Tuesday 29 November 2011

Have the guts to nail your colours to the mast!

Perhaps I got out of bed the wrong side this morning or, maybe it's a winter thing, deprivation of sunlight etc.

 We get a lot of that in Pembrokeshire from November to March each year.

 And, each year I renew my vow to go and live in a beach hovel on Ithaca and eat grilled snapper or mountain goat all washed down with  rough red wine; and say my Rosary to the lonely waves.....you can see the state I'm in, but, actually, today it is anonymous commentators that have provoked my bile.

Also, those who make their comments using a pseudonym, just as bad if not worse.

         If you are 'Anonymous' or 'Cub' please take this off before commenting


They are hiding behind a mask; one that they have assumed on a whim. They adopt names such as "Cub" or Exprodcatholic" (please note that I am using pseudonyms for those using pseudonyms.....it gets even more complicated from here on!) But, I have no wish to encourage these 'beings' to comment on this post, in fact, I wish to actively discourage them full stop.

If you have a view it is not an unreasonable expectation that you would have the courage to put your name behind it.

It follows, also, that if you are a Catholic you would have the courage to speak up for the faith when it is called for.

Or do you, at the meeting of the Parish fuehrers, slip a mask over your face when you wish to say something that you know will provoke their ire. Like "Whatever happened to the communion rails?" or "Why has someone placed that horrible bunch of flowers on the head of the statue of Our Lady?"

Perhaps these anonymous types and their nom de web counterparts just say nothing and let the matter go, it's so much easier than putting one's identity to something.

Enough of this droning on.......suffice to say that all, reasonable comment is welcome on this blog but to those who wish to hide their identity, please go and, how can I put this in a Catholic manner?

Shove off!  Phew, that took all of my powers of restraint!


Note: This does not apply to those bloggers who use a pseudonym but whose identity is well known and available within the blog profile information. 

11 comments:

  1. Phews! Well, acutally no - I'm not sure I am covered by that last part :S

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  2. Agreed, though I must confess, Richard, to sometimes posting an anonymous hostile comment, only on my own posts, just for fun.

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  3. Now I feel got at!!

    Here's my perspective. I'm perfectly happy to stand up as a Catholic and defend the Church in my ordinary life in the ordinary way. People who know me know that I'm serious about my religion and that I hold orthodox views on the hot button issues of the day.

    I'm under no duty as a Catholic to blog or comment on blogs. That I do is probably the usual mixture of vanity and the (possibly delusory) sense that I might occasionally have something to contribute. In particular, the sense that the Scottish blogosphere is dominated by bien pensants on issues such as euthanasia and same sex 'marriage' stung me into action. Now, given that I have no duty to blog, it is right for me to consider the consequences of my actions on me and my family. Given the unfashionability of orthodox Catholic views, I have little doubt that putting them out under my own name would result in all sorts of irritations and possibly more serious consequences. Since I do have a duty to provide for my family, it would be imprudent at the least of me not to weigh these in the balance.

    Blogging is an act of supererogation not a duty. If I didn't do it anonymously, I probably wouldn't do it all. So is it better not to enter the blogosphere at all or to enter it in a limited way to put the orthodox Catholic view?

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  4. If this post is a result of getting out of bed on the wrong side, then I suggest you do that more often!

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  5. Lazarus - far from being got at...you make a good point. Exceptions made for all pseudonyms beginning with the letter 'L' :)

    Thank you Father and also, Chris.

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  6. Richard,
    This post has woken me up-as I must have got out of the bed the wrong side this morning -nothing has gone right today, especially as to computing! Excellent post-keep up the good work! From me.

    Cheers,

    Michael.

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  7. I was glad to see the disclaimer at the end, :). Also, my picture is up, so I'm unmasked in the literal sense, too.

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  8. Dear Richard
    I do in fact by sacrament and derivation have every right to my internet aka, but it's not what's on my ID nor payslip and so on.

    " who use a pseudonym but whose identity is well known and available within the blog profile information. "
    I hope this doesn't cover me - it would be easy enough to trace me , but I don't want to make it too easy for them- Ive only been attacked a few times, but theyve gone for my kids as well and theyve got physocological scars and even physical ones.
    Sorry, but

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  9. Jacobitess and Mike - this post was a result of a knee jerk reaction to some rather snide comments from unknown folk.
    Of course, there are many good commentators such as Lazarus and yourselves whose comments are always welcome.
    And, as you say, Mike, if basic details are available on profile, it's fine by me.
    God bless.

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