Times, they are a changin' More Guidelines Need Here

[David Koot]

You make some excellent points, Redwood. Glad to hear that your wife has initiated a process to deal with the problem there. You also mentioned protocols to be used on a Christian forum, etc. Good thought. I would like to explore that idea a little here. To do so, I would like to follow up on the scenario in the previous post.

For purposes of this scenario, let's say that you are the one who gets hit with this kind of stuff. (not that you are, but simply as an opportunity to discuss the issues.) You discover that, in your absence, perhaps, you have been trashed. Not only that, but administrators and/or moderators have bought into it. You discover that the individual or individuals doing this to you have indeed been in touch with administration. You find that it is a mixed bag. In a forum with several administrators, perhaps one is sympathetic to your situation. Another may feel bad about the whole thing, but is staying out of it for various reasons. A third administrator has totally bought into what has been fed to her or him. You ask administration for mediation with the individual who has trashed you. One administrator doesn't want to get involved. Another is willing to, but knows the offending party would not accept her or him. Still another might be willing, but is already sharpening his or her knife to go after you, having sided wholly with the other party. What is one to do in that situation? Let's say that then you approach another member on the forum, and ask him to mediate. He agrees, and contacts the other party. The other party declines mediation and, in doing so, and in the process insists that s/he has done nothing for which s/he needs to apologize. So, mediation via administration won't work. Nor will the offending party accept mediation by someone else--anyone else. Redwood, my friend, what would be the next step? Your reputation has been trashed. The truth needs to come out, and apologies need to be made. What should be done next?

Dave

[Woody]

Dave ... you would bring such a most difficult case.

All I can say is that Matt. 18 needs to be followed as completely as possible. In the end ... we are called to treat someone as a publican and a heathen if they reject the Biblical guidelines. We have to shake the dust off our feet and move on. As you know ... I have had to do that here also.

I am not sure I have completely answered your question though. Are you still wondering what to do with the action and/or inaction of Admin? Is that a focus of your concern? If so ... I would only point to Matt. 18 again I guess.

I have found that it is very RARE that Christians want or agree to follow Matt.18 . Because of this ... it does not work because we do not allow it to work. And this goes for Admin. and I am talking about Admin in our church also. Leaders can get big heads and think that they are above the rest of us. They like the laity do not like Matt. 18 .

What can we do ??? NOT much I am afraid. We can propose and propose. Encourage and Encourage. But the bottom line is we can't force.

[Gregory Matthews]

All of us, Administrators and Moderators, are volunteers. We are often handicaped by time constraints, other responsibilities, and much more.

As individuals, we do not always agree with everyone else on how things should be done.

Sometimes, due to private communications with others, we have a perspective on what is happening in our areas that we do not believe that we should make public. We make decisions for reasons that we cannot properly share as to why we made such a decision.

One of the obligations that we have is to protect people from abuse. Another is to attempt to heal the hurting. Another might be to encourage those who are on a spiritual journey. This sometimes involves a balancing of competing interests. e.g. In protecting one person, we may anger another who believes that their rights have been compromised.

As I read the posts in this thread, I am concerned about certain posts, and the direction that is being taken by those posts. I have decided that due to the obligations that I have mentioned in the paragraph above this one that I need to act. Due to prior involvement with an individual who has posted in a manner that concerns me, I have decided that my only choice is to close this post. So, I will do that. This is a position that I have not often taken. But, I think that it is necessary.

I understand that this discussion can be carried on, perhaps, in other places where other Moderators may allow the discussion to continue. But, that does not releive me form the responsibility to act in the area where I have the obligation to do so.

I appreciate the work that is being done by my co-moderator. He is filling a valued role here. Due to a lot of stuff that is going on in my life, I am simply not able to devote the time to Moderating this thread that it deserves. I appreciate very much that he has stepped in to help me out. My closure of this thread is not a criticism of him. It is simply a response to my obligation to act on the basis of what I know, and beleive to be happening in the direction that I think some are taking it.

NOTE: A major concern of mine is that I believe an individual has a prive aagenda and is posting comments in a public forum that concern a private nature.