this forum has completely lost it's purpose

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bengal_fan

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IMO, this forum has lost it’s purpose completely. there is no debate anymore, just arguing. there is not a lot of charity anymore (and i’ll admit i’ve slipped into that too), just people with agenda’s and malice (for the most part). there is no exchange of ideas, just threads that start off as insulting. there is not scholarship, just what people “think” and then the spout off on a false premise. people start with the assumption that they are right and go from there. i can’t see any more use for these forums. if anything, they have pushed me further away from the catholic church. i will linger for the next few days and see if anything changes my mind.
 
i pray for these forums to change as well.
a while ago i created a couple of threads so if people wanted to duke it out in them, go ahead.
I would like to see the threads stay on topic and have proper debates, not insult throwing.
Pray that these threads calm down and remained focus on the topics.
 
bengal_fan said:
IMO, this forum has lost it’s purpose completely. there is no debate anymore, just arguing. there is not a lot of charity anymore (and i’ll admit i’ve slipped into that too), just people with agenda’s and malice (for the most part). there is no exchange of ideas, just threads that start off as insulting. there is not scholarship, just what people “think” and then the spout off on a false premise. people start with the assumption that they are right and go from there. i can’t see any more use for these forums. if anything, they have pushed me further away from the catholic church. i will linger for the next few days and see if anything changes my mind.
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I find it otherwise. I see an exchange of information, a modicum of scholarship, and I rarely get yelled at.

GKC
 
** people start with the assumption that they are right and go from there.**

Bengal_fan, don’t YOU start with the assumption that YOU are right?
 
I honestly get lost in those ‘debates’. When such and such saint or president or authority are quoted, my eyes glaze over. I am by no means uneducated (I hold 3 post graduate degrees), but some of those long drawn out ‘scholarly’ debates are skip-worthy to me.

That being said, certain posters do have a derrogatory tone, but they are few and far between.
 
Bengal_Fan,
I am so sorry you feel that way. If you are seeking answers. And if you are truly searching. May I suggest another forum. It is not a debate type forum.

chnetwork.org/forums/

🙂
 
To an extent, I agree. I left for a while after realizing that I was ahving trouble keeping my cool when dealing with people of a certain mindset. This time around, I am doing better because I focus on talking with Muslims. I cannot explain why, but they do not frustrait me as much as the violently anti-Catholic.

How can we change it? I think that everyone EVERYONE on here needs to start with three little thoughts.

First, the other posters are not damned to hell just because they disagree with you or your church.
Second, Just because someone disagrees with your faith does not mean that they dislike you as a person.
Third, we can discuss like adults without name calling.

I tell my Sunday school kids that they must ast like civilized, adult human beings. If they do not understand any of that (civilized, adult or human) then we have an issue.
 
bpbasilphx said:
** people start with the assumption that they are right and go from there.**

Bengal_fan, don’t YOU start with the assumption that YOU are right?
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nope

if you search all my posts, you will see that i will defend ideas and doctrines that i don’t necessarily believe because i try to see where everyone is coming from, and i try to start with the assumption that everyone has a leg to stand on.
 
Do you have someplace better to go for open Catholic forum? Please let me know.
This forum is like anything - you get what you put into it - most of the time.
 
Beautiful said:
Do you have someplace better to go for open Catholic forum? Please let me know.
This forum is like anything - you get what you put into it - most of the time.
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i’ve put over 3 years into it so far. it was great for a long while, then i had to take a break because it started to get antagonistic. i came back and it was good for a while again, but there has been a group of folks who have been posting lately that seem so angry and insulting that i’m not sure it’s the healthiest place to be. if the mods were doing something about it (which i can’t say for sure they aren’t, i think they closed one of the really “angry” threads yesterday… and good for them) that i could see regularly… but it’s not their fault. i fall into the anger of the threads as well. i’ll admit that the baiting sometimes works on me. and it’s not when something i believe is threatened, it’s when people come in telling people how wrong they are.
 
ralphinal said:
First, the other posters are not damned to hell just because they disagree with you or your church.
Second, Just because someone disagrees with your faith does not mean that they dislike you as a person.
Third, we can discuss like adults without name calling.
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Hi

I agree with you.

Thanks
 
bengal_fan said:
i’ll admit that the baiting sometimes works on me. and it’s not when something i believe is threatened, it’s when people come in telling people how wrong they are.
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Just for the record - I haven’t read your profile or any of your previous posts.
Considering you have been here “3 years” you might think about your anger and where it stems from. Try to identify what really is triggering your negative feelings and try to learn a better way to approach these forums. Maybe you just need to take a breather from it all and come back at a later time. I’m not saying you are imagining injustice here - injustice happens everywhere. How we deal with it is important. Do you want to be a contributor or learner here or would you rather go someplace else? It sounds like you want to stay. Try taking a different approach. Try praying before reading and responding. And when you are hurt ask God to help you understand your pain.
 
bengal_fan said:
IMO, this forum has lost it’s purpose completely. there is no debate anymore, just arguing. there is not a lot of charity anymore (and i’ll admit i’ve slipped into that too), just people with agenda’s and malice (for the most part). there is no exchange of ideas, just threads that start off as insulting. there is not scholarship, just what people “think” and then the spout off on a false premise. people start with the assumption that they are right and go from there. i can’t see any more use for these forums. if anything, they have pushed me further away from the catholic church. i will linger for the next few days and see if anything changes my mind.
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For the years that i have visited this forum there have been many, many arguments, chiding, derisiveness, people being suspended and totally banned.

