Foru.ms - a new beginning and a fresh start (2)

[Jere209]

I didn't read this entire thread, nor do I intend to. But I must say that this change is absolutely disgusting. It is no secret that much of the world hates Christians (or and God-based belief in general) but there is no need to give them victory by allowing them the power to force us practically into hiding. The name Christian Forums gives you an indication of what you'll find here (or USED to find here) and if you don't want to be a part of that, then you know from the start. However, I never would've joined this forum had it been just another random "social networking" site (how I despise that term) because I was looking for spiritual guidance when I joined, and eventually I ended up meeting the girl I intend to marry. Whether you know it or not, God has used this site to work wonders in the lives of the Christians here, and yo thank God's work by taking any referance to him out of the title? Why? To get more hits? To try to make more people come who would've otherwise been turned-off by the Christian name?

The whole thing reeks of shame. Shame of God, shame of the Bible, and shame of Jesus. "Oh, the name wasn't connecting with today's society." That's not what's important. As Christians, it is our job to represent God through our actions and beliefs, and instead, this forum has chosen to disown him in favor of popularity. Why? Because sites like myspace get more hits? Because secular sites don't have to face the persecution of outsiders that Christians do?

News flash: That's our job. Jesus told us we would be persecuted, and if you ask me, every believer on this forum who has come here faithfully and enjoyed the atmosphere for the past several years is being persecuted by the changes being made to please the world. Christianity isn't about the world - it's about God.

Always remember: We have free will. You push God out of your life, and he will not force his way back in.

I fear for the future of this forum and the people who decided to push God out of it.

Because of this forum, I met someone who matches my personality, dreams, goals, and ambitions 100% and I can't wait until the day I can afford to marry her.

If this new trend of pushing God out continues, then I doubt such miracles will never happen here again.

And what bothers me even more is that the initial post explaining the name change states that the board will still be driven by Christian ideals. Then why in the WORLD would you change the name? It sounds even more after that like you're ashamed of proclaiming yourself as Christian, yet think God will let that slip as long as you try to push His ideals on the site. But this is just the beginning. Like I said, you push God out, and he won't force himself back. First it's the name, then it's the rules, and pretty soon we'll all find ourselves on just another forum full of teenage punks with no respect for anyone else and no guidance to help them find a path in life. And that's a shame, because right now we've got a community of wonderful people with good hearts and great intentions. But the more this forum goes downhill and falls away from the prinicpals that built it into what it is, the more those wonderful people will seek solice elsewhere, all the while as the myspace generation filters into the forums with their immature attitudes and mindless drivel.

Lord, forgive the people who've made the decision to remove you from this site. They know not what they do.

This is one of the few posts made here that has made any sense at all in the last few hours.
A breath of fresh air.

I agree, this whole thing disgusts me, and makes me nauseous to see the bickering and the fighting, the name calling, the name of God being blasphemed all over the place.

It sure does make Psalm 1 come to life..

Blessed is the man who walks NOT in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord....

 

[ravendta]

FWIW, I never thought of changing the name of the site until the suggestion in this thread and the results of this poll.

It makes no sense to change the site name and domain name as we are ranked number one on all search engines because of it, and it is what brings all the traffic.

Regardless of what people think or accuse me of, I did not change the site name for any financial reasons - in fact, it is going to cost me more money - from buying the new name, to loss of traffic - I started to look for a new name since this poll, and I changed the name so that, as the poll states, it more closely reflects the new vision.

This was posted by Erwin in one of the other threads. And it's disturbing, to be honest.

The world is eager to bring down Christianity - anyone who's ever even considered believing in God knows this. And given that most of the people on this site are not Christian, it is no surprise that they would vote to have the name changed. Its a HUGE victory for the secular world to be able to make Christians denounce God in the face of the wonderful works He had been doing on this site.

Our strength came in NOT buckling under the pressure. Despite the fact that there were mostly non-believers here, the site stayed true to the purpose it was created for, and whether anyone thinks so or not, I know a lot of lives were changed by this place.

