Kind Advice Only: What do you do when Christians will not discuss Scripture with you?

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IMPORTANT NOTE:

Please no criticisms or negative comments towards me.
I am looking for friendly Christian advice as a part of how you would personally respond in this situation. I am already aware of how I would handle this question personally. I am merely seeking to see if you would give a similar answer. May God bless you.​


On my many discussions over the years on various different Christian forums, I have discovered that many do not actual discuss or explain all of the verses or portions of Scripture that I bring forth. Instead, some of them will quote their select pet verses from an a-skewed point of view or they go on some kind of strange discussion that is not even found in the Scriptures.

What do you do when Christians will not discuss Scripture with you?
 
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devin553344

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On my many discussions over the years on various different Christian forums, I have discovered that many do not actual discuss or explain all of the verses or portions of Scripture that I bring forth. Instead, some of them will quote their select pet verses from an a-skewed point of view or they go on some kind of strange discussion that is not even found in the Scriptures.

What do you do when Christians will not discuss Scripture with you?

You could always hang out in different areas of the forums. I find that the debate areas are often heated and people even get rude sometimes. But there are threads that are full of kindness and fellowship.

I always just weigh in in the debate threads, not looking for a scripture discussion, and sometimes I post an FYI thread or two. I'm not really looking for a debate. Often when I post a thread it's just to resolve a misunderstanding I have. To gain a broader idea of what possible interpretations might be made of scripture. HTH :)
 
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Sabertooth

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What do you do when Christians will not discuss Scripture with you?
That is a loaded question.

Two considerations come to mind.
  1. Why do you want to discuss a particular Scripture? (There are both good and bad reasons to do so.)
  2. Why are they avoiding the topic? (There are good and bad reasons for that, too.)
For both believers and unbelievers, I have found argument to be a very ineffective means for advancing the Kingdom of God (unless you are on a similar page to begin with).
 
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salt-n-light

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You could always hang out in different areas of the forums. I find that the debate areas are often heated and people even get rude sometimes. But there are threads that are full of kindness and fellowship.

I always just weigh in in the debate threads, not looking for a scripture discussion, and sometimes I post an FYI thread or two. I'm not really looking for a debate. Often when I post a thread it's just to resolve a misunderstanding I have. To gain a broader idea of what possible interpretations might be made of scripture. HTH :)

I feel like we forget that Christians are also humans, so yes in your perspective you find rude people and kind people. Probably to someone else, I appear rude and to others I'm nice. Probably to someone else, you're the rude one, and to others you're nice.For the most part, with spiritual matters people take it to heart, so you'll experience different reactions from different people, and people also change as well.

Sometimes it may be that your post could be better suited in another forum topic. Or maybe you just need to find one or two good people and just discuss scripture with them through messages. Its all up to you, but you gotta just feel out the site.

So I would just take from the situation what you can get, and anything against rules, report it and let the admins sort it out.
 
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ilovejcsog

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Some like to debate, they like to be right. Arguments follow. Here, it seems very few agree on the meaning of scriptures. Who needs an argument every time a question is asked?
 
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salt-n-light

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Some like to debate, they like to be right. Arguments follow. Here, it seems very few agree on the meaning of scriptures. Who needs an argument every time a question is asked?

True, but that's the risk you take when you post on a public forum. It happens. Can't assume that everyone will behave like you would desire them to, but you have to just find the value and ignore the rest.
 
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devin553344

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I feel like we forget that Christians are also humans, so yes in your perspective you find rude people and kind people. Probably to someone else, I appear rude and to others I'm nice. Probably to someone else, you're the rude one, and to others you're nice.For the most part, with spiritual matters people take it to heart, so you'll experience different reactions from different people, and people also change as well.

Sometimes it may be that your post could be better suited in another forum topic. Or maybe you just need to find one or two good people and just discuss scripture with them through messages. Its all up to you, but you gotta just feel out the site.

So I would just take from the situation what you can get, and anything against rules, report it and let the admins sort it out.

Yeah, rude? One person said to me: "You're just not smart enough to understand scripture". Another said: "You're on drugs aren't you". These happened a long time ago on this forum. But there are rude people that get on this forum, make no mistake. We also had a lady that was prejudice against black people and made it very clear to every one. Again that was a long time ago.

