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“Posters who are offended when anyone condemns or ridicules their deeply held religious belief ..”

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I know, I know. You’re restating: ‘don’t go there.’ I get it .. I won’t go, but here’s a prime example of just that kind of ugly, hurtful rhetoric from StarTraveler engendered even on this, an opus thread, where he/she felt free to fling that rank nastiness on a thread that just touched on the subject when I naively offered my observations. It’s beyond the pale .. ugly, offensive and totally unnecessary.

The subject is obviously too naturally highly charged and personal.

Again, I absolutely don’t get the inherent common sense or positives to be gained for the FR community as a whole to provide a religious debates section, when folks of faith are already well convicted in their beliefs at this age, and as it clearly, implicitly embodies such a predictably high likelihood for inflammatory rhetoric, inter-forum rancor and resentments.

And the bad blood and resentments do spill over into the other threads, as we all know, which can get contentious enough.

It seems particularly destructive, especially in these very tough times, when multitudes of overwhelmingly deadly serious issues are coming at us every single day from THEM on the outside to punish and damage us and our beloved country. Why do we voluntarily need another festering source for more ugliness here, too?

Call me foolish but I don’t think I’m being a Pollyanna, wishing, as much as possible, and I would dearly hope and pray, that we could still mostly find sanctuary and respite with our family here as we’ve counted on... to be lifting up, brainstorming, having some fun, and helping each other together be factually informed and promote a mostly united, cooperative, congenial, inspirational, friendly and helpful atmosphere here.

Most FReepers with whom I’ve engaged in my nearly 14 yrs here are simply THE best, most decent, patriotic, fun, most savvy and wonderful folks in the world, and I’d totally choose them as, and some are, friends in real life. It is and has absolutely been my home on the web.

The bonding of folks here by shared political and social conservative beliefs, community history together, positivity, empathy, fun, generosity, unity .. which is the very opposite of the tension and disagreements and all the negatives spawned on those faith debates and the attendant spillover battles. That good stuff is what keeps folks coming back, feeling comfortable here and like this IS their home on the web they support and are proud to promote.

Just my 2 cents, knowing we’re all flawed and imperfect, to say I think it would help so much to see more occasions for collegiality and civility, less for internal conflict, for these days and the days, months and years ahead in this scary, tempestuous and uncertain world by keeping the FReeper family strong and together in basic good will.

Simply said: first do no harm.

Jim, please consider my heartfelt comments. Thank you SO much and your crew for FR, for all the interesting and wonderful years I’ve enjoyed here. God bless you always for your service to our country and for ALL you’ve done and do for us for the cause of freedom and our blessed America. God protect you and keep you strong and healthy always. Long live FR into a future of robust vitality for a hundred years!

Well, Starwise, I think the Religious Forum is an excellent forum and is well-moderated and is handled perfectly by how the moderator has set it up. I agree with it and how it’s been run over there for years. I would like to go over there and discuss the actual basis for this - over there - if you wish.

Of course, it’s up to you and if you don’t - then fine. But, if you do - I’ll guarantee you that I won’t be calling you any names or calling you a fool or even “hating” you. And I actually don’t want to do that to people. And over in the Religious Forum, they don’t allow that either. You can be guaranteed of that!

SO ... please do head over there and set up a thread - even if it’s ONLY to discuss that one posting and nothing else. I would be glad to explain that reasoning and go into it from the Bible.

But, at the same time, I do see that there are people here who don’t even want to bother with the Religious Forum, and if that’s you - too - then fine. I can’t do much more than that - offer to go over there and talk about the basis for this.