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.

[Elsie]

It certainly is depressing that the Religion Moderator seems to encourage this kind of stuff.

Translation:

IF I wuz the RM; these damned Prots would be...

GONE!!!

[Elsie]

No one EVER expects the TWEEZERS!!

[Elsie]

They just create conflict between the Catholics and Protestants

They create NOTHING!

This has existed ever since that upstart Luther had the Bal... GALL to defy rome 500+ years ago!

[Elsie]

It’s totally vile and I think it should have been deleted, but it gave me and others quite an insight into the mindset that poster.

Vileness IS outrageous; isn't it!

Pope Stephen VI (896–897), who had his predecessor Pope Formosus exhumed, tried, de-fingered, briefly reburied, and thrown in the Tiber.^[1]

Pope John XII (955–964), who gave land to a mistress, murdered several people, and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife.

Pope Benedict IX (1032–1044, 1045, 1047–1048), who "sold" the Papacy

Pope Boniface VIII (1294–1303), who is lampooned in Dante's Divine Comedy

Pope Urban VI (1378–1389), who complained that he did not hear enough screaming when Cardinals who had conspired against him were tortured.^[2]

Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503), a Borgia, who was guilty of nepotism and whose unattended corpse swelled until it could barely fit in a coffin.^[3]

Pope Leo X (1513–1521), a spendthrift member of the Medici family who once spent 1/7 of his predecessors' reserves on a single ceremony^[4]

Pope Clement VII (1523–1534), also a Medici, whose power-politicking with France, Spain, and Germany got Rome sacked.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bad_Popes

[Elsie]

FR would be a better site without the religion threads.

Indeed!

Then the world would not be exposed to so many Catholics who seem to DESPISE their new pope!

[Elsie]

RF threads should be about the love of God and the saving grace of Jesus The Christ and not who thinks who is really saved.

What do you expect?

Is ANY of that stuff found in the bible?

[Elsie]

If this isn't your departing "Opus" as you hope to be banned for insulting the Religion Moderators...

A. If you say something along the lines of “the moderators might ban me for saying this, but…” then you lost.

B. Anyone who says “well, ban me if you want to, but…” is actually saying; “in the name of a loving God, please ban me because I am losing this argument so badly that my only hope of escaping it with a shred of dignity is if I can make myself out to be some sort of martyr to free speech.”

C. If you claim to have supporting evidence available online, but instead of linking to it you say “Look it up yourself,” you lose. Similarly to the banning thing, “look it up yourself” clearly means “please please please don’t look it up yourself.” It’s an admission of failure.

D. If you invoke the name of a logical fallacy without explaining its relevance, you lose. Logical fallacies are not Harry Potter spells. You don’t just get to shout them out and wiggle your wand to make magic happen. Plus, there’s a logical meta-fallacy: Just because someone’s making an error in reasoning doesn’t mean they’re wrong.

E. If you claim to be winning, you lose. This should be self-evident: If you’re so desperate that you have to tell someone you’re winning, you’re obviously not. http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/12/alt-text-internet-arguments

 

[Lonely Bull]

Yet:

[Matthew 5:22] But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

What do you do in a given situation?

1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Be ye followers of me [Paul], even as I also am of Christ,” but one interesting difference is that Christ and even Paul (the “chief” of sinners) were more capable of using their words than I am.

[James 3:1-2]
My brethren, be not many masters [some translations use “teachers”], knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

[Here “offend” means something like “sin,” in case anyone needs the reminder; in a similar way, an “offender” is not necessarily someone who has been “offensive” in a certain contemporary meaning of the word.]

I’ve also noticed an interesting contrast within Paul’s letter to Titus.

The words of 1:13 tells Titus to “rebuke [certain persons] sharply.”

The words of 2:7-8 tell Titus to be “in all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.”

The words of 3:1a and verse 2 tell Titus to “put them in mind...to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”

All of these exist in the same letter. One thing that I notice is that Titus was told to “rebuke sharply,” but he was not told to tell everyone in his flock to do the same. Another is that “rebuking sharply” is compatible with “sound speech, that cannot be condemned.” We may do well to ask how our own speech compares. “In doctrine shewing uncorruptness” reminds me that our own speech should not result in compromising on truth, yet telling the truth, however imperfect our efforts, should still not involve sin.

[Ephesians 4:29]
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

[Colossians 4:5]
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

[1 Peter 3:15-16]
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

[2 Timothy 2:24-26]
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

[1 Timothy 5:14-15]
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

Galatians 5 continues (vv. 13-15):

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

A tree is known by its fruits.

[Elsie]

I will never donate again until the daily pointless religious bickering is banished.

I will never PAY TAXES again until the Government FINALLY does what I want it to do!

[Elsie]

Hey, shove it.

I am rarely on these threads and angry posters like you are part of the reason.

Get over your self-pitying, very angry self.

Elsie chuckles...

[Elsie]

For God so loved the world he sent a book.

...that everyone is too STUPID to understand unless the CHURCH tells them what it means.

[Elsie]

We'd better wake up soon because Obama is inviting Islam in and believers, all of us!, are the main course at his table.

 

 

 

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, who are called by my name,
shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways; ,

then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.

[Elsie]

Please don’t use a curse word in the same sentence our Lord’s Name is used.

Make it TWO sentences?

I find DAMN to be quite acceptable.

After all; it's in the bible a lot.

[Elsie]

This is in the Smoky Backroom.

I got here late. Is this where it started, or was it moved here?

[Elsie]

“if you repeat something enough people will believe it no matter the accuracy of the account.”

Hail Mary; Mother of GOD; pray for us sinners...

Repeat as necessary.

[CynicalBear]

>>And I responded by truthfully pointing out that your religion condemned every one to hell who didn't bow to your popes...And there are Catholics who still believe that...<<

I think the double standard was seen by many.

[Resettozero]

Good to see the portions of the Holy Bible posted on FR this morning! Thank you.

You posted this also: “One thing that I notice is that Titus was told to “rebuke sharply,” but he was not told to tell everyone in his flock to do the same.”

Are you meaning that the permission/directive of “rebuking sharply” ended with Titus and is no longer in effect?

Thanks again for posting the Scripture, which never returns to God empty (void).

[CynicalBear]

It’s amazing to me how people get so angry when their “religion” is contradicted. Christ is the only head of His ekklesia. If people followed Christ alone there would be no anger. I follow Christ alone and not some earthly “religion”, denomination, or “church”. I can only feel pity for those who put “religion” above Christ.

[daniel1212]

Of all the rel. forums i have been on, this one and its RMs have been the best, both in rules and moderation thank God. But i think some have a basic animosity against any authority other than themselves, or their earthly leader.

[Resettozero]

But i think some have a basic animosity against any authority other than themselves, or their earthly leader.

Man's fallen nature. Some are stuck in Romans 7 never quite getting into or past Romans 8. And I admit, it is very difficult to do (impossible for men) without Help.