Thanks for the memories, but it's time for Christians to unite not fight

self | 3/2/2015 | two134711

[MamaB]

Best of luck. I fell several years ago in a motel bathroom. I hit my head on the countertop hard enough to knock me out but did not develop trouble until 2013. God bless. I am kinda worried this time since I will have muscles in both eyes operated on. Will I be able to see since my right eye was really swollen and bloodshot afterwards? My regular eye dr told me to wear a patch for the double vision. I told my grandson I would need a pirate’s hat to wear with it. : )

[onyx]

I know your history of very sad losses of family members. We have been FRiends a good long time. I hope you made Facebook contact with the Friend you wrote to me about. You will have my faithful prayers for a successful eye surgery on the 19th and I won’t forget, because I have 2 doctor’s appointments that day. Just check-ups, but they will be reminders!

Tweezers in the eye! Yikes. Not even twightlite sleep. You’re a hero! God bless and keep you.

[onyx]

We will have to disagree with regard to that post. It’s totally vile and I think it should have been deleted, but it gave me and others quite an insight into the mindset that poster.

[onyx]

BTW, I’ve had laser surgery in both eyes because of cataracts, and it turned our miraculously. I lost my nearsightedness, so I sometimes wear OTC reading glasses, but no longer need prescription glasses.

You will be fine. Our good Lord hears and answers our prayers, plus you have an excellent doctor and you’re the best patient!!

[Resettozero]

It’s totally vile and I think it should have been deleted,...

Yes, you have posted that thought previously on FR. Perhaps that particular poster mentioned is just one of a very few FReepers who have thought that thought. Perhaps not. Perhaps that FReeper was one of very few bold enough to nail it to the Religion Forum board.

Perhaps there's a lot happening on the RF that you have missed. Come visit often while the privilege remains.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I was posting here in, as I remember it, late 1997 on my husband's account, before I got my own. In the early days I invited friends to join. I thought it was so great!

But in the last few years I have never felt inclined to invite anyone to join -- certainly not my beloved Protestant family on my husband's side, certainly not anybody from my Catholic parish --- because I would be ashamed to expose them to the coarseness and aggression which are on constant display, especially on the Religion Forum.

If there were ever any innocent lurkers who would stroll into the RF to see what the nature of conservatives' Christian faith might be, they would be shocked and repelled forever. It is the perfect antiGospel, a stick in the eye.

I have friends here --- of all denominations --- to whom, perhaps, I owe my life, since when I was at death's door they generously prayed for me, and the Lord heard their prayer and spared me. So I stay. But I do not know whether my being here is my vocation or my vice.

I ask forgiveness for any way I have offended.

And thanks, Lonely Bull, for providing my new tagline.

[onyx]

You have ‘perhaps’ in your post so many times, if I didn’t know better, I would think you were speaking in tongues...LOL.

I have no idea what you meant when you posted, “Come visit often while the privilege remains.”

[fatima]

:)

[Resettozero]

I have no idea what you meant when you posted, “Come visit often while the privilege remains.”

It was an invitation to visit the FR Religion Forum more often to see what is really transpiring there, as opposed to inaccurate information you may have received.

[metmom]

There you go, metmom. Pinging your list.

Is there a law against it?

Are others likewise chastised when they do it?

The ping had nothing to do with the poster but the comment.

I do not recall anyone pushing denominationalism to get people to convert to their church. Except Catholics.

If you could point me to anyone else who demands that someone go to their church or go to hell, and that there is no salvation outside their own church, I would be interested in seeing that.

Or perhaps you could find a statement of faith that says somewhere in it *There is no salvation outside the _______ church.* as is found in the CCC.

[Gamecock]

They’ll come after certain FRoman Catholics first.

[metmom]

How is that any different than Catholics who say basically the same about Luther and the Protestant Reformation?

You are aware, aren’t you, that there are Catholics who think that Protestants are vandals and as such should be eradicated from the earth?

[Not gonna take it anymore]

“How is that any different than Catholics who say basically the same about Luther and the Protestant Reformation?

You are aware, aren’t you, that there are Catholics who think that Protestants are vandals and as such should be eradicated from the earth?”

I was a Protestant for most of my life and am the only Catholic in my family.

I certainly hold no animosity toward the Protestants I know and love. But, they aren’t spending their time denigrating the Catholic Church or my beliefs.

[Mark17]

It is also wise to avoid threads about the Civil War

Oh yes, I remember a few of those. The comments on the RF are tame compared to some of the ones I saw concerning the civil war, though I can not remember the last time I saw a civil war thread.

[metmom]

I expect people to disparage Christ and His word
and my faith in Him and trust in His word.

They disparaged Him to the point of crucifying Him.

He told us not to be surprised if the world hates us because it hated Him first.

[metmom]

Nice thoughts but they didn’t answer the questions.

Do you object to them or chastise the Catholic who posted them?

[Not gonna take it anymore]

Why would I chastise anyone? That’s not my place. You are going to face Christ at the final judgment. You are going to have to explain to Christ why you gave him up in the Eucharist and spoke against his church for the rest of your life. I’m not going to have to do that, you are.

[Resettozero]

I’m not going to have to do that, you are.

IF your religion is true and IF hers is not.

[Iscool]

I share many of the same sentiments that you've expressed. As a Gen X'er whose been lurking since the late 90's as a teenager and only a recent participant in the FR RF its obvious it's nothing but a haven for bitter, old, so-called Christians whose behavior is what they substitute for not having a church. Their own personal brand of "Christian fellowship."

Always remember that their brand of Christianity always begins with the negative proposition of being against Christ's Church, rather than being for Christ.

So in other words, you are a wanna be Catholic posting your own version of a Protestant attack thread...

Be forewarned, we are armed (with scripture) and dangerous...

[Lonely Bull]

Perhaps all should be caucus, and thus eliminating the arguments?

I've never been a fan of making too many threads caucus threads. Sometimes I've had something constructive to add to a thread in which I shouldn't have been posting according to the strict definition of a "caucus thread." Because of the label, I never posted what I would've posted otherwise.

Are you thinking of the "ecumenical" setting?

Ecumenical threads are closed to antagonism.

To antagonize is to incur or to provoke hostility in others.

Unlike the “caucus” threads, the article and reply posts of an “ecumenical” thread may discuss more than one belief, but antagonism is not tolerable.

--SNIP--

Contrasting of beliefs or even criticisms can be made without provoking hostilities.

[more follows]

I've favored making the default setting "ecumenical" and forcing "open" threads to be labeled as such. This way, the burden of a special effort lies on those who wish to make antagonistic threads. I'm not thinking of an onerous physical burden: adding "open thread" to the label should be easy enough for anyone who can already type a post. I'm thinking about the mental shift, however slight, that such a label just might produce.

The only problem that I'd have is practical: such a significant change in existing policy would require a bit of notification. I'd expect not a few people to forget about the new rule, and I'd even expect a few people to "forget" about the new rule intentionally. But maybe we've reached a point where such a proposal should be made more seriously. (I am not doing so right now, or else I'd be explicit about making the proposal.)