Do Cristians even bother to come to this forum anymore?

I haven't posted in a while and I've only visited on a few occasions in the last few months, but it seems like this forum has become the "Anti-Christian" forum at least in so far as most of the posts are far more concerned with attacking Christianity than discussing it.

Don't misunderstand, please, I'm not a Christian either (at least not by most peoples definitions - there is an obscure one that says that a Christian is a person who strives to uphold the ideals of Jesus, and if you discount everything Paul wrote and have a liberal interpretation of Jesus' teachings - then under that definition I am a Christian, despite the fact that I identify myself as a pagan - but in any case...) it just seems like there is no real debate or intelligent discussion happening here anymore in which the Christian viewpoint is represented (by a sane person, that is).

Has the hostility driven them off? I suppose I can't blame them.

 

probably

PS I'm not christian either

 

Know1NozMe: Yes. Your observation is right on.

FedUpAmerican: I don't bother coming around not because I'm weak or can't "defend" my faith but because frankly, I don't have the time to sit and argue with you, particularly when it seems like you need to be right in the end. It seems like a fruitless endeavor to me.

 

Well, if you call going to Seminary, working in churches and synagogues and masjids a cop out, I guess you're right.


I relish good debate. What I won't do is sit with you or a fundamentalist Christian and act as a punching bag for you to take out your agression on. If I felt like it was a fair fight, I might write on the Christian boards like I used to. As it stands now, this has mainly become a bash-Christianity forum.

So called "non-Christians" that play fair and speak intelligently to their arguments, and listen to my side of the debate: Libertine, Hikaru Zero, I think also there was a girl named Sebbi. etc etc

 

Fedup.... I have been on here for 2 years or so... Your are a Newbee... All I end up doing is repeating myself... don't think you have come up with anything new... it just gets really tiring repeating myself over and over... especially with you as you can be compared to FuzzyNutz... who also hails from IL.... Are you guys related?

 

Furthermore, the reason why I don't come on here is because I just don't have the time I use to have... I am a full time college student and I coach volleyball year round. And Know1nozme's analysis is correct in that I do not come on here as much because the majority of people on here are antichristian... and it is just hard to keep up with the flood of topics and not that the topics are difficult to reply.

 

Hi. I am a Christian. I don't post as much on the whole fora in general anymore, even though I am online for a long periods of time.

 

i am a christian strong enough in my faith to answer ANY question asked to me, feel free to PM me or even MSN me, it would be an honour to chat.

 

most disappointingly, this behavior is condoned by the admin.

so much for hip forums, eh?

P.S> im not a xian, but i do like good discussions. what goes on here is just plain bashing, and it borders on obscene sometimes.

 

The Spanish Inquisition was used for both political and religious reasons. Spain is a nation-state that was born out of religious struggle between numerous different belief systems including Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism and Judaism. Following the Crusades and the Reconquest of Spain by the Christian Spaniards the leaders of Spain needed a way to unify the country into a strong nation. Ferdinand and Isabella chose Catholicism to unite Spain and in 1478 asked permission of the pope to begin the Spanish Inquisition to purify the people of Spain. They began by driving out Jews, Protestants and other non-believers.

In 1483 Tomas de Torquemada became the inquisitor-general for most of Spain. He was responsible for establishing the rules of inquisitorial procedure and creating branches of the Inquisition in various cities. He remained the leader of the Spanish Inquisition for fifteen years and is believed to be responsible for the execution of around 2,000 Spaniards. The Catholic Church and the Pope attempted to intervene in the bloody Spanish Inquisition but were unable to wrench the extremely useful political tool from the hands of the Spanish rulers.

