How about we go to the very beginning of the exchange. Just so folks can appreciate the bigger context and judge for themselves who was putting words in someone’s mouth.
You didn’t wait for me to make an assertion before calling what I said “bullshit”. You assumed I was making an assertion (“Everything a person can get at church can be 100% replaced by alternatives”) that I didn’t make, and you continued to double-down on that wrongness even after I explained myself. And now you have the nerve to lecture me yet again. You’re an exasperating person.
You know, we could have had a totally different exchange if you hadn’t thrown “bullshit” at me. Imagine how our interaction could have gone if you had just posted something like, “Hey, I really hope you are not implying that churchgoers can be completely satisfied spiritually just just listening to radio programs and watching TV shows. Because that doesn’t jibe with my experience as a Christian.” I would have then replied with something like, “Sorry for the misunderstanding. I can see why you’d think that, but I’m not saying that church can be totally replaced by digital means. I know that going to church is an important for lots of people because the church experience has a number of intangibles. But I just don’t agree with the idea that the essential activities of church can only be experienced at church.” You started this thing between us by putting words in my mouth and not treating me respectfully. If you hadn’t attacked an argument I never made, then the two of us wouldn’t be shouting at each other now.
As far as what brings is to the Pit goes: I surmised that your point–based on your disagreement over my posts–is that there is something from church that cannot be simulated at home. And the lack of that something is what is causing lots of Christians to pissed off at lockdown orders. That something would be (to use your words) participation in the faith community. Another way of saying this is that you believe participation in the faith community is what makes going to church essential. Yet another way of saying this is that it is “bullshit” to tell Christians (or other believers) to turn the dial, click the clicker, hit a button, or pick up a phone to get their weekly dose of religion because these alternatives don’t allow them to participate in the faith community to the degree they feel they need to.
Did I summarize your position accurately? If I didn’t, can you explain what nuance I’m missing from your position?
And if I didn’t summarize your position accurately, do you think perhaps I would understand your point better if you hadn’t jumped down my throat earlier in the thread? Do you take any responsibility for the poor communication between us? Or is all of this my fault?
By the way, when I realized you had beef with my terminology, I apologized for the misunderstanding since it wasn’t my intention to offend. But you never apologized for calling what I said “bullshit”, even though it was clear that you had offended me with that term. So forgive me if I don’t think you’re really looking for a civilized debate.