Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The " I Believe " Forum

That's your opinion which you are entitled to.

However, it didn't seem to be the opinion of Jesus and that is why so many Chrisitians feel compelled to share their faith with others.

Some only share theirs with words, which is essentially all we can do here. Others do it with how they live their lives and treat others, which is less irratating for those who share your opinion and also more effective. Unfortunately, if we try to do the same here it is also only possible with words, and the mention or inference of faith is likely to occur even then.

It does puzzle me why anyone would protest mentions of faith in a forum, particualarly when I see no prostelitizing and even if there were, no one needs to be involved and read it.

If most were at a large party and the group they were visiting with began to discuss something that made them uncomfortable, they would just drift away from the group, and find another cluster talking about something else. I've never seen people demand the group stop that discussion. To do so would be both rude and a denial of the most fundamental of our civil rights. Why not here?

You missed the point entirely RickyD, which is not surprising. The 'discussion' of religion usually entails abandoning any and all precepts of kindness, tolerance, and understanding. Almost always, discussing religion envolves challanges, belicose verbage, and 'in your face' accusations.
This entire theme has proven this to be true.

Neighbor , it was interesting to me to read your signature line and your last post . I did it a couple of times . In that order .

The sig line seems to be a real good response to the post !

Religion is not discussed in polite company. And there is a reason for that: It usually leads to hard feelings and arguments.

You people had a forum all to yourselves, and you made such a pigsty out of it that Rick had to shut it down out of embarrassment. Take your pick as to who was right and who was wrong, but there is no doubt that the demeanor on that forum was the fruits of an unbridled 1st Amendment discussion of Christianity.... and you boys were sheltered from other religious beliefs.

Just imagine what that would have been like if the Buddhists and the Atheists and the Deists and every other group were to start posts on how deluded Christians were and how their Holy book had holes you could fly a 747 through. You people are living in a fantasy world.

How can you:

1) Claim a 1st Amendment right to discuss religion on the one hand.

2) Start pouting/ranting/calling for banning when someone steps on your toes or makes a remark that implies YOU, instead of EVERYONE ELSE, is headed for the pits of hell.

This whole thing is one convoluted mass of self contradiction. You people want the freedom to talk openly about a religion that sends the overwhelming majority of the human race through the gates of Hades. Fair enough. But as a group you cannot even discuss the matter among yourselves without the whole thing devolving into a zoo monkey **** fight.

I cannot imagine what a mess a true discussion of religion, along with the freedom to openly criticize each belief, would entail. My God, don't you folks have any sympathy for the owners and administrators of this site?

Will

I don't care who you are , that was funny !

Actually , a disinterested observer would be struck by how united the believers are ON THIS THREAD !

It appears I've missed the challenges, bellicose verbage and 'in your face' accusations too. I guess I better call my interent provider and see why I'm missing so many posts..............oh wait!...........you must mean from you and Peneguin and such. OK, I see it now. It's OK. Don't worry. We're all fine with it. We've seen it all before.

Thanks for the mission prayers folks .... they are well received.

no hating

sounds simple, but very tough in practice.

You're right there.

Like anything, if it's a priority you practice as best you can and get better in time. Too many think Christianity is an easy fix. It's work to reshape a life, but there's help along the way.

and you will continue to see it. Just because you choose to not see what is in front of your face, does not mean it is not there.
Nelson's 'blind eye' will not work here.

Mr. JStuart I may be wrong, and if I am I appologise, but what you are prorposing sounds to me like a new spin on the "Seperate but equal " policies that were found for decades in many states.
What I am hearing is feel free to go with "all the others like you" and then speak your mind as you wish" BUT don't say anything I don't like in any place that I might choose to visit sometimes.

This approach has never been and never will be the "right thing to do". Being able to freely exchange thoughts and opinions is central to be a civilized and free people.

You choose not share your beliefes regarding God and I repsect that choice by not trying to coerce or convince you to do so.

