Where Have All the FR Protestants Gone?

drstevej

[fishtank]

"In other words we are allowed to discuss religious topics so long as we never make any statements that anyone might disagree with????"

I've written this privately in the past: FreeRepublic is not free. It is ironic that on FR the same freedom of speech that the Constitution guarantees is not available here. I'm not saying that FR _must_ be free, I'm saying it is ironic that it is not.

[Jeff Head]

Oh ... I forgot ... I am also not, nor ever have been an FR Board member.

Again ... why do you ask such questiona?

[Onelifetogive]

only way you can discuss religion is to trash the ones you don't agree with?

Has anyone defined the terms "bash" and "trash"? The Democrats wouldn't define the terms when they were accusing the Republicans of "bashing". I haven't seen a definition here, either.

[al_c]

Answer: Strained

LOL!!!! That one got me ...

[snerkel]

Posting information directly from Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Church or Christ or Mormon resources which specifically state their beliefs is not bashing nor should it be considered persecuting others.

As someone stated earlier, the posters here are, for the most part, not "fly by the seat of the pants" posters. They are well informed on the subjects they are discussing and back their statements with resources which originate from the source they are discussing. If this information is incorrect, it should be easy for a person to refute it without hitting the abuse button and crying that they are being personally attacked.

I agree that posts which contain defamatory, abusive, harassing, or hateful remarks towards a PERSON should be removed. Telling people that they are dense or stupid (two of Illbay's favorites) should be promptly removed. I also agree that obscene, indecent, or offensive language should be removed.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Are you thinking about droping the religious forum?

BigMack

[Jim Robinson]

Depends on what you call debate. And as I said, there were some here who were making what appeared to be a concerted effort to trash the Mormons. It went overboard, IMHO, and I took some action to make it stop. Earlier, there was a concerted effort to bash Catholics and there were some Catholic bashers who got the boot (interesting who the complainers were then). And now I see the Protestants are feeling persecuted. Well, from a forum manager's point of view, I don't want to see anyone trashed. All I'm asking, and all I've ever asked is to keep it civil.

[snerkel]

For example, using the Book of Mormon, other Mormon resources, the UMC Book of Discipline, etc., these would be a verifiable resources. If the information is incorrect, it should be easily refuted.

[drstevej]

A LDS FR poster mentioned online (some months back) that he thought you were a FR board member or director. That sparked my curiosity. Thanks for your answer.

[Jim Robinson]

If the particpants here agree that it's worthless (or hopeless) I will drop it.

[RnMomof7]

FR burnout, its all been said over and over and over and over....

Unlike the repetious dribble on the neverending chat room? No it is not burn out..it is kicked out Thanks mack for your co operation in clearing FR of SERIOUS discussion

[fishtank]

"And now I see the Protestants are feeling persecuted."

I'm not feeling persecuted. I just think FR is adopting the speech codes of the liberals - with selective pandering to whiners.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

(or hopeless)I will drop it.

Oh well, its been fun. :)

BigMack

[Jim Robinson]

Well, apparently, there have been some who are posting this type of information as an excuse to open Mormon bashing sessions. No thanks. You can do that on usenet or elsewhere.

[Corin Stormhands]

If the particpants here agree that it's worthless (or hopeless) I will drop it.

To the contrary Jim. It's quite valuable. I've learned a lot here.

For me there is no separation from my political beliefs and my faith. My faith drives my political beliefs.

I did not like the separation of the forums (and said so at the time). But, if you delete this forum would you also prevent religious discussion elsewhere on FR?

Aren't we fighting a war against that type of oppression?

How about this:

Give us a month (or a time frame of your choosing). Tell the moderators to take a complete hands off approach UNLESS the post has profanity or is a direct threat of physical harm.

See if we can't indeed work it out. It's a thought.

[Delphinium]

If you go back and read the political debates, say in the 1700s, you'll see a huge degree of incivility in those debates. And the Founding Fathers protected that "bashing" as free speech.

Consider the debate between Adams, and Jefferson?

[RnMomof7]

i guess Orwell had it pegged that "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."

[ksen]

All I'm asking, and all I've ever asked is to keep it civil.

That's perfectly reasonable.

Oh, here's another message from beyond from xzins:

Let’s say that during the Clinton debacle, Free Republic had decided that posting any article that dealt with ‘the clinical results of the stain on Monica’s blue dress’ was “Clinton bashing.” Would you have said that FR was permitting “free discussion but no bashing?” Of course not. You recognized that the FACTS of the DNA test were not bashing Clinton. They were simply facts.

Likewise, posting Joseph Smith’s OWN words is not bashing Smith. Posting the number of his wives and their ages is not bashing. Posting “Immanuel Isaiah’s treatise on Mormonism” is not bashing.

It is a simple posting of fact. All of us other “cults” have to explain our histories and deal with such things as inquisitions, crusades, paedophilia, witch trials, etc. We don’t run from it. We explain it. Again and again if need be.

It’s simply the burden of being part of that “cult.” Mormons should be treated no differently. They should have to explain where God’s “so-called” wife came from. They should have to explain their strange belief that God lives on the planet Kolob.

Maybe you could limit the number of "Abuse" pushes people get a day/week. That would cause some to really think before pushing it if the comment is worth it or not.

[Jim Robinson]

Adopting? We've always had a speech code here. No profanity. No racism. No personal attacks. Attacking people because of their religious beliefs is not welcome here. Nor is it a new rule. Nor is it a liberal rule. Liberals live for religious persecution.

[Jeff Head]

OK, I have read through this entire thread and now understand the context.

Clearly, your "just curious" is, IMHO, not a very sincere reflection of your intent.

I make no bones about it ... I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ... what csomemight call a "card carrying" member. I was raised a Southern Baptist and joined the Church in my teens.

I hold no ire against you or your beliefs, or those of your comrades and compatriots. In fact I revere and respect your faith in and believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ. it is something we hold in commmon.

I will not argue, contend or bash over religion. Not because I am incapable, I am very well acquainted with the scriptures, both the Old and New Testament and those scriptures we in my faith also hold dear along with them. I suppose I could use them to beat people over the head with, and then get beat right back over the head the other way. I choose not to participate in that. My faith is a matter of just that ... faith. Experiences of the heart I have had between myself and my Maker.

The Spirit of God does not reside, in my own estimation, in such contention, so, as I said, I will have nothing to do with it.

I was called to this thread not understanding the context. Now I have it.

I am sorry for any mistreatment you perceive at the hands of any members of my own faith ... or vice vesra. I do not believe you can truthfully say that I have ever been the source of anything like that. I have shared my own sincere and honest testimony of Christ with you and others on occassion ... and then left those threads when it was clear they were devolving into a cyber version of shouting matches or warm contention over doctrine. Like I said, I choose to have nothing to do with that, clal it what you like.

Anyhow ... albeit I am not a board member of FR ... or a "moderator" ... I have been around a few years. Jim does an extraordinary job of keeping this place stable and afloat ... and I for one, thank God that he does. This place is a marvelous gift and source for involvement in our fight for liberty and our Constitution ... irrespective of whatever minor differences I have had in times past with FR administration. You proabbly haven't been around long enough to know of it ... and it is in the past, water under the bridge anyway.

I would advise anyone to work with Jim, follow his rules, respect his living room and do the best you can to keep the spirit of liberty, morality, virtue and conviction alive in our nation.

Those are things we can all work towards together.

I've said far more than I intended so I'll just stop now and go back to what I was doing before being "called" over here.