I've been banned from Free Republic!

[Bertha Venation]

And I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you! Can you believe it?!

And it wasn't for this post, my first there after three months of lurking, which is still up:

"Anti-God? I know many born-again Democrats who worship in all varieties of Christian churches. My in-laws are Democrats and born-again Bible-believers who run their church's food pantry & clothes closet.

"IMO it's wrong to characterize anyone as anti-God. It's not for humans to judge."

I think it was because of a prayer thread I posted. Mrs. V. is a firm believer, and we need it -- why not ask as many believers as possible to pray?* :shrug:

I wrote of "Kathy" (Mrs. V.'s name) and signed myself "KJ" (my initials). I replied to only one response and said "thank you." I was honest, and I was sincere.

I can only figure that they banned me because someone looked at my web site, which contains a picture of "Kathy & Kim."

I wonder if that site would ban gay ultraconservatives. (Yes, that's rhetorical.)

* If you're wondering why I don't ask for prayer here, I'll tell you: many people here see many things in black and white (one good recent example is obesity). As a result, people who don't see things in black and white are often flamed by those who do. Belief in God is one issue that many think is black & white (i.e., there IS or there IS NOT a supreme being) and many think is gray.

Besides, my friends who believe are already praying, as well as many who are sending good thoughts.

[DarkPhenyx]

1. Congrats!

I can't even get registered there. I think they have my ass. :)

[VolcanoJen]

2. Congratulations for Winning the Badge of Courage!!!

I just don't have the guts... congratulations!

[Bertha Venation]

And my, oh, my, look at the level of abject ignorance at FR.

It ought to be illegal to be this ignorant. I thought intelligent people tried to educate themselves, to use reason and logic. :eyes:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1095798/posts

[DarkPhenyx]

7. Everyonce in a while I think "they really can't be that stupid".

Then they have to go and prove me so horribly wrong. Don't they know I hate that?

[blondeatlast]

3. Now that makes me happy!!! Congratulations!

Gonna give it another round? I haven't got the guts, myself.

[Bertha Venation]

10. "Gonna give it another round?" No, and here's why.

First, I need to get my log-in name out here somewhere, so their paid lurker can search and pick it up. Over there I was "Brighty."

I'm not going to try again because I don't want to flout their rules. I intended never, ever to sow sedition. I intended to post my thoughts very rarely and always respectfully, and that is exactly what I did there today -- after lurking for three months. SO many times I wanted to weigh in, and I stopped myself, usually because I couldn't put what I needed to say in a way that wouldn't get me banned instantly.

I knew that I would be banned because I'm a lesbian (wherever I go on the internet, I post a link to my web site, and that site doesn't have room for a closet). I'm just a little surprised that it happened because I posted a sincere request for prayer, among people that I thought I could depend upon for at least one thing; I thought at least a few of them would also be followers of Christ. Maybe the ones who are praying based on my actual sincere and honest request, not because I'm a lesbian and a Democrat, are followers.

Rules are rules, though. When freepers come here, no matter what their intentions, they can expect to get banned because the rules are clear. If they cry "CENSORSHIP!" it's merely because they cling to a double standard. I'm not crying censorship. They have their rules: Their forum is for conservatives. I used to be a conservative, but I outgrew it. Being banned is no loss to me.

Someday I hope to find a forum where I can discuss things with conservatives, without every thread turning into a flame war and without being ignored the instant it becomes known that I'm a lesbian.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

4. Wear that like a badge of honor!

There is no gray on the FreeperChannel!

[DarkPhenyx]

8. To be honest there isn't much grey here at DU either.

There is more to be sure, but, comapred to the Freepers, that isn't saying a whole lot.

[trogdor]

22. The difference is...

...I can take a fellow DUer to task over a racist comment (for example - yes, it does happen) without fear of reprisal, as long as I do it in a civilized manner. More often than not, I get thanked for it. At FR, you get hosed.

[Bertha Venation]

5. YAHOO! Check this out!!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/my/comments

[DarkPhenyx]

9. Ya have to be able to log in damnit.

I can't do that!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

;-)

[Bertha Venation]

11. here you go; tried to clean it up a little bit

Posted by EggsAckley to Brighty; Admin Moderator

Not very talkative, are you Kim?

Mod: check out her website via the profile page. Click on "women" in their main menu. We're being duped.

Posted by EggsAckley to Brighty

photo was here -- you can see it on my web site, it's the one with a neon clock in the background

Found this lovely picture of you two on your webpage. You make a beautiful couple.

