the state of the debate board

[Don John of Austria]

[quote name='kateri05' date='Jun 13 2005, 06:57 PM']careful i don't want your GIANT head to explode now Don 
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see the humor of that is that I DO have a giant head, but I assure you it won't explode, my ego holds it together.


( being right on virtually everything does tend to cause that ego to get good and strong )

Edited June 14, 2005 by Don John of Austria

[MC Just]

come on now, even some of the saints used harsh words and were"in your face" in debates.

[Don John of Austria]

[quote name='MC Just' date='Jun 13 2005, 07:50 PM']come on now, even some of the saints used harsh words and were"in your face" in debates.
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Many many of them. Of course so was Jesus.

Edited June 14, 2005 by Don John of Austria

[Guest Eremite]

Which goes to show that Saints are men of their time just like everyone else.

[Don John of Austria]

[quote name='Eremite' date='Jun 13 2005, 07:59 PM']Which goes to show that Saints are men of their time just like everyone else.
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What on God's green Earth is that supposed to mean.

Edited June 14, 2005 by Don John of Austria

[MC Just]

There is then no sin against charity in calling evil evil, its authors, abettors and disciples bad; all its acts, words and writings iniquitous, wicked, malicious. In short the wolf has done to the flock and shepherd.

St. John the Baptist calls the Pharisees "race of vipers," Jesus Christ, our Divine Savior, hurls at them the epithets "hypocrites, whitened sepulchers, a perverse and adulterous generation" without thinking for this reason that He sullies the sanctity of His benevolent speech. St. Paul criticizes the schismatic Cretins (110) as "always liars, evil beasts, slothful bellies." The same apostle calls Elymas the magician "seducer, full of guile and deceit, child of the Devil, enemy of all justice."

What shall we say of St. John Chrysostom? His famous invective against Eutropius is not comparable, in its personal (111) and aggressive character, to the cruel invectives of Cicero against Catiline and against Verres! The gentle St. Bernard did not honey his words when he attacked the enemies of the faith. Addressing Arnold of Brescia, the great Liberal agitator of his times, he calls him in all his letters "seducer, vase of injuries, scorpion, cruel wolf."

The pacific St. Thomas of Acquinas forgets the calm of his cold syllogisms when he hurls his violent apostrophe against William of St. Amour and his disciples: "Enemies of God," he cries out, "ministers of the Devil, members of AntiChrist, ignorami, perverts, reprobates!" Never did the illustrious Louis Veuillot speak so boldly. The seraphic St. Bonaventure, so full of sweetness, overwhelms his adversary Gerard with such epithets as "impudent, calumniator, spirit of malice, impious, shameless, ignorant, impostor, malefactor, perfidious, ingrate!" Did St. Francis de Sales, so delicately exquisite and tender, ever purr softly over the heretics of his age and country?

He pardoned their injuries, heaped benefits on them even to the point of saving the lives of those who sought to take his, but with the enemies of the faith he preserved neither moderation nor consideration. Asked by a Catholic, who (112) desired to know if it were permissible to speak evil of a heretic who propagated false doctrines, he replied: "Yes, you can, on the condition that you adhere to the exact truth, to what you know of his bad conduct, presenting that which is doubtful as doubtful according to the degree of doubt which you may have in this regard."

Edited June 14, 2005 by MC Just

[Guest Eremite]

[quote]What on God's green Earth is that supposed to mean.[/quote]

Exactly what it says. Saints are men of their times, and reflect the polemic of their time.

[philothea]

Errr...

That's very nice, but., most of the offensive stuff I have seen in the Debate Table was rude, childish insults from loyal Catholics, to loyal Catholics.

I do wonder, in a debate of Christian morals, if stooping to name calling doesn't -- you know -- kinda concede the high ground.

[jezic]

i meant more of the personal attacks, not the honest debate.

Sometimes the truth does hurt. It is referred to as a double-edged blade. Yet instead of swinging the blade, often times in the debate table, people are beaten the the handle.

ohh and you said there weren't many non-Catholics here. That may be because usually people like a warm and inviting atmosphere before they start talking about beliefs, not a squabble that spans multiple threads and never goes anywhere.

Edited June 14, 2005 by jezic

[Don John of Austria]

[quote name='Eremite' date='Jun 13 2005, 08:38 PM']Exactly what it says. Saints are men of their times, and reflect the polemic of their time.
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You mean like the 1600 years of time that McJust just covered, Thats called Tradition.

[ardillacid]

I think that since it is [i]INTERFAITH[/i] dialogue, things like liturgical arguments should be moved out. Or anything exclusively Catholic for that matter

[Kilroy the Ninja]

[quote name='jezic' date='Jun 13 2005, 08:46 PM']i meant more of the personal attacks, not the honest debate.

Sometimes the truth does hurt. It is referred to as a double-edged blade. Yet instead of swinging the blade, often times in the debate table, people are beaten the the handle.

ohh and you said there weren't many non-Catholics here. That may be because usually people like a warm and inviting atmosphere before they start talking about beliefs, not a squabble that spans multiple threads and never goes anywhere.
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Well, as a moderator here at the debate table, and currently the most active mod here, I'm kinda hurt that you don't like our little playground. But Don is correct, if you think this is bad you should have seen it a couple of years ago, prior to dUSt assigning mods. Scary. Were you around for my beloved Back Alley? Now there was a fightin' place!

As for the loving atmosphere for non-Catholics, well, we're only human. I assure you, we are a far more welcoming place than many protestant boards (don't believe me? Go check out Baptistboard.com and BE HONEST and tell them you're a Catholic - you'll be politely run out on a rail.)

Most people realize that there is always going to be some debate between people of the same religion - how boring if there never was! However, the people who come here and are "scared away" from Catholicism should be talking with real live people rather than internet boards. This is just a place to research the start of a journey.

Regardless, I believe this is the most civil the Debate Phorum has EVER been since it has existed as it's own separate phorum (and yes, I can remember when it didn't).

Sorry if you feel it isn't. I'm sure there are other boards out there that are perhaps more polite, but I like this one because it is fair. And I like dUSt.

Have a nice day.

God Bless!

[Circle_Master]

I would have to add that the reason I left was the constant berating from Catholics who declared themselves as truth. I reported numerous posts illustrating lines such as "you just can't handle the truth" or referring to myself as a heretic when the posters did not even bother to answer my questions. It grows tiresome when I respond that some practice of the Catholic Church is absurd and I get warned, and the other comments are left ignored.

Also the disabling of my private messages was frustrating as I was having several conversations with other members that I could not use anymore.

And as well, the big bold logo that non-catholics got saying "I DO NOT REPRESENT THE CHURCH" was somewhat insulting. I understand you are a Catholic forum, but labeling me using your own theology borders more on what Germany did by labeling Jews with big stars rather than anything else.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Circle_Master' date='Jun 14 2005, 01:49 AM'][. . .]  And as well, the big bold logo that non-catholics got saying "I DO NOT REPRESENT THE CHURCH" was somewhat insulting.  I understand you are a Catholic forum, but labeling me using your own theology borders more on what Germany did by labeling Jews with big stars rather than anything else.
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Hey at least for now you have a really cool "group icon," it's a little red cross, and it's just like everyone else's.

[Cam42]

[quote name='Apotheoun' date='Jun 14 2005, 04:05 AM']Hey at least for now you have a really cool "group icon," it's a little red cross, and it's just like everyone else's.


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Yeah, it is the Cross of my favorite Apostle. Yay.....