Granted there are a few that poison the well every time they post, but even they must be met with grace. No one person can change this forum, it has to be each one of us, individually. If we really are surrendered to Christ, then we can call on his strength to give us the ability to forgive - even without an apology - and to speak the truth with love, just as we are commanded to do. Sometimes, it may mean we ignore the insults and continue to speak about our thoughts on whatever subject is being discussed. It isn't always easy, I know that, but we will answer to God for every word we speak. He alone knows our hearts and he alone can judge justly. I hope you have a joyous Christmas.
I’d certainly MUCH RATHER post with and amidst civility, compassion, caring . . . mutual respect. And, I think I’ve gradually increased the number of RC’s to which I do use those tones and attitudes at least the great majority of the time if not virtually always or even always.
Nevertheless, there are some posters who ABSOLUTELY INSIST on posting what are frequently
not only
OUTRAGEOUSLY UNBIBLICAL assertions in the most brazenly outrageous of ways
they ALSO have a seemingly compulsive inclination to brazenly personally assault some specific ones of us PRODDYS.
Those characters seem to sail along quite arrogantly in their !!!!DEMANDING!!!! and !!!!CONTROLLING!!!! haughtiness like steamrollers over grasshoppers or slugs unless and until someone stands up to them with equal emotional intensity.
Of course THEN they wail and whine about how horribly and unjustifiably they are being MISTREATED! Denying all the while their own extreme outrageousness and their BRAZENLY VERY VERY PERSONAL ASSAULTIVENESS as well as denying their horrific !!!!DEMANDINGNESS!!!! and !!!!CONTROL!!!! phreaque hideousness.
They INSIST on equating assaults on RC beliefs and practices as identically the same as assaults on their very personal and lily white hearts.
Gag.
That INSISTENCE that THEY get to write the FR rules and customs according to THEIR THIN-SKINNED SENSIBILITIES is nauseatingly AND OUTRAGEOUSLY ARROGANT.
By this point, such arrogance is far from surprising. The whole RCC institution seems to luxuriate and wallow intensely in oceans full of it. Nevertheless, it’s never attractive and always seems to BEG FOR an emotionally intense slap-down.
And even though I’ve grown increasingly weary of the contentious type exchanges, THAT KIND OF ARROGANCE can still provoke an emotionally intense response from me. Some things just don’t seem fitting to merely let lie there in all their arrogant nakedness.
Anyway—I applaud the goal of INCREASING the constructive Biblical tones and exchanges betwen the two camps. I’ve tried toward that several times. We shall see how far this effort gets.
Thanks for trying, at least.