True colors

[Guest charis]

it's been very interesting to me to read some of the threads now in progress which throw an entirely different light on members who, until now (at least in my mind), had a reputation for being well-mannered and *Christian*....doing a 180 when their pet theory/idea or when their spouse or friend is challenged. Out come the claws. In the name of Christianity.

The members here who have a reputation (in my mind) for being slightly sarcastic and don't mince words to make a point really have stayed the same under the fire of the *righteous indignation* of the 180's. Yea verily, I have much more respect for this group than the 180 group. At least you can be assured what their position is, if you bother to ask. IMHO, many in this group are leaving the forum, or not posting very much now. Makes for a rather dull forum. And non-informative, to boot.

Manners are great for around the table; but this isn't the antebellum world of fanning to the swooned, and bowing and scraping to the elite of the forum.. Manners, yes....but sometimes in trying to be mannerly several here tend to throw down the gauntlet for a verbal/written duel, as if we ARE still in the antebellum world. Guess what...we're not.

Quick Rhett, hand me mah fan.....

[Guest charis]

**bump**

[Neil D]

Ok, here comes the command....with reason...

You have got to name names.....

'Cus I don't know WHO you could possibly be talkin' about! I have been impressed with some, and seen others do your 180 and to be quite honest...I really don't know who you might be infering to what catagory...

[said in a male high pitched voice] "Quick Rhett, hand me mah fan....." [Definately need a smileywithhotflashes.gif here]

[Neil D]

What??? No names as yet????

Dang!....I thought to have, at the very least, placed among the 180 crowd....

[Amelia]

No naming names. That will only cause strife. We have enough of that right now.

Please, if anyone has a problem with another member, pm them directly or contact a mod/admin. PLEASE do not start a thread detailing frustrations. That only compounds things.

Amelia

[Guest charis]

Okay, I just deleted my post where I named some NON-180 members who are being rudely judged. And I won't send out a pm naming anyone or anything, but such a temptation.. **snort**

[Neil D]

[raising my hand, waving it to attract attention]

Send it to me!!! Send it to me!!!!!

I want to know, did I make the list???????? :--)

[Woody]

Quote:

Please, if anyone has a problem with another member, pm them directly or contact a mod/admin. PLEASE do not start a thread detailing frustrations. That only compounds things.

Thank you . I think this is great advice. But even this post could have been done with a PM. The way it was done here seems to be pointing at one member. If you wanted to make this point in general ... a new thread would have been appropriate.

I would go further and promote the idea to Admin. to follow also. If there are offensive posts ... then the individual should be contacted or the individual thread deleted if the individual is not immediately available. For instance when one member insults all in North America as "blind ,stupid fools" and compares them to the church that we love ... it would cause some to heatedly respond. The initial post should have been addressed before it snowballed since the author was not willing to make things right.

What currently happens is like what just happened. Instead of moderating the inflammatory posts ... the posts are allowed. This makes others upset and comments are made. Those are not moderated. It gets worse and worse. Finally ....

ALL posts GOOD and BAD are totally deleted. It leaves EVERYONE with a bad taste in their mouth

So, that is where we are.

[Neil D]

Just got a PM.....

I didn't make the list.....

[David Koot]

True colors? Indeed. Speaking of which . . . there are a few people who ALWAYS find something critical or negative to say about others. In the situation when a person becomes acquainted with someone who does that, then there may come a time when a light goes on and he or she recognizes that his turn will come. If someone is constantly critical of others, then once the aura rubs off, s/he will be critical of you as well--and that would be a miserable life. When the true colors come out, then it is time to make a decision.

[David Koot]

By way of clarification . . . to a fault, (I am told) I have tended, over the years, to see more of the positive in people. I tend to see the cup half full. I want to be that way. However, there may be circumstances when so much is at stake that a more in-depth assessment is called for. In such a case, in my confusion and uncertainty in the past I have turned the matter over to God and asked Him to intervene and get through to me somehow--in spite of my denseness. He is faithful, and He has rescued me from myself and from situations, many times. Hopefully, we all can learn from our experiences, especially from our mistakes.

[Neil D]

Am I allowed to say something here?

Being a person who believes that God is personally active in everyone's life AND having made the mistake of attempting to take on the job of the Holy Spirit [that is, to convict another person of thier error(s)], allow me to give something that you all might like to chew on.....

I am not proud of the fact that I have had at least 2...maybe 3 [or more] drag'em out, public fights on this board. Once in a while, I will make a mistake, and be censured, and one of the ol' members will find out when I am in trouble, and you will see them jump on the "trash Neil" ban wagon...even now. I guess you can be assured that I never look forward to that event....

I also never allowed God to work in another person's life.I didn't trust that He was working in thier life...I had to be the "Holy Spirit" and convict someone of thier error(s).

Now, I know that none of you, have ever been in error :R , and I also know that you have NEVER attempted to do the Holy Spirit's job , but please, understand, that if you ever attempted to do that, the whole situation was majorly YOUR fault, because YOU gave that person/your enemy permission to get you angry. And you came in here with a chip on your shoulder...

Learn and listen, this board is more about you than it is about sharing your ideas and convincing others that your views are the better ones...it is about you and your response to the limited communication on this board, compounded by your poor communication skills. <-think about this.[i know you think you post well on this board, but the fact of the matter is, you guys don't.]...this is a situation where the devil has the upper hand and plucks you guys like we play guitars....and then, he laughs at you....

The only way you are going to get around this, is to use two talents that God gave to EVERYONE of you .....1] creativity, 2] faith/trust in God.

You got to trust that God is working in the other person's life. NO matter how much they disagree with you, God is working in thier life...NO matter if they espouse a foriegn philosophy, God is working in thier life....even if they hate you, God is still working in thier life...If ever you don't believe that, get thee hence from this board and never return, becuase the battle has been lost from the gitgo...Trust me on that one, folks.