Posted by EggsAckley to Brighty

Hi Kim, you and Kathy sure have a lot of cats.

So...........what's YOUR take on gay marriange........?

Posted by Auntbee to Brighty

Prayers sent.

Posted by codyjacksmom to Brighty

Trust in the Lord...He can and does work miracles in what seems to us, unsurmountable circumstances. May He Bless and keep you both. I am sending prayers.

Posted by Ff--150 to Brighty; billbears; 4ConservativeJustices; pubmom; stainlessbanner

Heavenly Father,

Bertha's edit: prayer deleted so as not to invite derision from some who wouldn't understand

Amen and Amen!

Posted by AMDG&BVMH to Brighty

"pray that we can find a way to avoid foreclosure. "

Will add you to my prayer list.

When my hushand was out of work, I turned to St. Joseph, patron of workers. I used the 30-day prayer to St. Joseph, more than once. His intercession is powerful. More than that, when I give a problem to St. Joseph, I can remain peaceful. The health of your wife is, even so, even more important.

Posted by jellybean to Brighty; carlo3b; Alamo-Girl; stanz

I will pray for you and Kathy.

Posted by Brighty to Khurkris

Thank you, Khurkris. This means more than you can know.

Posted by Khurkris to Brighty

Prayers sent for you both. May the Good Lord hold you close.

~~~~~~

Bertha adds: this was the other post I made today, the one I quoted

Posted by Brighty to TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
On General Interest (Chat) 03/11/2004 8:17:05 AM PST #17 of 17

Anti-God? I know many born-again Democrats who worship in all varieties of Christian churches. My in-laws are Democrats and born-again Bible-believers who run their church's food pantry & clothes closet.

IMO it's wrong to characterize anyone as anti-God. It's not for humans to judge.

end~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[DarkPhenyx]

12. Thank you!

My apparently being denyed access to the hallowed, and democratic, halls of wisdom and knowledge known as FreeRepublic is a sore point at the moment. ;-)

[kitkatrose]

6. Congratulations!

Have a drink or three. :toast::toast::toast:

[southerngirlwriter]

13. I pray for you and Mrs. V every day

and the hypocrisy of those Pharisees is sickening.

I'll pray for them, too. Sigh.

[Bertha Venation]

14. thank you, my friend

I knew this already, though. :hug:

[ProfessorGAC]

15. Quit Bragging!

Just kidding. It's a badge of honor to be revealed on that board as someone too smart for their company. Man, i've had vegetables on my plate smarter than the crowd over there.
The Professor

[Beer Snob-50]

16. I just registered there yesterday.

I plan to lurk for a few days and then give a non-inflamatory post that won't be enough to get me yanked but maybe get some bozo to think (is it possible to be a freeper and think?)

[Bertha Venation]

17. Good luck. You'll need it!

:thumbsup:

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Hey Bertha!

Not a flame, but an honest question: What is the gray? I would suggest that the opposite of your position is true. The more religious people get, the more likely they are to see things as black and white. You posit the opposite.

What is your position on the gray aspects of religiosity and belief in God or whatever one calls the supreme being? You suggest it isn't B&W (is there or is there not a supreme being). That's not correct?

There must be at least that B&W element. Once past that, how are they shades of gray in regard to faith?
The Professor

[Beer Snob-50]

20. The grey area is I believe with those with no direct

religious beliefs (there may be a God, but I am not sure??). those that are religious things are black and white (and more so the more religious you are)

[ProfessorGAC]

21. I Get It Now!

I didn't read your first post that way, but that makes sense now.

Hard to disagree with that, i would guess. Not being sure is, by definition, an admission of shades of gray.

And we seem in agreement that the hyperreligious are black and white thinkers.

Thanks for the reply.
The Professor

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. How gray can it be?

"Belief in God is one issue that many think is black & white (i.e., there IS or there IS NOT a supreme being) and many think is gray."

An statement like "There is X" can ONLY be true or false. The "grayest" position I can think of is "I don't know". (agnostic)

I'd like to believe I'm tolerant. There are people here who think I'm not. Anyway, prayers given and requested here (of which there are lots) never bothered me.

[ronnykmarshall]

23. For you Bertha:

[TheMightyFavog]

24. This is for you!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

25. 2 of my yahoo/hotmail alter-egos have been banned

am working on a third

also banned from lucianne.com