Posted on 12/11/2009 8:50:14 PM PST by Phileleutherus Franciscus
Too bad I got zapped. I was going to post this last night, but thought calmer heads would prevail. Guess I was wrong.
What has become of the FreeRepublic I joined so long ago?
Years ago, when this forum was young and gaining membership, the dedication to conservative principles was the theme that attracted many who were looking for an outlet to voice matters of political opinion in light of the Lewinsky Scandal. It was my primary reason for signing up. It gave me solace when I was racked in pain with a broken neck and back from an accident. It has been a place where returning the kindness shown to me has been easy, and rewarding. It has been a place to share the horror of 9/11, and the tears of the nation, the celebration of birth, and the tragedy of death and loss.
It has become a home of sorts, where I can share my experiences, and laugh at some of the wit and humor of so many valuable people. I have laughed with you, and cried for you and with you.
But that has all changed.
Through the years I have seen people come and go and be purged for political views that became, not one of debate, but one of demeaning personal attacks on those who did not agree with them politically. Once again, that has reared its ugly head here at FR and in the form of religious beliefs.
Recently, there has been a new creeping fascism by a small group of Creation Science believers into FR. These few individuals would have you believe that the Earth is 6000 years old, there is no other belief other than Jesus Christ, a great flood killed everyone and everything, leaving only a few survivors on a boat, which make little sense, and that any other opinion that does not agree with them either makes you either a ‘liberal’, an atheist, not worthy of posting here at FR, and not a ‘true’ conservative. They would have you believe the Theory of Evolution is the cause of every human disaster since the time of the printing of Origin of the Species and that all science is a lie. The threads promulgated by these very few proclaim the fact they are ‘right’, while anyone disagreeing or choosing to debate them are ‘wrong’. Some of these individuals have promoted bigotry and personal attacks, which would have gotten any other individual here banned.
Yet, under the protection of the owner of the site, these very few have had the audacity to instill their beliefs into the core of what was once a great conservative site, and is now one that determines your conservatism by your acceptability of Creation Science. It has now become a site that determines your conservatism based on rejection of Mormonism, the Roman Catholic faith, atheism, on any religious belief but their own, and not on conservative values that have nothing to do with religious beliefs, but on what is best for the country and what we revere as America.
This is the worst kind of fanaticism as it pits a particular religious belief against an individuals ability to think. Something that has developed over millions of years, from the use of rudimentary tools to the complexities we enjoy today, an individual’s ability to think sets us apart from most of the other animals. And we are still in the adolescence of that developing technology and intelligence. Look how far we have come from the written word to the printing press to the Internet.
This kind of fanaticism was used by Hitler against the Jews and just about every other race and culture, by the Italians against the African Continent, and by the Japanese against the Chinese. It was used by the Catholic Church in Spain as a weapon to force those not of the Catholic faith underground or tortured to death for heresy. It was part of the Crusades and the slaughter of millions of both Muslims and Christians. A struggle that continues even today, although it pits radical self-serving Islam against the free-thinking individual of any religious belief, basic human freedoms, and forces each of us to stand up to that type of extremism.
There are many religions in this world, and many beliefs in a different ‘god’. History is replete with various religious beliefs that either evolved or were discarded. Even those who do not adhere to the Christian belief should be free to choose what and how they think, and not be condemned by the few who see nothing but their way and dismiss their conservative values. This type of religious fanaticism degrades this forum to the very thing that the DUmmies expect from FR, intolerance of others.
Science is the quest for knowledge. That quest requires that each individual take a look at data and information and make a valued opinion. Science is not perfect, nor has it claimed to have all the answers, otherwise, cancer would be cured tomorrow, food would be grown enough to feed the world, and disease would be eliminated. But that is not the case. It is that quest that has sent us in directions to search for who we are, and where we came from. If the science leads us to god, or whatever deity that created the universe, then so be it, but to dismiss it is to ignore the progress of generations, and reinforces an ignorance that only education can alleviate. By using one book as the sole source to how everything has come to where it is now, is ignorance on the highest level. And to use that belief as a ruler to measure your worthiness as a conservative is beyond the pale.
