CFK1 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Pride is worse, probably, because it makes a person so that God cannot reach them, whereas a drunkard may feel his need. There are certainly some sins more grevious than others; not all are exactly the same. Some negatively affect others much more, for one thing. Gossip is terrible because it can be virtually the same as murder, ruining people's reputations. I think of the time back in the 1890s and even before when there was quite a movement on to destroy people's trust in Ellen White and in her testimonies. Leading children or young Christians to be opposed to God or to reject the truth has to be one of the worst, although as the world see it, it probably seems like a fairly unimportant sin. I just read recently about Satan's techniques in heaven and how he would destroy an opponent's reputation through subtle lies and also how he would get angels' trust by making it appear that he held certain beliefs when he actually held the opposite belief. Where is that found in the Bible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHansen Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 One reason Adventists don't talk about Big sins is because their brethren can't be trusted with that information. Once they get some dirt on a person, regardless of the source, it will be chatted around and the person's reputation damaged or destroyed. There is no sacred ground in Adventism. if you go to a prayer meeting and share your issue or even pray about it in public, it will be taken out of the group and chatted about. In AA, anonymity and confidentiality are respected by "heathens." Not so in Adventism. A friend of mine was becoming more and more uncomfortable in her mother's home prayer circles because they seemed more like gossip sessions than prayer times i.e., so and so was seen coming out of a gay bar dressed in leather arm in arm with another guy [snicker, smile,guffaw] so we need to pray for him. Even though she had talked with her mom about the matter, she finally left home to be relieved of exposure to these "prayer meetings" An unfortunate corollary of this problem is lack of accountability among members. This is a serious matter because it leads to secrecy, isolation, hypocrisy, etc. People, after getting burned, simply don't share their real burdens with other church members. There are little support, understanding, or solutions being offered. People are left to their own devices. "Church" becomes meaningless, nothing but a show JoeMo, Outta Here, Lone Ranger and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeHiscost Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I don't know what experience others have but since I find it only necessary to give my confidences to Jesus, I can expect the best returns and He only shares with His Father and the Holy Spirit that which is important to them. God is Love! Jesus saves! hch 1 Quote Lift Jesus up!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rudywoofs (Pam) Posted July 20, 2015 Members Share Posted July 20, 2015 It doesn't even need to be something you *state* to other people. Gossip can even stem from nuanced situations where people *think* they know the facts, when actually, they only have a partial knowledge of the truth... JoeMo, Stan and Lone Ranger 3 Quote Pam Meddle Not In the Affairs of Dragons; for You Are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup. If we all sang the same note in the choir, there'd never be any harmony. Funny, isn't it, how we accept Grace for ourselves and demand justice for others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted July 20, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 20, 2015 In the society in which we live, statements made in a so-called prayer meeting are considered to be public statements in the same sense as if one had published then in a newspaper. Do not consider any such to be private. hch, Naomi and GayatfootofCross 3 Quote Gregory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hch Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 In the society in which we live, statements made in a so-called prayer meeting are considered to be public statements in the same sense as if one had published then in a newspaper. Do not consider any such to be private. I have known of Christians who have been "ruined" at prayer meeting when some one "prayed" for them. Naomi and rudywoofs (Pam) 2 Quote His child Henry Bible student/Author https://www.loudcry101.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeHiscost Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 It doesn't even need to be something you *state* to other people. Gossip can even stem from nuanced situations where people *think* they know the facts, when actually, they only have a partial knowledge of the truth... I'm satisfied there is a promise from the Word for every stone the accuser can throw at us. It's the way we, as jewels of the kingdom, are polished to adorn the halls of the King of kings. 2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,And made Me a polished shaft;In His quiver He has hidden Me.”.....Isaiah 49 God is Love! Jesus saves! Quote Lift Jesus up!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHansen Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 As Chaplain Matthews, has affirmed, there should be no expectation of privacy when praying with others. So what is the point? Why not just say "unspoken" and/or pray for the foreign missionaries, local evangelists, and our family. Any thing beyond this is likely to become fodder for local gossips. At some personal risk, allow me to give an example. I live in Asia. I used to live in an area where there were lots of prostitutes. By "lots" mean hundreds within a 20 minute bike ride. I also discovered that many popular holiday areas in Asia are habituated by "working girls". Dealing with this reality is very much part of the culture shock of a new country. I might ad that some of these women, selling themselves on street corners and in cheap rooms, were beautiful beyond imagination. Much of it was more or less public, no trip to a red light district required. To be perfectly honest, it caught me off guard. I was tempted. I guess that most guys in my circumstances who are not homosexual might also be tempted. In my mind, however, there is a huge difference between being tempted by a prostitute and actually paying one for sex. I don't recall ever saying anything about having sex with prostitutes. The microbiology course I took did more to give me the "victory" than anything EGW ever said. I mentioned these experiences for illustrative purposes; consequently, an individual who was not part of the original discussion began prefacing remarks to me by saying, "You've admitted that you have a problem visiting prostitutes in the past" therefore..... These references were an obvious effort to discredit my views on other issues, nothing less than character assassination. Granted that online posting is impersonal but mores of human decency would normally proscribe the kind of behavior I described; nevertheless, that's what Adventism has become. It's a toxic community in many respects, made more so by the culture wars being fought over WO, gay inclusion,etc. Lone Ranger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Ranger Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 On 7/22/2015 at 10:31 PM, GHansen said: I live in Asia. I used to live in an area where there were lots of prostitutes. By "lots" mean hundreds within a 20 minute bike ride. I That wouldn't be Patpong, by any chance...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHansen Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHansen Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHansen Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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