How the liberals and/or non christians are taking over the discussion boards?

I feel like I missed something and they attacked everyone else, intimidated them so much that none of us are posting anymore?

Or, is just that everyone feels like I do sometimes, it's just not worth posting to get torn apart?

I have not been a part of this discussion board long enough to know how it ‘used to be’, but I have been a part of other discussion boards and here are some of the things that I have noticed.

First, there always seems to be an attack force from people that are hostile to religion, but running close behind that are attacks from our own Christian brothers and sisters. Sometimes it can be over theological issues but other times it is just differences in our style. Currently, I am studying the general topic of the rapture/end times and though this topic is by no means spelled out clearly in scripture, many seem under the impression that what will happen in the future has been made absolutely clear. Some churches will make their ministers sign statements of faith regarding such things as whether the rapture will occur post-tribulation, mid-tribulation, or pre-tribulation… and preterist, those that believe much of prophecy was fulfilled with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., will certainly roast in hell! Those intolerances are only magnified on discussion boards.

The language we use will often inflame the debate. From real words such as hyper-(preterist, dispensationalist etc.) that suggest an over-the-top viewpoint, to made-up insults (dumb-a-crats, republi-CONS - just to suggest what I mean) are often carelessly used to fan passions.

Also, I often notice divisions over the ‘old guard’, people that have been a part of discussion board and those that are ‘new’. (several recent post on this board touch on the nostalgic old). I notice more female posters than males on this board and on PBS in general.

What to do about it? I do not limit myself to posting on bulletin boards, but I also maintain my own web pages (Here’s on my mish-mash of thoughts as I do my current study on the rapture) and I think writing book reports is very effective. I apply great weight to the opinions of others when I am choosing a book on this sight or on Amazon. It is a great way to be an affective witness and to help guide others into your way of thinking. I try to write in such a way that I reflect the Character of Christ within me regardless of attacks or treatment from others; over time, that can be a very powerful witness even to your adversaries.

I've stopped going to the main "thoughts" board because one member has a blinkie that I find so disgusting and offensive and she posts all the time so I can't get away from it.

It says something to the effect of "Everytime you vote republican, God kills a kitten. Think of the kittens."

I've sent TWO requests to the owners of this site to ask her to remove it and have gotten zero response. So I've just decided to stay away from that group. Plus I just don't much care about what everyone is having for dinner and what the neighbors dog did the other day. :):)

I'm still quite upset and annoyed though that my request was completely ignored.

I guess I haven't been subject to this yet here at PBS.  BUT I don't visit many forums due to what I have heard the Christians say here.  I basically check this Christian forum, look at the Children's forum for deals, always check Book Bazaar for deals, play my swap games, & maybe go into a few of the genres forums to get new ideas of what to read.  I don't go into the Religion & Spirituality forum b/c I guess I don't feel I need to since I find what I'm looking for here in the Christian forum.  I have been in the Club Members Thoughts before but I too wasn't interested in many of the topics there so I just feel it's not for me.  I personally haven't been verbally attacked at PBS for my beliefs & it says right on my profile I'm a proud Christ follower.   I have met some really great people so far and I am sad to think that some of you feel intimidated or attacked!  I hope I don't sound naive but I guess I'm just not in the forums where it is happening...

Well, I poked my head into the "thoughts" forum and immediately got angry over the post about the cheating senator Edwards but I had a feeling my chickie with the disgusting blinkie would be voicing her liberal opinions in there and sure enough, she's there but to my happiness, her disgusting blinkie isn't with her anymore. Hopefully it was my complaining that got it removed but it proved once again I have no business being in that forum. GROSS.

I really need to get over to Brenda's new forum and start being active there. I joined and it seems like a fabulous place to be!

I used to post several times a day in CMT.  But after a summer of being away, and much thought, I'm not posting as much there.   I still read the threads daily and respond now and then.   I guess I'm just still shocked that people think it's ok to cheat on your wife and lie about it but awful if you happen to send a book priority mail from work (without knowing the details).    It just makes me sad, yanno?

