How should we respond? (red equal signs on social media)

[gam197]

I don’t have a Facebook account because I was told they are unfriendly to Catholics. They are one-sided on issues.

I have read they won’t allow any signs which are not gay friendly such as the one man and one woman signs. and/ that they keep erasing what you post signs with equal with a bar through it?

 

[Lochias]

I posted a few level-toned arguments to some of the same-sex supporting statements out there. I got a few responses, all of them disagreeing, but respectfully.

One of my closest friends (who supports SSM) however, while being sweet and saying that she was “glad we were still friends”, thought that my “rant was a touch out of character.”

My “rant”? Really? Speaking a statement in simple opposition to your own viewpoint is a “rant”?

 

[gam197]

y “rant”? Really? Speaking a statement in simple opposition to your own viewpoint is a “rant”"?M

Of course, it’s a" rant". So much for tolerance.

Try to put up an equal sign with a slash and see if it isn’t taken down within minutes.

 

[3DOCTORS]

Of course, it’s a" rant". So much for tolerance.

Try to put up an equal sign with a slash and see if it isn’t taken down within minutes.

Of course it’s a rant! Remember, religious people are frothing-at-the mouth fanatics! Every last one of 'em!

In the “eyes” of Facebook, at least, and from the looks of it the majority of FB users lean to the left on moral issues.

If they are seriously deleting the opposition for posting an “equivalent” (ha ha) but opposite symbol to the “marriage equality” one, I say it’s time to delete THEM. I already deactivated and have instructions saved on how to make the deletion permanent. I have a few websites I want to copy down (hobbies and interests, and Catholic ones, etc.) URLs before I make the final break.

 

[gam197]

originally** posted by 3DOCTORS**
In the “eyes” of Facebook, at least, and from the looks of it the majority of FB users lean to the left on moral issues

The sad part for me is that my whole, large extended family is on there including some of my children. They are always after me to join. Yet if something like this came up, I’d be deleting my relatives and they may delete me and that would be very painful for all.

I heard they are deleting any opposition so how is it fair to allow only the equality symbol on Facebook?

 

[HoosMommie]

I won’t get into any conversation or debate with those who have made the red equal sign their profile picture but I have hidden each one of them. They will stay hidden until further notice.

 

[JimG]

The original one - the “marriage equality” one - has burned itself into my brain. Honestly, I feel like it’s some kind of inkling of how Jews must have felt upon seeing the Nazi flag in the early days of Hitler’s rise to power.

Persecution has begun, where will it end? What Catacombs will there be for Christians in the Digital Age to hide in after our defenses of traditional marriage get us branded as dangerous individuals spouting “hate speech” who must be silenced at any cost? Think it can’t happen? I hope not but I’m not optimistic. This issue seems to be reaching some sort of tipping point. Look at the part social media plays in presidential elections anymore, vs. the amount of influence traditional morality seems to have in the world.

I pray to God I’m just overreacting.

You are not overreacting. Labeling Catholics as hateful bigots is only the beginning.

 

[CopticChristian]

Many of you have probably seen the red equal signs that have sprouted up all over the internet. In case you are unaware, the red equal signs are used by supporters of gay “marriage”.

How should we respond to them?

I have even seen some Catholics on facebook who have posted things in support of gay “marriage”. I was thinking of posting this to give them a refresher on what the Church teaches:

"2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,141 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."142 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2357-2359"

Perhaps even just paragraph 2358.

What do you guys think?

Zenkai,

I am not really sure if this breaks copyright laws however this may work…

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Of course it’s a rant! Remember, religious people are frothing-at-the mouth fanatics! Every last one of 'em!

In the “eyes” of Facebook, at least, and from the looks of it the majority of FB users lean to the left on moral issues.

If they are seriously deleting the opposition for posting an “equivalent” (ha ha) but opposite symbol to the “marriage equality” one, I say it’s time to delete THEM. I already deactivated and have instructions saved on how to make the deletion permanent. I have a few websites I want to copy down (hobbies and interests, and Catholic ones, etc.) URLs before I make the final break.

Do you mind sharing? I don’t have an active FB page, but I still get the stupid emails about “So and so is waiting to be your friend.” I would love to make the deletion permanent!

 

[CollegeStinks]

As usual, I would pray for my enemies…

for what exactly I’d be praying to happen to them is another matter.

 

[Zenkai]

I don’t have a Facebook account because I was told they are unfriendly to Catholics. They are one-sided on issues.

I have read they won’t allow any signs which are not gay friendly such as the one man and one woman signs. and/ that they keep erasing what you post signs with equal with a bar through it?

I changed my profile picture to a pic of one man and one women. It has not been taken down.

