Boycott Anti-Catholic forums: Create The "Deafening Silence"

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If you want to know how to create a deafening silence simply don’t visit these trash sites.
 
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Marilena:
If you want to know how to create a deafening silence simply don’t visit these trash sites.
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I don’t think thats the answer, there is much good we can do, by speaking the truth. The reason for this, is that this website has gotten out of hand, and this is an effort to open their eyes somewhat.
 
Be very careful not to break the board rules about signatures. For example, one of these boards has the following rules:

Signatures: Posters may advertise their website only in their board member profile, not in their signature. Your signature on the boards may not exceed 50 words and 6 lines and may not be used for advertisement of websites or for posting links to other websites. Only …] volunteers, moderators, administrators may advertise or link websites in their signature as a privilege to their services to …]. The discussion boards and pm systems are private, and as part of the …]ministry are not to be used for advertisement or promotion purposes.​

 
It seems the board I have gone to for a long time goes through stages of strangeness. It is doing that now.

I’m in. Maybe the 3 month sabbatical will turn into a 30 year sabbatical. I do have afghans to make. I promised one to each of my 10 sibs. Then I have a niece and several nephews, not to mention my 2 kids, and who knows who my kids will marry and how many kids they will have.

Crocheting takes all my worries away, I can pray while I’m crocheting. It is so relaxing.

Janice
 
The only things we should worry about are promoting the faith and making ourselves better Catholics.

Two things—
#1-- The presence of Catholics on anti-Catholic boards or even on boards that are sort-of anti-Catholic is overrated by Catholics much of the time. Most anti-Catholics don’t listen to us anyway and don’t debate in an honest way. With Catholic posters gone they just go right about their business and put even more (stuff) up there.

#2–Who are we trying to reach? Or rather, Who are we successful at reaching? It’s those in-between people who have heard bad things about the RCC but still are a bit interested and intrigued. A lot of those people don’t enter into a debate–they just sit and read to see how a Catholic answers charges etc. and silently reassess their opinion if a Catholic does his/her job well.

A lot of those people I describe are intrigued by “Catholic things” such as the rosary, holy water, confession etc etc. LENT is one thing that intrigues them. I personally know several people who are more than a little suspicious of the Catholic church but if I tell them I am doing something “for Lent” then they support me and even encourage me. There’s something about self-sacrifice and religious discipline that is a common bond for most people.

Of course, all of us should currently be setting a course for ourselves for the Lenten season–and I don’t mean giving up Snickers bars. Where does all this arguing and debating on other boards fit into our Lenten mindset? Will it help you achieve your Lenten goals of soul-searching and repentance, reflection and taking stock of our lives and souls?

In my mind we have a unique opportunity to accomplish a couple things at once here. Why not give up that debating, arguing, and all that goes on in those situations on certain boards, and focus on our own development as Catholic christians during Lent?

Face it–most people won’t stick with a 3-month self-imposed ban on other sites. Lent, however is very doable, and it will be good for us if we use that energy the way we can and should.

Lent begins next Wednesday. If we all make a real effort to publicize the fact that we are giving up all this other stuff for religious reasons, THAT HAS to have a positive effect on all those other “in-between people” as I called them earlier.

How about it? No apologetics, no arguing, no debating, no attempts at explaining All Things Catholic on these other sites until after Easter Sunday, when everyone comes back and talks about the Glory of the Risen Lord?

If you’re with me—make sure you publicize the fact you are giving up all that other stuff for Lent to concentrate on soul-searching, repentance, and reflection. It’s good for you and it’s good for all the people who are silently watching you, the people you have an effect on whether you know it or not. And most times you’ll never, ever know–it’s just a seed that sprouts later.
And tell 'em where you’ll be. Maybe some will wander on over here.
 
I do not post on any other forum but this one but I have visited a few that have left me feeling sick! So, I guess I am not qualified to vote, and I’m getting into this conversation pretty cheap, but a boycott would only work, it seems, if you had 100% participation. How can you be assured of that?
 
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BlackKnight:
Would you support a (miniumum) 3 month boycott of anti-Catholic forums so that all of us leave March 1st without saying anything?

