Marketability of Your Religion Based On Your RF Contributions

[Niatero]

It just dawned on me, when I post in a debate forum, people might assume that I want to join in on the courtroom drama and spitwad fights debate. I realized that once a long time ago, but I forgot.

 

[Niatero]

Thank you.

I'd like to ask you some questions about your faith (curiosity, not to see if I want to join ), but not in this thread. Would you agree to that, in The Interfaith Forum, The Interview Place, a private conversation or somewhere else?

 

[Psalm23]

I'd like to ask you some questions about your faith (curiosity, not to see if I want to join ), but not in this thread. Would you agree to that, in The Interfaith Forum, The Interview Place, a private conversation or somewhere else?

Sure, I'm open for questions.

 

[crossfire]

RF is read not only by the denizens who participate, but by lurkers and guests who do not.

Based on your contributions on RF, how well do you think you represent your religion or belief system (or your atheism) to an outside seeker who is deciding what religion to follow or deciding to leave their religion for atheism?

Do you feel the way you discuss or debate your beliefs and your behavior in threads would attract a seeker to your religion, your spirituality, or your secular views?

Do you set an example for your religion? If so, how?

Without naming names, do you feel an aversion to a religion/form of spirituality/secular worldview not based on the dogma associated with it, but by how a person or people of that group here on RF carry themselves or represent their views?

Well, I don't know. I am not them, nor are they me.

 

[Niatero]

Sure, I'm open for questions.

Which one? The Interfaith Forum, The Interview Place, a private conversation or somewhere else? What would be more comfortable for you, or possibly beneficial to others if you think it could be?

 

[Unfettered]

RF is read not only by the denizens who participate, but by lurkers and guests who do not.

Based on your contributions on RF, how well do you think you represent your religion or belief system (or your atheism) to an outside seeker who is deciding what religion to follow or deciding to leave their religion for atheism?

Do you feel the way you discuss or debate your beliefs and your behavior in threads would attract a seeker to your religion, your spirituality, or your secular views?

Do you set an example for your religion? If so, how?

Without naming names, do you feel an aversion to a religion/form of spirituality/secular worldview not based on the dogma associated with it, but by how a person or people of that group here on RF carry themselves or represent their views?

To make such judgments based on the conduct of persons in an online debate forum would be highly immature. This environment is extreme, not moderate; we should take appropriate care, therefore, with our judgments.

That said, I know that I, personally, could and ought to be a better vessel for the message and truth I carry inside.

 

[Niatero]

Sometimes what I see someone doing in a discussion looks ugly and poisonous to me. Not the words that they’re saying, but a pattern of behavior that looks malicious to me, with evil intentions. Not against me but against some other people. One time I was so sickened by it that I impulsively put 3 people on ignore, which I have only ever done once or twice in many years of posting in online forums. I was going to put a few more on ignore, but I decided that there wasn’t any point in it. I took them off of ignore, but I was still planning not to read their posts or to respond to any of them. I didn’t want to have anything to do with them, they looked so repulsive to me, like a Deatheater in Dorothy of Oz clothing, with its limbs all sticking out. Finally I decided that if they address any posts to me, I can respond in a friendly way sometimes to something in their posts.

 

[Psalm23]

Which one? The Interfaith Forum, The Interview Place, a private conversation or somewhere else? What would be more comfortable for you, or possibly beneficial to others if you think it could be?

Probably the interview place.

 

[Niatero]

Probably the interview place.

Seconds after I started a thread for it in the Interfaith forum. That’s okay because I made it for other people too.

 

[Niatero]

"Father, forgive me, for I have sinned." I displayed some hostility towards someone that I thought was bullying someone else.

 

[Niatero]

One of my rules for myself is not to try to break through anyone's defenses around their beliefs. I realized a few days ago that sometimes when a person persists in not understanding what I'm saying, that could be a way of defending themselves against it, so I should just drop it. It may or may not be that, and the number of times that I will try to explain it before I give up will vary.

 

[Niatero]

I'm starting to get sidetracked more and more from what I wanted to do, being tempted more and more to try to promote my own opinions in more and more unfriendly ways. I don't even have a clear vision any more of what I wanted to do. Something about friendly comments and questions ... let's see it was ... oh, it's starting to come back ... there! Helping to make online discussions more fruitful and beneficial for everyone including people who are watching without posting. Okay, great, thanks for listening and helping me with this. I feel so much better now.

 

[Niatero]

I'm getting sidetracked into promoting my ideas again. Also, I've needled some people in the last few days, and I lashed out at someone today. I'll be thinking about how I could have avoided that. Also, I'm just generally getting sidetracked more and more from posting friendly comments and questions. Also, I was forgetting that if I start a new thread, I want my posts in that to also be mostly friendly comments and questions. Also, I started thinking that maybe there was someone that I could talk to about some of my ideas. That's how I ended up lashing back at them, after a few exchanges after I started thinking that they weren't really interested and they persisted in thinking that I was trying to convert them, to what I don't know. Possibly they thought I was trying to convert them to some kind of Christianity of my own.

(later) I apologized to that person for lashing out, and now I'm bringing myself back to posting friendly comments and questions.

 

[Niatero]

My original reason for starting new threads was to have more conversations going that interest me, where I can post friendly comments and questions, but then I get sidetracked again into trying to promote my own ideas, and like I said sometimes even needling people and lashing out at them. I keep bringing myself back in line, and then wandering off again.

I'm still hoping for other people to post their ideas and experiences sometimes for helping to make online discussions fruitful and beneficial for everyone.

 

[Vinayaka]

My original reason for starting new threads was to have more conversations going that interest me, where can post friendly comments and questions, but then I get sidetracked again into trying to promote my own ideas, and like I said sometimes even needling people and lashing out at them. I keep bringing myself back in line, and then wandering off again.

I'm still hoping for other people to post their ideas and experiences sometimes for helping to make online discussions fruitful and beneficial for everyone.

I liked your threads.

 

[Niatero]

I liked your threads.

Thanks.

 

[osgart]

I'm not selling anything. I'm just seeing what's true, what flies, what's false, and what meets dead ears.

I want to see what people know or are certain in their know about what is true.

I want to see what can be known about abstract qualities and their existence. My religion is for me, not everyone else. I'm here for people to throw valid darts at it.

 

[Niatero]

My religion is for me, not everyone else. I'm here for people to throw valid darts at it.

I've done that sometimes too. I learned a lot from it.

 

[Niatero]

It helps me to post here about my experiences, even if no one responds. I think I'll start a new thread for it though.

 

[Niatero]

As long as they don't bother me.

Okay, I'll try not to.