To give our future over to the hands of a vote conducted by those who would happily bring us down is as though Erwin smacked Jesus across the face himself.

 

[psalms 91]

If a mod comes on here could we please get the debate that is off topic moved and cleaned from this thread

 

[ravendta]

If a mod comes on here could we please get the debate that is off topic moved and cleaned from this thread

Why? Got a problem with the truth?

Besides, the thread is about the new name and new "vision" which is exactly what we're talking about. So we're on topic.

 

[Scholar in training]

Scholar In Training

I would have to say that our discussion is a wonderful parody that demonstrates the fundamental disconnect between conservatives on this forum who want Christianity to be exclusive and those who actually want to unite Christians...

That's not very nice of you. Remind me if this judgment on conservatives is uniting or dividing Christianity.

For my part, I didn't mention liberalism once. Should I have?

 

[Scholar in training]

Translation: "Scholarintraining does not like Matthew 13 and has expunged that passage from his Bible."

Gotcha.

You didn't offer an interpretation in the first place, all you did was quote the passage (I am not into the "plain reading" as some conservatives are). I said that your interpretation of Mt 13 contradicts what Christ did. What do you think about that?

I'm not saying theology or the nature of Christ is minor.

I am saying that holding incorrect theology does not make a follower of Jesus Christ a non-Christian.

How can you be a follower of Jesus Christ if you don't know who he is or what he did? What is the historical precedent for your definition? Aren't you selling Christians short who come to the wrong conclusions and then don't have any impetus to get those conclusions right?

Let's say it together:

"Holding incorrect theology does not make a follower of Jesus Christ a non-Christian.."

So which denomination of Christianity is correct, then?

Repeating yourself doesn't make your definition right. We need a drooling smiley here.

 

[psalms 91]

Why? Got a problem with the truth?

Besides, the thread is about the new name and new "vision" which is exactly what we're talking about. So we're on topic.

You are and what you have said so far I agree with, you will have to look and see that there is a running debate that if it is relevant I cannot see it

 

[JimfromOhio]

Has anyone found 07-07-07 announcement thread?

 

[Time2BCounted]

This was posted by Erwin in one of the other threads. And it's disturbing, to be honest.

The world is eager to bring down Christianity - anyone who's ever even considered believing in God knows this. And given that most of the people on this site are not Christian, it is no surprise that they would vote to have the name changed. Its a HUGE victory for the secular world to be able to make Christians denounce God in the face of the wonderful works He had been doing on this site.

Our strength came in NOT buckling under the pressure. Despite the fact that there were mostly non-believers here, the site stayed true to the purpose it was created for, and whether anyone thinks so or not, I know a lot of lives were changed by this place.

To give our future over to the hands of a vote conducted by those who would happily bring us down is as though Erwin smacked Jesus across the face himself.

AMEN

 

[ravendta]

You are and what you have said so far I agree with, you will have to look and see that there is a running debate that if it is relevant I cannot see it

I apologize.

I'm sorry, I just feel (like many here) like those of us who support what the forums stand for (or used to stand for) are under attack, and I'm flailing my arms a bit haphazardly trying to protect myself and the rest of us who agree. I shouldn't have lashed out like that, and I apologize. I need to learn to think before I speak.

 

[Jere209]

This is the debate that needs to be moved. You two need to take a breather and go to your corners and wait a bit. Pray!
Judge not, lest ye be judged!
Strife among brothers, this should not be so!

You didn't offer an interpretation in the first place, all you did was quote the passage (I am not into the "plain reading" as some conservatives are). I said that your interpretation of Mt 13 contradicts what Christ did. What do you think about that?


How can you be a follower of Jesus Christ if you don't know who he is or what he did? What is the historical precedent for your definition? Aren't you selling Christians short who come to the wrong conclusions and then don't have any impetus to get those conclusions right?


Repeating yourself doesn't make your definition right. We need a drooling smiley here.

 

[Elife3]

Hey, did anyone notice that the Faith section is back in its old place?

 

[psalms 91]

Then I apologize.

