Is CF a healthy outlet as a Christian?

[Gxg (G²)]

I would think the level of time/energy one invests can make a difference as to the quality they may see present...and that what often makes the differences is knowing how to discuss, when to back off (or find others who you can roll with/go from there) and live life apart from CF. Knowing how to agree to disagree agreeably makes a world of difference...

 

[JimB]

I've benefited a lot from CF.

It has taught me to pick my battles better.

It has helped me hone my argumentation and persuasive skills.

It has helped me learn to communicate my meaning clearly.

It has challenged me in various doctrines which I eventually ended up changing my mind about. I've been exposed to many and varied differences of opinion and facts I was not aware of that have caused me to grow.

I've learned to be careful not to fall into the trap of getting entrenched in my position instead of being open to considering another one. (This is an ongoing process, lol). And I think this is key if we want to have fruitful debate/discussion. I've learned to be careful not to strawman the opposition, to let people tell me what they believe not try to learn what they believe from someone who agrees with my preconceptions. (e.g. read "Love Wins" or "The Shack" instead of reading a critique of the book by someone I like; don't start a post/thread with "WoF believes X", instead say what I believe and let WoFers speak for themselves [of course, I don't debate about WoF anymore, see below]).

Arguing/debating/discussing online has revealed a lot of myself to me. How I react - whether it makes me angry, sad, frustrated, happy, proud, etc - shows me things in my heart that I didn't know were there.

Yeah, sometimes it gets to be too much and counter-productive. When I realize that my anger or frustration at someone online is affecting the way I treat my loved ones.... that's a problem. But that happens less and less all the time.

I don't post and visit the SF/C subforum as much as I used to. I used to be really active here. But it seems like the regulars here are stuck in a rut of the same exact arguments that have been being argued here for years. When the same people are arguing the same thing FOR YEARS that can't, IMHO, be considered productive. Especially when past "wrongs" against one another are brought up again and again, hurt feelings and unforgiveness are allowed to fester and people can no longer see one another as brothers and sisters because our doctrines divide us. There aren't any new arguments or counter-arguments. Everyone knows how everyone stands on the matter and the arguments turn into snark-fests.

So, yeah. Overall, I think CF has been good for me. It's not perfect, but the strife and pressure causes growth, too.

.

 

[New_Wineskin]

You don't go to a church picnic expecting to learn deep theology, ...
peace,
Simon

And , that is the type of thinking that is prevalent in the "you need a church" mentality . Compartmental christianity is religious - not relational .
If we can't be the same everywhere , is it real ?

 

[Simon Peter]

And , that is the type of thinking that is prevalent in the "you need a church" mentality . Compartmental christianity is religious - not relational .
If we can't be the same everywhere , is it real ?

But I was making a case for relational, not religious, Christianity.

Religion has false expectations that don't really work in real life.

I have a different relationship with everyone I know, wife, children neighbours, friends depending on the level of familiality, trust, and where they are in their relationship with God, and the setting we are in at the time. I will be more professional in a work setting, more nurturing in a home environment, more subdued and quiet in a library, louder in an outdoor setting...


peace,
Simon

 

[New_Wineskin]

But I was making a case for relational, not religious, Christianity.

Religion has false expectations that don't really work in real life.

I have a different relationship with everyone I know, wife, children neighbours, friends depending on the level of familiality, trust, and where they are in their relationship with God, and the setting we are in at the time. I will be more professional in a work setting, more nurturing in a home environment, more subdued and quiet in a library, louder in an outdoor setting...


peace,
Simon

Ok . Yet , it wasn't *how* you present yourself but *what* you can discuss .

 

[ByTheSpirit]

I think the BIG problem with CF is that most here don't really care about learning the truth, only getting their viewpoint across. Honestly, I heard this not to long ago that in the last few years or so people can no longer be corrected doctrinally about scriptures because they only care about proving their views right. That seems to be the case here in CF. People just want to argue for the most part and try to prove themselves right. I don't visit here nearly as much as I used to because of the apparent lack of control and supervision about posts, but CF does serve very practical purposes that I've found. I continue to come here because it helps me in defending my faith, staying in my Bible to know where to find scriptures that go with a specific subject, and most of what you can read here is how "Christianity" is trending. We can learn a lot by just observing. The most helpful to me is just defending the faith. It really keeps me sharp in study, prayer, and the such.

 

[TasManOfGod]

I have learned that most on CF want to serve two masters

 

[ShammahBenJudah]

I log in the first time in years ... it smells like "man" here. (nothing personal to any individual) That's why I left. That's why I'm gone again, lol.