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Is it necessary that every thread which might have interest and be reconciling (for example, there is a suggestion about common ground concerning reason) degenerate into a donnybrook?

The government is assailing and threatening the Catholics right now. Last year on the days of our Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies, Protestants joined us, and one, a Baptist, said, "We're all Catholic today."

I think we'd do better and give better witness if we focused more on making common cause these days.

In Richard Strauss's searing opera, Salome, the Jews are represented as people always quarreling. The opera was first performed in 1905. Look what happened a generation later.

When Caesar comes for us, there will be not only Maximilian Kolbes but also Bonhoeffers. I'm just sayin'.

Just an ironic incident regarding things degenerating into a “donnybrook”. My daughter, Brooke, married a guy named, you guessed it, Donny. I didn’t want to think the marriage was doomed, but...and sure enough, it quickly degenerated into a you guessed it again. NAMES MEAN SOMETHING PEOPLE!! :)

I actually deplore the donnybrooks! However, it is necessary sometimes (here, especially) to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints. It would be lovely if we could conduct all discussions with respect and kindness - agreeing to disagree when at a standoff, but as Jesus aptly demonstrated many times, that isn't always possible and error should be rebuked. Granted, some Catholics think everything is erroneous in the "Protestant" world and vice versa, but we DO have many core commonalities. There may very well come a time when we will do battle side-by-side against the dark forces attacking our Christian way of life and I will join that battle. I just don't believe that we have to shy away from expressing what and why we believe as we do on these threads that get posted here. It's a heck of a lot easier than on any other website out in the cloud world, that's for sure!

We should each be responsible for our own online conduct and I try hard to contain my urges to answer fire with fire. I've learned that, of course, it only makes the fire hotter. I've learned that a "soft answer turns away wrath" most times. I appreciate that quality in yours.

I don’t think there is harm in presenting differences and debating. However, the snarky stuff should go as you recommend.

I am of the mind that on these forums no one changes their mind on the major theological issues. I think we all come here to defend either Scriptures or tradition or both. It is fine to come here and sharpen the sword, but not use the edge of it on each other.