An open letter to all FS members and staff

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I am not Mormon, but I have found the comments on Mormons extremely offensive.  There were some offensive comments on Catholics as well.  Seems to me last year a poster named nsmdevildog was permanently banned for words written about Jews.  Baptistpreacher was suspended for several days for bigotry against a specific religion.  Really, is this any different?  This is not a new standard suddenly being applied. 

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Well, it's too bad that you have to feel you can't be here.  As far as I'm concerned, this is a political site with a lot of peripheral issues thrown in for good or bad measure.  I'm not a Mormon, but I believe God and Jesus have a plan and that is for the betterment of this world.  Unless we are in tune with God's spirit, we'll miss out on the blessings.  Just ask all those who died when the continent of Atlantis sunk.  It could happen here, but we don't have to allow it.  We just need to think higher thoughts.  Look up when you're feeling down.

I think Mitt would be an awesome President.  He not only has a Presidential "presence" and aura, he has the executive credentials and foreward-thinking vision that would restore this country's woes. 

A Romney/Thompson ticket would rock.

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To use anothers religion of choice to bait them and try to lead them into arguments concerning such is hardly being "gracious" to members of this forum.  The fact is, not everyone here agrees or believes in one universal religion and we must show tolerence and respect for each other.  This is what our country was founded on.  People came here so that they would be able to practice their beliefs without being condemed or subjected to the religion of the state (or a forum).  It is interesting that you have decided for everyone, Irish, what that particular religion is that everyone should believe in.

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I always thought the religious threads were to try to LEARN about and discuss other religions or religious issues.  In other words, if one had questions about particular beliefs about any given religion, that would be a place to discuss it.  Or, if one had issues with their own religion and wanted to discuss it with others of that religion or even those from other religions.  Or even to discuss the differences between some religions...such as baptism by full emersion vs. baptsm with just a sprinkling of water, or whatever means.  Or, the different rites and ceremonies various religions have to recognize adulthood, such as confirmation or bar/bat mitzvahs, etc.  Or even social beliefs between religions, such as the Terry Schaivo case, etc.  But, I never thought the forum was intended to pick any given religion and bash it and condemn it or to uphold one's own beliefs as somehow THE one true religion and everyone else is wrong.

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Irish, you are a very valued member of FS. I have had MANY personal conversations with John Conner. He is a very nice man and we have many things in common. The incident you refer to I watched unfold......I also received many PM's from John questioning another FS members faith. It was not my place to reveal that person's religious affiliation, so I stayed out of it. John persisted and amped up his attacks on that thread knowing fool well WHO had a background as a mormon.  

Also Irish, what you DONT see are the personal PM's and emails that some moderators receive from FS members. The language used by some of the Ron Paul supporters to me personally was uncalled for...horrible expletives, name calling etc when I had done NOTHING! If you think that is FAIR, then please explain why I should be attacked in this manner?! I would really like an answer to my question because I am sick of it. We don't moderate ENOUGH or we moderate TOO MUCH. Which is it? 

This is not an easy task- these are hot button issues and as with human nature, often people of different opinions WILL butt heads.

Just please try to remain civil....respect other religions ( I won't ask you to respect Islam, because I don't).....

John "earned" his 3 day vacation.....this was NOT a moderators call...this was FS Administration. I know Steve Elliott would not appreciate John's behavior as well. He sees what goes on here too. It was NOT a moderators choice to lock or unlock that thread- 

I think Mitt OR Fred would be an awesome President. I echo So Cal's sentiments.....

Irish, you have ALWAYS been a valued member here- your input is always stimulating and well thought out. I enjoy reading your posts. Please try to see it from more than ONE point of view. We are only human.....

 

 

 

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(CM) BiotechBabe said: .

Just please try to remain civil....respect other religions ( I won't ask you to respect Islam, because I don't).....

 

I think all religions should be respected, moderate islam is not much differnt that christanity. I always thought the christian belif, you are supposed to reach out to people, good luck reaching out to them if you dont first respect them..

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Randynaz said:

(CM) BiotechBabe said: .

Just please try to remain civil....respect other religions ( I won't ask you to respect Islam, because I don't).....

 

I think all religions should be respected, moderate islam is not much differnt that christanity. I always thought the christian belif, you are supposed to reach out to people, good luck reaching out to them if you dont first respect them..

