Well, I finally removed the Religion/Theology forum from "My Forums"...

[Frogtutor]

and I feel so much better! As long as it was on there, I was going to be drawn in to reading posts and getting angry and frustrated as a result.
I still miss the interaction between various faiths (NOT atheists)that was present at the beginning, but it's become almost nothing but an Atheists vs. Theists board now.

Who needs the aggravation?


Ahhhhh, what a relief...

[lukasahero]

1. I can relate

Unfortunately, I'm feeling that way about so many things lately. I think we, as a nation, have forgotten how to talk to each other. We are a nation of many different views, many different opinions, many different cultures but, just as it's becoming on DU, we're beginning to hide inside our own little comfort groups because to venture out is too disturbing.

I'm not suggesting you're wrong because it is very disturbing and I want to do the same myself, I'm just worried because I see it more and more in here (DU) as well as out in the rest of the world. How are we ever going to come to compromise if we can't even talk to each other any more? The fact that someone would feel the need to avoid discussion on DU, where we're all supposed to be on the same side, makes the prospect of coming to compromise with the rest of the country even less promising. It's so discouraging.

[Frogtutor]

7. I agree with you; it is disturbing, and sad

And I made a few attempts to reason with some of those people over there. But I'm way to sensitive to deal with them without getting my feelings hurt, or letting it eat me up.

For similar reasons, I stopped watching the news regularly several years ago. I suffer from an anxiety disorder, and depression, and watching TV news was exacerbating both problems, greatly. I still pick up a paper now and then, and I get headlines on my homepage so I can pick and choose what I want to read, so I'm not ENTIRELY in the dark. But the difference not watching news made on my mood and anxiety level is quite significant.

[LDS Jock]

2. I did the same some time back

That place is little more than an atheist forum for attacking and/or mocking Christians. There are almost no civil discussions going on in there.

[realisticphish]

4. one of my best friends is an athiest

and we talk about it ALL the time. but we RESPECT each other, and listen, and grant points, etc. It's not screaming and insults, like in there

[elshiva]

3. I stopped going there awhile ago...

mostly flamebait by militant atheists.

[realisticphish]

5. i actually never had it on

I saw it, thought hey...

then thought again. i had already dealt with all that shit in the Lounge, so i figured i really didnt want to get into it in there, as well. so i took the path less traveled by miltant athiests, and that has made all the difference :D

[RevCheesehead]

6. been there, done that...

about a month ago. i never went in, it was ugly. Reminded me of GD.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. The Religion & Theology Forum needs a name change. nt

[elshiva]

11. Name changed to what? Flamebait Forum?

Insult a Believer?

[DemBones DemBones]

17. Works for me! Perhaps the

I'm Better Than You Because I Don't Believe in Religion & Theology Forum.

[elshiva]

21. LOL! You hit it!

[JVS]

28. The post your misconceptions of others' beliefs as fact and demand...

that they defend them forum

[UrbScotty]

9. I did so last week too (nt)

[polmaven]

10. I've not been around much lately,

but what I have seen in the last two days has convinced me I will probably be going in there very seldom now. At first, it was a pretty safe place to go, but that seems to have changed.

The more militant atheists have evidently decided that is a really good place to attack and mock, and I don't need that.

When I am tired from a long week, I sometimes hust want a place to be with other people of faith for a while to kind of renew the soul. DU is a wonderful place to be with folks of thesame political stripe, and I'm glad it's here, but I don't want to be mocked and put down for what I believe. I don't understand why it is apparently a sport to some, but it looks like it is.

Glad you guys are here!

[Maat]

12. I did so, also. I quite agree.

I'm not a "Christian" in the literal sense. I'm a Religious Scientist, who believes that Jesus was a Master Teacher/Enlightened-One, like Buddha (etc.).

HOWEVER, I support my Liberal Christian friends to the maximum.

I really enjoy reading this DU Group, as well as the SOUPS DU Group (Seekers on Unique Paths).

I feel comfortable in both groups; everyone seems nice - and I'm able to toss around spiritual concepts in an environment in which everyone is respectful of each other. We're just exploring faith in a very respectful way, and I learn (which is the idea).

I've enjoyed the postings from you, Frogtutor, and Elshiva, RevCheesehead, and Pacifist Patriot, etc.

So, I have the highest regard for this group and the SOUPS group.

Both are really comfortable welcoming places; I become more enlightened as a result of reading the postings. I'm too old (46) to waste time listening to diatribes that hurl insulting language, such as 'myth' and 'superstition' at people of faith.

[elshiva]

13. What I hate is when they call religion "a cancer."

[Maat]

16. Yep.

That 'cancer' stuff is really offensive.

