Here’s an old thread that discusses Coventry.
It means that she will not directly address him. Here’s a pretty good history of the term “Sent to Coventry”.
It might be fun, though, to see his reaction if he were told whoo he shares the distinction with. 
Jeez, statements like this give me the willies.
I swear, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and their ilk scare more people away from Christianity than they bring in.
Esprix, I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but not all Christians are like our friend Bill. Most of us realize that Christ’s message was one of love, not hate. I’m so tired of fellow Christians preaching separatism (ie. the saved v. the hell-bound).
Bill, I admire your conviction, but little else.
But you never ask forgiveness from the people you offend. Just as I cannot forgive you for something you do to Guin, God cannot forgive you for something you do to me. Only I can do that.
Esprix, Christianity actually does have more adherents than any other single religion in the world, but most people in the world are not Christians. Not that that matter either way. As the saying goes, a billion people can have an idea and it can still be a bad one.
I’m not sure if this troubles me about Bill, or forces me to appreciate him…
Being exposed to Bill makes me realize that there are social circles in which folk like Bill are liked, perhaps even respected. The challenge is in what I do with this realization. Do I take the easy way out and add to my already insufferable air of superiority, further lowering my opinion of “the general public?” Or do I strive to incorporate this knowledge into my behavior, trying to be an ambassador of what I consider to be desirable behavior and attitudes, while increasing my tolerance if not
appreciation of those who differ from my ideals?
Another easy approach is to say, “Just ignore him and he’ll go away.” But even if he goes away from this forum, he will not cease to exist and spread his ignorant venom elsewhere. Moreover, on this board we are not constrained by all of the social mores we face elsewhere. For example, this is not the situation where we have to decide between ignoring a friend’s off-color joke, laughing along with the others, or openly confronting him. Here, we have the benefit of exploring all possible responses such that, hopefully, we will be better equipped to confront ignorance when we confront it elsewhere in our lives.
Whether Bill and his ilk regularly posted here, would not cause them to cease to exist. In a twisted way, his presence serves a valuable role in our striving against ignorance.
The bible says, “By their fruits you shall know them.”
If they act like a christian…and you don’t Bill.
Don’t be silly. A smote is that thing that Jesus talked about getting in your eye, except with chocolate and marshmallows on it.
Sheesh.
Man, dudes I don’t know what to say. Last night I reflected heavily on what I should do to be a better Christian. So I have probably benefited from the criticism from Ben and others and I am going to try to live a better Christian life. I realized this by reading Romans in the Bible last night. I do still have some sin in my life I need to get out but I am going to make a consious effort to do so.
Ben, I really did mean the apology I gave to you as far as the rat thing and saying you were acting like the devil. I guess gobear was right I felt you were needling me so I struck back. As far as how I struck back I don’t know if that is wrong or not. Other Christian posters have been trying to take the soft approach to telling you and others about Christ and it didn’t seem to work. So I thought I would try to tell you exactly what is going to happen to see if that would get you off the wrong side of the fence. Because it is going to happen. You may not believe it but it is.
Jody,
I am really sorry I have hacked you off so much while I have been here that you don’t even want to respond to me anymore. I really respect you alot. I have read many of your responses taking up for our Lord and have admired you for the way you handled it. Hopefully through time you can see I am really trying to change my ways. This is going to be really hard because I am pretty sure I am going to be under a huge SD microscope on everything I say so people can try to catch me messing up and I am sure I probably will but I am really going to try not to.
Fenris,
It is funny that you brought up the questions about Jews you did. Because I was thinking about them last night too. I even thought I would start a thread on it. But not with me with someone like yourself that is very knowledgable about the Jewish reason why y’all don’t see Christ as the Savior but Christians do and a Christian apologist(sp)that can point out all the reason why Christ is indeed the Savior from Jewish prophesies. Because that is going to happen to. Soon or later Jews are going to become believers actually some already have. I also want to say I respect Jews alot. Y’all are a very strong people that have endured alot of crap over the ages and still keep coming. Another reason showing the Bible’ validity.
ruadh,
I will try to get to your answer shortly if it is still important to you.
And finally pld,
I might be a crappy person in alot of y’alls eyes but one stregnth I do have and try to pratice is forgiveness. I hold no grudges against anybody on this board. And for some of the stuff that was said about me I don’t think that is no small feat. I hope that people here that hate me can forgive me too especially Jodi.
Any suggestions as to what The New and Improved Wildest BillTM should entitle his post?
