Forums to be closed

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MNathaniel said:
You are aware that the Catholic Answers apostolate is primarily an apologetics apostolate, right? They run a live radio show and have highly credentialed staff apologists who write books and articles, speak at conferences and so on?

I was a fan of Catholic Answers years before I even realized the forums existed, and I’ll continue to read and view Catholic Answers content long after the forums close this December.

And now that they’re not wasting their donors’ money subsidizing these forums (which weren’t even paying for 10% of themselves), I’m sure Catholic Answers will continue to do just fine. Their regular website (Catholic.com ) is much more helpful than these forums anyway (it’ll only be you missing out if you choose to avoid looking up information there!), and someone mentioned publicly available information of Catholic Answers bringing in donor income of over $8M/yr. And that was definitely not coming from these forums (which apparently, even with patrons and ad revenue, weren’t even close to breaking even, so the forums were a loss for them, not a gain).

So again. I think they’ll be fine. I’m sure they appreciate your concern though!
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Well, goody for them. Sounds as if we’ll all get by just fine without each other, then!
 
“A nonprofit corporation has no owners (shareholders) whatsoever. Nonprofit corporations do not declare shares of stock when established. In fact, some states refer to nonprofit corporations as non-stock corporations.”

Who Really Owns a Nonprofit?
 
MagdalenaRita said:
The points CAF made for closing, based on the opinions they received, are a good reason for closing:

Opinions about the merits of the CAF range more widely than those concerning any of our other works. Some find them helpful, others contentious , others find them addictive , and still others find some of the content not suited to an apologetics apostolate and some of the content better suited to private spiritual direction and sacramental confession .

God bless everyone. Pray the rosary and pray for the Church.
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MagdalenaRita, I know we have had our share of differences, but I 100 percent agree with your entire post here. Like you, I learned a lot about the faith on this forum, and also like you, I have spent considerable time in prayer over the past couple years asking God to please help me to develop more charity and understanding and find more peaceful ways of fellowship.

With respect to the reasons CAF gave, I think one big, overarching issue CAF had was that it was trying to be all things to all people.
  • Some people wanted to have a place for Catholics to fellowship with other Catholics or with people firmly on the path to conversion.
  • Some people wanted a place to have lively discussion and debate of apologetics.
  • Some wanted a place to discuss and debate the news.
  • Some mostly wanted to pray.
  • Some wanted to express concerns about the state of the Church, or about practices they saw going on, in an atmosphere where others would share/ be receptive to their concern.
  • Some were looking for a place to ask genuine questions or express genuine doubts.
  • Some were looking for support with complicated personal life issues that would probably have been better discussed with priests, doctors, counselors etc.
Trying to include all these different needs onto one forum just got to be too big, too much, and too hard to control with any sort of regularity.
 
In my opinion, nothing deficient about the forums per se.
The apostolate in general carries a weight of Catholic integrity and authority, and the apostolate in general does a great job at teaching the Catholic faith. The forum, by extension, carries the banner of that integrity and authority.
Because it bears that banner, the forum becomes a place for folks to wrestle for that high ground of Catholic integrity and doctrinal authority.
Some people look to the forum for real and definitive answers.
Some people find this the place to debate the Church on issues they disagree with.
Those who would like to destroy the Church or just argue with it’s authority also find this place conducive to that battle.

Those folks aren’t going to a place that doesn’t claim some Catholic integrity and authority. They are going where the banner is.

So, I think it’s obvious that the apostolate is doing the right thing by protecting it’s core mission from what amounts to pointless doctrinal bar-room brawls.
 
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Am I the only one who is seeing the horrendous adds displayed on here??
 
I mean, I’ve seen some that look odd for a catholic website; but the ones on here now look like they’re out of a lingerie catalogue!
 
As I’ve said, I’m not sorry to see these forums close. However there is one thing that I would like to see exist or maybe be created, that sometimes was beneficial about CAF, and that is a place for people with questions to find clear, orthodox answers to their questions. A bit like “ask an apologist” used to be. Not “ask a bunch of opinionated people on a forum”. If someone, CA or someone else, were to create that I think it would be useful. CA itself is great for finding answers to many questions, but some questions are more specific and personal and need a personal answer.
 
I totally disagree. The Catholic Answers site is great for orthodox answers about Catholicism.
 
Fully agree. If they told us they were going to close unless they got funding it would have been different. I didn’t pay much attention to the Patron as I didn’t see the point of it. But if they had introduced subscription I would have signed up, I’m always on this site.
 
It will be based on your own google searches which is based on analytics but can also be from third party apps. There are blockers that help prevent cookies and the like tracking every move on the internet. It is incredible how much money is made on our internet searches.
 
Well trust me, I’m not looking for anything like what’s in these adds. If outdoors stuff was coming up, then it’d make sense. I also don’t use google search engine.
 
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The google analytics collect data, age, sex, interests etc. Multi-billion profits are made from google analytics. A little scary really.
 
Lol you’re speaking a little Greek to me. But, I have the adult settings on my device to where inappropriate sights can’t be accessed and stuff like that. So I don’t come across things like what I’m seeing in the adds.

In case you can’t tell, I’m not the most tech savvy person.
 
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I was listening to this yesterday when doing some chores around the house. I have marked it at the interest point, though the whole documentary is interesting especially if you are unaware of online risks etc. PS this is not a dooms day info. It is what is actually happening in the world.

 
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I understand that some people did not find CAF edifying, but to be glad it is shut down? How does that make sense? Paul wrote in Philippians 2:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

I remember when St. John Paul expanded the used of the Tridentine Mass. Most people will not avail themselves of it and will not find it more edifying than the Mass they attend, yet I was not alone in welcoming this move, not for myself, but for those that do find it edifying.

For those that did not like it here, there was no obligation to read, or to post. But for the sake of those of us that did find this place useful, please heed the advice of St. Paul.

At least do not gloat.
 
Exactly. In general, people don’t know how to speak to each other anymore, especially when opinions differ. It’s become easier to demonize and ridicule than it is to have a meaningful conversations.
 
pnewton said:
For those that did not like it here, there was no obligation to read, or to post. But for the sake of those of us that did find this place useful, please heed the advice of St. Paul.

At least do not gloat.
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I think the most charitable interpretation might be that those who are glad about the shut-down, are glad because they think this site had a significant-enough negative effect for others, that for the sake of those others it’s better for it not to continue. I don’t think most people who agree that it’s best for the site to close, are only thinking of themselves.

I’m glad for all those who found anything useful or positive here, of course. And I hope those who had a positive experience can be equally glad for the well-being of those whose well-being is expected to improve when this site ceases to exist. (For example, people who found this site unhealthily addictive or who were misled or provoked to unhealthy states by content or users here.)

I’m aware that other online forums have been created, for those who found aspects of this forum positive. I don’t plan to join one of these other online forums myself – but if you do, I hope you receive good fruits from it! It sounds like many people have already made the move to a new, similar forum, and I hope the conversations that happen on that new forum are a positive experience for all involved.
 
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