This forum is non-functional

The Randy Riverbeast · 26-02-2016 12:39PM

Making this a Christian only forum won't change much. If you have a Protestant on a spit you'll have some of the Catholics here lining up to turn it pushing any Muslims or atheists out of the way.

Also I thought Christians were meant to be all welcoming and forgiving?

Speedwell · 26-02-2016 12:41PM

Speedwell · 26-02-2016 12:55PM

The Randy Riverbeast wrote: »

Making this a Christian only forum won't change much. If you have a Protestant on a spit you'll have some of the Catholics here lining up to turn it pushing any Muslims or atheists out of the way.

Also I thought Christians were meant to be all welcoming and forgiving?

Christians are supposed to be welcoming and forgiving, yes, but the same can be expected of anyone who thinks good society consists of the kind and tolerant. Solodeogloria is setting exactly the right tone. Let's show the Christians that it doesn't require a belief in God to be moral and loving.

Cabaal · 26-02-2016 02:19PM

solodeogloria wrote: »

Good afternoon!

Dear, oh dear! It's a strange sight when the evangelical Christian agrees with most of what the atheists are posting.

If it helps I often find it somewhat scary when I agree with a evangelical Christian :pac: (saying this as an atheist)

Benny_Cake · 26-02-2016 02:54PM

I wholeheartedly agree with solodeogloria too (and I’m neither an evangelical or an atheist!).

Should atheists be allowed to post here? Definitely, and it would be a poorer place without them. Yes, there are some passing antitheists looking to get a rise, but there have also been a few Christians posting here who haven’t exactly been a beacon of love and charity. We aren’t responsible for other people’s behaviour, but we are responsible for our own. Best to be polite and remember it’s another human being you’re talking to. We all have people that we are close to and care about who have different views on religion, politics, sport and so on but we mostly get along with them – thankfully people tend to behave a little better in real life than they do online.

I think the mods here do a very good job. It’s a difficult forum that can sometimes be a quite a negative place. I’ve no doubt the forum will be here for as long as Boards lasts.

pauldla · 26-02-2016 05:39PM

OP, I asked you a question recently after you made a controversial point about the contents of the Bible. I asked you for a link to support your point.

Your responses included 'visit a church...we all have our problems...just trolling...spoon feeding babies' and so on. And now you complain that the forum is non-functional?

Forum (n) a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged

Whatsoever a man soweth, so shall he reap, my friend.

The Chieftain · 27-02-2016 06:36AM

I am afraid I don't offer cures for willful blindness.

Cabaal · 27-02-2016 07:21AM

The Chieftain wrote: »

I am afraid I don't offer cures for willful blindness.

So you've joined a discussion forum but you clearly have zero interest in a discussion,

I'll give you a tip, if you are going to argue a point it helps to actually backup your mind by some means that can be referenced (even if it is the bible), otherwise you look extremely foolish.

While I don't agree with many religious people, atleast generally speaking when they argue a point they can often refer to the bible to backup their viewpoint. You can't even do that it seems.
:rolleyes:

The Chieftain · 27-02-2016 07:24AM

Cabaal wrote: »

So you've joined a discussion forum but you clearly have zero interest in a discussion,

I'll give you a tip, if you are going to argue a point it helps to actually backup your mind by some means that can be referenced (even if it is the bible), otherwise you look extremely foolish.

While I don't agree with many religious people, atleast generally speaking when they argue a point they can often refer to the bible to backup their viewpoint. You can't even do that it seems.
:rolleyes:

Willful blindness is contagious!

Dial Hard · 27-02-2016 07:34AM

The Chieftain wrote:

You don't get to choose what I say.

The irony!

Isn't that exactly what you're trying to make happen with this thread???

solodeogloria · 27-02-2016 07:52AM

Good morning,

Please forgive me but I'm not sure what this thread is for any more.

Perhaps it would be more fruitful to discuss what we expect from this forum. I've given my vision for what the place should look like.

Does anyone else have anything positive to offer?

Much thanks in Christ Jesus,
solodeogloria

The Chieftain · 27-02-2016 08:06AM

Dial Hard wrote: »

The irony!

Isn't that exactly what you're trying to make happen with this thread???

I expressed a wish that the Charter be adhered to, which would result in a better functioning forum. Interesting that you interpret that as my choosing what you say.

Cabaal · 27-02-2016 09:18AM

The Chieftain wrote: »

I expressed a wish that the Charter be adhered to, which would result in a better functioning forum. Interesting that you interpret that as my choosing what you say.