 

[3DOCTORS]

The sad part for me is that my whole, large extended family is on there including some of my children. They are always after me to join. Yet if something like this came up, I’d be deleting my relatives and they may delete me and that would be very painful for all.

I heard they are deleting any opposition so how is it fair to allow only the equality symbol on Facebook?

I sooooo feel your pain. Not all my relatives - or close friends - are the type to display the loathsome sign in question, but most are not practicing their Catholic faith much if any, or even the Protestant side theirs. I’ve lived long enough to see what Protestants were before the liberals got ahold of 'em and trust me they were different than what you see today - some, such as Southern Baptists, evangelicals, etc. don’t fit this and are more like a “faithful remnant” of what mainline Protestantism used to be, IMO.

The thing I began to bemoan in the 3-4 years or so I’ve had FB was that my relatives communicated on it less and less. At first it brought us somewhat closer together but that’s pretty much faded away. So my just getting rid of FB kit and kaboodle won’t be much more of a disappointment in the family-connections area than it has been lately anyway.

My friends may ask why I left, but some of the liberal ones will easily guess why, and I’ll either play dumb or handle it with humor and refuse to get drawn into argument. And there’s always the fallback: I was spending too much time on Facebook anyway, and neglecting things that are more important to me. Which is no lie.

I just don’t want to “give” Facebook much of me if they’re going to be discriminating against me for what I believe. I don’t use apps and a lot of my “likes” are things like Catholic Memes or cute cat pics or serious religious organizations, or artistic things that I like. I don’t go liking, for instance, many things like cars or shoes or whatever that would feed into the marketing machine. So I’m not worth many $$$ signs in their eyes probably anyway. But by leaving, maybe I’ll be contributing to FB’s eventual demise . . . bwahahaaaa

 

[mommyof4]

I find that the “unfriend” button solves the problem pretty quickly.

Yep, I just unfriended a lot of people the past few days. I will probably get some flack for this at Easter, but Oh well.

 

[Kithrus]

Yep, I just unfriended a lot of people the past few days. I will probably get some flack for this at Easter, but Oh well.

As a game devolper I don’t have that luxury. Removing people I end up working for is the same as saying ‘screw you buddy, I hate your guts’

 

[Julianna]

You know I would think that people who have a FB account and acquired many friends, family …sharing back and forth from a few months to a few years, would “know” how they feel about every issue under the sun.

This one little equal sign, seems to push those you have shared with, joked with, brought into your life, right out the door. The person who may have brought dinner to, when there was an illness or death in the family. The friends you made at your child’s school where you volunteered for a field trip, soccer mom, or other school function. Now, gone, out of your life. The family you sat next to at Church, whose home you have visited, and they likewise, children played together, and then all of a sudden, “the dreaded equal sign”, now all bets are off. The people you have carpooled with or have shared shuttling your children to and from, now your kids I guess and you, are out of the carpool. Hey, why not? Go big or go home.

The co chair of your community organization where you planning a fundraiser for a community project, I guess their gone too, because they put up an equal sign.

I am flabbergasted.

 

[Crescentinus]

From experience, I can say that the FaceBook reporting system is biased in support of anti-Catholicism and liberal-progressivism.

 

[3DOCTORS]

You know I would think that people who have a FB account and acquired many friends, family …sharing back and forth from a few months to a few years, would “know” how they feel about every issue under the sun.

**This one little equal sign, seems to push those you have shared with, joked with, brought into your life, right out the door. ** The person who may have brought dinner to, when there was an illness or death in the family. The friends you made at your child’s school where you volunteered for a field trip, soccer mom, or other school function. Now, gone, out of your life. The family you sat next to at Church, whose home you have visited, and they likewise, children played together, and then all of a sudden, “the dreaded equal sign”, now all bets are off. The people you have carpooled with or have shared shuttling your children to and from, now your kids I guess and you, are out of the carpool. Hey, why not? Go big or go home.

The co chair of your community organization where you planning a fundraiser for a community project, I guess their gone too, because they put up an equal sign.

I am flabbergasted.

No, no, no. You’ve got that part of it wrong. It’s the Facebook context of it all that this is playing out in. No one is suggesting to stop being friends with these people. I don’t plan to confront anyone IRL about their use of that symbol. But I have every right to decide whether I want my Facebook page to be full of something I find as offensive as I find that symbol and all it represents. Or whether, for that matter, I want to have a Facebook page at all anymore.

With regard to those who are keeping their Facebook pages for now, they still have the right to put limits on this as they wish. It doesn’t necessarily have to be by “unfriending” people - there are other approaches if that seems too harsh or awkward. There are settings such as “Choose which updates you wish to receive from Mary/John” and so on. That appears when you hide a post. These have been my weapon of choice against the temptation to retort back at these people for quite some time, and may work for you.