The Inquisition was run procedurally by the inquisitor-general who established local tribunals of the Inquisition. Accused heretics were identified by the general population and brought before the tribunal. The were given a chance to confess their heresy against the Catholic Church and were also encouraged to indict other heretics. If they admitted their wrongs and turned in other aggressors against the church they were either released or sentenced to a prison penalty. If they would not admit their heresy or indict others the accused were publicly introduced in a large ceremony before they were publicly killed or sentenced to a life in prison. Around the 1540s the Spanish Inquisition turned its fire on the Protestants in Spain in an attempt to further unify the nation. The Spanish Inquisition's reign of terror was finally suppressed in 1834.

 

The Spanish Inquisition
by Monty Python



In the early years of the 16th century, to combat the rising tide of religious unorthodoxy, the Pope gave Cardinal Ximinez of Spain leave to move without let or hindrance throughout the land, in a reign of violence, terror and torture that makes a smashing film. This was the Spanish Inquisition...

(this transcript is also available with screen shots from the original)



Chapman: Trouble at mill.
Cleveland: Oh no - what kind of trouble?
Chapman: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treadle.
Cleveland: Pardon?
Chapman: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treadle.
Cleveland: I don't understand what you're saying.
Chapman: [slightly irritatedly and with exaggeratedly clear accent] One of the cross beams has gone out askew on the treadle.
Cleveland: Well what on earth does that mean?
Chapman: *I* don't know - Mr Wentworth just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at the mill, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.

[JARRING CHORD]


[The door flies open and Cardinal Ximinez of Spain [Palin] enters, flanked by two junior cardinals. Cardinal Biggles [Jones] has goggles pushed over his forehead. Cardinal Fang [Gilliam] is just Cardinal Fang]

Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.

[The Inquisition exits]

Chapman: I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.

[JARRING CHORD]


[The cardinals burst in]

Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, and nice red uniforms - Oh damn!
[To Cardinal Biggles] I can't say it - you'll have to say it.
Biggles: What?
Ximinez: You'll have to say the bit about 'Our chief weapons are ...'
Biggles: [rather horrified]: I couldn't do that...

[Ximinez bundles the cardinals outside again]

Chapman: I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.

[JARRING CHORD]

[The cardinals enter]

Biggles: Er.... Nobody...um....
Ximinez: Expects...
Biggles: Expects... Nobody expects the...um...the Spanish...um...
Ximinez: Inquisition.
Biggles: I know, I know! Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. In fact, those who do expect -
Ximinez: Our chief weapons are...
Biggles: Our chief weapons are...um...er...
Ximinez: Surprise...
Biggles: Surprise and --
Ximinez: Okay, stop. Stop. Stop there - stop there. Stop. Phew! Ah! ... our chief weapons are surprise...blah blah blah. Cardinal, read the charges.
Fang: You are hereby charged that you did on diverse dates commit heresy against the Holy Church. 'My old man said follow the--'
Biggles: That's enough.
[To Cleveland] Now, how do you plead?
Clevelnd: We're innocent.
Ximinez: Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

[DIABOLICAL LAUGHTER]

Biggles: We'll soon change your mind about that!

[DIABOLICAL ACTING]

Ximinez: Fear, surprise, and a most ruthless-- [controls himself with a supreme effort] Ooooh! Now, Cardinal -- the rack!

[Biggles produces a plastic-coated dish-drying rack. Ximinez looks at it and clenches his teeth in an effort not to lose control. He hums heavily to cover his anger]

Ximinez: You....Right! Tie her down.

[Fang and Biggles make a pathetic attempt to tie her on to the drying rack]

Ximinez:Right! How do you plead?
Clevelnd: Innocent.
Ximinez: Ha! Right! Cardinal, give the rack [oh dear] give the rack a turn.

[Biggles stands their awkwardly and shrugs his shoulders]

Biggles: I....
Ximinez: [gritting his teeth] I *know*, I know you can't. I didn't want to say anything. I just wanted to try and ignore your crass mistake.
Biggles: I...
Ximinez: It makes it all seem so stupid.
Biggles: Shall I...?
Ximinez: No, just pretend for God's sake. Ha! Ha! Ha!