I will miss the valuable wealth of knowledge of the gun-owners here. I will miss the total dedication to the memory of our brave fallen heroes, and the devotion to our military around the world. I will miss the realistic social and fiscal conservative values I found here that reinforces my own political views.
I will not miss the tolerated religious bigotry, the insulting, uneducated, demeaning tripe that passes for knowledge by those few who would dictate to the rest.
Yes, Jim, it is your site to do with as you please, but to allow the few to demean and dictate to the many what beliefs are acceptable and ‘conservative’, and with your blessing, is intolerable to me and probably many, many other conservatives here. It shows that the intolerance the left accuses conservatives of being does live on FreeRepublic. Maybe this kind of self purging is what you wanted allowing the sort of tripe we have seen lately. It serves conservatism very little and demeans everything you started this site to be.
I will continue to fight for conservative causes, pro-life causes, pro-gun legislation, and real conservative candidates to help us get this country of ours back to where it should be. It just won’t be here, where my beliefs in that conservatism will be questioned because my religious beliefs are not coincidental with the owner.
I pray for our country and those who fight for her, in whatever capacity they can.
Please remove my name from all ping lists.
Goodbye and good luck.
Well hello there, Mr. Godwin.
I have been here for eight years, and I have never encountered any of those individuals. Probably because I DO NOT SEEK OUT THOSE THREADS.
Perhaps that advise is a little late in coming, but whatever. See yah.
APf
WTH?
March wasn't ALL that long ago.
“Yet, under the protection of the owner of the site, these very few have had the audacity to instill their beliefs into the core of what was once a great conservative site, and is now one that determines your conservatism by your acceptability of Creation Science.”
Uh.... Yeah, right. If I’m reading this right, the writer thinks we should ban people who believe in Creation Science. Sounds more like the Dummie site to me.
That’s when Phileleutherus joined. He’s only posting the message on Pistolshot’s behalf.
Oh. What a waste of a good zinger.
Why is Phil posting other people's stuff?
LOL- Assuming htsi is wacka- the ‘great farethewell’ by someone who is guiklty of everythign they’ve stated in their ‘condemnation’ of htose they dissagree with- This ‘small intolorant group’ you speak of has posted science article after science article- and folks like you have taken it upon yourself to hound those articles tryign to shut htem down- keyword spamming htem with insult after insutling keywords, engaged in ad hominem attacks agaisnt hte posters of hte sceintific articles, and you’ve REFUSED to engage in anythign even remotely resembling civil discussion.
you’ve made it your mission to hound htose you dissagree with, and have, as the other poster pointed out- sought out every scientific article you can find posted here on FR to engage i nthis behavior.
Practically every single scientific Article supporting Creation or ID is immediately struck by drive by insulters
[[I will not miss the tolerated religious bigotry, the insulting, uneducated, demeaning tripe that passes for knowledge by those few who would dictate to the rest. ]]
Nor wil lwe miss you’rs- if you didn’t like it being thrown back at you- then perhaps you shouldan’t have started it in the first place- so please- enoiug already- just another ‘farethewell’ thread by someone who can dish it out, but throws a fit when they get it in return. your whole post is NOTHING but religious bigotry, the insulting, uneducated, demeaning tripe that passes for knowledge by those few who would dictate to the rest- insulting htose you dissagree with- but hten again, in your mind, you’re ‘innocent’ of all charges eh?
Farethewell
Frankly I find the evolutionists cranky, condescending and cocky. There can be a thread about an archaeological find and some wise ass on the first or second post always whines, “How can this be? The Earth is only 6,000yo.”. Blah, blah, blah. Instead of intellectual debate there is only potshots and snide remarks.