 

Sorry Randy...should have been more specific....."Muslim Extremists who TWIST Islam".......I DO respect other religions..I have spent the first part of my life interacting with people from over 50 countries worldwide. I have had Taoists, Buddhits, Sikhs, CAtholics, Muslims and Orthodox Jews as clients. They were all very special people in their own right.

 

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While I agree with respecting other's religions, I feel I must add my own two cents.

I started my thread with the intention towards helping others understand what I believe. Instead, throughout most of my thread's life, it's been nothing but one piece of hate mail after another. In the case of John Conner, I know him through various emails and such that we have exchanged, and I know one thing for certain, what he said on any of his posts is NOTHING compared to what's been said to me on mine.

And to put insult to injury, my account was deleted and locked. Hmmm? Strange isn't it? I received NO suspension, no ban, no nothing, and still have received NO word from either Sean nor anyone else regarding what happened to my account.

Personally, I find it in bad manners and taste to suspend anyone without knowing all the facts. I had gotten close to 75 emails and PM's from FS members that told me how I was going to burn in hell, and Goddess knows what else. I didn't report them, considering most of them are "shining examples of FS behavior". I wanted to, Goddess knows I wanted to, but with this sort of rampant ignorance and Goddess knows what else going on behind closed doors, I find myself in the position of wanting to leave FS altogether and start a petition to close this site down.

We are given free speech as a result of the Constitution, yet we find ourselves constantly harassed and maligned because we choose to do so. We have to make a choice, and the choice is to either keep letting everyone in society tape our mouths and keep us silent, or to shout out our voices and let everyone from here to the Afterlife hear us.

Blessed Be

The Constitution doesn't guarantee you the right to scream fire in a crowded theater, nor does it give you the right to set your own rules on someone else's website.  This isn't a matter of "free speech", it's a matter of respecting the rights of others to their own religious belief without being called--directly or indirectly-- a cult, non Christian, unsaved, etc.

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I refuse to rise to the bait. I am fully cognizant of the fact that many here do not know me very well, if at all, and therefore can easily misunderstand what I have written. But I do wish to clarify one thing and that is the fact that Christianity IS NOT A RELIGION. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Religion is of man through the approbation of man. Christianity is of GOD through the salvation work of Christ on the cross; a relationship between man/woman and his/her creator.  

In the beginning HIS Church was united and focused on HIM. But it was not very long before the early  Church began to flounder and lose sight of GOD’s plan. They began to brag about which disciple had baptized them, and whether they were more ‘righteous’,  or kept the Mosaic Law better than the next person. The passage of time only brought about more division within the Church, eventually leading to a corruption so terrible among power-hungry members of the Church that they sought to keep the written word of GOD out of the hands of the common people. It is an amazing story how the printed Bible that we possess today came about. Many men died a horrible death during the Reformation to wrest GOD’s written word from their evil leaders and put it into our hands, but sadly not too many people either know this fact or appreciate it.

I am neither Catholic, nor Presbyterian, nor Lutheran, nor LDS, nor Baptist, nor Episcopalian, nor any other religious denomination. I am a Christian. Christianity is HIS only true Church. Buddhism is not, Hinduism is not, Taoism is not; for these religions do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the only Messiah; they do not accept HIM as the way, the truth, and the life. The difference between Christianity and these false religions is so shiningly apparent;

1.       Jesus claimed to be the only way to God (John 14:6)

2.       Jesus claimed to be equal with God (John 5:17, 18 and John 10:30-33)

3.       Jesus claimed to be YHWH, the one true God (John 8:56-59)

If the New Testament presented Jesus as just another great teacher, as other religions have tried to claim, then no one would even attempt to question the truth of Christianity. No one gets upset with Hinduism or Buddhism  to the point where they demand empirical evidence and historical proof. Why? Because they don’t claim to be the exclusive way to God. Period.

As a Christian it is appointed unto me to spread the Good News. The theological term is the “Great Commission”. It is NOT, however, appointed unto me to convince or strong arm anyone. As a believer I am merely to present the Gospel. Whether you choose to accept or reject it is strictly your God-given right of free volition. You are free to worship a golden calf, the earth or a coffee pot if you so desire. Just do not expect me to recognize your ‘religion’ as a true part of HIS Church. What you do in time on earth is YOUR business. Where you exist in eternity is HIS business.