I'm sorry, I just feel (like many here) like those of us who support what the forums stand for (or used to stand for) are under attack, and I'm flailing my arms a bit haphazardly trying to protect myself and the rest of us who agree. But I shouldn't have lashed out like that, and I apologize. I need to learn to think before I speak.

We are all waiting for Erwin to give the final yes or no and then we can move from discussion to what we will do.

 

[stumpjumper]

That's not very nice of you.

Okay.

I'll be nicer now

Remind me if this judgment on conservatives is uniting or dividing Christianity.

For my part, I didn't mention liberalism once. Should I have?

I'm not judging conservatives for that but simply pointing out a self-evident fact.

The main reason behind DrSteveJ's thread petitioning to change the name was that Erwin removed the Nicene Creed as the criteria for who can and can not be called Christian.

And, from my time as a staff member, I know that an exclusive definition of what constitutes a Christian and an excluding mind-set in regards to who can and cannot post in certain areas was one of the biggest sources of problems here.

In a subconscious way it was what made General Theology so contentious. The Christians who made the cut, so to speak, then took that exclusive mindset further and attempted to determine whose theology really was Christian, the most accurate, or the "One True Church" TM....

 

[stumpjumper]

I don't see how the debate is irrelevant to be honest.

It is one of the reasons the changes of 7/7/07 came about to begin with but if you all don't like me I'll leave...

 

[Glass*Soul]

This was posted by Erwin in one of the other threads. And it's disturbing, to be honest.

The world is eager to bring down Christianity - anyone who's ever even considered believing in God knows this. And given that most of the people on this site are not Christian, it is no surprise that they would vote to have the name changed. Its a HUGE victory for the secular world to be able to make Christians denounce God in the face of the wonderful works He had been doing on this site.

Our strength came in NOT buckling under the pressure. Despite the fact that there were mostly non-believers here, the site stayed true to the purpose it was created for, and whether anyone thinks so or not, I know a lot of lives were changed by this place.

To give our future over to the hands of a vote conducted by those who would happily bring us down is as though Erwin smacked Jesus across the face himself.

I think you misunderstand. The poll Erwin is referring to was taken in the Conservative Christians Congregational Forum. It was developed by a Christian and voted on by Christians who had identified themselves as conservative. Erwin eventually moved it into the Announcements Forum at which point it was replaced by a reworded poll and locked.

 

[psalms 91]

I don't see how the debate is irrelevant to be honest.

It is one of the reasons the changes of 7/7/07 came about to begin with but if you all don't like me I'll leave...

I have nothing personally against you or the debate other than the location. That may be an underlying cause, I dont know but I do know that there are motivations here of which I am not aware and not just on Erwins part. Why was this poll started? Who decided that 50 people could make a decision that so many are unhappy with? Why was it made without all the rhetoric and some reasons that make sense. And thats just a few of them

 

[stumpjumper]

You didn't offer an interpretation in the first place, all you did was quote the passage (I am not into the "plain reading" as some conservatives are). I said that your interpretation of Mt 13 contradicts what Christ did. What do you think about that?

Where did Christ, ever, turn away a follower based upon his/her beliefs?

The money changers? Actions.

The Pharisees? Actions.

And he did not turn them away but exhort them to repent.

In regards to theological statements, who had the "greatest faith in all of Israel"?

*hint*: Centurions were not Jewish as they were pagan Roman soldiers...

How can you be a follower of Jesus Christ if you don't know who he is or what he did? What is the historical precedent for your definition? Aren't you selling Christians short who come to the wrong conclusions and then don't have any impetus to get those conclusions right?

Did not Jesus tell the rich young ruler to pick up your cross and follow me?

When did he ask the rich young ruler about hypostatic unions or single versus double procession?


You cannot follow Jesus if you have not heard of him, yes. But you can follow him even if you disagree with other followers about some of the details...

Repeating yourself doesn't make your definition right. We need a drooling smiley here.

Is that nice?

I said I'd be nice and now you're mocking me

 

[JimfromOhio]

This thead is not worth discussing until Erwin comes back and discuss the 07-07-07 announcement.

 

[Jere209]

this is ridiculous.