It smells like . . . . Victory!"
Posted on 01/08/2010 11:01:28 AM PST by Judith Anne
In the age of the internet, a lot of very good information is readily available for those who have sincere questions about the Catholic Church. The Catholic Encyclopedia, the Online Catechism, many good apologetic sites--all have excellent answers to nearly any question that anyone could devise.
There is really no need for FR Catholics to engage in endless religious argument, and I would like to urge us all to simply refrain. We could resign from the debating society and let those who sincerely want to learn seek it out for themselves from a local priest or look it up on the net. Others, who do not sincerely want to learn, could be ignored, and privately remembered in prayer.
Opinions from fellow Catholics?
ROFL! Fire and brimstone! Yee-haw!
BTW, sorry I didn’t ping you, the old memory is going down the rabbit hole........
When someone has been saying the same thing literally for years and continues to say it no matter how many times it has been proven false it becomes clear that THEY are directing it at the lurkers and it is necessary for us to respond in kind.
If I was a lurker and my only knowledge of the Catholic Church came from unanswered statements by non-Catholics here, I would believe that the Catholic Church was the most evil institution in history and that its members were Satanic cult members. Such posts MUST be rebutted.
Here’s a thought: “lurker,” like “all,” should be (if it isn’t already) an allowed entry in the “To:” field.
One could respond to post #xyz but address one’s response to Lurker (or lurkers). It would at least be honest.
I know Lurker, Lurker is a friend of mine, and you sir, are no...wait—never mind.
Good idea. How about “lurkers” if that’s not a name?
Excellent point.
RM here is a question for you:
If FReeper [___________] makes a post that says, “Catholics sacrifice live alligators and drink their blood.”
Would it be acceptable to respond to that post but not ping the original poster? More specifically, could we say that the post is a lie but not say that the poster is a liar?
I think most people who want to continue with the defense of the faith agree with your position, for the same reason you give.
We could always demand proof.
If I was a lurker and my only knowledge of the Catholic Church came from unanswered statements by non-Catholics here, I would believe that the Catholic Church was the most evil institution in history and that its members were Satanic cult members. Such posts MUST be rebutted.
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I agree completely. Perhaps I should have a little clearer.
Let’s say “A” is an anti-Catholic (not using actual freeper names b/c then I would have to ping), “B” is a lurker, and “C” is a Catholic.
A and C are debating. B is lurking. A puts out info, C defends. C KNOWS he is not going to change A’s mind (having been over it again and again), yet he responds for the beneifit of B.
I was in no way saying that there should be no rebuttal. I was saying that sometimes we post information (and rebuttals) in the hopes that the lurkers will learn, knowing that some people (the “A’s”) will probably never see the light.
What I usually do is make a statement in the post along the lines of “For the benefit of the lurkers”.
Of course, not everyone observes Christmas or Easter.
Could you give me a link to the rules of the religion forum if there is one? I’ve been told conflicting things in that regard.
Could you give me a link to the rules of the religion forum if there is one?
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Here ya go: :)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1774184/posts
Also, it is considered polite to ping a Freeper you are quoting. However, in some cases (e.g. the poster asked not to be ping) it is a way to respond without confrontation.
You can however use "everyone" or "all".
That being said - I have deliberately taken breaks from the religion forum when the commentary from those who are not Catholic is particularly caustic and when normally even-keeled Catholics respond in kind. Confrontation is not really my thing. It helps to keep this forum from really getting to me as the same arguments seem to pop up and the same corrections are made over and over again.
Through the back and forth discussions and corrections, I have learned a lot and have learned what sources to trust and which ones aren't worth the time. That's been very valuable. Keeping things balanced, though, can be quite a challenge.
Agreed! There is no reason why Catholics should not know their faith. In fact, it is right here at FreeRepublic, after witnessing an attack on the Catholic Church by a freeper ignorant of our faith, that I took up the mantle and began to study on my own. Sometimes, it takes just this type of encouragement for anyone of us to learn Catholic apologetics. Freepmail me if you need some resources.
It smells like . . . . Victory!"
That wasn’t Robert Shaw, was it?
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