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Post by Jayne on Jul 10, 2017 7:29:44 GMT -5
I am currently discerning my participation in trad forums. I am thinking about which forums and how much time I want to spend on them. How do other people here make these sorts of decisions? What do you look for in a forum? What do you avoid? How do you determine how much time is appropriate?
(Perhaps we could use some moderator guidance about giving specific examples of forums. I don't mean for this thread to turn into bashing of other forums. I am hoping for general principles that will help me to clarify my thoughts.)
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Post by Voxxkowalski on Jul 10, 2017 11:20:10 GMT -5
1...forums should NEVER take themselves too seriously. 2...forums can look at themselves as a sort if an extension of the casual Sunday coffee and cake socials after mass. 3...forums that allow utterly hateful rhetoric...or people condemning other catholics as apostates...example Cathinfo...should be avoided like a plague. My 2 cents
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Post by jen51 on Jul 10, 2017 13:18:55 GMT -5
This is the only forum I participate in regularly. I used to frequent many in the past, but now I don't think I could remember my password to most of them, lol.
I suppose when choosing which forums you frequent and what your involvement looks like in them, it might often depend on what you are hoping to get out of it according to your state in life.
I like this forum the best because there is much more friendly socialization that goes on here than other forums. Not to sound unreligious or intellectually lazy, but I am not interested in big theological discussions, debating or discussing and complaining about the most recent offense imposed upon or taken by some particular trad group. I am however interested in discussing the ins and outs of Catholic family life, reading snippets of church teachings (thankyou Pacelli!), and just generally shooting the breeze with my fellow trads. My young children ware me down, and when I log on here it's during afternoon nap time (where I sit trapped under a baby for 2.5 hours) and at night before bed as a way to wind down and momentarily take my mind off of the many little tasks and dramas that play out in our little domestic Church. At this point in life I'm not looking for intellectual stimulation, I'm looking for comradery. Not that this forum is lacking in good educational substance, but it has a certain friendliness amongst its members that makes me very happy with it.
As time goes on I tend to avoid forums where the owner or moderators don't step in to correct certain bad cultural ideas like modernism, feminism, heresy, etc etc. This forum fits what I'm looking for, and I don't have enough time to post in multiple places, so I mostly just post here.
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Post by Voxxkowalski on Jul 10, 2017 16:05:57 GMT -5
Your trust in TC wont be betrayed as long as Im here. Trolls and cranks and malcontents never last long...and I can usually spot them quick. But your testimony warmed my heart...I know from my wife how stressful children can be as little ones...if we help you in any way its totally been worth doing this.
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Post by jen51 on Jul 10, 2017 19:03:55 GMT -5
...if we help you in any way its totally been worth doing this. Then consider it worth doing. This forum definitely has its place in helping me to balance life. My sincere thanks to you and the mods.
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Post by magdalena on Jul 10, 2017 23:18:58 GMT -5
Everything in moderation, including forums. It's easy to join a number of Trad forums as it takes awhile to find where one fits in best. Unfortunately, some of the better ones don't last due to inactivity. This one is very pleasant and has something for everyone. Plus, I feel that women are given respect, which means a lot.
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Post by Jayne on Jul 11, 2017 12:03:06 GMT -5
I could relate to just about everything that Jen wrote. I am looking for similar things and TC appeals to me for the same reasons. I really appreciated seeing it put into words.
How many people look for forums where the dominant theological position is the same as your own? For example, on this forum sedevacantism seems to be the most represented position, although it is not a requirement. Is that a factor in people's choice to participate here?
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Post by carloscamejo on Jul 11, 2017 16:34:55 GMT -5
I could relate to just about everything that Jen wrote. I am looking for similar things and TC appeals to me for the same reasons. I really appreciated seeing it put into words. How many people look for forums where the dominant theological position is the same as your own? For example, on this forum sedevacantism seems to be the most represented position, although it is not a requirement. Is that a factor in people's choice to participate here? It's not a factor for me. It's when they use the dominant theological position to accuse others of heresy and apostasy is when it's a problem.
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Post by Voxxkowalski on Jul 11, 2017 16:40:29 GMT -5
If we ever do get a Pope...and he joins...Ill make him a mod...and he will be the only forum member allowed to call out heresy.
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Post by Lynne on Jul 11, 2017 16:59:26 GMT -5
I could relate to just about everything that Jen wrote. I am looking for similar things and TC appeals to me for the same reasons. I really appreciated seeing it put into words. How many people look for forums where the dominant theological position is the same as your own? For example, on this forum sedevacantism seems to be the most represented position, although it is not a requirement. Is that a factor in people's choice to participate here? I was attracted to another forum because they seemed to favor (or least were not openly hostile to) the SSPX. I'm a more comfortable/confident trad now so that aspect isn't as important. I need to be able to hang out with trads online because I don't have *any* practicing Catholics around me in my life.
