A number of us have been on Free Republic for many years now, nearly six years for me. And in all those years we’ve seen a certain pattern emerge wherein posters who have been banned – or are malcontent – join together on other forums to complain. We’ve called these “anti-Freep” websites.
These anti-Freeo sites are not ideologically different, like DemocratsUnderground.com – but the posters there are angry and unable to let go. Among the notorious anti-Freepers were Eschoir, Z2 and Aligyrl-2. Currently the Biker’s Bar at LibertyPost.org is an anti-Freep forum – and IMHO, so is DesignedUniverse.com which is co-owned by ALS (banned) and gore3000 (active.)
A number of posters here have read the threads at DesignedUniverse and remarked about a “hit list” of Freepers who have been targeted by them to be banned. In the middle of discussing those threads on this forum, the threads on DesignedUniverse were hidden from public view. But topping the “hit list” were PatrickHenry and VadeRetro – and the list itself had quite a few names, mostly evolutionists.
On top of that, there was a thread which criticized Jim Robinson and family and the Moderators; and (of course) there was a conspiracy theory about certain DU posts on FR being changed in the wee hours.
I have been singled out for particular, obsessive contempt on DU - apart from the “hit list.” The earliest cause goes back to the banning of ALS. Yes, I did complain about stalking.
Stalking to me entails carrying obsessive contempt from thread to thread, to Freep-mails, emails and off-site --- all of which ALS did with regard to me. I posted the emails so that people could judge for themselves whether there was actual obsessive contempt. Some posters were astonished at the hate.
But something more disturbing happened as the DU posters were in a vigorous defense of ALS in the Smokey Backroom. The DU website is primarily a fundamentalist Christian website, so I was attempting to “connect” with the malcontents in the Smokey Background using spiritual terminology.
Two of them were deeply offended by my instant recall of Scripture, which I attribute entirely to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, i.e. I do not have the Bible memorized. They implied that the Spirit within me is none other than Satan. Instantly the verses of Matthew 12:24 came to mind and I posted them. I dutifully post the Scriptures that I am compelled in the Spirit to post.
The outrage was unbelievable and not once did any consider that perhaps the Spirit was not pleased being called Satan. The reason for the outrage is that those verses say that calling the Holy Spirit Beezelbub is the unpardonable sin.
To a Calvinist, a believer cannot commit this sin and I suspect the outrage was because they either had to be correct that that Holy Spirit within me is Satan or else confess that they do not truly believe. At any rate, the hate got quite out of hand and so I decided to put them all on virtual ignore. But I did by first explaining why and telling them all that there is nothing they could ever say or do to make me stop loving them, that I forgive them for any offense they may have caused and that I pray for them all. That is the Christian response, and I awaited the same in reply – but it was not forthcoming.
And so I went silent, but the hateful personal attacks continued on the now deleted thread. (That thread has been saved to local disk by at least one Freeper other than me.)
At one point, the DU posters threatened to turn me over to God for rebuke if I didn’t repent (I presume for posting His Word without their commentary) – and then ultimately, they actually did turn me over to God for rebuke. This is the equivalent of excommunication in a cyber-sense. And, in the turning me over – yet a third person said that I was being led by Satan.
None of this is of any consequence to me in a spiritual sense because I abide in Christ. But I am deeply concerned for them and continue to pray for them and love them to this very moment.
But alas, they cannot lay aside their hate for any of us – and most especially their hate for me.
Of the original DesignedUniverse "hit team" there are only a few left. If any wish to see how a coordinated attack on a Freeper is carried out --- in this case against betty boop, Ogmios and me --- start reading on the What is Man? thread at about post post 209 where Ogmios joins the thread after my invitation to Ogmios on this thread. I invited Ogmios because he was seeking a sedate discussion of worldviews which is what the What is man? thread is all about. Come to find out, the DU posters believe Ogmios, a newcomer, is Aric2000 (banned evolutionist) returned under a false identity.
Or you can get a feel for the obsession by reading posts 905, 927, 1124 on this thread.
Thanks for pointing that out, Howlin.
Fred, I'm sure you're very proud of yourself.
Chad, I appreciate that you tried to reason with people, but it's honestly not worth your time and energy. If people are determined to hate those they don't know, there's little you can do to get them to let it go.
I don't particularly care what people who behave that way think of me anyway - so it's okay. Thank you again, though.
And for the record, I wouldn't register in that hell hole if it was the last resource available to me online.
Have a nice day, Windowlickers. And guess what - I'm happier than you! LOL : )