Unendless Rantings and Uncatholic

[Randolph]

I am a faithful catholic and love Christ and His bride–the Catholic Church. I have been a participating member of Catholic Answers forum for a long time. Needless to say, I have enjoyed many discussions regarding the Catholic faith and have learned a lot from this forum.

Perhaps, I am ignorant about the objectives and goals of this site. If I am, please help me understand. I ask for your forgiveness if I sound uncharitable. I am pleased that this site is open to catholics and non-catholics alike. For catholics, I am appreciative of the fact that this site enables and encourages them (myself included) to learn more about and to deepen their catholic faith through knowledge, wisdom and prayers. For non-catholics, this is apportunity for them to learn about the catholic faith. Hopefully, many conversions of souls will occur.

For the most parts, the site stays within my understanding of what this site is about, which I am very pleased. But I have seen and read comments from posters, mostly non-catholics, which troubled me. Their presence on this site seemed mainly: to mock the Catholic Church and its teachings, to endlessly debate the existence of God or similar debates, or to express their opinions that were clearly not catholic. And they just kept going on and on. A sincere desire to learn about the Catholic faith was clearly not in their agenda. Their goal seemed to create troubles than to enrinch the discusions in the site. I could not recognize many of the religions attached to their names. This also goes to the “catholics” who reject Vatican II and any popes since Pope Pius X. If I want to hear from, or to debate, these people, I would go elsewhere. I do not want to go to a Catholic site to hear their endless rantings. Why are they allowed to do that? Is the management of high volume of threads an issue?

 

[cazayoux]

It can get frustrating, I know, to see the ignorance and prejudice of some.
But that’s okay … bring it on.
We’ll address their prejudice with knowledge.

Even when I’m ‘discussing’ a topic with an individual that is obviously not hearing a word, I keep going. I like to think that for every poster in a thread, there are ten times that many lurkers. THOSE are the people I’m in the discussion for.

I do get frustrated sometimes and have to remind myself to stay charitable and logical … for those lurkers.
At least the lurkers learn that there IS an answer to these attacks and questions.

michel

 

[Church_Militant]

I am a faithful catholic and love Christ and His bride–the Catholic Church. I have been a participating member of Catholic Answers forum for a long time. Needless to say, I have enjoyed many discussions regarding the Catholic faith and have learned a lot from this forum.

Perhaps, I am ignorant about the objectives and goals of this site. If I am, please help me understand. I ask for your forgiveness if I sound uncharitable. I am pleased that this site is open to catholics and non-catholics alike. For catholics, I am appreciative of the fact that this site enables and encourages them (myself included) to learn more about and to deepen their catholic faith through knowledge, wisdom and prayers. For non-catholics, this is apportunity for them to learn about the catholic faith. Hopefully, many conversions of souls will occur.

For the most parts, the site stays within my understanding of what this site is about, which I am very pleased. But I have seen and read comments from posters, mostly non-catholics, which troubled me. Their presence on this site seemed mainly: to mock the Catholic Church and its teachings, to endlessly debate the existence of God or similar debates, or to express their opinions that were clearly not catholic. And they just kept going on and on. A sincere desire to learn about the Catholic faith was clearly not in their agenda. Their goal seemed to create troubles than to enrinch the discusions in the site. I could not recognize many of the religions attached to their names. This also goes to the “catholics” who reject Vatican II and any popes since Pope Pius X. If I want to hear from, or to debate, these people, I would go elsewhere. I do not want to go to a Catholic site to hear their endless rantings. Why are they allowed to do that? Is the management of high volume of threads an issue?

The CAF Statement of Purpose

 

[06convert]

No. If you find something someone says offensive you can always report it and the moderators will check into it. There are some people that are what forum-goers call “trolls” those that join a forum for the reason of just basically being a nusiance, or causing troubles. I think that for the most part those people are identified and removed. Unfortunately in most cases not before they cause a bit of trouble.

The purpose of this forum is of course to spread the knowledge of the Catholic church to everyone. Confused Catholics, Non-Catholics, those seeking to deeped their faith, or help others, etc. Ideally with the help of the forum we can spread knowledge of the Catholic faith through respectful dialouge with Catholics and Non-Catholics alike.

It’s impossible to tell just from someones name, or what their beliefs are, why they have joined the site. Hopefully it’s to increase their understanding of the Catholic Church and not just Catholic-bash for the fun of it. Likewise it’s impossible to determine when they start a thread if they are trying to learn, or trying to be vendictive.

So you have to take the good with the bad here. There isn’t a good way to “screen” the troublemakers out. Inevitably “trolls” will come and bait the hook and many of us will take the bait, trying to help. Sometimes we’ll argue back and forth until our fingers are numb, but eventually you just have to accept these people aren’t here to learn, just here to argue and move on. It’s really our responsiblity as posters to not “feed the trolls”. Like children, they will stop if you ignore them. Anyways. This is still an “open forum” where people go and talk about everything and anything, it’s impossible to know what the agenda of each person is, likewise, it’s impossible to screen them.

Lastly, a good debate can be very informational. I find it interesting to see the arguments from non-Catholics and read how Catholics respond. This provides good responses when the questions arise again.