Take you as a contrary example, you say what you believe and why you do not agree with our beliefs. Fine. Even more, you will say that among people who believe the same as you do, there are small faults and they need to be worked on.
As I've said before about what we acknowledge (Trinity, etc) -- when you say you believe in "this", we have a common point, we have a commonality. It means that beyond that we can argue, bitterly even, but we will know that we have something in common.
The alternative is "I will not tell you what I believe but I disagree with everything you believe in" -- this leads to no dialogue, this does not even lead to that person preaching what they may believe is the right way or even giving people direction, rather it is just a fight zone then -- "I disagree with everything about you, I am utterly not you and reject everything about you".
Maybe I'm looking at this in a different light, but I saw the ping that metmom sent to the ETG as touching the divisions and doctrinal backbiting that are to be expected as we get closer to the End of Days. We're told that in the End Times, that love for each other would grow cold and it seems to be evident here as well as elsewhere.
As for metmom not saying what she believes, again it may just be my own view of things but I am actually fairly certain that I've seen her profess that she's a former Roman Catholic who is now a Southern Baptist. I realize that I may have information that you're not aware of, but I do know that she's not shy about telling you what she believes if she feels that you're not going to ridicule her beliefs, which is completely understandable. Unfortunately Cronos, the attitude that most often comes across from Catholics during these Protestant-Catholic debates is scorn or ridicule towards us. (YOPIOS? Really?) This may be intentional or it may be unintentional, but it's definitely there, as is the reciprocal attitude that most Protestants have towards Catholics, which is based partially out of misunderstanding and partially out of a difference over how the two camps view the Church's corporate authority in the believer's life. About the only ones who I've never seen adopt this attitude are the Orthodox Christians on FR and I think that's because the couple I've met on here have been deeply devout and dedicated to their walk.
You mention the ridicule that protestants ger from Catholics. Frankly, the protestans are reaping what they sowed. I have never been on the RF one day that I didn’t hear from someone that man-made institutions can’t save anyone (nevermind that Christ started the Church) that Catholics worship Mary, that our beliefs are non-biblical, that invoking the aid of the saints in heaven was demonic praying to the dead, etc. And worse, much worse. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but people reap what they sow, God is not mocked. I’m not the only Catholic who has been dogpiled, made fun of, had the Mod called on me, all the rest of the poor me stuff that Proddy’s wail about and compare their “persecution” to what Christ endured.
Please don’t try to tell me that you have never seen this.
Like the song says, “Plant a radish, get a radish, not a brussel sprout...”
And no, I first became active on the RF after my husband died. I was looking for something I needed, and thought I could find here. Well, the name-calling, the picture posting, the screaming arguments, I’m annoyed. I wouldn’t trust a protestant on this forum to tell me it was daylight at noon. The number of falsehoods about the Holy Father being a Nazi, the statements that Catholics killed 200 million, the utter denial of the truth of history—the blanket statements that Catholics call St. Paul names, when I have averred many times that I am the ONLY one who doesn;t like him—never did and still don’t—
You collectively reap what you collectively sow.
Your protestant friends have driven off all the orthodox posters. I hope you are happy.
What you see as yopios mocking in particular came as a form of retaliation after a year of being continuously mocked with pictures, names etc.
I don't deny that now on all sides there are hardened stances and all "sides" are to blame.
About the only ones who I've never seen adopt this attitude are the Orthodox Christians on FR and I think that's because the couple I've met on here have been deeply devout and dedicated to their walk. -- and while our Orthodox brethren ARE deeply devout and dedicated, have you noticed that they are nowadays nonexistent on FR? Or for that matter, the Lutheran posters?
The reason is that they were utterly disgusted by the turn of FR with mocking of what some non-Catholics saw as purely Catholic beliefs (the True presence etc.) down to the level of name-calling and downright blasphemy -- of course what those who did the mocking did not know was that these beliefs were also shared by the Orthodox and Lutherans.
===================
It is posters like you, new posters, and some of the older posters who stayed away from these fights (I can name xzins or don-o etc) as those who can reform the FR RF by calling us old-timers out when we step out of the line and by being an example of someone who can disagree without being insulting.