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.

[Gamecock]

According to the RM's homepage:

If you do not wish to see RF posts, do NOT use the "everything" option on the Free Republic browse option list. Instead, browse by "News/Activism." When you log back in, the browse will reset to "everything" - so be sure to set it back to "News/Activism."

This should keep you from being offended by us.

[trisham]

God bless you, onyx.

[mlizzy]

Maybe a new thread initiated by you (since you work so very hard for Free Republic and people respect you so much) could straight-away ask folks why they have been slower with donations. Some people might be out of work, sick, or afraid of the future because the country is in such a mess, etc., but if the way the religion forum is being run was an issue to them, maybe some changes could be made. I wouldn't be here if I didn't love Free Republic as well. There's no site on the Net that gives you all the news, all the time, with keen, and very funny commentary to boot, to keep one's spirits lifted.

But some of the posts on the religion forum have nothing to do with debate, just hate. It's all about intent.

[onyx]

Thank you so much.
God bless and keep you, too, beautiful Trish!

[onyx]

Aw, sweetest, beautiful you, mlizzy. Thank you again for your way too kind words. Actually, IIRC, I think we're running a little ahead of our first quarter's donations at this same time. We had all hoped to complete this 2nd Quarter's FReepathon in 1 Month, but that's looking less and less hopeful with every passing day.

FReepers always come through for this forum we all love, but 2 month long FReepathons have taken their toll on Team members, so we're down to a limited few this time around.

Thank you so much again, sweetest girlfriend.

God bless and keep you and everyone you love.

[boatbums]

FREELOADER, CHEAPSKATE, WHINER, BIGOT, BIG BABY, HYPOCRITE, BLACKMAILER

All labels that fit those who would hold Free Republic hostage to their OWN prejudices and biases while taking full advantage of the many resources gathered here in one convenient place without it costing them a thin dime and advocating other like-minded zealots do the same. Is the Religion Forum the ONLY place you read threads? Is someone pointing a gun at your head forcing you to read those dreaded OPEN ones? It IS to laugh!

Why don't you just stick to the Catholic Caucus threads or, here's a better idea, flee to the numerous Catholic-centric websites out there where REAL biases exist and support them? That way your hypersensitive "feelings" will never be at risk of hearing the thoughts of others NOT enthralled by the cult of Rome. And, if one "side" praises the job the Moderator does while the other whines and complains of unfair treatment, more than likely it is because the non-whiner side has learned to obey the rules about "making it personal" - something the whiner clique never seems to get. It's hard to imagine that they never recognize their OWN deposits into the "cesspool" they bemoan, but that's how it goes. Spiritual blindness is rarely recognized by the blinded.

[tioga]

I cannot usually stomach the religion threads. The religion moderator seems to fail to keep order. The Catholic haters are everywhere on all the religious threads. I can’t stand it for long. I stay away a lot, when I would like to drop in on a thread. Sad, but true.

I will add my wish that you stay, but I do understand your frustration.

[mlizzy]

FREELOADER, CHEAPSKATE, WHINER, BIGOT, BIG BABY, HYPOCRITE, BLACKMAILER

All labels that fit those who would hold Free Republic hostage to their OWN prejudices and biases while taking full advantage of the many resources gathered here in one convenient place without it costing them a thin dime and advocating other like-minded zealots do the same. Is the Religion Forum the ONLY place you read threads? Is someone pointing a gun at your head forcing you to read those dreaded OPEN ones? It IS to laugh!

Why don't you just stick to the Catholic Caucus threads or, here's a better idea, flee to the numerous Catholic-centric websites out there where REAL biases exist and support them? That way your hypersensitive "feelings" will never be at risk of hearing the thoughts of others NOT enthralled by the cult of Rome. And, if one "side" praises the job the Moderator does while the other whines and complains of unfair treatment, more than likely it is because the non-whiner side has learned to obey the rules about "making it personal" - something the whiner clique never seems to get. It's hard to imagine that they never recognize their OWN deposits into the "cesspool" they bemoan, but that's how it goes. Spiritual blindness is rarely recognized by the blinded.