But there is something about the sheer visual impact and the numbers game of this red-and-pink symbol. Surely it was meant to be provocative. To throw down the gauntlet as it were. And this it has done, in a way that is downright visceral. Like I said, for me it’s a little like being a Jew and seeing a swastika flag. There’s this realization: “These people no longer care about the world of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and maybe not even about me. I - and people who believe as I do - are now perceived as mere obstacles on the road to their establishment of their brave new world.” That’s more than flabbergasting, it’s frightening.

The so-called “Marriage Equality Day,” which I don’t know whether was decided on purpose or not to be held during both Christian Holy Week and Jewish Passover, has had a powerful response. Those who want to prove how hip they are have jumped on the bandwagon along with the hardcore folks already there. Those who are totally NOT cool with it, like myself, and who are tired of being pushed around by the PC-bullies, have been galvanized by this whole business. It may turn out to backfire on those who started it. I for one would be laughing my head off if it did. Stay tuned.

 

[mommyof4]

No, no, no. You’ve got that part of it wrong. It’s the Facebook context of it all that this is playing out in. No one is suggesting to stop being friends with these people. I don’t plan to confront anyone IRL about their use of that symbol. But I have every right to decide whether I want my Facebook page to be full of something I find as offensive as I find that symbol and all it represents. Or whether, for that matter, I want to have a Facebook page at all anymore.

With regard to those who are keeping their Facebook pages for now, they still have the right to put limits on this as they wish. It doesn’t necessarily have to be by “unfriending” people - there are other approaches if that seems too harsh or awkward. There are settings such as “Choose which updates you wish to receive from Mary/John” and so on. That appears when you hide a post. These have been my weapon of choice against the temptation to retort back at these people for quite some time, and may work for you.

But there is something about the sheer visual impact and the numbers game of this red-and-pink symbol. Surely it was meant to be provocative. To throw down the gauntlet as it were. And this it has done, in a way that is downright visceral. Like I said, for me it’s a little like being a Jew and seeing a swastika flag. There’s this realization: “These people no longer care about the world of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and maybe not even about me. I - and people who believe as I do - are now perceived as mere obstacles on the road to their establishment of their brave new world.” That’s more than flabbergasting, it’s frightening.

The so-called “Marriage Equality Day,” which I don’t know whether was decided on purpose or not to be held during both Christian Holy Week and Jewish Passover, has had a powerful response. Those who want to prove how hip they are have jumped on the bandwagon along with the hardcore folks already there. Those who are totally NOT cool with it, like myself, and who are tired of being pushed around by the PC-bullies, have been galvanized by this whole business. It may turn out to backfire on those who started it. I for one would be laughing my head off if it did. Stay tuned.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Enilu]

JR Ewing said, “Keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer.”

 

[Julianna]

No, no, no. You’ve got that part of it wrong. It’s the Facebook context of it all that this is playing out in. No one is suggesting to stop being friends with these people. I don’t plan to confront anyone IRL about their use of that symbol. But I have every right to decide whether I want my Facebook page to be full of something I find as offensive as I find that symbol and all it represents. Or whether, for that matter, I want to have a Facebook page at all anymore.

With regard to those who are keeping their Facebook pages for now, they still have the right to put limits on this as they wish. It doesn’t necessarily have to be by “unfriending” people - there are other approaches if that seems too harsh or awkward. There are settings such as “Choose which updates you wish to receive from Mary/John” and so on. That appears when you hide a post. These have been my weapon of choice against the temptation to retort back at these people for quite some time, and may work for you.

But there is something about the sheer visual impact and the numbers game of this red-and-pink symbol. Surely it was meant to be provocative. To throw down the gauntlet as it were. And this it has done, in a way that is downright visceral. Like I said, for me it’s a little like being a Jew and seeing a swastika flag. There’s this realization: “These people no longer care about the world of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and maybe not even about me. I - and people who believe as I do - are now perceived as mere obstacles on the road to their establishment of their brave new world.” That’s more than flabbergasting, it’s frightening.

The so-called “Marriage Equality Day,” which I don’t know whether was decided on purpose or not to be held during both Christian Holy Week and Jewish Passover, has had a powerful response. Those who want to prove how hip they are have jumped on the bandwagon along with the hardcore folks already there. Those who are totally NOT cool with it, like myself, and who are tired of being pushed around by the PC-bullies, have been galvanized by this whole business. It may turn out to backfire on those who started it. I for one would be laughing my head off if it did. Stay tuned.

Yes, I know about hiding posts. I have hidden posts, especially during the election as the fighting got pretty intense and between that and the mud slinging tv ads, it got be too much. I understand your reason for hiding posts.

However, posters in this very thread “have” un-friended people “directly”. This is what I was addressing.