Have you noticed that the Catholic forums on the A-C boards seem to have the most traffic? I wonder what those places would do if we all just quietly passed the word that all Catholics are boycotting them for at least 3 months beginning the 1st of March. We need not announce it in any way or give them the satisfaction of knowing or using it to their PR and propaganda (You know…“We’re so right about Catholicism that Catholics boycott us…”), but if we all just suddenly disappear and stay on the Catholic forums to answer serious seekers it might be a fun way to see if they die off of boredom.

We really have no good reason to support folks like this is any way and I don’t think we ought to do anything that helps them promote their forums, websites, or radio shows, since they’re essentially making their living off of bashing the Catholic Church.

I have noticed that their Catholic forums are the most active and I think we should begin removing our support (by no longer participating) in anti-Catholic forums by leaving all at once and leaving behind us a deafening silence for at least 3 months (maybe longer if we see it’s a good thing!) Meanwhile we all go to the Catholic forums and post and hang out and study like mad.

To avoid a “Board swarm” please use the PM systems on the boards to pass the word, and encourage participation in the boycott.

Let’s face it, the measure of good that we do in those forums is not often worth the effort, because (frankly) if they really wanted to hear what Catholics really believe, they wouldn’t sit there knockin’ us, they’d be here getting the facts.

What say you?
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I support this because, after having been roughed up enough by the anti-Cahtolics, it is obvious their message is one of hate. For me, there is a BIG difference between anti-Catholics and Non-Catholics. The former take the contrarian view no matter what the Catholics says (recently, a Catholic posted rules for a debate and an anti-Catholic immediately responded that the Catholic was trying to control the debate only to be refuted when the Catholic admitted the rules of debate were cut-and-pasted from the non-Cahtolic site on debate decorum).

Plant a seed? Maybe. Maybe not. You can’t plant a seed on concrete and these people are as hard-headed as concrete.
 
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BlackKnight:
Would you support a (miniumum) 3 month boycott of anti-Catholic forums so that all of us leave March 1st without saying anything?

Have you noticed that the Catholic forums on the A-C boards seem to have the most traffic? I wonder what those places would do if we all just quietly passed the word that all Catholics are boycotting them for at least 3 months beginning the 1st of March. We need not announce it in any way or give them the satisfaction of knowing or using it to their PR and propaganda (You know…“We’re so right about Catholicism that Catholics boycott us…”), but if we all just suddenly disappear and stay on the Catholic forums to answer serious seekers it might be a fun way to see if they die off of boredom.

We really have no good reason to support folks like this is any way and I don’t think we ought to do anything that helps them promote their forums, websites, or radio shows, since they’re essentially making their living off of bashing the Catholic Church.

I have noticed that their Catholic forums are the most active and I think we should begin removing our support (by no longer participating) in anti-Catholic forums by leaving all at once and leaving behind us a deafening silence for at least 3 months (maybe longer if we see it’s a good thing!) Meanwhile we all go to the Catholic forums and post and hang out and study like mad.

To avoid a “Board swarm” please use the PM systems on the boards to pass the word, and encourage participation in the boycott.

Let’s face it, the measure of good that we do in those forums is not often worth the effort, because (frankly) if they really wanted to hear what Catholics really believe, they wouldn’t sit there knockin’ us, they’d be here getting the facts.

What say you?
Click to expand...
What are the forums that you are talking about.
 
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NPS:
The only things we should worry about are promoting the faith and making ourselves better Catholics.

Two things—
#1-- The presence of Catholics on anti-Catholic boards or even on boards that are sort-of anti-Catholic is overrated by Catholics much of the time. Most anti-Catholics don’t listen to us anyway and don’t debate in an honest way. With Catholic posters gone they just go right about their business and put even more (stuff) up there.

#2–Who are we trying to reach? Or rather, Who are we successful at reaching? It’s those in-between people who have heard bad things about the RCC but still are a bit interested and intrigued. A lot of those people don’t enter into a debate–they just sit and read to see how a Catholic answers charges etc. and silently reassess their opinion if a Catholic does his/her job well.

A lot of those people I describe are intrigued by “Catholic things” such as the rosary, holy water, confession etc etc. LENT is one thing that intrigues them. I personally know several people who are more than a little suspicious of the Catholic church but if I tell them I am doing something “for Lent” then they support me and even encourage me. There’s something about self-sacrifice and religious discipline that is a common bond for most people.

Of course, all of us should currently be setting a course for ourselves for the Lenten season–and I don’t mean giving up Snickers bars. Where does all this arguing and debating on other boards fit into our Lenten mindset? Will it help you achieve your Lenten goals of soul-searching and repentance, reflection and taking stock of our lives and souls?