Good riddance. Go find a humanist forum where you can agree with everyone all day long.
Well, the gun experts and the Jesus freaks haven’t changed. We’re still here. What has changed?
Tell Pistolshot to quit being a baby and get back in the game.
Life is a contact sport. If you need a timeout, take it, but at some point you are going to have to get back in the game.
Play Ball!!
Wait.... You like Jesus and Guns? /s
I don’t read those threads. Those people are nuts.
And I will, if ever needed, go without an opus.
[[This type of religious fanaticism degrades this forum to the very thing that the DUmmies expect from FR, intolerance of others. ]]
LOL- seems ot me you’re the o ne being intolorant of those who Beleive in God’s word and stand up for their beliefs.
[[There are many religions in this world, and many beliefs in a different ‘god’.]]
And TRUE Christians beleive htere is only one TRUE God, and I find it pretty intolorant of you to suggest that we don’t have the right to suggest that or express that, and that you suggest that because soem on FR do infact express that that FR has become ‘a group of fanatical Nazis’ (in your own words and intimations)
[[This is the worst kind of fanaticism as it pits a particular religious belief against an individuals ability to think.]]
Mmmm No- not so much- IF you don’t want an argument with a Christian, Don’t attack their beleif, or suggest to them that they are fanatics like you’ve done throughout your thread
[[Yet, under the protection of the owner of the site, these very few have had the audacity to instill their beliefs into the core of what was once a great conservative site,]]
You’ve certainly made it crystal clear that you don’t tolorate opposing views on a public forum, and have becoem so upset that TRUE Christians woudl have the audacity to present material and evidence supporting hteir viewpoints, that you’re goign to leave? Wow! Just Wow!
[[It has now become a site that determines your conservatism based on rejection of Mormonism, the Roman Catholic faith, atheism, on any religious belief but their own, and not on conservative values that have nothing to do with religious beliefs, but on what is best for the country and what we revere as America.]]
Again- mmmm no- not so much- it determiens the DEGREE of conservativism- As you ful lwell shoudl know, there ARE degrees of conservatism- Far right, middle of the road, and left- IF you’re middle or left- then wear that badge with pride isntead of yelling about the far right- Agree to dissagree instead of yelling about htose hwo are different than you- As I said in my last post- that’s ALL that folsk like Wacka did- yell yell yell -following GGG around and yelling- tryign to shut down all his htreads- or derail them- NEVER discussing hte issues-
[[Recently, there has been a new creeping fascism by a small group of Creation Science believers into FR. These few individuals would have you believe that the Earth is 6000 years old, there is no other belief other than Jesus Christ, a great flood killed everyone and everything, leaving only a few survivors on a boat, which make little sense, ]]
Are you so insecure in your positions that you can’t allow them to beleive what they do? To allow them to post their views right alongside beliefs about evolution or atheism or any other topic?
[[Even those who do not adhere to the Christian belief should be free to choose what and how they think, and not be condemned by the few who see nothing but their way and dismiss their conservative values.]]
Again -the whole ‘dishing out but can’t take it’ saying applies here- Evos relentlessly followed GGG’s threads around condemning him and other Creationsits who posted in his threads- cosntantly
[[Please remove my name from all ping lists.
Goodbye]]
Yeah- whatever
Because, as the very first line explains (you did read that far, didn't you?), Pistolshot was just banned and isn't able to post it himself. But it's the post he had composed and decided to hold off from posting in the hopes that things would turn around, when suddenly (after ten years here) he got zotted for disagreeing with the hardcore creationists. So it serves as his epitaph.
Yep. If there is a thread with "Darwin" or "Creationist" or "Intelligent design" or "evolution" or any permutation of those words in the title, you won't find any posts from me. I know what my Christian beliefs are and I have zero interest in those debates or those threads. For freepers who do, knock yourself out. Right now I'm only concerned about the Kenyan communist Ubama and his attempt to annihilate traditional America.
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