So glad that political threads get closed!

[Stargazer]

I don't know why I'm posting this.  But here it is.  I guess I'm venting.  Or ranting.  Take your pick.

On Facebook I have a few friends and relatives who post political diatribes or memes like they were taking a vitamin -- meaning at least once per day.  And these are the ones who are utterly resistant to actual discussion - you can't disagree with them without inciting a riot.  These are the friends and relatives I have to "unfollow".  Because their diatribes would otherwise clutter my newsfeed and get me all riled up.  I have other friends and relatives who are willing to respectfully discuss matters, and these, thank goodness, only post political things occasionally.  But I still try to avoid responding, because inevitably our shared friends on the other side who can't merely discuss something without turning it into at least a regional civil conflict will respond.  

Just recently there was a thread here relating to the National Prayer Breakfast, and by the third post someone whom I greatly respect when it comes to theological discussion but who is apparently rabidly political on the opposite side from me came down on the whole thing like a ton of bricks.  And this person's entire post was a load of bollocks.  Thank heavens the thread had been closed before I saw it!  Because I would have been furiously typing a response within a second of finishing reading the post.  And spending probably a good hour doing it.  And then, if I were wise, I would have deleted the post before clicking Submit.  And would have wasted an entire hour for nothing, other than getting me all wound up.  

And then there is one particular poster here who is a Facebook friend of mine.  He doesn't post here much, but he is a wonderful man when it comes to the Gospel.  But once I made the mistake of commenting upon a political thread he created on FB.  And I wasn't disagreeing with him, or even commenting on the subject of the thread, I was just commenting on something one of his respondents posted that I thought was just a tad unreasonable.  And man did he ever dump on me. Not for what I wrote, but he was angry I hadn't posted something in 110% agreement of his OP.  And got called a racist.  After attempting to defend myself -- without success, because it didn't matter what I said -- I left the discussion.  Being frustrated, I went onto my own timeline and posted about the incident and how frustrated I felt, without once mentioning this person.  Whereupon he shows up on my timeline and again accuses me of being a racist.  And then my FB friends who have known me personally in excess of 20 years got indignant with him and told him about how he was totally off-base.  Personally, I wanted to punch this guy's lights out he ticked me off so badly.  I'd give up Facebook, except my wife posts lovely family-related things there and never breathes a word about political matters.  Life is much more placid and peaceful when one is not faced with the ignorant, stupid, blind, and brainless postings of people who seem to have lost their reasoning capability because of politics.  And note please, I am not characterizing WHICH side it is for this.  It is SOME PEOPLE on BOTH SIDES.  

So I am very thankful that the moderators here use the power to close threads.  I get riled up enough.

 

[Tacenda]

4 hours ago, Stargazer said:

I don't know why I'm posting this.  But here it is.  I guess I'm venting.  Or ranting.  Take your pick.

On Facebook I have a few friends and relatives who post political diatribes or memes like they were taking a vitamin -- meaning at least once per day.  And these are the ones who are utterly resistant to actual discussion - you can't disagree with them without inciting a riot.  These are the friends and relatives I have to "unfollow".  Because their diatribes would otherwise clutter my newsfeed and get me all riled up.  I have other friends and relatives who are willing to respectfully discuss matters, and these, thank goodness, only post political things occasionally.  But I still try to avoid responding, because inevitably our shared friends on the other side who can't merely discuss something without turning it into at least a regional civil conflict will respond.  

Just recently there was a thread here relating to the National Prayer Breakfast, and by the third post someone whom I greatly respect when it comes to theological discussion but who is apparently rabidly political on the opposite side from me came down on the whole thing like a ton of bricks.  And this person's entire post was a load of bollocks.  Thank heavens the thread had been closed before I saw it!  Because I would have been furiously typing a response within a second of finishing reading the post.  And spending probably a good hour doing it.  And then, if I were wise, I would have deleted the post before clicking Submit.  And would have wasted an entire hour for nothing, other than getting me all wound up.  

And then there is one particular poster here who is a Facebook friend of mine.  He doesn't post here much, but he is a wonderful man when it comes to the Gospel.  But once I made the mistake of commenting upon a political thread he created on FB.  And I wasn't disagreeing with him, or even commenting on the subject of the thread, I was just commenting on something one of his respondents posted that I thought was just a tad unreasonable.  And man did he ever dump on me. Not for what I wrote, but he was angry I hadn't posted something in 110% agreement of his OP.  And got called a racist.  After attempting to defend myself -- without success, because it didn't matter what I said -- I left the discussion.  Being frustrated, I went onto my own timeline and posted about the incident and how frustrated I felt, without once mentioning this person.  Whereupon he shows up on my timeline and again accuses me of being a racist.  And then my FB friends who have known me personally in excess of 20 years got indignant with him and told him about how he was totally off-base.  Personally, I wanted to punch this guy's lights out he ticked me off so badly.  I'd give up Facebook, except my wife posts lovely family-related things there and never breathes a word about political matters.  Life is much more placid and peaceful when one is not faced with the ignorant, stupid, blind, and brainless postings of people who seem to have lost their reasoning capability because of politics.  And note please, I am not characterizing WHICH side it is for this.  It is SOME PEOPLE on BOTH SIDES.  

So I am very thankful that the moderators here use the power to close threads.  I get riled up enough.

 

On FB, I leave my political views out. Sometimes when I mention the problem with guns, I'm not totally against guns, mind you. Just the machine type that could wipe out so many at once. Anyway, I have a nephew and a brother in law that pounce on me every time. So now I just bite my tongue. I don't want politics coming between my family and I, and I lean more to the left then the far right. And have relatives that might disown me in their minds if they knew. Sad how divisive it has become.

[MustardSeed]

Oh man.  

I have hundreds of friends on fb and I “follow” only about 20. I spend a TON less time there and life is better that way. 

The lack of self awareness is rampant there- it has taught me much about people’s character. 

[snowflake]

I find it ridiculous that when it comes to politics, people are willing to give up their friends over differences of political opinion. Nowadays people don't want to discuss their differences, when there are disagreements the other person is suddenly considered an enemy.....facebook  and social media encourages this kind of foolishness.

[snowflake]

[Stargazer]

On 5/12/2019 at 3:49 PM, Tacenda said:

On FB, I leave my political views out. Sometimes when I mention the problem with guns, I'm not totally against guns, mind you. Just the machine type that could wipe out so many at once. Anyway, I have a nephew and a brother in law that pounce on me every time. So now I just bite my tongue. I don't want politics coming between my family and I, and I lean more to the left then the far right. And have relatives that might disown me in their minds if they knew. Sad how divisive it has become.

I have a definite point of view on the topic of firearms, and I try to approach it with reason and forbearance -- but I am sure that I have gone overboard on occasion.  By the way, send your nephew and brother in law to me, and I will try to chill them out!

[MustardSeed]

43 minutes ago, snowflake said:

It’s not about point of view, for me.  Generally it’s about personality

[poptart]

I love you guys, i see threads like these and realize im not the only person crying in the wilderness.  Sometimes i feel like I'm mad.....