It seems as if it doesn't matter what the topic is, the forum turns to politics and becomes a hateful thread.  And yes Brenda, the liberals and non-Christians have taken over the boards the way they've taken over most of this country. 

I'm not posting much there, either, and I used to be a major poster over in CMT. I'm sure my contributions aren't missed. I can't stand to be in there for more than a few minutes.

Put me on the list of "don't read or post much anymore". 

It seems to have gotten to the point that anyone who believes in "absolutes" (like a sin is a sin no matter how popular it is) is now "judgemental and closed-minded" and free to be attacked for not being open to everyone else's beliefs. 

I like 'kittens and rainbows' as well as respectful debate.  My problem came when the "respectful" was taken out and the purposefully hurtful jabs came in.

But then I wonder if being a minority and facing some adversity won't make us stronger in what we believe....

Phooey on believing truth is true no matter the odds

I still read - I write a post - and then usually I delete it rather than hitting the submit button.

Once upon a time I might have gotten upset at the lack of outrage in the Edwards thread, but after finding out that yet another family marriage is breaking up due to male infidelity, my response lately has become, ooh, someone is  cheating, so what else is new? I don't bother getting upset about it anymore - God will deal with these adulterers someday and they're going to have a lot more to answer for than just the "sex" part of it.

Bren, I did go into that Edwards thread, got all heated up, mostly at the people who feel so sorry for Elizabeth. Why? She KNEW and chose to stay with her cheating, lying husband. They both knew this would come out at some point, it always does. I typed up a response full of my bewilderment at the sorrowness felt towards her and then deleted it. It just doesn't matter to "those people" that the whole situation is disgusting. I mean after all, they take their lead from the Clintons right?

I think there needs to be some rules on the Avatars and Blinkies....like someone said the one about "Everytime someone votes republican God kills a kitten" is just down right disrespectful....then you have the ones with men in various stages of undress, just hinting at showing private parts...the purple dinasour dancing like he is humping someone.  I still go into CMT and Questions about PBS but, I'm selective about which threads I read....

Have you noticed how some folks over there are experts on everything....

ETA...please excuse any mispellings it is still early...

I still go into the main room from time to time but tend to shy away from anything political.  After getting my head verbally blown off in a thread about some woman who is now "legally" a man being pregnant, I just decided it was impossible to debate 30 outraged lebians with the word of God.  Maybe I should confront them, but I'd need some backup!

Mostly I just check this forum.

At this point, I pop in, look for anything interesting and leave.  I check here, and I check another Christian forum.  I just get so tired of hearing that Christians are horrible, closeminded people because we don't support sin.  I avoid the political threads entirely.  If I want debate, I turn to my husband (we're probably voting for different people!).

I am another who reads only select posts in CMT and I spend very little time there. I got my head chopped off verbally over the issue of the paintings with feces not being art to me. I am like many here- I may type a reply sometimes, but then I usually delete it immediately. The other week, a lady was replying to a thread and stated that Christians had taken many of their "stories" and "beliefs" from the Pagans who came before them. I SO wanted to reply that long before there were Pagans, there were Believers (as in: Adam, Eve, etc)!!!! But all that would have done was bring an avalanche of hateful replies, so I sighed and moved on.

I, too, am one of the "don't read and don't post" group.  and I also agree with Brenda and Cozette that the liberals and non Christians seem to not only running the country but the forums as well.  How sad.

Yeah, it's getting pretty bad there.  I used to post a lot, but now I hardly ever do.  :(

Brenda,

I see that too. I don't post much on these boards, and one day I was curious and looked in the current events/political forum and it seems to be populated with liberals. Okay, I don't have a problem with the fact there are liberals, it just seems that everything they talk about over there as a liberal slant, no variety of topic. I'll be honest here, the siggy's get annoying. And yes I agree that "God kills a kitten" banner is the most tasteless banner I've ever seen.