The charter is being followed by the vast majority of the atheist you so despise, if you have an issue with a post by all means report posts and leave the mod of the forum deal with it.

Until then rather then trying to compare atheist to a rat or insect infection or by calling people blind perhaps you'd like to actually use the forum as a discussion forum?

If not, then one has to question why you are posting at all. Is it just to soapbox?

cattolico · 27-02-2016 11:07AM

It really is a pathetic forum. You can't have any real discussion about specific topics without someone disagreeing.

There should be a Catholic, Protestant and Christian Other forum. Reason being for example Mormons call themselves "christian" however as a Catholic I would disagree with pretty much all their teachings. Yet we are lumped into this forum.

So it ends up that many Catholics just won't bother posting here.

AtomicHorror · 27-02-2016 11:19AM

cattolico wrote: »

It really is a pathetic forum. You can't have any real discussion about specific topics without someone disagreeing.

Welcome to Boards.ie, and indeed the internet! Is it your first visit?

Benny_Cake · 27-02-2016 11:36AM

cattolico wrote: »

It really is a pathetic forum. You can't have any real discussion about specific topics without someone disagreeing.

There should be a Catholic, Protestant and Christian Other forum. Reason being for example Mormons call themselves "christian" however as a Catholic I would disagree with pretty much all their teachings. Yet we are lumped into this forum.

So it ends up that many Catholics just won't bother posting here.

That's been raised before many times, just do a search in the Forum Requests and Feedback forum. There is no reason why Catholic/Protestant forums are needed and the number of users just don't add up in any case.

If someone doesn't want to engage with people who hold different beliefs, there are plenty of places online to do just that.

Cabaal · 27-02-2016 11:55AM

cattolico wrote: »

There should be a Catholic, Protestant and Christian Other forum. Reason being for example Mormons call themselves "christian" however as a Catholic I would disagree with pretty much all their teachings. Yet we are lumped into this forum.

So it ends up that many Catholics just won't bother posting here.

So based on the census we'd need a
- Roman Catholicism forum
- Church of Ireland Forum
- Orthodox Christianity Forum

Oh and "Other Christian", of course the other forum will all get annoyed with each other as they'll all disagree also so we'll need to split that into maybe 3-4 other forums which will get about one thread every few years.

Or everyone could just get along?

The Randy Riverbeast · 27-02-2016 12:55PM

Someone needs to nail some thesis to the door of boards HQ so we can get a schism going.

If the Christians get their Northern Ireland forum I want a forum for those people who like pineapple on pizza, that or just ban them.

54and56 · 27-02-2016 01:11PM

cattolico wrote: »

It really is a pathetic forum. You can't have any real discussion about specific topics without someone disagreeing.

There should be a Catholic, Protestant and Christian Other forum. Reason being for example Mormons call themselves "christian" however as a Catholic I would disagree with pretty much all their teachings. Yet we are lumped into this forum.

So it ends up that many Catholics just won't bother posting here.

Reminds me of

<snip>

galljga1 · 27-02-2016 01:13PM

cattolico wrote: »

It really is a pathetic forum. You can't have any real discussion about specific topics without someone disagreeing.

There should be a Catholic, Protestant and Christian Other forum. Reason being for example Mormons call themselves "christian" however as a Catholic I would disagree with pretty much all their teachings. Yet we are lumped into this forum.

So it ends up that many Catholics just won't bother posting here.

You're wrong.

cattolico · 27-02-2016 03:25PM

Cabaal wrote: »

So based on the census we'd need a
- Roman Catholicism forum
- Church of Ireland Forum
- Orthodox Christianity Forum

Oh and "Other Christian", of course the other forum will all get annoyed with each other as they'll all disagree also so we'll need to split that into maybe 3-4 other forums which will get about one thread every few years.

Or everyone could just get along?

Like it not not Catholicism is the largest religion in Ireland. I honestly don't see the issue of a forum for Catholics. (or any other religion in Ireland that wants one here)

MrPudding · 27-02-2016 03:41PM

cattolico wrote: »

It really is a pathetic forum. You can't have any real discussion about specific topics without someone disagreeing.

This is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. How boring must your life be that you don't consider it a discussion unless everyone agrees. That is mass, not a discussion.

