[Sundaycommunity] Farewell

[Maria di Paolo]

This is it from me folks.  The tenor of this email forum has changed significantly since we have had to become a digital/virtual only Sunday Community and has become too confrontational and stressful.  

Art, you may think that this is a discussion group, and you may have conceived it as one when you set it up, but the reality is that it is not, and I note that the description given is the “Sunday Community News Bulletin and Announcement Group”, so no indication of what you are claiming.  There is no discussion happening around the posts that you and Brian S and Joan have been making.  Any attempt by me and others to rebut posts from the three of you (with logic and supporting evidence) are effectively shouted down or ignored.  Brian S, I have tried to engage you a couple of times in the last few months and each time you have slithered into hellfire and damnation.  Art, when I have tried to engage your arguments you have accused me and others that have made similar attempts of ad hominem attacks while providing an excellent example of the technique yourself.  Joan, it is clear that you have either not read anything I’ve posted back to you or so dislike what you have read that you have decided to ignore it completely.

Art, Brian and Joan: We are all voluntarily part of this Catholic Christian community.  We come from all sorts of different walks of life and backgrounds. We are women and men, older and younger and we all have different life experiences.  We all see the world in different ways, have different political affiliations, different interests. It is not necessary for us all to agree on everything or even anything.  It is not necessary for any individual point of view to win out over all others at all costs. This is not the forum for making converts. This is not anyone’s personal pulpit.  Be sensitive to this.  Put yourself in the position of those who are the recipients of your posts.  How would you feel if you were on the receiving end?  Perhaps you should take up Rosemary Snelgrove’s suggestion and set up a separate discussion forum on a voluntary basis for whomever should wish to sign up to it.  That way you would know that all the members were fully willing to engage and had similar interests.

To everyone else: your posts have been educational, informative, amusing, thought-provoking and gentle.  Even though I have not been posting in response to them I have appreciated them none-the-less.

I will withdraw from the group as soon as this email has been distributed.  If anyone would like to keep in touch my email address is on the list that Liz provides us with every year and I would be happy to hear from you.

Best wishes to all,

Maria