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Post by Clotilde on Jul 11, 2017 19:39:14 GMT -5
My biggest factor is the quality of the posters and their conversation. I do not want to be a member of a forum where members are generally unpleasant and quarrelsome. Yes, I know I will debate a matter and I have no problem dealing with unpleasant people, but I do not actively seek conflict. There are several posters across all forums that I always look forward to reading, but there are a few whose presence I will avoid and I have noticed that others do the same.
I enjoy a balance of all things: seriousness, humor, study, interesting topics, and introspection. I like people who make me think and people who can make me smile. I also enjoy people who are intellectual just as much as I enjoy chatting with people who are not. I love a truthful examination of the state of the world and a silly meme.
I am probably in a similar boat as most people, I have no practicing Catholic family members, no real subsititute for a parish or parish life, etc. Forums can be nice for making those connections when they are nice places.
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Post by mundacormeum on Jul 12, 2017 8:17:40 GMT -5
For me, I originally joined another forum so that I could learn more about authentic Catholic teaching, devotions, family life, virtues, etc. While I will research on my own, sometimes I find it easier and more pleasant to ask a question on a forum and discuss it, rather than Googling. Clotilde and Jen have articulated well what I like about forums, so I won't be redundant, though I'm not nearly as intellectual as many I have found in the forum world. I try to avoid unnecessary conflict, and I'm not a fan of crude language, so if it starts to get too bad, I'll leave that kind of thread alone. I also avoid a lot of the negative news posts about wars and evil goings on in the world. It robs me of my joy and peace, and makes me despair, so I can only handle so much. Not that I am oblivious to the state of things....I'm very much aware of the terrible culture in which we live; I just don't need it reiterated day after day after day. If it's really important for me to know, my husband will inform me. He has expressed his preference for me to stay away from negative news, because he sees how it effects me.
The sedevacantist thing almost made me not join here, because I am intimidated by that issue. I have no idea what to make of the crisis, one way or the other. I was afraid of being looked down upon for not being a staunch sedevacantist, or for not knowing as much as others about the ins and outs of church hierarchy. Of course, I was very wrong to think that of the people here. I've been treated with nothing but kindness and friendliness, and I've been very impressed with the dignity of how people treat each other here, even when people disagree. I apologize for my initial rash judgment. Please forgive me. I am finding that the example of those here are rubbing off on me, and encouraging me to raise the bar in my own attitudes, so thank you all for that 😊 I think it's nice to find a place where everyone seems to work hard at building up, rather than tearing down.
My own personal community of friends, in real life, is a real blessing to me. I am very lucky to have a nice group of fellow Catholics, who are all striving to live out authentic Catholic teaching. It's good for my children to see that we aren't the only ones. The problem for us, though, is that our community is not local. It's two cities over, and takes us 45 minutes to attend any event. I realize many have it worse, so I hate to compain, but practically speaking it means that aside from Sundays and the other occasional gatherings, I'm fending for myself the rest of the time. So, forums give me a respite from the loneliness, and the daily demands of running a large family.
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Post by mariac on Jul 12, 2017 9:51:07 GMT -5
1...forums should NEVER take themselves to seriously. 2...forums can look at themselves as a sort if an extension of the casual Sunday coffee and cake socials after mass. 3...forums that allow utterly hateful rhetoric...or people condemning other catholics as apostates...example Cathinfo...should be avoided like a plague. My 2 cents Those are the things I like about this forum.
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Post by Clotilde on Jul 12, 2017 12:03:47 GMT -5
The sedevacantist thing almost made me not join here, because I am intimidated by that issue. I have no idea what to make of the crisis, one way or the other. I was afraid of being looked down upon for not being a staunch sedevacantist, or for not knowing as much as others about the ins and outs of church hierarchy. Of course, I was very wrong to think that of the people here. I've been treated with nothing but kindness and friendliness, and I've been very impressed with the dignity of how people treat each other here, even when people disagree. I apologize for my initial rash judgment. Please forgive me. I am finding that the example of those here are rubbing off on me, and encouraging me to raise the bar in my own attitudes, so thank you all for that 😊 I think it's nice to find a place where everyone seems to work hard at building up, rather than tearing down. For myself, I have had a rough history of associating too much with people inclined to this harshness. I always wondered why it never ended well. I guess I just realized it wasn't my thing. However, I understand what you are saying and I will also say that the problem of the us versus them mentality among sedevacantists has grown in recent years. I have noted it among people I've been involved with. In these conversations, I've noticed a growing rift. From my experience, people who behave this way are the same to their parents, siblings, friends, and even strangers. Their lives are filled with conflict and anger. Maybe you have been scandalized? So if you have, I apologize for those who have done so.
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Past Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2017 12:21:30 GMT -5
I like the social aspect of this forum, although when I'm busy I may not get to visit for weeks at a time. I'm a Catholic who believes the Seat of Peter is empty, and I'm only a member of this forum plus one other. I also lack any interest in debates, so when someone (on any forum) tries to pick a fight with me I ignore them.
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