That banner is back, by the way. I basically try to ignore the banners even though it is hard sometimes. I guess it just goes along with that "free speech" thing, LOL. I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "Liberals aren't GOING to hell in a handbasket, they CARRY themselves there in one". I thought that was pretty cute.

Did it ever occur to those that don't like the blinkies to turn them off? That is one option.

I'm offended by some blinkies (even some in this thread) but I don't complain to the "powers that be" about them. I ignore them.

I turned off blinkies a long time ago because I just found them annoying.  I know they are supposed to be "fun" and help you get to know people better, but honestly, they just bug me.   No matter what they say!

I'm not sure emailing the powers that be about the kitten blinkie (or any blinkie) is necessarily a good idea.  No offense, but that person has the right to put up any blinkie of her chosing, as long as it doesn't violate the forum rules.  Just because some people get offended over it is no reason to make her take it down.  I'm sure my blinkies offend on a regular basis, but no one has ever asked me to take them down...if they did, I would still leave them up (unless it were the PTB telling me).

As  far as the kitten blinkie goes, I thought it was pretty funny.  I think it was meant as a joke (just like most blinkies) and that's how I take it.  It doesn't take God's name in vain, or make fun of Him (it's making fun of Republicans, not God), so I didn't really have a problem with it.  But I do understand the point you all are making, and I'm not trying to be mean.  I just know that I wouldn't want someone forcing me to take down my Christian blinkies because they were offended, would you? 

Now, I'm saying all of this because there IS an option to turn off the blinkies.  How often do you get to turn off the thing that offends you?  ;)   If there were NO option, then I might feel differently.

about the only thing I"ve questioned and thought I did nicely was the blinkie about God killing a kitten..I don't find anything funny in it and was told 'it's satire'..I thought satire was supposed to somehow make sense.. And for the record I don't usually get that way about stuff...I tolerate quite a bit or just ignore it but that one really stuck in my mind after seeing it and I just can't think of the people who have that as a blinkie the same way any more. not that I agreed with all they posted and I still read their posts but gosh that blinkie makes no sense at all to me and I think it's wrong to say God kills a kitten no matter what.

anyways, I find myself in the middle on most political stuff but I'm tired of all the attacking that goes on. And I've seen both extremes.

Susanna, I do see your point, and I'm not totally disagreeing.  However, this is a public forum with all kinds of people.  It's not just for Christians.  So of course we are going to see that kind of stuff.  They don't see God the same way that we do, so it's not offensive to them.  I don't feel it's right to try to tell someone what kind of blinkie they can have here, again as long as it falls within the site's rules.  The blinkie may be tasteless to some, but it isn't foul, using namecalling, or is even particularly hateful.  I have seen MUCH worse than the kitten one. 

I'm just saying to chose your battles wisely.  It isn't particularly wise to report someone for every little thing that offends you, and the powers that be on this site just get irritated and won't do anything anyway if they think you are just being petty.  That's just the way it works on this site. 

If you are easily offended, then turn off your blinkies, or join us on the off-site Christian webpage that Brenda has set up.  It's MUCH friendlier over there.  :)

I know Patricia..I didn't report it and have no intention or reporting it..guess being half asleep I gave that impression. I'm usually more of a don't get involved/don't stir up trouble type p erson. I'm not perfect by any means and I'm guilty of a lot of sins but I did notice that one saying and asked on the political bumper sticker forum if I'd missed something and just wasn't  understanding a hidden 'joke'...it was just pretty noticeable. It's really made me think if I were to put blinkies what mine would say about me but I guess by not having any I'm broadcasting that I'm too lazy to figure out how to do it huh?! :-) but seriously after seeing that blinkie I've been having a hard time getting it out of my mind andnot because of the democrat/republican issue...oh well. I guess it's time I found something offensive huh?! :-) And Iv'e seen Christian posters pretty harsh on here as well IMO so as someone posted earlier maybe it's all evening out.