(Not sure which forum this belongs in, so feel free to move it elsewhere, Mods.)
Last year I started a thread titled, "Do gays feel welcome here?" in an attempt to gauge whether or not that segment of the population felt that the TFP was as welcoming and tolerant a place as we all tout it to be. Or rather, whether the TFP was actually more representative of a certain segment of the population, and not *as* welcoming to those outside of it.
I am starting this thread with a similar curiousity: whether or not Christians feel comfortable here... evangelical (Protestant) Christians in particular. This is inspired by recent exchanges with TFP member Pastor Tim. In the Danish Cartoon forum, he posted as part of a reply to me:
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Pastor Tim
Can it be said that on these boards the Judeo-Christian "ethic" [world view, or call it what you will], and many aspects of it, are regularly attacked, and sometimes in less than nice ways?
I don't mean that to be a blanket statement, but it does seem that most people come from a non Christian view point, and some of those world views are strongly anti-thetical to Christianity? Is that a fair assessment? I hope so. And perhaps it is wholly true that I'm just "sensitive" [or even over-sensitive] to negative comments about the world view I have embraced.
I guess that's normal?
However, as long as it is not an ad hominem attacks, then well and good. If it is an attack on the ideas and thoughts and reasons underlying my faith, and not an attack on me, we can at least interact and have a discussion.
|
Personally, I try not to attack anyone personally on TFP (and I think the mods would be all over me if I did
), though sometimes I know I fail in distinguishing the person from the ideology. But I think that for the most part, this place IS an open forum, and that most points of view are given a fair chance for intelligent, demanding discussion. That is the value of TFP for me. I think the TFP certainly has its dark sides, just like any other community of humans... but to me, the intelligence, experience, empathy, and candor of most members outweighs any degree of intolerance/rudeness that gets tossed around here at times.
However, it has been a while since I was an evangelical Christian, and many of my related sensitivities (of the sort Pastor Tim mentions) have long since worn off. I suppose my sensitivities now run in the other direction, to question anything that comes across as overtly religious language and to get to know the real person behind those statements. This holds true for people of any background, including Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, what-have-you. I want to know who you ARE, not what you believe. Or at least, to know what conditions formed your ideologies (which we all have, religious or otherwise).
So, that's where I'm coming from. I am certainly not anti-Christian, seeing as I still very much respect the lifestyle choices of the evangelical friends that I spent most of my formative years with. I don't agree with everything they do, but I do not hold their beliefs and practices against them; they do what they believe is right, and I can't say I am doing any better than that.
But is the TFP anti-Judeo-Christian? I would like to hear from other members on this, as well as Pastor Tim, of course. (We could even address the question of whether Muslims feel welcome here, or Buddhists, or anyone else... but let's start with Christians for now.)