“We are told to ‘grow a thick skin’ in the public square. Well, if I go to a place where I can regularly expect bad treatment for simply engaging in conversation; where my arguments are ignored or misrepresented and half the participants seem to be present just to ‘pile on’...well, I’m not likely to be found in such a place very often.”
This is so true. I have gradually stepped away from the Religion Forum in recent months because much of the time it was a public square that was openly hostile to all I hold sacred, and just perceiving it that way, I would be “thin-skinned”, or partitioned off to devotional threads.
I can think of dozens of screen names I haven’t seen on this forum in quite some time. I guess they got the message, too.
I just wish that this were the genre of thread that the ubiquitous “pile-on” posters would be reading; they are the ones who should see the common sense of what you have said.
No reason to choose the fellowship of bigots.
The Religion Forum is run under the conceit that it is “like a town square.”
It isn't.
In a town square, it is true, the more obnoxious sorts will resort to arguments that degrade what is held dear by others.
But it is also true that in the town square, those who are thusly attacked can defend themselves by impeaching the credibility of the scum that so attack them. Pointing out that some of the attackers are inveterate liars is a routine use of the town square. Pointing out the immorality and personal evil of such persons is regularly done in the town square. Other defenses that might be thought of as "making it personal" are part and parcel of the back-and-forth of the town square.
But here, such defenses are called “making it personal.” And thus, our “town square's” “freedom of speech” is pretty badly abridged to avoid “making it personal.” The reason? “Making it personal is flame-bait” and encourages flame wars.
Well, guess what? So does degradation of what others hold sacred. And for those who worship God in Truth rather than give false worship, personal attacks are far less offensive than attacks on what is holy. Only for the self-worshiping solipsists is it imaginable that a personal attack is worse than an attack on holy things.
But the bias suffered here is a trifling thing compared to what our ancestors in faith suffered, and compared to what the disciples suffer in many parts of the world. It's regrettable, but vanishingly insignificant.
We should pray for those here who persecute Jesus by persecuting His Church.
I do think, though, that open RF threads are Satan's playground here on FR, and should generally be avoided by those who follow the Master.
sitetest