It looks to me like there are certain posters on the forum who are opportunists. They consistently show up on threads where there is a chance to be a protagonist.
It doesn’t seem to be a discussion or debate that they have in mind. It’s warfare. It’s a relentless “gotcha” attitude. I’m willing to bet that it doesn’t leave a good impression on the lurkers—who are probably outnumbering the posters any day.
What you are proposing are two concepts:
1) Stay off the forum if you don’t like criticisms of your particular faith
2) thereby admitting that you can’t take the heat and need to be insulated from it.
These two propositions overlook the fact that anyone would want to come to the defense of their faith if it’s being held in contempt ipso facto. It also falsely takes the position that if one doesn’t like the contemptuous approach, that they’re not capable of reasoned debate.
In other words, if you don’t like seeing your faith maligned, get out.
It’s for sure that this approach has built-in trouble markers—for everyone.
imho,
Part of the problem, however, is that
contemptuousness
like beauty
is in the eye, mind, heart, insecurities
of the beholder.
It also falsely takes the position that if one doesn’t like the contemptuous approach, that they’re not capable of reasoned debate.
= = =
Chewing on that a bit more . . .
It does seem overly often still, to be the case that . . .
some relatively few . . . in a diversity of Christian orientations . . .
have enough personal, emotional, psychological, reactive attachment disordered residue, baggage . . .
that
a list of things are PERCEIVED to be contemptuous
whether they are, or not . . . and usually perceived to be OUTRAGEOUSLY CONTEMPTUOUS whether they are even in the ball park, or not.
Goodness, we are individuals from across the spectrum of individuals as well as the spectrum of Christian experience and nations.
How on earth is it reasonable to expect that everyone will have the same sensibilities about such things.
Where is the FORBEARANCE Scripture instructs us to have?
Pastor has been exhorting us for a few weeks now to AT LEAST IN OUR HOMES—to out honor one another. ‘Tis a very worthy goal and practice. I’m humbled and honored that my housemate has characterized me as . . . well . . . not failing in that effort. A humbling affirmation, for sure.
And, I’m intrigued at the prospect of trying to broaden that more hereon, though I’ve not exactly avoided it for some time. But it’s tricky.
Some folks will not feel . . . seemingly anything positive, much less honored . . .
unless and until the other person 100% kowtows and becomes their subservient clone.
I’ve never found that very workable or healthy.
Therefor what? Still pondering. LOL.