But I know more now than at any time in my life when it comes to Christianity, its history, schisms, present developements and theology. This is a wonderful forum. Just take the time to weed out the nasties and research the issues and you will be on the right track.

Then try another forum such as CARM. This place is a cakewalk compared to that one!

Subrosa (Patriot’s fan! GO PATS!)
 
I don’t think there is much evangelising going on. Don’t get me wrong, some people are putting in a lot of effort, but I am yet to hear someone (since I’ve been here) ever admit to being converted thanks to this forum.

I think what happens is that because of the arguing and insulting, people are digging their heels in further, and they become even more stronger in defending their belief, or attacking someone else’s belief.

When you read the posts from knowledgeable Catholics here, you become more convinced that you are in the right faith. But then if you go to an atheist forum or an anti-Catholic forum, you start to think that they may be right.
 
MH84 said:
I don’t think there is much evangelising going on. Don’t get me wrong, some people are putting in a lot of effort, but I am yet to hear someone (since I’ve been here) ever admit to being converted thanks to this forum.
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Few will ever be struck to conversion like St. Paul - let alone here. For most of us - conversion to Christ is a usually a long slow process that happens throughout a life time. Transitions triggers such as illness, leaving home, death of a loved one are what usually precipitate big changes.
Catholic Answers Forum provides a seed bed for community interaction and sound learning - and THAT is very important.
What really matters is how and what each individual member shares.
 
bengal_fan said:
IMO, this forum has lost it’s purpose completely. there is no debate anymore, just arguing. there is not a lot of charity anymore (and i’ll admit i’ve slipped into that too), just people with agenda’s and malice (for the most part). there is no exchange of ideas, just threads that start off as insulting. there is not scholarship, just what people “think” and then the spout off on a false premise. people start with the assumption that they are right and go from there. i can’t see any more use for these forums. if anything, they have pushed me further away from the catholic church. i will linger for the next few days and see if anything changes my mind.
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It has always been this way, chances are you have just gotten more personnally involved in the debates.

A good rule of thumb is if you’ve posted more than four times in the same thread you’re just arguing at that point.
 
When I first came back to the church, I really learned a lot that I didn’t know through this forum. It was quite useful and instrumental in my reversion.

But I have to say that anymore I tend to dread coming here. I do not enjoy the arguments between catholics and protestants. They seem to be the same old arguments, and neither side ever convinces the other of anything. It can be quite nasty on both sides. I don’t think that arguing is very useful for evangelizing or conversion. It just serves to fuel more fires and arguments.

I often just want to come and check in on topics about the faith, or that are uplifting, or that help to strengthen others. But too much it turns out to be a big argument that goes on for pages and pages in circles and never gets anywhere. That is not uplifting or positive, imo.

I don’t think it’s the fault of the forum or those who run it. It’s just human nature, it seems, and it’s sad to me that there is so much arguing back and forth.
 
thomasf said:
When I first came back to the church, I really learned a lot that I didn’t know through this forum. It was quite useful and instrumental in my reversion.

But I have to say that anymore I tend to dread coming here. I do not enjoy the arguments between catholics and protestants. They seem to be the same old arguments, and neither side ever convinces the other of anything. It can be quite nasty on both sides. I don’t think that arguing is very useful for evangelizing or conversion. It just serves to fuel more fires and arguments.

I often just want to come and check in on topics about the faith, or that are uplifting, or that help to strengthen others. But too much it turns out to be a big argument that goes on for pages and pages in circles and never gets anywhere. That is not uplifting or positive, imo.

I don’t think it’s the fault of the forum or those who run it. It’s just human nature, it seems, and it’s sad to me that there is so much arguing back and forth.
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You know, I reckon many people say things here that they wouldnt even talk about in real life. I dare say too, that many people here are so bold in these forums where no one knows who they are, but in the real world where we are part of the minority, its a different story.
 
I have been Catholic my entire life, with priests in my family.

Of my five siblings, only one has “left” the church for a non-denominational one. She later married a Youth Minister in that church.

I came here, in part, to brush up on my knowledge of the Catholic Church, so that I can better defend myself against her endless Anti-Catholic rhetoric at family gatherings.

Most of what I find here is very enlightening. Much of what I find here is identical to what I get from my sister…questions posed not to better understand the Catholic Church, but posed as a form of attack.

Thread after thread evolves into this. Many of the players are the same from thread to thread. “I’m right, you’re wrong, and I’m going to beat you on the head until you capitulate”.

I see no point in Protestants coming here just to start arguments that will never be resolved. But they do, and will continue to do so. They can’t help themselves. One poster told me today that in effect, “he follows the forum rules” so he can do as he wishes.

In the meantime, it creates interference for those of us seeking to better understand our Catholic faith. I’m not here to fight. I’m here to learn and share my Catholic experience.
 
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