Are you okay, boatbums?

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Your posts simply prove my point. Your post is a textbook example of why the RF needs to be shut down and why Catholics should refuse to contribute until posting behavior like yours is properly moderated or the RF is eliminated. I prefer the latter.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Obviously not. By the way how long has this thread been in the smokey back room? I thought it was posted in the RF? That’s certainly one way to deal with this problem: make the RF a subforum of the SBR. At least then there’d be no false pretense of “moderation.”

[Brian Kopp DPM]

And if the whole Free Republic site is guilty, then isn't this an indictment of our free speech in general?

Nope, it's only an indictment of the current status quo of the subforum called the Religion Forum. I was opposed to it from day one because (as it should have been obvious to all with a modicum of prudence and wisdom) what this thread is about was a foregone conclusion the moment all Christian discussion was banished to its own ghetto.

Sometimes you hate to say "I told you so."

Not this time.

I told you so, years ago, and no one listened. All that's left is to shut it down and learn from mistakes.

[mlizzy]

I clicked on the thread on 4-24 for the first time, yet it’s been up since 3-3. So if it doesn’t reappear on the stream when transferred, I don’t even know how I found it, but yes, if the RF was kept in the SBR, they could just let everything fly all the time, and not “moderate.”

[Brian Kopp DPM]

if the RF was kept in the SBR, they could just let everything fly all the time, and not “moderate.”

Jim, I think this is a wonderful idea. Make the Religion Forum a subforum of the Smokey Back Room. That way FReepers not interested in religious debate won't see it on their main page, and it will save a lot of work and heartache for the Religion Moderator. This is a perfectly honest and sincere suggestion, not an attempt at satire or sarcasm.

And it would make both camps happy. Those who like unrestrained religious debate could engage in such without scruples, and those of us who no longer contribute to FreeRepublic because of what the Religion Forum has become could once again in good conscience resume contributing to FR.

[Gamecock]

Unlèss I am missing something, only a couple of Catholics are doing all of the complaining here.

There is no favored religion, which is what makes it all fair.

I think the mod is doing a good job in enforcing the rules. I say that as someone who was sent into the FR outer darkness for a couple of days myself.

[editor-surveyor]

If you don’t like the religion forum, I’m sure there are other places for you to go.

We need a place to pound the entrenched heresy of ‘Rome.’
.

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “This is a perfectly honest and sincere suggestion, not an attempt at satire or sarcasm.”
.
I see something different.

I see an attempt to make the truth hard to find on FR.

Anyone that wishes to post their thread to a different forum can do it, and it works well when it is done.

Often the religion forum gives too much voice to the Control
Rods of FR. In those cases, General Chat serves a purpose.
.

[mlizzy]

Unlèss I am missing something, only a couple of Catholics are doing all of the complaining here.

There are some 700+ posts before yours. I've read them all. There are many who are so discouraged with the religion forum, that they no longer post and/or no longer donate. And then there are the ones who have left the site completely because of the religion forum. Some are over on Facebook.

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “Some are over on Facebook.” <<

.
LOL!

[boatbums]

Yes, Mlizzy, I'm quite well. Thanks for asking.

I'm a little bored with the tendentious griping and complaining about a smidgen of what happens among the Free Republic "family". Seems there are more than a few that simply cannot stomach reading the thoughts expressed here if they are contrary to their own. I put up with the criticism, snark and condescension because I KNOW from whom it really originates and I gladly support this site in spite of it. If you can't stand the heat - get out of the kitchen! Good advice.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

It may not be the primary reason that FR donations are down, but I know it’s the number one reason I no longer donate and I know that is also the case for not a small number of others. FR has bills to pay and if the behavior of some in the RF is causing difficulties, you gotta figure out how to fix the problem. Denying its existence or blaming it on the Catholics just doesn’t cut it. It just let’s it fester and it will grow.