BTB, all I expect is fair and unbiased monitoring on these forums. Even a child (and I’m not a child) is able to see that some threads are allowed to digress wildly off topic and nothing is done to curtail them, and other threads are cracked down on with surprising austerity, notably any threads on the topic of Mormonism or the LDS Church. It is so obvious that one cannot fail to recognize it. True, as a moderator you will not be able to please everyone. That is a given. I commend anyone that took the responsibility upon themselves because, for the most part, it is a thankless job. As in anything, we are to do our job as unto the Lord.

The FireSociety site was developed based upon the premise of fairness and justice. May the moderators and the FS team never lose sight of their objectives. I daresay that there have more than a few regrets, or maybe even a questioning, as to the wisdom over the opening of these forums. For whenever one is dealing with the public at large, one is largely exposed to all aspects of human frailties, weaknesses, and prejudices. The upside is, one can also be exposed to a few shining examples of honorable people of integrity. The rewards may be few and far between, but they always provide a sense of hope and optimism.

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I'm new here at FS, and possibly shouldn't make comment, however....I agree we need to respect other peoples opinions.  Other than that, I came here because I THOUGHT this was a NON PC forum.  There are many forums on the Internet that aren't!  Sometimes, if everyone is expecting all others to "play in a nice manner" it becomes too kindergarten and boring.  The issues here at FS are very volatile to say the least.  If we are to enter this forum, it's my opinion, we better brace ourselves and be ready to say and hear some thoughts and words that aren't on every other site out there!!  Since I've been here, I've learned the subjects discussed are subjects you really want to sink your teeth into.  I've been in other forums where the members are very PC.  It's a nice place to go if I just want to "chat"!  I'm called a racists on that forum because I simply do not like illegals!  If I post anything about the costs or the amount of deaths they cause, they're up in arms!  My point is.  Probably each of us needs to know what it is we really want out of a forum.  Once we know that, then we can know which forums fit our needs.

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HEY IRISH: Don't give up on FS or the rest of us too easily. Many of us agree with you, and many don't. That, praise God, is still among the few liberties we enjoy in the Land of the partly free and home of the duped. Some of the words we say, purposefully or inadvertently, may offend others, but that't the way it's been since that dadgummed woman gave that blasted apple to that innocent man in that lovely garden and blamed that helpless snake (did that offend anyone?) Ha Ha! Let's do our best to respect the rules of this site, and use it to "vent our spleen" within reason. (How often does one's spleen need to be vented? I'd like to know). But Irish, we're all a mixture of frailties, weaknesses, prejudices, and honor and integrity. And we'll ALWAYS be that way this side of Heaven. The alternative to this is ultimate pc, where all of us are terrified of saying anything for fear of "offending". Well, if some of us are offended by what some others say, too bad. We're all adults here (I think). Let's rejoice in occasionally offending someone who may need to be "offended". But we can be respectfully offensive, I think. So, stick with us, and help keep some of the "others" thinking about what we say. And Irish: Please tell me in your earlier post today--what is "the fifth cycle of disciipline as a client nation to God?" Did I miss reading this in my Bible?

Irish Jesus loved us so much that he die for us all. We must make the choice to follow are not. Not all people will. And i want them all to know that he ia waiting for them. Let us all be thankful for this we still can disagree to disagree.  

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Once again I will point this out.

Fire Society did not lock any threads due to what was said. Any actions have been how things were said, or where they were said.

There is a place on the site devoted to only discussion about religion, theology, etc. and it's kept private because we do have members who come here for Politics and don't want to watch the religious debate.

If anyone wants access to that, that is fine. send me a PM and i'll be glad to get you acess.

This way only people who request to see, discuss, worry about, etc the religious discussions may do so. This area is not moderated and thusyou are free to discuss any religious topic you desire.

It's not about what was said, it was about where it was said. John Conner today recieved a permanent ban. Not because we didn't like what he said, it was because he broke the rules increating another account in order to post while he was suspended.

Sean Ivy

Fire Society Editor 

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Foxglove and oldone70,

You both are absolutely right on! Fire Society isn't a place for the timid. If it were we'd be discussing gardening or bass fishing. However it is like television because if you don't like what's being said you can turn it off or go to another thread.

oldone70 I really liked this "But we can be respectfully offensive".

Keep your powder dry.

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Amen, modill: God bless! Stay well and safe this coming week--and all other FS'ers also.

Well, all I have to say is, it's a shame you all ran off your hottest member. If that's her in the pic.

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