MrP

Benny_Cake · 27-02-2016 04:34PM

cattolico wrote: »

Like it not not Catholicism is the largest religion in Ireland. I honestly don't see the issue of a forum for Catholics. (or any other religion in Ireland that wants one here)

The issue as I understand it is that there simply isn't the demand for such a forum. If you've ever been in Forum Requests you'll know that getting new forums created takes a long time and a lot of lobbying (for want of a better word). If it came to pass, a Catholic forum would have less traffic than this one does currently, and in any case Catholics disagree with each other about all manner of things. There is no way of restricting access to forums to those who hold certain beliefs and nor should there be.

pauldla · 27-02-2016 05:21PM

cattolico wrote: »

It really is a pathetic forum. You can't have any real discussion about specific topics without someone disagreeing.

There should be a Catholic, Protestant and Christian Other forum. Reason being for example Mormons call themselves "christian" however as a Catholic I would disagree with pretty much all their teachings. Yet we are lumped into this forum.

So it ends up that many Catholics just won't bother posting here.

It seems to me to be quite a varied forum. There are threads dedicated to prayer requests, Christian songs, church architecture, book recommendations, Gospel verses. I would imagine that anybody posting on the Prayer Requests thread to the effect that 'yah boo prayer is stupid' would very quickly be flagged and removed (and rightly so, may I add). On the other hand, there are threads dealing with non-devotional aspects of Christianity, which some may find antagonistic but which others may find engaging and challenging. If one has no interest in such topics, or does not want to have their views on such matters queried or challenged, there is an obvious solution: don't read them. Take as an example an issue you allude to in your post above, the different varieties of Christianity and how they view each other. Some may see no need to engage in discussion of such an issue, others might find it of great interest or importance. How could topics such as this be discussed, if the Christianity forum was broken up into denominations?

One other observation: if the forum were to be limited to Christians only, who would decide what makes a Christian, or a Catholic, or a Protestant? For example, I was very taken-aback the first time I heard some American evangelicals claim that Catholics are not Christians . Its hard to imagine that conceding to this kind of sectarianism would make for a more fruitful forum.

Canadel · 28-02-2016 02:54AM

MrPudding wrote: »

This is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. How boring must your life be that you don't consider it a discussion unless everyone agrees. That is mass, not a discussion.

MrP

It only took 113 posts but you've nailed it in just three lines.

cattolico · 28-02-2016 10:29PM

MrPudding wrote: »

This is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. How boring must your life be that you don't consider it a discussion unless everyone agrees. That is mass, not a discussion.

MrP

Thats the problem you can't have a real discussion so there is NO discussion.

endacl · 29-02-2016 12:04AM

cattolico wrote: »

Thats the problem you can't have a real discussion so there is NO discussion.

Perhaps you can't. Others seem to manage?

Manach · 29-02-2016 12:24AM

My short 2c: as a long term poster from the start, I’d be a tad disappoint that the hoped for community did not develop over the years. Instead of a more collegial atmosphere than exists in other fora it seems more fractious than it ideally should be.

54and56 · 29-02-2016 08:43AM

Manach wrote: »

My short 2c: as a long term poster from the start, I’d be a tad disappoint that the hoped for community did not develop over the years. Instead of a more collegial atmosphere than exists in other fora it seems more fractious than it ideally should be.

I think the reason for that is down purely to the subject matter.

In the DIY forum for example there is a collegial atmosphere where people help each other and generally remain polite even if they have different opinions on the best XYZ tool or ABC way to fix a leaking tap or whatever.

Religion however, like politics, is a subject which polarises people. It wouldn't be so polarising if religion didn't permeate into every nook and cranny of society and impose itself on those who want nothing whatsoever to do with religion and consequently resent having their lives affected by a religion they want nothing to do with e.g. (simplistic example) not being permitted to purchase alcohol on a religious holiday.

Thankfully religious influence on Irish society is IMHO in free-fall (majority of people voting for same sex marriage and divorce, rising non denominational marriage and funeral ceremonies, falling attendance at mass, collapse in the number of people signing up to be priests or nuns etc) so hopefully when a fairer equilibrium is reached religious discussion forums will primarily be used by those of faith as those without faith won't have an issue with the influence of religion on all of society and won't have any axe to grind.

MrPudding · 29-02-2016 09:58AM

Manach wrote: »

My short 2c: as a long term poster from the start, I’d be a tad disappoint that the hoped for community did not develop over the years. Instead of a more collegial atmosphere than exists in other fora it seems more fractious than it ideally should be.

It surprises you that things get fractious when one group tries to impose their (apparently) irrational views on a group that does now share those views? Really?

MrP

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