To all the Catholics on my f-list - Non-Catholics, stay the Hell away or you WILL be offended

[fpb]

There is a priest in Boulder, Colorado, who is under vicious, systematic, directed attack because he is keeping the teachings of the Church and the orders of his Bishop. I have some experience of how it feels like to be at the wrong (or is it?) end of the kind of vile hatred that is being directed at this man. So I tell the Catholics and Christians on my f-list: follow this link and do what it says - http://wdtprs.com/blog/2010/03/to-arms-denver-priest-attacked-for-being-obedient-poll-alert/ - and then go to the priest's own blog and register a personal message of support. While a good man has enough in himself to stand up for the Church even to martyrdom - and to be fair, that does not yet seem to be the case here - anyone who is subjected to hundreds of direct sexually explicit threats can do with kind words from a distant country.

Comments

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Oh, and some advice: nobody who does not agree with you already - and plenty who do - will ever describe that particular OS Card article as a "rant". If you are trying to get through to anyone, to call something a "rant" when it does not have any of the features people commonly associate with rants (and as someone who can rant with the worst, I ought to know) will do nothing except make them suspect you of partiality and narrow-mindedness; and, should they harbour ideas that disagree with yours, it will make them less willing to show them to you.

[inverarity.livejournal.com]

Well, I wasn't trying to "get through to anyone." On my own LJ, as you know, I am not really interested in debating religion and politics right now, so inasmuch as I may occasionally drop comments that indicate some of my views, they aren't posted with the intention of swaying people who disagree with me.

That doesn't mean no one is allowed to disagree with me (it's certainly never stopped you! :P), but no, I wasn't writing that thinking, "I hope anyone reading this will be convinced that Orson Scott Card is a jerk." I was just stating my opinion about him.

I do think it's kind of funny for you to be giving advice on how to win people over to your side, though. ;)

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I am a world expert on all the ways not to do it, so you should pay attention.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I said "get through to", not "win over". In point of fact, I do not believe that the point of discussion is to convince the other guy. It is, however, hugely important that you and he should understand each other.