Do Plain Catholics exist?

[MaxPC]

If one looks a the posts made here, sometimes statements are made using statistics like 'half of all Christians --' or '2% of Christians believe ----' or 'more people do ________ than they do ________' etc, etc. Are these not lies when they cannot be backed up by facts ?

What are your views on when we are lying as in not telling the truth ?

Excellent topic, Sudsy. I hope many will chime in on this. Your comment on statistics reminds me of an old quote: "There are lies; damned lies; and statistics."

[Josh]

If one looks a the posts made here, sometimes statements are made using statistics like 'half of all Christians --' or '2% of Christians believe ----' or 'more people do ________ than they do ________' etc, etc. Are these not lies when they cannot be backed up by facts ?

What are your views on when we are lying as in not telling the truth ?

Excellent topic, Sudsy. I hope many will chime in on this. Your comment on statistics reminds me of an old quote: "There are lies; damned lies; and statistics."

A great question to start with would be “Do Plain Catholics exist?”

[MaxPC]

If one looks a the posts made here, sometimes statements are made using statistics like 'half of all Christians --' or '2% of Christians believe ----' or 'more people do ________ than they do ________' etc, etc. Are these not lies when they cannot be backed up by facts ?

What are your views on when we are lying as in not telling the truth ?

Excellent topic, Sudsy. I hope many will chime in on this. Your comment on statistics reminds me of an old quote: "There are lies; damned lies; and statistics."

A great question to start with would be “Do Plain Catholics exist?”

Does Josh exist? Does God exist? That would be a proverbial would it not?

[Josh]

Does Josh exist? Does God exist? That would be a proverbial would it not?

Yes to both questions, and I’d be glad to provide proof.

So far we have zero evidence Plain Catholics actually exist. If I am mistaken, please share the evidence.

(I am not disputing that a person who goes by the pseudonym “MaxPC” on MenmoNet exists.)

[MaxPC]

Sudsy, I do agree that there is a thin edge between lies and exaggerations. I daresay that the internet and social media are fertile ground for this as well, hence the advice: do not believe everything you read on the internet.

Does Josh exist? Does God exist? That would be a proverbial would it not?

Yes to both questions, and I’d be glad to provide proof.

So far we have zero evidence Plain Catholics actually exist. If I am mistaken, please share the evidence.

(I am not disputing that a person who goes by the pseudonym “MaxPC” on MenmoNet exists.)

Who is "we"? Can you prove conclusively that God exists? Can you prove conclusively anything? Are you just trying to be funny? Bored? Or are you in a bad mood and looking for another donnybrook? Prove it. My vote is that you are bored and pull this sad little gripe out repeatedly to try to start another donnybrook. We will not play.

[Josh]

Who is "we"? Can you prove conclusively that God exists? Can you prove conclusively anything? Are you just trying to be funny? Bored? Or are you in a bad mood and looking for another donnybrook? Prove it. My vote is that you are bored and pull this sad little trope out repeatedly to try to start another donnybrook. We will not play.

I believe God exists and my proof is found in the scriptures, in Jesus' work in millions - even billions of lives changed - and the very record of nature and the universe speaks for itself. That will be all I will say on the question of "does God exist?"

You asked "does Josh exist?" I do. If anyone wants to meet me, call me on the phone, FaceTime, etc. please PM and I will be happy to do so with you.

The question I asked is, "Does Plain Catholicism exist?" but perhaps I should add a nuance to that: "does Plain Catholicism exist outside of 1 website plus a prolific poster on MennoNet who talks about it?" As in, is there an actually community of practicing Plain Catholics who identify themselves by that name?

We know that plain Amish exist. There is much research on them, pictures, interviews, and I have met some personally. The same goes for plain Mennonites, plain German Baptists, plain Apostolic Christians, and plain Hutterites.

We also know that Catholics exist. I have met many people who tell me they are Catholic.

But I have yet to find any evidence that Plain Catholicism exists, outside of the claims MaxPC makes on this forum.

So, yes, if we are going to have a thread about "Speaking truth in posts," I think this is a great topic to discuss.

[Sudsy]

If one looks a the posts made here, sometimes statements are made using statistics like 'half of all Christians --' or '2% of Christians believe ----' or 'more people do ________ than they do ________' etc, etc. Are these not lies when they cannot be backed up by facts ?

What are your views on when we are lying as in not telling the truth ?

Excellent topic, Sudsy. I hope many will chime in on this. Your comment on statistics reminds me of an old quote: "There are lies; damned lies; and statistics."

A great question to start with would be “Do Plain Catholics exist?”

Might this be a good example ? - 'a great question'. What qualifies this to be a 'great question' ? Now if you said 'Imo, a great question' or 'I believe' or 'Seems to me', then imo, you would not be stating this to be 'a great question' as if it were a stated fact. Perhaps it is a 'not so great a question' as it has no proof of being great or not so great.

[Soloist]

Can we move the plain Catholic debate to somewhere else? I think the thread is good on its own without the age old debate here too.

[Sudsy]

Can we move the plain Catholic debate to somewhere else? I think the thread is good on its own without the age old debate here too.

Another good example of making a point, imo, when you said 'I think'. Imo, you were not saying that this is a fact but rather what you think about the thread being good on its own.

[Soloist]

Catholics do exist. Some of them appear to copy Amish/Mennonite patterns of lifestyle and a cohesive group calling themselves “Plain Catholics” within the Catholics doesn’t factually exist by any confirmed Catholic outside of Max.