[ArrogantBustard]

The concept of maintaining an atmosphere of common (I wish) decency should indeed be kept on the front burner, to the best of our ability.

This has nothing to do with syrupy 'niceness', or false ecumenism. Real disagreement among professed Christians exists, on matters of real substance. Professed Christians hold mutually exclusive positions on a whole host of topics ... logically, some of 'us' are WRONG about something. It does no good to try to brush this scandalous fact under the rug.

BUT ... if we can't discuss the matter decently and respectfully; if our discussions invariably lead to mockery, insults, misrepresentations, distortions, rancor and bitterness, then they are worse than useless. They harden peoples' hearts, blind them to the truth, and give scandal to the rest of the world.

By the Grace of God, we can do better than that.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

—By the Grace of God, we can do better than that.—

Amen.

[Quix]

Good points.

Though I fear I may not always come down precisely on the side you would in the way you would when you would.

Christ Himself used satire and fierce mocking in some situations.

But I have been trying to refine and reform my use of such. Don’t pretend to have arrived. Open to exhortations.

LUB