what would happen if......

[keltic63]

I was out surfing the web, a thing I rarely do, and I found a christian website with forums. I took a look at one of the forums about ethics and morality, knowing there would be threads about homosexuality. Surprise!!!! there was 1, and only 1.


it was 46 pages long.

my "what if" question though has to do with our forum rules. We have rules here that protect us from anti-lgbt posts. what if a forum had rules that prohibited posts that supported the lgbt community? what would it look like? would there be anything to say besides "I don't like those gay people?" The christian forum I was looking at had rules that protect their members from "pro-lgbt" speech. That's ok, it's their forum, their rules. In addition, their one homosexuality thread had additional rules, and for the purpose of discussion had definitions, albeit narrow. I assumed that their would be a lot of back-patting, congratulating each other on their own sinless conditions, etc. "thank God we're not gay!" What I saw was a discussion every bit as intense, if not more so, than anything we've ever seen here, or in other places where we go do present our viewpoints. these people were beating each other up over fine points of scripture, accusing each other of being "sympathetic" to the gays, throwing scriptures at each as if it were a game of dodgeball. so perhaps, it really is as my pastor assures me it will be: the pharisees will eventually implode on themselves because as they remove each sinful group, it becomes necessary to find another group to eliminate.

We're all Queer but me and Thee. And I'm beginning to wonder about Thee.

[Zerbie]

What you describe is why I didn't wanna stick around on the CARM (shiver.)

I've hovered around numerous online fora, and most of them have cruel streaks, or at least, fighting streaks (this one being the miraculous exception, way ta go Soulforce!) but I have NEVER encountered an online community as vicious, cruel, condemnatory as CARM - the one "Christian" site I ever spent time reading. (Oh of course there were exceptions, I found a few folks there whose posts I became fond of, but they were 2 or 3 peeps outta several thousand.) I don't read there anymore, because I don't want to be "around" people like that, ever.

I suppose if they as a large group start getting what they want in the big picture, then things will probably break down as they fight amongst themselves - but then again, consider that they seem willing politically to coalesce with those who disagree with them on smaller points in order to achieve their larger goals.

[BruceChris]

My morbid curiosity overcomes me. Can I get the URL, either publicly, or privately? I will be doing a presentation to our local P-FLAG some time soon, and it would be useful for me to get any background I might on the presumed upcoming theocracy, and the people involved.

Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

[midtnscott]

I've seen it posted on here and read it in other places as well about the kind of strict rigidness you're speaking of; and my own experiences growing up in that environment reinforces the belief that when you become so doctrinally rigid and unyielding in your beliefs, your position or movement takes on a brittle quality that cannot withstand any scrutiny or difference of interpretation. Eventually, it will shatter.

I feel blessed that so many can come from different backgrounds and beliefs on here and not viciously "flame" each other because we all don't believe alike. It is what makes SoulForce unique.