What's so good about Catholic Answers Forums?

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TEPO

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Well, I cant quite figure it out exactly… 🤷

I think it has to do with rapid-learning and in-depth dialogue. I started posting here at age 33 and at 37, I feel like my IQ has increased a lot since I began posting. I’m thinking that what’s good about this place is that posters get straight to the point, without all the useless baggage that is found in books. When we don’t waste time with unimportant words, we maximize our learning -and this site is not short of good teachers. 👍

The sad part is that I’ve spent so much time over the past few years here that I’ve neglected my marital and fatherly duties to some degree. I’ve been too busy learning. What I’ve been thinking is that at my age, I’m spending too much time in cyberspace when I should be living in the real world, taking vacations and spending every chance I have with family.

I think the invention of the smartphone was what really got me. Since I started posting here in 2009, I was using pc’s to do all my posts, and since technology has advanced in the past several years, I’ve moved over to cell phone posting -which means, I’m reading CAF posts at lunch, before I drive home, while I’m at home, before I go to bed, etc… Basically, I’m checking my phone for responses to posts constantly, and searching along the way for new things.

…but if I take a long break from the forums, I feel like I’ll be losing intelligence. It’s not that I think I’m smart, its just that I’m afraid that I’ll lose what little I do have once I stop interacting and reading -because I cant read books. I’m only good for short bursts because of the demands of my life, working 11 to 14 hrs. a day 6 days a week and raising 4 kids and a wife who’s in need of me. That’s why forum posting works so well for me. 👍

I guess what I’m trying to say is that when I return, I hope I see a lot of you here. You’ve been my teachers and counselors. My mentors. Thank you all for what you’ve given me.
 
It won’t be so great in your absence Tepo. But you could use a break for sure. Just don’t stay away too long.
 
Amen. I feel the same way. Great place for nurturing spiritual growth & development.
 
TEPO said:
Well, I cant quite figure it out exactly… 🤷

I think it has to do with rapid-learning and in-depth dialogue. I started posting here at age 33 and at 37, I feel like my IQ has increased a lot since I began posting. I’m thinking that what’s good about this place is that posters get straight to the point, without all the useless baggage that is found in books. When we don’t waste time with unimportant words, we maximize our learning -and this site is not short of good teachers. 👍

The sad part is that I’ve spent so much time over the past few years here that I’ve neglected my marital and fatherly duties to some degree. I’ve been too busy learning. What I’ve been thinking is that at my age, I’m spending too much time in cyberspace when I should be living in the real world, taking vacations and spending every chance I have with family.

I think the invention of the smartphone was what really got me. Since I started posting here in 2009, I was using pc’s to do all my posts, and since technology has advanced in the past several years, I’ve moved over to cell phone posting -which means, I’m reading CAF posts at lunch, before I drive home, while I’m at home, before I go to bed, etc… Basically, I’m checking my phone for responses to posts constantly, and searching along the way for new things.

…but if I take a long break from the forums, I feel like I’ll be losing intelligence. It’s not that I think I’m smart, its just that I’m afraid that I’ll lose what little I do have once I stop interacting and reading -because I cant read books. I’m only good for short bursts because of the demands of my life, working 11 to 14 hrs. a day 6 days a week and raising 4 kids and a wife who’s in need of me. That’s why forum posting works so well for me. 👍

I guess what I’m trying to say is that when I return, I hope I see a lot of you here. You’ve been my teachers and counselors. My mentors. Thank you all for what you’ve given me.
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I think you are wise to take a break from any addiction, good or bad, that is taking time away from your family. I am glad you are going outside to smell the roses. Don’t take your phone with you unless for safety.
 
What’s so great? I get to talk to fellow Catholics and together we learn to know and explain our faith better. No downside to that…

However, balance is everything and you have to deal with what is real and most important first, which is what the church teaches and exactly what we should do.

Our first evangelistic field is our own homes. We must be living it and exemplifying it to those we love or it’s all just study and words.

You want something that will work well. Put The Pope App on your smart phone and check it daily to see what Pope Francis has said to inspire you to live the faith all the more.

Come here when you have a reason to and not just in curiosity and all should be well.👍
 
I feel the same way TEPO. When I joined in 2008 I had a laptop which I rarely used twice a day.
I had only been a Catholic for a few months when I joined. I learned a lot at CAF, but even back then I took a break. I returned with a new username and continued to learn and enjoy the politics forum which we no longer have.

I got my smartphone this February and I also noticed how much time I spend on my phone and on CAF.

It is nice to come and share here about our faith and for me sharing all the bad things happening in our country and around the world.
It makes you realize you are not alone thinking the world is going crazy. There is intelligent conversation here and I like keeping up on current events around the world and in our Church.
 
