Should Ex-christians Visit Christian Forums

[R. S. Martin]

I'm pretty new to this forum and as an ex-fundie. I'm surprised at the number of "anonymous" and other xians that come to this site to give their 2c on any given topic. As far as I know we don't limit where and how they participate here (please correct me if I'm wrong)

 

I may not have read every last post in this thread so if someone else responded to this question I apologize. Yes, there are rules and limits for Christians. But not near as strict as the rules they impose. If you look at the red tip of folder that peeks out over the Testimonies of Former Christians you can see some rules. No one is allowed to be unsupportive of a deconvert in that area. In the Lion's Den Christians are allowed to evangelize. And others are allowed to mock them for all they're worth. And we do. When I was first on here I found it really therapeutic to rant and rave and take out my rage on the xians who ventured to show their face anywhere on our sacred space. But only those who were disrespectful. If they were respectful of people I wouldn't even know they were Christians. We have at least two Christians on here who post regularly: Spoomonkey and Open_Minded. They don't evangelize. It's the evangelization that turns all of us inside out and upside down and just plain makes us want to rave and rage.

[R. S. Martin]

I don't waste my time on xian sites. Out of curiosity I lurked in a couple of them, and they looked for all the world like a mutual admiration society with severe constraints on any posts that fall outside of the "kingdom" construct. Kind of scary, really, because if you think about it...if the xians, esp. the dominionists, get their way, this is what will be forced on you...the Stepford Net.

 

That's one of the "bad" things I said to my family last fall when I tested the waters (to my downfall). One of my little sisters talked about feeling comforted in the faith when hearing about others who shared the same beliefs. I said that wasn't consolation; it was patting herself on the back. I cannot help but think what a sad situation it must be--what strong evidence of the fragility of the "truth" they cling to--when they can't bear hearing opposing or contradicting ideas.

 

The best analogy I can think of is a batch of people sitting on the side of a very slippery hill with wet mud and grass so they can hardly hold their place. The only way they can hold their place is by sinking anchors into the mud and these anchors are poor at best. It takes but the slightest gale to send them into a frenzy because of their precarious position. Yet they sing at the top of their lungs:

 

On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand...

 

No, it's not a solid rock. It's a very slippery slope, if their anxiety is any indication. They are so like Plato's Cave. In the story of Plato's Cave there were a batch of people sitting chained to the wall in such a way that they would only view the back wall of the cave. Behind them was a fire. Between them and the fire someone moved wooden shapes of animals, casting the shadows on the back wall of the cave the prisoners could see. The prisoners believed they were looking at reality.

 

Finally one of them managed to get out of the cave. He found out about real light--the sun. He saw real animals and real trees. It was so far superior to anything he had seen in the cave that he naturally wanted to bring the good news to his fellows. He went back into the cave to bring them out to the wonderful world above ground. You wouldn't believe how they fought and struggled against his efforts because they wanted to stay in their dank and dark cave with the fire and flickering shadows.

 

Well, that's the way the fundies look to me, except they don't even fight. They don't need to bother exert themselves that much. All they need to do is look down their long and righteous noses at us heathen in condemnation. We're not worth their energy to talk to. But if we dare raise an eyebrow at their unsupported blanket statements about reality we get told where to go. That's what I mean--they can't take it; they're so insecure.

[Taphophilia]

I sometimes go and read them but I don't post. The fun of debating with fundies on Ex-C doesn't have anything to do with them, but the interaction with the other members. We are not playing catch with the Fundies when we debate them, they ARE the ball we toss around to each other, until they run away screaming, that is.

[michie_s]

WOW..thanks for everyone's feedback on this topic. Lots of different opinions that I would not have considered.

 

I don't know how people that visit and post on xian forums manage to stay sane! From some of the things I've read I would blow a gasket. It makes me nuts just reading it!!! Sometimes I want to respond with some choice words or better yet send a virus to wipe out the whole board (if that were possible), but likely they would think it's a sign from god and it would start a revival..

[Jella]

I don't need to visit any sites. It's all around me....everyday, in the media, and especially on blogs. I can only roll my eyes so much, so I come here and hope that one has graced our humble site, and I can enjoy folks here send them packing. Usually all the things I would like to say... get said, plus I usually find a few new ways to say them. It's dam fine therapy.

[angel.white]

I've never gone to a xian board, but I do regularly engage xians on my other forum (starcraftdream.com) It can be fun, but eventually 1v2 or 3 or 4 gets old, esp with the way they argue (blatant contradictions, copy and paste "rebuttals", and their philosophy seems to be "if I put some text up after you, I'm winning" they go into spam mode where they just type random shit and anyone who isn't reading thinks they're holding their ground or something :/) Its just not worth it to me, I can't reply to 20 posts by myself (I usually take time to make sure I'm right before I post, and to line up and cite all my sources, and rewrite my post a few times to make it as easy to understand as possible. I'm in college, I don't have time to spend 2 or 3 hours per post, esp when they'll have 2 or 3 page-long replies within 20 minutes)

Actually, when I get a wild hair up my butt, I will go onto a Christian forum and pretend to be one of them. It is not hard afterall as I was once one of them. I will get on there and be very very subtle. I will say some things that appear to agree, then slowly...ever so slowly, slip some subtle questions that are almost too hot for them to handle and make it appear innocent...oh but what they don't realize is that they are not dealing with a normal poster.....LOL... ....I slowly lead them down a path, usually over some months that creates some doubt in the minds of their regular posters. I almost never get warned or kicked off. I usually leave because I grow bored with them. They are sooooooooo predictable. It is a game to me to see if I can avoid being discovered, warned, or kicked off....LOL

lol, I'd love to read one of these threads.

[sharkindeepwater]

All I do is lurk, react with a range of emotions from "quietly appalled" to just "oh, nice little discussion there" and then lose interest and wander off.

 

I did see one Christian deliver unto his brother a justly earned smackdown with an appropriately timed Bible verse. I so wish I'd been able to see the RL equivalent--you know that little head toss someone gives when they're about to own someone? I think I would have seen it.