far east,
Can someone please explain to me why there is so much hate when posters start controversial topics, i mean is’nt that the point of the CR, to be a place where anything can be discussed freely and with respect. Why is it a problem among certain posters if the topic generates a heated discussion?
While I have never expressed or felt “hate” when a poster started a controversial topic, I think I understand why it may bother “certain” posters.
Some topics are inherently inflammatory due to the makeup of our community. When an OP poses a statement or question that is likely to inflame or arouse the trolls among us and then refrains from posting again, it gives the impression that the OP was not interested in an answer to the question (otherwise s/he would have provided feedback to the respondents) or to engage in discussion (otherwise s/he would have engaged in discussion), but rather to watch and laugh at the fireworks which sometimes results in hurt feelings among posters and provide fodder for anti-frum elements.
A related but more complex issue that does bother me is the subtle use of the CR to make attacks on the reputation of frum communities. This activity usually takes the form of:
OP: What does the oilam think of [insert controversial, rare, or even made-up-but-frum-sounding chumra forbidding X, almost always related to male-female interactions (and certainly not something obsessed over in real life) here]?
Real poster: Oh boy, here we go again.
“Right wing” troll: X is *** –> –> Absolutely <– <– *** forbidden. No. Exceptions. At. All.
“Left wing” troll [feigning outrage]: Ugh, another crazy chumra, I can’t believe such and such and so and so… I’ve seen such and such and so and so… anyone who thinks they need such a chumrah is crazy, [huff huff] even though I’ve never personally been impacted by this [huff huff], I’m sooo outraged!
Stoking-the-flames troll: What can X lead to?
etc. etc.
X becomes seemingly a big controversy. Rumors and posts get repeated as “I have personally heard that…”. Our community is made to look fractious, backwards and petty, and bloggers pretend that the discussion has legitimacy and use it to bash Orthodoxy in general.