I also tend to overdo it, so I gave up CAF for Lent. Is that funny? Actually it felt pretty good, and it was good for my wife and kids too. Later on, I quit a time-consuming game thread. I try to not waste too much time here at the forums. I’m still working on balance. I wish you well and am praying for you in this regard.
 
I do not see the good in the forum you see. Normally when I come here is because I hope to answer questions for people but so many threads are mired in ‘assumed’ catholic or theological outlook.

Example: someone has moral quest about a), forum dweller comes along with good intentions spouts off catholic doctrine and more often then not and tells them to shun or cut themselves off from whatever bad influence is causing the problem.

God hasn’t called everyone to be hermits last time I checked and He did implicitly state in the bible the weeds will be left with the wheat least in risk the wheat to remove them.

If God isn’t smiting, neither should you.

But I digress.

I love this forum but more because I grew up with it since 04. My mother was an admin and we had all kinds of interesting talks here.

Now we spend so much time shunning are expecting we are supposed to be avoiding everything. No its not wrong to miss mass, its wrong to refuse to go. If your car broke down then fine, say a rosary and accept it. Things happen and our faith (not suggesting its flexible) God is justice and that means He is fair. Everything isn’t a sin.

/rantoff
 
Kithrus said:
I

Now we spend so much time shunning are expecting we are supposed to be avoiding everything. No its not wrong to miss mass, its wrong to refuse to go. If your car broke down then fine, say a rosary and accept it. Things happen and our faith (not suggesting its flexible) God is justice and that means He is fair. Everything isn’t a sin.

/rantoff
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I don’t know who’s shunning what, I avoid the politics.
True that not everything is a sin, and many newbies to the faith and to the forums need someone to reassure them of that. It’s a work of charity to answer folks’ questions. Sometimes they are in great anguish, or at least discomfort.
I have had a lot of help from the forums.
 
Good thread. I’m sure I spend more time on forums like CAF than I ought to.

I think I’m going to record how much time per day, over the next few days. (Haven’t decided how yet.)
 
Viki63 said:
I don’t know who’s shunning what, I avoid the politics.
True that not everything is a sin, and many newbies to the faith and to the forums need someone to reassure them of that. It’s a work of charity to answer folks’ questions. Sometimes they are in great anguish, or at least discomfort.
I have had a lot of help from the forums.
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Many questions are answered withe the spirit of “avoid (insert thing here)” which results in classic shunning seen by many outsiders as catholic norm
 
i have asked myself this question many times. most of the threads i’ve been involved in or have read, have so many conflicting opinions and ‘facts’, i’m not sure what the original poster gets out of it. i do think ‘ask an apologist’ is excellent. if you spend all your time ‘learning’ and not ‘doing’, what have you gained?
 
Another thought … Back in the day EWTN started a Q&A page on there website, which include a CA section and about a dozen other sections. It’s still there actually (ewtn.com/vexperts/conference.asp) but the difference, possibly, is that now many of us, myself included, spend so much time on the CA Forum that we risk confusing the part with the whole.

(It should be noted, though, that the part of my mind saying ^^ that, i.e. the part of me that says to spend less time on CAF, is a part that I tend not to obey when all is said and done. 😊)
 
7_Sorrows said:
I feel the same way TEPO. When I joined in 2008 I had a laptop which I rarely used twice a day.
I had only been a Catholic for a few months when I joined. I learned a lot at CAF, but even back then I took a break. I returned with a new username and continued to learn and enjoy the politics forum which we no longer have.

I got my smartphone this February and I also noticed how much time I spend on my phone and on CAF.

It is nice to come and share here about our faith and for me sharing all the bad things happening in our country and around the world.
It makes you realize you are not alone thinking the world is going crazy. There is intelligent conversation here and I like keeping up on current events around the world and in our Church.
Click to expand...
The politics forum still exists, it is called World News now and you have to post a news article to open a thread there.

I even saw Tepo posting there recently.

Welcome back Tepo!
 
andrewstx said:
The politics forum still exists, it is called World News now and you have to post a news article to open a thread there.

I even saw Tepo posting there recently.

Welcome back Tepo!
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…😊 its true.:o

…all the conflict in the middle east stirred me up to the point I had to release some of my opinions. :D. I even purchased a bundle of Iraqi Christian magnets that CAF is selling, but its for a good cause. In any case I thought long and hard about the advice youve given me and that was the best advice ive been given in quite a long time. I dont know how you knew, but you were right on track! Ive already prayed on it and tried and failed but its still a top priority. Im not giving up. :cool:
 
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