[Biggles turns an imaginary handle on the side of the dish-rack]

[Cut to them torturing a dear old lady, Marjorie Wilde]

Ximinez: Now, old woman -- you are accused of heresy on three counts -- heresy by thought, heresy by word, heresy by deed, and heresy by action -- *four* counts. Do you confess?
Wilde: I don't understand what I'm accused of.
Ximinez: Ha! Then we'll make you understand! Biggles! Fetch...THE CUSHIONS!

[JARRING CHORD]

[Biggles holds out two ordinary modern household cushions]

Biggles: Here they are, lord.
Ximinez: Now, old lady -- you have one last chance. Confess the heinous sin of heresy, reject the works of the ungodly -- *two* last chances. And you shall be free -- *three* last chances. You have three last chances, the nature of which I have divulged in my previous utterance.
Wilde: I don't know what you're talking about.
Ximinez: Right! If that's the way you want it -- Cardinal! Poke her with the soft cushions!

[Biggles carries out this rather pathetic torture]

Ximinez: Confess! Confess! Confess!
Biggles: It doesn't seem to be hurting her, lord.
Ximinez: Have you got all the stuffing up one end?
Biggles: Yes, lord.
Ximinez [angrily hurling away the cushions]: Hm! She is made of harder stuff! Cardinal Fang! Fetch...THE COMFY CHAIR!

[JARRING CHORD]

[Zoom into Fang's horrified face]

Fang [terrified]: The...Comfy Chair?

[Biggles pushes in a comfy chair -- a really plush one]

Ximinez: So you think you are strong because you can survive the soft cushions. Well, we shall see. Biggles! Put her in the Comfy Chair!

[They roughly push her into the Comfy Chair]

Ximinez [with a cruel leer]: Now -- you will stay in the Comfy Chair until lunch time, with only a cup of coffee at eleven. [aside, to Biggles] Is that really all it is?
Biggles: Yes, lord.
Ximinez: I see. I suppose we make it worse by shouting a lot, do we? Confess, woman. Confess! Confess! Confess! Confess
Biggles: I confess!
Ximinez: Not you!

Main Entry:1treadlePronunciation: 'tre-d&lFunction: nounEtymology: Middle English tredel step of a stair, from Old English, from tredanDate: 15th centuryMeaning: a swiveling or lever device pressed by the foot to drive a machine

 

Personally I'm kind of relieved to find out it's possible to drive these people away.

 

okay, ill tell you why.

b/c it does no good to complain about "child abusing xians" in hip forums. obviously everyone here condemns it.

it just looks obnoxious.

what you can get great discussions out of, are theological issues. issues of who goes to hell spark interest. things about the divinity of jesus. any issues w/ his teachings, with his death & ressurection.

those sorts of things will provide a hell of a lot more engaging discussions for all of us (no pun intended).

its like what people do w/ islam forums. Just scream and yell about muslim terrorists and what-not. okay, great. we all condemn it, now let's talk about what the religion itself says and lets see if there's some common ground here or not.

that, to me, is what "hip forums" means.

but what do i know, right? im just a newbie.

 

What happened to Erasmus? Is he still around here because he was like the smartest person on here. When I was debating evolution, there would always be about two Christians and 10 athiests, and it was hard to keep up with all the points. I think we need to speak out more, defend the truth.

 

And me

I rememebr when It was just me and you in that thread before Erasmus came in. That was fun.

 

I miss you, girl. Where have you been?

 

If I could answer that, I would know where to go next.

Truthfully: I've been trying to sort out my faith (and doubts) about God. I had this naieve notion that this stage in my life would "settle" all my questions about God. I planned on completely understanding the Bible like some kind of project. Obviously, this notion has not, and really cannot, come to fruition.

I didn't grow up "Christian," (my Dad labels himself half-Christian/half-pagan) so I've been trying to figure out where I want to put my strength now: in Christ or somewhere else.