: Meanwhile, Islam advances. They don’t like that. One of them (can’t remember who) wrote that Catholicism is worse than Islam! I believe onyx reposted a large screen shot of that post.

[NewCenturions]

Stay. Don’t let rude children chase you off of a good forum!

[Not gonna take it anymore]

I take very personally your attacks on the church that I love. As far as I am concerned your invectives against the Catholic Church are also invectives towards Jesus and that’s damn personal to me.

[stonehouse01]

I have missed you! I am totally done with the hateful anti Catholicism here as well and baffled by the religion moderators toleration of it.

I also have decided to lurk for a while to see if it gets any better.

As far as I can determine, 95% or more of the Catholics here do not become nasty or personal but try to defend their Faith intelligently using scripture, reason and the Church Fathers, as well as the CCC, the saints’ teachings, etc. etc. We are mocked for our efforts.

At an rate, please let us know, privately if that is better, if you have found a better place for political activism and religious conversation. An honest intellectual disagreement is OK, however that is not what has been happening here and we all know who the meanest are.

I do not think any one of my posts contains a single ad hominem attack, although I do defend the Faith. If so, it was an accident out of frustration. It is pointless here.

I have prayed about this in front of the Blessed Sacrament and have determined that for my own health I need to detach from the anti Catholic toxicity. I do not want to leave the forum, but will try to avoid the anti catholic posters.

[onyx]

I often post: Meanwhile, Islam advances. They don’t like that. One of them (can’t remember who) wrote that Catholicism is worse than Islam! I believe onyx reposted a large screen shot of that post.

Yes, I did, because that post was particularly vile. Obviously, I was not the only one who found that post vile and offensive, because it's featured by the sweet poster of this thread, in bold.

These are the kind of comments are allowed on the religious forums without any moderation.

"I believe that Catholicism has caused more people to go to hell then [sic] Islam."
84 posted on 2/23/2015, 2:36:42 PM by CynicalBear
(For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)

[onyx]

GOOD to see you, dearest narses! I avoid the Religious Form like the plaque, but unfortunately see some of the vile posts sail by on the latest comments page and all too often see the posted articles particularly during our FReepathons, and almost always posted by the same posters.

IMHO, these 'articles' are meant to inflame, and are not "teaching instruments," as some absurdly claim. Heck, many of the 'aricles' date back to 2010! LOL.

I think the solution is obvious and ours: Completely ignore them. Let the 24/7 "flamers" whose entire purpose on FR is Catholic bashing have their threads to themselves. Without any of us to engage, their threads will become quite boring, with only themselves to gleefully engage and high five one another, all the while "quoting scripture."

Keep within our own caucus. I don't give a rip what they think, do you?





I still like to think that whether we're blessed Roman Catholics or Protestants, that we're all Christians, but of late, I have come to believe that the 24/7 users of such bandwidth quoting scripture and making outrageous claims, might also be snakehandlers as well...lol.

God bless and keep you all.

[trisham]

I’m so sorry, but as a Catholic, I understand. God bless you.

[Salvation]

Thank you for your reflections. You are saying what I would like to say, but instead, I get those replies of which you speak.

**Outside of Caucus threads the religious forum is based on sniping at posters and insulting other’s beliefs. Mostly it’s a few alleged “Evangelicals” damning those Papists, pedophiles, pagans, cracker-eaters, cannibals and Mary-worshipping heretics to Hell if they don’t convert to the Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism or the Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879. Then a very small contingent of Catholics tries to fight back.**

[Salvation]

**You are losing members left and right and your fundraisers take months to complete. I am aware that the owner of this site, Mr. Robinson, is a Catholic, and I’m sure it breaks his heart to see such infighting amongst fellow Christians. I hope his health betters and that he can continue to fight the goof fight. **

Many Catholic have shared with me that they will not contribute to the FReepathons as long as this mode of behavior continues. In fact, there was a time in my FR life when even one negative anti-Catholic post caused me to abandon my Freepathon donation.

[Cicero]

It certainly is depressing that the Religion Moderator seems to encourage this kind of stuff. It undermines the basic purpose of FR, which is to get people of various persuasions to work together against the evil forces that are working to destroy our country. And there’s certainly nothing Christian about such an attitude.

[Salvation]

We tried that before and seemed to have the same problem that the original poster is talking about.

[Salvation]

Hang on, Regal, I’ve seen a couple of your posts and they were good.

[onyx]

I thought that comments was one of the worst I've ever read on FR and I just checked and it's still there. Like I said, I avoid the Religion Forum, but I think the Religion Moderator does a great job, (in a totally thankless and extremely difficult job) but the definition of "don't make it personal" puzzles me, because vicious slams against one's religion is certainly personal, in that there's no other way of followers taking it, other than personal!

Perhaps all should be caucus, and thus eliminating the arguments? I personally think that the majority of so-called "articles" posted by a certain few, are meant to inflame, so my advice is for all Catholics to completely ignore those threads and let those few have their glee and handle their snakes or prance around in their drum circles.

The posts are NOT 'teaching' instruments. That's for certain.

God bless and keep you, dearest Cicero.

[Salvation]

Jesus only Jesus has the words of everlasting life.

[onyx]

Many Catholic have shared with me that they will not contribute to the FReepathons as long as this mode of behavior continues. In fact, there was a time in my FR life when even one negative anti-Catholic post caused me to abandon my Freepathon donation.

Same here, dearest Salvation.

This is tragic, but I understand and it's really all blamed on a handful of posters who are on these threads almost 24/7.

[Salvation]

Please don’t leave. You have a lot of Catholic knowledge.

[metmom]

If you choose to take it personally, that’s nothing I can help. That’s your choice.

That doesn’t mean I attacked you or anyone else personally.

[metmom]

**Outside of Caucus threads the religious forum is based on sniping at posters and insulting other’s beliefs. Mostly it’s a few alleged “Evangelicals” damning those Papists, pedophiles, pagans, cracker-eaters, cannibals and Mary-worshipping heretics to Hell if they don’t convert to the Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism or the Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879. Then a very small contingent of Catholics tries to fight back.**

Really ??

Could you point us to posts where someone is pushing a denomination that is NOT Catholicism?

The irony in that complaint is that Catholics are CONSTANTLY pushing THEIR church, calling it the One True Church, constantly telling people to cross the Tiber, telling them that the Catholic baptism leaves an indelible mark on their souls, telling them that if they are baptized ANYWHERE they are by default Catholic, that there is NO salvation outside the Catholic church.

It's obvious that the only ones pushing denominationalism, are the Catholics.