In my mind we have a unique opportunity to accomplish a couple things at once here. Why not give up that debating, arguing, and all that goes on in those situations on certain boards, and focus on our own development as Catholic christians during Lent?

Face it–most people won’t stick with a 3-month self-imposed ban on other sites. Lent, however is very doable, and it will be good for us if we use that energy the way we can and should.

Lent begins next Wednesday. If we all make a real effort to publicize the fact that we are giving up all this other stuff for religious reasons, THAT HAS to have a positive effect on all those other “in-between people” as I called them earlier.

How about it? No apologetics, no arguing, no debating, no attempts at explaining All Things Catholic on these other sites until after Easter Sunday, when everyone comes back and talks about the Glory of the Risen Lord?

If you’re with me—make sure you publicize the fact you are giving up all that other stuff for Lent to concentrate on soul-searching, repentance, and reflection. It’s good for you and it’s good for all the people who are silently watching you, the people you have an effect on whether you know it or not. And most times you’ll never, ever know–it’s just a seed that sprouts later.
And tell 'em where you’ll be. Maybe some will wander on over here.
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:amen: 👍 I’m with you.
 
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Ignatius:
What are the forums that you are talking about.
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Unfortunately we cannot post them due to this boards rules, as Michael Francis stated earlier. I’ll PM you with one in particular.
 
I also like the idea of giving up the a-C forums for Lent. it’s just a good idea.

Still, I want us all to take the time and look at those forums and see if what I pointed out is true, that the Catholic parts are the most heavily trafficked, and if that is so then I really think we need to consider if we aren’t actually shooting ourselves in the foot by being in there because that traffic is what supports them, at our expense.

I still say that if they are sincere in their questions and really want a dialog in truth, that they should enter and support OUR forums to get accurate info. I do not believe that we are being wise to support them with our presence.

It’s not accurate to say that they won’t come here, because they know how to use the search engines just like we do.
Look what Google gives when you search “Catholic” LINK
 
It’s funny though, when you do a search on “Roman Catholicism” you get a bunch of anti-Catholic “Christian Apologetics” sites. I skimmed one about the mass, since it is one of the most misunderstood beliefs of the church. Although the author did cite the catechism (old Baltimore) and stated our belief, he still insisted that the Mass is the re-sacrificing of Christ. He just can’t understand how the mass can be proclaimed a divine sacrifice without a re-sacrifice. It’s simple if you ask me, the sacrifice of calvary is made present and is offered to the Father, just like it is mentioned in the book of Revelation. If somebody wants to have fun, pm me and I’ll give you the link. It is amature though, despite quoting the catechism, they still mis-represent the faith.
 
You can lead them to the truth but you can’t make them think… 🙂
 
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Superstar905:
Hi Pnewton, you know who I am at the site you mentioned earlier, where they don’t allow conversation on Catholicism.
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On of the admins there has a good balanced view and helps out a lot. He has also posted here in the past. I keep my same user name to keep eveything on the up and up and to keep from going schizo. (I even use it on runescape)
 
If a forum of communication asks that I be respectful, this is a reasonable request which I will honor. If a forum of communication censors my ideas or the content of what I am trying to communicate for any reason at all, then I object to this censorship and will not contribute in any way.

If this censorship occurs because I present pro-Catholic information, because I express certain political beliefs, because I promote certain academic opinions, or for any reason which does not pertain to respectful behavior or the welfare of others, then I object. I object on the principle that free speech has value whether or not the censorship is legal.

So would I support a “boycott”? For forums which will not allow me to speak, I already do and will continue to do so. For those which do allow me to speak, even in the face of substantial antagonism, I will continue to speak.

I insist on my freedom to speak my mind while obeying the social customs of courtesy and protecting the welfare of others. I insist on this freedom even if others disagree, even if others find my opinions onerous. As such, I do not feel it is right in any way to discourage others from exercising the same freedom either by censorship, boycott, or any other mechanism. When guarding the principles of free expression, I feel it is important to note that just because I can do something about expression that I dislike does not mean that I should.
 
Stephen,
So long as ya abide by the forum rules there should be little moderation necessary, but if you don’t read and abide by them then that’s where ya get tangled up with the mods…
Pax tecum,
 
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