[lukasahero]

14. Thank you for your post

You verbalize here a lot of what I've been thinking lately. I've been visiting this group (reading mostly, but asking the occassional question) and SOUPS (love that) because I'm trying to make sense of things spiritually lately. So when I see the attack threads "ok christians answer this then" kind of stuff, it just seems like I'm supposed to have all the answers when in fact I'm searching for them myself.

These two groups seem to allow that search to continue and both are, as you say, comforting and welcoming - something so lacking in both here and the world at large right now.

[Maat]

15. Very well put.

I'm seeking answers myself too (I think that is the sign of an intelligent human being).

[DemBones DemBones]

18. Anyone who claims to have all the answers probably isn't

even sure what the questions are.


Trust me, I'm old enough to know! ;-)

[lukasahero]

19. Thanks - I needed a smile this morning

:-)

[RevCheesehead]

29. SOUPS? Does that make us the CLAPPFS??

I could live with that! :)

Maat, I love reading your posts. You bring a fresh dose of realism and rootedness to this group.

But I will admit that if I'm in a feisty mood, I will sometimes go after those Jesus-bashers. Usually, I just say "so, you're saying I am irrelevant/stupid/full of shit? Because when you say that about Christians, you say that about me."

Count me among the "tired of the double-standard" crowd.

[realisticphish]

30. THAT never works

they always say, well of course i don't mean YOU, i mean the OTHER christians :eyes:

[Frogtutor]

31. lol; that just makes me think of "the clap", and now I can't get it out of

my head!
:crazy:

[RevCheesehead]

32. well, an acronym should be memorable!

Glad you liked it! :evilgrin:

[pelagius]

20. I lasted about a month there...

...before I left. I visit from time to time to read, but usually just see the same userids saying the same stuff.

That being said, I have to give props to the people (on both sides of the theism fence) who do attempt to converse in a rational manner. Both of 'em. :-)

[Maat]

22. Frogtutor ...

this is still my favorite thread. Thanks for posting it. I've read it a couple of times. And I feel good every time after reading it.

Onward progressives of faith!

[Frogtutor]

23. aw, thanks

I enjoy going back and reading the responses periodically, myself. I've actually thought about posting a link to it in the religion/theology forum so that the more "sensible" atheists can see what we Christians keep "whining" about. They plead ignorance anytime someone brings up the abusive behavior that goes on there. But, I decided I just don't want to go there (both literally and figuratively). Selwyn has been the most vocal to the moderators about getting the religion/theology forum changed, but to no avail. I also thought about posting a link to this thread to Skinner just to point out that there are many of us who feel the same way.
I mean, a person would be tombstoned so fast it would make his head spin if he started gay bashing here, but it's ok to bash Christians, even when there's a fairly large population of them right here at DU.
I just don't get it...:shrug:

Anyway, thanks again!
:hug:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. Yes, that disingenuous

"we're not bashing, we're just expressing our dismay that anyone believes in an old man sitting on a cloud in the sky" routine gets boring.

You have to wonder why they feel such a need to needle us, when we don't go into the Atheists' forum to needle them.

What bugs me most is ignorant criticism, the assumption that we all believe that everything in the Bible is literally true or questions about why we aren't taking over Christianity from the fundamentalists.

[realisticphish]

25. "why aren't you more vocal about taking back christianity"

that one gets me everytime. a.) all the mass religious media is owned by fundies b.) i think a lot of what happens is this: left wing christians seldom get true support from their atheist collegues. i do all i can to make jesus' real words known, but then i read something bitching about us not doing anything. sometimes, i start thinking "fuck it" and just not bothering, if that's the response we get from our OWN side

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. Right, the mainstream denominations all came out against the Iraq War,

but did they get multiple interviews on CNN and Fox? Or even on PBS?

Nope. It was all Jerry and Pat.

In our local news media, efforts of mainsteam clergy to lobby legislatures against legislation that harms the poor and other vulnerable groups go unmentioned on TV and rate only a tiny news article in the B section.

[Maat]

27. And thank you again ... and I wouldn't waste one more iota of effort on it

I learned as a social worker - it's all in the perception of what is bias (or more accurately, acceptable bias).

Let's just enjoy our DU Groups and forget about it, I say.

And let them enjoy their 'Atheist' DU Group.

On edit ... if anyone would like a little enlightenment on the favoritism being heaped upon the radical religious right ...

http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-fcc10mar10,1,1436304.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business&ctrack=1&cset=true

(From the L.A. Times:)
FCC Urged to Withhold Low-Power Licenses
By Jube Shiver Jr.
Times Staff Writer

March 10, 2005

WASHINGTON — A coalition of religious, community and media watchdog groups asked federal regulators Wednesday to stop granting low-power broadcast licenses, alleging speculators at three Idaho companies improperly made more than $800,000 selling the government-issued permits to religious broadcasters.