CathInfo.com

Internet forums are not an efficient medium for debating politics and religion, because it is not really natural.

In the first place, one does not have clue whom they are conversing with, they do not see them, do not know what they look like or how they live. In the real world, who in their right mind would ever walk up to a complete stranger and start a debate on politics and religion with them? Moreover, do it with a stranger that looks dangerous or looks like they have nothing in common with them? It really is somewhat insane. Sure, on CI one figures they are talking with someone like them, a so-called trad Catholic, but what about the rest "one does not have clue whom they are conversing with, they do not see them, do not know what they look like, or how they live"?

For another, in real life it would not take weeks to get something across to someone because you are right in front of them seeing them and talking to them. On the internet, just when you think you've made your point to everyone reading it and the people understand, and you leave for a week and the instant you leave, someone that does not like what you said, starts writing conjectures and extrapolating from those conjectures, and when you come back it is as if you wrote nothing, everything you wrote is hidden pages in the past as if you never wrote it.

Maybe it is just me because I was a jock in school and this is a geek thing, but in real life no man in his right mind would say the things men regularly say here to other men as if it were nothing. Insults that had they used them in real life upon first setting their feet out in the neighborhood at like the age of 5, would have received a beating. Men learn early on that one does not talk like that to other men, or they will end up in a fight. The internet geeks, I guess because they are anonymous and nobody can come after them, become despots, insulting everyone like no man in their right mind would do in the real world. They become like the Wizard of Oz,  a despot on the screen. 

For another, it is not natural for a man to have to put up with abuse like that, especially a man that does not put up with it from anyone no matter the title or the size. I think that women can do better, since they are more accustomed to "holding it in", but it still is not natural even for them.

In the movie The Quiet Man, in one of the Irish bar scenes, John Wayne said that one does not discuss women in bars, and two other subjects (I do not remember if it was in that movie or not) were politics and religion. The three subjects were not discussed because they tended to end in fisticuffs, which is natural for men. Well, what is discussed here on CI? Religion and politics, but we have an unnatural environment where even a little coward of a man can say anything and feel safe. Not a good situation.

For all of the above reasons, I think it is not for me. So, with that I will go back to my Lent absence from CI and ponder on all of this.

"Internet forums are not an efficient medium for debating politics and religion, because it is not really natural."
Then get off the internet.

"no man in his right mind would say the things men regularly say here to other men as if it were nothing."
Darn right!  Why do you do it?

"one does not discuss women in bars, and two other subjects"
One does not discuss female **********, among other things, either.

" I think it is not for me."
I couldn't agree more.

Well, unfortunately, it's what we have.  Most of us don't have Traditional Catholics who live within 30 miles of us, and most of those who show up at our chapels you can't really have an intelligent conversation with (at least at mine).

Well said.

First of all, I'm going to take it as a given that serious Catholics should only seriously intermingle and socialize with those of the Faith. By that I mean close friendships, serious discussions, and courtship. Today, that means Trad Catholics. Those attending the Novus Ordo are, as often as not, de-facto Protestant in their beliefs, culture, and habits.

So let's not pretend that those socializing on CathInfo are a bunch of twisted misfits, some serious nerds who SHOULD be socializing with the hundreds of "real live human beings" at their local Parish, but instead choose to go into their basement, geek out on one of those new-fangled "computers" that less than 1/4 of 1% of people own, and connect to online communities that are equally exclusive. That would indeed be the height of geekdom, dysfunction, and social awkwardness.

Three problems I have with the OP's argument:

1. We need to socialize with Trad Catholics, not novus ordo or heretics. Many of us have no options as far as local Trads -- even if you attend your closest SSPX (or equivalent) chapel, there are often *no friend options* for various reasons. We didn't have many friends at church *before* we left the SSPX. And San Antonio is in the top 10 cities in the United States! And we were extremely friendly, staying after Mass in the "coffee & donuts hall" for 1+ hour every Sunday. Very few stayed after, however. That shows the role of religion and Tradition in their lives.

2. The Internet is quite mainstream now. Ditto for computers/smartphones. It's not just horn-rimmed-glasses-with-tape-in-the-middle geeks who use the Internet now. Last Tradhican, are you stuck in 1995?

3. Not everyone chooses to go round-and-round about controversial topics. There are plenty of topics that *won't* start WW3 that you can start, continue, and discuss to your heart's content with zero stress. If you're looking for low-stress, you will NOT be pulled or compelled to argue about sedevacantism. Pro- and Anti- Sede zealots can handle themselves; they THRIVE on the conflict and excitement generated in the course of their discussions. For them, it fires the blood. You're either in that group, or you want low-stress. And if that's TRUE, then you WILL happen to avoid such hot topics. You can't have it both ways. You either enjoy controversy, hot topics, and vigorous arguments, or you don't.

In other words, don't dish it if you can't take it. If someone starts a thread shouting their opinion to the world, "I think Sedevacantists are lousy schismatics" they can't be surprised and clutch their pearls when a big fight ensues. They obviously KNEW that was going to happen. No one is that stupid.