Posters may argue for or against beliefs of any kind. They may tear down other’s beliefs. They may ridicule.
On all threads, but particularly “open” threads, poster must never “make it personal.” Reading minds and attributing motives are forms of “making it personal.” Making a thread “about” another Freeper is “making it personal.”
When in doubt, review your use of the pronoun “you” before hitting “enter.”
Like the Smoky Backroom, the conversation may be offensive to some.
Thin-skinned posters will be booted from “open” threads because in the town square, they are the disrupters.
How sad that religion discussions fall prey to such exchanges.
Says the guy who's up for a tussle occasionally. lol.
--whitewashed tombs
--a brood of vipers
--sons of satan
The sadder thing, in many cases, is the outrageous affrontery of idolatry and blasphemy against God.
Understandably, in our flawed world yet on the gracious playing field of POLITICALLY CONSERVATIVE FOLKS on FR, diverse religionists will be at fierce odds over several important points.
It's great and Christ-like when we can be all huggy, warm and thick with gracious Christian goo. That's an important, fitting and Christ-like goal and way of traveling together.
However, to pretend that there's never fitting occasion amongst diverse Christian religionists to state things dramatically, starkly, fiercely and forcefully--akin to as Christ did--is, imho, disingenuous and less than Biblical as well as less than Loving.
Thankfully, there are some hereon--on all sides--who do the gracious rabbit furr, kid glove loving gig better than some of the rest of us do.
However, there is a time and place for the fierceness, the satire and even the mockery--all such is also Biblical. God used all such in Scripture repeatedly. Therefore, following Christ quite logically includes all such. Denial of those realities is . . . well . . . denial.
Graciously and wisely such are now limited to the [OPEN] threads. Folks with skins too thin; sensibilities to fragile; psyche's too tender and/or idolatries too easily offended need never read such offensive words. They are welcome to stay in their prayer closets praying lightening bolts down on those of us who dare to write fiercely, if that's what lights their votive candle.