I’m expecting with somthing sensitive like, Is ya’lls beanies cutting off circulayshun to yer brains or what?
I’m aspiring towards the top level of hell, where I can spend eternity jabbing WB in the ass with my pitchfork as his rump droops over heaven’s lowermost rung.
Bill, the apolgy was graceful and appreciated, but you still need to wqork on your understanding. Yes, hell is the natural fate for the unredeemed soul, but you’re not supposed to accept Jesus out of fear of damnation. A Christian is called upon to submit himself or herself to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit daily. Yes, Jesus paid for your sins once and for all on the cross, but you don’t become a new creature in Christ in an instant. The fallen nature of your soul has to be renewed by daily prayer, by doing what the Holy Spirit leads you to do, by submitting your heart, your will, and your mind to God’s cleansing power.
Love of others, Bill is God’s signature on your heart. For one thing, you need to pray for Osma bin Laden and his terrorists that God will show them the error of their ways and that they may come to true repentance. If people on the SDMB trash Christianity, don’t get mad because anger does not serve God’s purposes. (I’m paraphrasing a lot of Scripture in this post, but I don’t have my NT handy to look up the verses, sorry)Tell them instead that Godloves them anyway and wants them to submit themselves to Him.
Mind you, I’m telling you this as a hypocrite because I am a wrathful person with a blazing temper. In addition, I know what God demands of me, so I have no plea to excuse me on the Day of Judgement. Use me as a bad example of what not to be.
Wow, what a segway. Whatever happened to the abortion rants? (See the OP.)
Gobear,
I appreciate your response. And I am not to sure you are not still saved even though you don’t think you are. You seem like a Christian to me especially lately. So you might have quite a pleasant surprise when you die one day. 
[haughty tone]Well, I guess not everyone deserves an apology. Harumph. Harumph, I say again, and harumph a third time.[/haughty tone]
Esprix
[sub]Harumph.[/sub]
I think it should be pointed out to Bill that an atheist like gobear is acting more like a Christian than he is.
(I mean that in a complimentary way-he’s probably more like the Do Unto Others Christ than Bill’s wacky ideas…)
Thanks for the kind words, but I’m a bad guy. I am engaged in an ugly flame thread that won’t die, so I’m in no position to be called a Christian.
gobear, you have taken stands for a wide variety of sorts of people, most of whom are presumably not categories into which you “fit” (if you’re prone to breaking down humanity into neat pigeonholes). Included in this would be the sorrowing, the hungry, the poor, persons in prison. Bill, on the other hand, often makes insulting remarks towards those with whom he disagrees (as, unfortunately, do many of us).
Now apply the Parable of the Sheep and Goats. Guess what: you are a winner! Ed McMahon will be along shortly with your prize! (Well, maybe not that last…)
Now, about those “Mexican fat burners…” Is there some connection here? 
Earlier today I read a passage that was purest Bill:
Points to the first person to identify the source.
Bill, you are a cantankerous, opinionated person. So were several of the Catholic saints, Martin Luther, and any number of other good people.
But, as Lauralee tried to tell you back when, when you react to situations impulsively and get into arguments with people who have thought things through and come to other conclusions than yours, and justify your attitudes because you’re a Christian and (in your opinion) they’re the proper Christian ones, then you’re holding Him up to a bunch of people, most of whom don’t believe in Him, as an ignorant, impulsive backwoods boor – and I for one know you can do better. Maybe you don’t think they deserve your best – I disagree – but doesn’t He?
Take the previous page where you effectively told Guinastasia to get out of America if she didn’t think just like you. That’s about as contrary to what this country has always stood for, from Washington and Jefferson right down to my Army sergeant foster-son-in-law who shipped out for somewhere in the Middle East (don’t know where for sure, but it has something to do with crocheted blankets and long-haired dogs), as are the Taleban’s ukases on what properly moral people need to do, or be executed. For the second time this year, you owe that lady an apology – and I for one expect you to give it to her in your next post. You can argue against me all you like, or against Guin politely for that matter – but that was beyond the pale, man.
**
But Bill, the problem is that every time this happens, you give us a lot of moping about how you’re going to try better, and nothing ever happens. What are you going to do this time, to make it actually work? What sins are you going to work on? What is your plan for working on them?
**
I hate to say it, Bill, but your so-called apology was more than a little akin to “I’m sorry… SORRY YOU’RE SUCH A FAG!” That’s not a real apology. If you felt your comments were inappropriate at the time, why did you hit ‘submit’? Do you feel that Jesus will let you apologize for sins before you actually commit the sins?