If you believe that God is working in thier life, then allow Him to create a neat post from you...Allow Him to talk to others thru you..be creative- change wording, and changing words/phrases, and make it plainer/clever-er....share experiences and tell them what that means to you...Resolve one thing, guys and gals....allow God to be as creative thru you as you can...

if you do those two things, you just might see a change on this board.....and threads, like this one, will be of the past.

[Woody]

Thank you Neil. What you have said is SO true and we are all guilty of what you have pointed out.

I will be the first one to admit that I got on your case and put you down for what you did. I am so sorry. I see you now for the wonderful person that you are.

You are an inspiration to me because you have done what so few can or are willing to do ... that is to ADMIT that you stumbled and made a mistake. It is VERY clear to me that you have learned and are in the position to help the rest of us learn.

Thank you Neil. I so much have learned to appreciate you. We are blessed to have you here.

[David Koot]

Am I allowed to say something here?

[Amelia]

Quote:

I like Redwood's idea of working together to help make a place like this safer for everyone.

From your lips to everyone's ear/

[Norman Byers, N.D.]

Quote:

it's been very interesting to me to read some of the threads now in progress which throw an entirely different light on members who, until now (at least in my mind), had a reputation for being well-mannered and *Christian*....

I am one who believes the Bible when it says:

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecc 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Ecc 3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

Ecc 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Ecc 3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

Ecc 3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Ecc 3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

Ecc 3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

I really have not problem being very direct with people who I believe are doing harm to the truth. And you might say who am I to do this? I just take it on myself just as I would if I saw someone in great need of help. whether it is financial, emotional, physical or correctional, I'll do my best to help.

I don't believe in a wimpish Christianity and nor do I believe in a macho Christianity. I do believe in a proactive and reactive (healthy) Christianity.

I have no problem with the God of the OT and what He called His people to do and I have no problem with the grace of God as in Christ our Lord.

I have seen Christians walked on and say nothing and it did not help anyone. I have seen Christians stand firm for what they believe and it has been a blessing.

I have seen my Lord rip apart those who were in leadership positions for misguiding the common people.

We all have a time where we have blasted others and have been wrong, even Moses who was the meekest man on earth lost it. The list that you have is none of my business and it doesn't matter to me who's on it. However, keeping such a list will be only detrimental to you and as a person who will be one of the first to try and help I urge you to burn that list.

The most important thing is not who's what, but who can forgive and carry on, even if no words are spoken.

Norman

[jasd]

>>Manners are great for around the table; but this isn't the antebellum world of fanning to the swooned, and bowing and scraping to the elite of the forum.. Manners, yes....but sometimes in trying to be mannerly several here tend to throw down the gauntlet for a verbal/written duel, as if we ARE still in the antebellum world. Guess what...we're not.<<

I find myself agreeing with the observation that this forum’s role ought not to be perceived as format for the practice of the dulcet taffy-tones of the Deep and Graceful South – Antebellum. Rather, it is as I’ve noted before,

this forum ought properly be perceived as an Agora – for the vigorous exchange of ideas and opinions – whatever their cast: without the ‘packed’ subtexts incessantly seeking to marginalize – and without the egregious – of course, that is all according to jasd

Otherwise, stone the crow.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Just to clarify, I have no written list. For some unexplicable reason, I am able to maintain my thoughts on what I read in my mind.

Question: why did you assume you were on that "list"?

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

well, I guess that's a vulture, not a crow.... :)

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

it's been very interesting to me to read some of the threads now in progress which throw an entirely different light on members who, until now (at least in my mind), had a reputation for being well-mannered and *Christian*....

I am one who believes the Bible when it says:

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season,

Though I've edited most of what you have written, Norman, I cannot but acknowledge the wisdom of your words, even those not exclusively Scripture, and I can but say, bravo.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Proverbs 25:11 KJV

Blessings!

[LifeHiscost]

So, that is where we are.

Perhaps it would be good to remember this, at the least by all those who put their trust in a living Savior and have only made effort to honor Him.

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17 KJV

Regards!

[Neil D]

Quote:

I really have not problem being very direct with people who I believe are doing harm to the truth. And you might say who am I to do this? I just take it on myself just as I would if I saw someone in great need of help. whether it is financial, emotional, physical or correctional, I'll do my best to help.

Heheheheh....Reminds me of the guards in the temple standing outside the shekina glory...AAAaaand what were guards doing outside the place where an all powerful God is at? Were they there to PROTECT God???? NO, they were there to protect those foolish enough to rush in places where angels fear to tread....

Since when does God, an all powerful God, need help from little ol' us to protect HIS reputation? We are not commanded to protect Him...we are commanded to be WITNESSES for Him...and followers...not soldiers!!!!

This is all wrong...Sure, there is a time, but it is NOT us who are to fight...it is God who is on trial...not us...Let Him defend Himself...He is THE all powerful God....

[LifeHiscost]

I like Redwood's idea of working together to help make a place like this safer for everyone.

Maybe it might be worthwhile to mention this, even though no one(except the PMs) can know for sure whether they're on the list.

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison." Matthew 5:23-25 NKJV

Regards!

[Bravus]

I do think it's possible to have a full and frank, robust exchange of views, and to strongly disagree on all manner of issues, without being rude or nasty. I try hard to do so myself, and although I know I sometimes (often?) fail, try to apologise when I fall short of that goal. It's part of maturity to be able to disagree about ideas - even really important ideas - without being disagreeable to people.

[David Koot]

I do think it's possible to have a full and frank, robust exchange of views, and to strongly disagree on all manner of issues, without being rude or nasty.