Catholic Answers Forums (CAF) Is Closing Permanently

Landon Caeli · Nov 26, 2020

I think this is the best news I've heard in a long time. It's the first forum I ever posted at in 2008, and while it was once a good place, it's just become a very toxic, unwelcoming place over the years. In fact, I recently went back there, and was harassed by really rude, judgemental people who questioned my Catholicism in the most militant fashion possible... It felt like a cult.

...So I couldn't really ask for anything better. I just hope old people I once knew, like Ridgerunner, Pnewton, Jharek Carnelian, Ender, and and the other good people whose names I can't recall right now find better online communities than that place.

Landon Caeli · Nov 26, 2020

I'm pretty sure I met @dzheremi and @LivingWordUnity there originally, about 10 years ago.

It's funny how I run into the same posters across boards all the time...

JSRG · Nov 26, 2020

I don't recall the environment being particularly bad there outside of political arguments that were mostly relegated to just a few threads, but to be fair maybe the worst stuff was in areas I didn't look at.

Have they at least said they're keeping the archives up?

Lost4words · Nov 26, 2020

Why are they closing?

I didnt like the way the forums were laid out / accessed.

Landon Caeli · Nov 26, 2020

JSRG said:
I don't recall the environment being particularly bad there outside of political arguments that were mostly relegated to just a few threads, but to be fair maybe the worst stuff was in areas I didn't look at.

Have they at least said they're keeping the archives up?

I don't know about the archives. I kind of doubt it, being it seems like they're totally scrapping it altogether... But the internet itself keeps archives, so it can't totally be lost.

dzheremi · Nov 26, 2020

Hahaha. Couldn't have happened to a better heap of stinking garbage.

Granted, they banned me back in 2014 or so I haven't exactly kept up with it since. Maybe it got much more awesome!

Landon Caeli · Nov 26, 2020

dzheremi said:
Hahaha. Couldn't have happened to a better heap of stinking garbage.

Granted, they banned me back in 2014 or so I haven't exactly kept up with it since. Maybe it got much more awesome!

I wasn't perfect enough for them either.

I lasted 7 or 8 years there, and then came here in 2016.

Landon Caeli · Nov 26, 2020

Lost4words said:
Why are they closing?

I didnt like the way the forums were laid out / accessed.

They're closing because the forums do not "provide a good return on investment", according to their president.

Lost4words · Nov 26, 2020

Landon Caeli said:
They're closing because the forums do not "provide a good return on investment", according to their president.

Money, money, money!

JSRG · Nov 26, 2020

So for convenience, here is (copy/pasted) the message that pops up at the forums right now:

A message from the President of Catholic Answers

Dear Members and Patrons of the Catholic Answers Forums

On Thursday December 31 at 5pm PT, Catholic Answers will close the Catholic Answers Forums (CAF). I have made the decision to close the CAF after lengthy consultation with the Catholic Answers executive committee and board of trustees.

Because Catholic Answers has limited resources, we are always evaluating our programs to determine if they provide a good return on investment. I understand that the word “good” is interpreted subjectively. Opinions about the merits of the CAF range more widely than those concerning any of our other works. Some find them helpful, others contentious, others find them addictive, and still others find some of the content not suited to an apologetics apostolate and some of the content better suited to private spiritual direction and sacramental confession.

When we add to the inconclusive value of the forums, the significant cost in financial resources and personnel time to host, operate, and to what degree we can, govern them, Catholic Answers can no longer justify the effort. Our attempt to draw even a tenth of what they cost to operate through patronage was not successful. Some regular users of the Forums welcomed user fees. The vast majority wished to make use of the Forums for free. For our part, we need to make the best use we can of the gifts that donors to Catholic Answers give us to spread the Catholic Faith.

Recurring Patron donations will be discontinued on December 31. If you would like to continue supporting the work of Catholic Answers, you can donate here.

Thank you all for your support over the years and God bless.

Christopher Check

President, Catholic Answers

P.S. Please visit www.catholic.com to search the largest database of Catholic answers.

Michie · Nov 26, 2020

I never visited the board but found CA invaluable for learning about the faith.

Landon Caeli · Nov 26, 2020

Michie said:
I never visited the board but found CA invaluable for learning about the faith.

It's a good point. I've found tons of good information on CA.

Michie · Nov 26, 2020

Landon Caeli said:
It's a good point. I've found tons of good information on CA.

But getting back to the board... once a place loses its vision to the point of schizophrenia and turns toxic, it might be for the best. Who needs a board proclaiming the faith and doing the opposite of what it is supposed to witness to?

prodromos · Nov 26, 2020

dzheremi said:
Hahaha. Couldn't have happened to a better heap of stinking garbage.

Granted, they banned me back in 2014 or so I haven't exactly kept up with it since. Maybe it got much more awesome!

Amen to that. I remember the good ol' days where they stealth banned an Orthodox priestmonk (Fr Ambrose?) not to mention banning the most knowledgeable and polite Eastern Catholic on the forum (Irish Melkite) because he kept posting inconvenient facts.
Good times ^_^

Landon Caeli · Nov 26, 2020

prodromos said:
Amen to that. I remember the good ol' days where they stealth banned an Orthodox priestmonk (Fr Ambrose?) not to mention banning the most knowledgeable and polite Eastern Catholic on the forum (Irish Melkite) because he kept posting inconvenient facts.
Good times

Irish Melkite was indeed knowledgeable and polite!

Lady Bug · Nov 26, 2020

I'm glad they're closing. I sometimes felt it was no different than browsing Reddit. The people were not friendly there, and I thought they were too liberal. Good riddance. I'm a tad apprehensive that the members will start polluting this place though.

gurneyhalleck1 · Nov 26, 2020

They stealth banned me. HARD. They created stickeys there because of me. Catholic Answers Forums closing made my day. That place is like the Sanhedrin meets the SS meets Scientology. Nuts.

I call the place Confirmation Bias Authoritarian Forums.

prodromos said:
Amen to that. I remember the good ol' days where they stealth banned an Orthodox priestmonk (Fr Ambrose?) not to mention banning the most knowledgeable and polite Eastern Catholic on the forum (Irish Melkite) because he kept posting inconvenient facts.
Good times

Landon Caeli · Nov 26, 2020

gurneyhalleck1 said:
They stealth banned me. HARD. They created stickeys there because of me. Catholic Answers Forums closing made my day. That place is like the Sanhedrin meets the SS meets Scientology. Nuts.

I call the place Confirmation Bias Authoritarian Forums.

I remember you there too!

LONG time ago!

...It was you and that other fellow with the bumblebee avatar! Good seeing you again, Gurney!

(I went by a different name back then)

gurneyhalleck1 · Nov 26, 2020

I miss my old buddy GKC in CAF. He was an Anglican. Quite a character! There was another guy, Edwin, named Contarini....talk about an insufferable pain in the [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]. That’s how that place was. I still crack up that I became Orthodox by going there. I met our current deacon at my parish who was leaving Catholicism for Orthodoxy at the time. Now he’s an ordained Deacon who will God-willing be our priest someday and I’m an ordained Reader. Irony...

gurneyhalleck1 · Nov 26, 2020

What was your name, brother?

Landon Caeli said:
I remember you there too! LONG time ago!

...It was you and that other fellow with the bumblebee avatar! Good seeing you again, Gurney!

(I went by a different name back then)

Catholic Answers Forums (CAF) Is Closing Permanently

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