**
There are a number of comments I should make here.
First of all, what makes you think that you’re going to convert me by throwing bigotry in my face? Do you even understand why your post was bigoted?
Secondly, I already explained to you why I left Christianity. Instead of listening to what I have to say, you just disregard it and tell me once again that I’d better convert or else. Like I said, I put years of effort, thought, and pain into my decision to leave Christianity. Do you think I’m going to change because some guy on the internet told me to? If you want to convert me, forget the “hard” and “soft” approaches and do the one thing that no fundamentalist has ever been capable of doing: listen. And, having listened to my objections, come up with appropriate responses. As is, you just toss out comments- “Jesus died for you! Hmmmm, didn’t work. Ok, you’re going to hell!” -without bothering to establish any sort of two-way communication.
Thirdly, let me explain it as clearly as I can, because I don’t think you’ll understand any other way. To me, your “god” is the Devil. What you call “Jesus” I call “Satan.” My religion used to be much like yours, and when I examined it I realized that “god” was actually a sadistic, incomprehensible, insane thing given to destructive and childish outbursts. The reason I believe this is, in part, because according to your religion, you go to heaven while Gandhi goes to hell, simply because Jesus lets you use the apology-mop while Gandhi can’t. If I converted to your religion, I would betray everything I hold holy. Would you abandon Jesus just because some drug-using Satanist told you that Satan had killed God and would torture anyone who didn’t bow to him?
**
Jodi isn’t the only Christian whom you disgust. What do you think you did in order to earn such a reputation? Please be specific- your vague statements about being a “hard case” accomplish nothing in terms of self-change.
**
Fenris asked a yes-or-no question, and he specifically asked you not to weasel.
Way to turn over a new leaf, Bill. :rolleyes: Can you see why your vague comments about how you’re going to change aren’t exactly satisfying? Again, you simply aren’t going to change if all you do is furrow your brow and say, “well, I’m just a pore li’l sinner.” Right now, it’s not even clear to me whether you even know what needs to be changed- for all your talk of what a sinner you are, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you articulate specifically what you’ve done to earn such a horrific reputation among the local Christians.
-Ben
Polycarp with all due respect, and I of course, do not speak for Guin but were it me, I’d politely decline yet another apology from Wildest Bill in favor of:
Him not doing it again.
For me (and I’ve seen others post the same sort of thought), it becomes tedious to hear see another knee jerk slur tossed out there, then folks call him to task on it, then the ‘shucks, I’m just a poor unperfect sinner, tryin’ my best’.
See, after the fourth or fifth time of the same exact issue, I tend not only to disbelieve the apologies (however heartfelt they may be at the time) and look instead towards improvement on the issue.
A classic one was done in this very thread, where he posted grauitous insults and in the same post said 'sorry, I don’t like it when I say mean stuff like that. ** well, dammit - then delete it before you hit ‘submit’, right?
My son keeps taking ‘household stuff’ and either putting it in his backpack or in his room. I don’t begrudge him anything in the house, but when the ‘stuff’ is, oh, say the toothpaste, I tend to get rather annoyed. Now, the 3rd, and forth time he did the same thing I said “I’m not interested in the apologies, anyone can make a mistake. however, we like to hold peopel accountable for their actions and if your actions keep getting repeated, it tends to water down the effectiveness of the apology”
And the thread referenced (don’t remember the title) was the one where he got stopped by something like 6 or 7 police cars and gosh, it wasn’t really like he did anything really wrong, just maybe ‘jumped on it a bit’…
So, Bill I, for one, would like to see fewer posts for which you’ll need to appologize, eh? perhaps make it your own personal rule to wait (instead of the board required 1 minute) say 10 minutes before hitting submit? It might decrease the number of pit threads (and I don’t think you enjoy them)>
I love all this enabling - alternately berating and chastizing him for his outrageously inappropriate behavior, then molly-codling him with a pat on the head and a “there there, don’t do it again, now” when he throws out a totally unbeliable bone about reforming (yet again).
Bill, apologize all you want, say you’ll change all you want, but it would take about ten times as long as you’ve been here already before I’d even consider believing you’ve changed. Until then, you may go to your Hell with the attitude, hate and bigotry in your heart that’ll put you there. If there is an afterlife, you’re pretty clearly spelling out for us which part of it you’ll be in.
Esprix