I may choose to to share my beliefe with any who opt to read them, I would ask that you respect my choice in a similar fashion. Read or don't read as deem fit but please don't try to establish rules about what can or can not be said/writen

As others have said if there are statements made that you do not wish to read then simply don't read them. This is exactly the same way I and everyone else deals with the many things in life we find distasteful.

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Actually, you're quite mistaken. You confuse unity with disengagement and isolationism.

Admittedly, religion is a fascinating topic. As a non-believer, it just boggles my mind that a faith or belief in the scientific unknown can be the root cause of hate, ridicule,wars, death by murder, torture and, with the mere speaking of an opposite belief, can instantly turn the rational person into an irrational jackass.


I learn by reading the posts from the likes of Penny, MColeman, Dr Howell and Blaine as they, unless specifically asked otherwise, merely descibe what their faith means to them and how it has affected their lives. Never do you find them ever telling any of us how to believe or insisting upon one of us how it MUST impact our own lives.

When others veer down a different path with insulting and demeaning comments about the beliefs of others, you immediately dsengage from the rational and isolate yourself from tolerance. I just cannot learn or understand from the temperaments and intolerance of those folks.Their intended message is abruptly lost in the disdain.

For my way of thinking, Mr Bin's actions were undertaken after careful, deliberate thought and, perhaps a bit too late in coming. That obviously was a tribute to his patience and tolerance.

I continue to have no problem whatsoever learning and understanding a person's faith from the likes of the folks I complimented above. To the rest of you, find a site where your religious dogmatism and intolerant demeanings of others are pervasive and welcomed. Here's a news flash...there's a bunch of them.!!

And the crowd goes wild! On the pithy posts meter I'd give that on a solid 9.5 "Diagnostic irritants" IMO that one is right up there with Will Shakespeare's line, "Me thinks, he doth protest too much..."

Bigpapa ; Mr. Stuart had us all figgered out then folks like you , Ricky, etal don't follow his script with your posts .It's bound to be hard enough having to live upside down without folks refusing to stay in their "pigeonholes" !

I agree. They don't. Neither do most others who express topics of faith. So why not follow their lead and not insist members here refrain from commenting or starting threads that might contain matters of faith. To do so certainly impacts the lives of those so inclined by unwarranted censureship.

I find this denial of obvious civil rights much more odious than topics of faith. Certainly I would prefer a heated discussion with a member of an opposite belief system who attempts to invalidate my own faith to one where any mention of that faith is forbidden. Our country was founded in large part to protect religious speech and practice and it appears it will be destroyed by those who know seek to suppress it. Not just here but universally in the government, media, public assemblies and education. Most unfortunate!

I don't believe for a nanosecond that if we had a separate, dedicated "I Believe" forum that the fervently anti-Christian among us would stay out of it. They certainly didn't stay out of "Christ at the Campfire," and they aren't staying out of our threads here.

Isacc - Granted I don't belong in the company you mentioned . God didn't clone us ; He created us .Maybe he made some "extra" folks - I don't know . Maybe I'm an "extra" ,or maybe He has some purpose for me . And you .

Never will you find a post of mine where I have been intolerant of another person's faith , except for the mohamedans - and that's only because their religion seeks to kill us . There was a time - some 22+ years ago when I could have told you everything you asked about God unless we ran out of whiskey before I got done . Nowadays I wouldn't WASTE thirty seconds trying to tell you - or anyone else - what God will or won't do except that He don't make hard terms with any honest seeker .

I'm too irreverant for the tastes of some on here and branded as a religious fanatic by you . Sounds like I'm more in danger of being a centrist than anything else !

And YOU got more than thirty seconds of my time because I type REALLY slow .

Have a good day - I'm going hog hunting .

So you are saying some, likely me, who do not appreciate the calls for censureship are "fervently anti-christian"? Certainly you do not include those calling for a black-out of all things of faith since they never posted there. You can be frank. It will not offend me in the least.

Someone once observed � most cannily, IMHO � that he who insists that his way is the only way denies himself the right to change his mind.

A natural and logical corollary is that he who insists that anyone else should have to keep his opinion to himself denies himself the same freedom of expression that he denounces.