I'm also on a physics forum, and talk about rude people, they have to be the most debasing people I've seen, well some of them anyways. And so I come here and it is much better than the physics forum. And that is perspective for me I suppose.

Anyways, cheers and God Bless :)
 
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salt-n-light

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Yeah, rude? One person said to me: "You're just not smart enough to understand scripture". Another said: "You're on drugs aren't you". These happened a long time ago on this forum. But there are rude people that get on this forum, make no mistake. We also had a lady that was prejudice against black people and made it very clear to every one. Again that was a long time ago.

I'm also on a physics forum, and talk about rude people, they have to be the most debasing people I've seen, well some of them anyways. And so I come here and it is much better than the physics forum. And that is perspective for me I suppose.

Anyways, cheers and God Bless :)

Those are rude things to say yes, but there must be equally fruitful things that must have been said to you as well. My point is, you have an opportunity to mold whatever experience you want when it comes to online. If you want more fruitful experiences, then just mold it as such. That's as much as you can control.
 
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Radagast

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On my many discussions over the years on various different Christian forums, I have discovered that many do not actual discuss or explain all of the verses or portions of Scripture that I bring forth.

Possibly there's a problem with the way that you're "bringing forth Scripture."

Speaking for myself, I put you on my "ignore" list a long time ago. I can't even remember why, now.
 
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devin553344

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Those are rude things to say yes, but there must be equally fruitful things that must have been said to you as well. My point is, you have an opportunity to mold whatever experience you want when it comes to online. If you want more fruitful experiences, then just mold it as such. That's as much as you can control.

I like to use the term, "detach" during debates, since the tendency is often to respond even when it's inappropriate. I don't always see that I can mold a conversation. So since I'm lacking in that area, do you have any pointers, perhaps it will help the OP?
 
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HTacianas

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On my many discussions over the years on various different Christian forums, I have discovered that many do not actual discuss or explain all of the verses or portions of Scripture that I bring forth. Instead, some of them will quote their select pet verses from an a-skewed point of view or they go on some kind of strange discussion that is not even found in the Scriptures.

What do you do when Christians will not discuss Scripture with you?

Stop discussing it.
 
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mark kennedy

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You could always hang out in different areas of the forums. I find that the debate areas are often heated and people even get rude sometimes. But there are threads that are full of kindness and fellowship.

I always just weigh in in the debate threads, not looking for a scripture discussion, and sometimes I post an FYI thread or two. I'm not really looking for a debate. Often when I post a thread it's just to resolve a misunderstanding I have. To gain a broader idea of what possible interpretations might be made of scripture. HTH :)
I personally have debated quite a bit on here simply because Bible studies run their course quickly. Certain forums that should be deeply biblical really amount to walls of text and some kind of polarization around certain points of view. I've started a number of threads on Biblical topics I considered non interpretive, just a simple exposition of the text, they take considerable time to prepare and don't get much of a response. I've taken an interest in Calvinism, something relatively new for me only to encounter words like 'imputation', 'predestination' and 'atonement' don't have complicated meanings in the Scriptures. I wonder how the issues surrounding these doctrinal positions get so convoluted.

I would prefer a straight up exposition of Ephesians, Romans or Galatians but that is not very popular. Still there is potential for sound Biblical discussions that don't run in circles around tangents. You would have to focus on the Scriptures and put the trollers who inevitably haunt these forums on ignore.

Grace and peace,
Mark
 
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mark kennedy

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Yeah, rude? One person said to me: "You're just not smart enough to understand scripture". Another said: "You're on drugs aren't you". These happened a long time ago on this forum. But there are rude people that get on this forum, make no mistake. We also had a lady that was prejudice against black people and made it very clear to every one. Again that was a long time ago.

I'm also on a physics forum, and talk about rude people, they have to be the most debasing people I've seen, well some of them anyways. And so I come here and it is much better than the physics forum. And that is perspective for me I suppose.

Anyways, cheers and God Bless :)
Try the creation/evolution forum some time, back during the culture wars the flame wars were epic. I've tried to get into global climate change and String Theory, occasionally venturing into genomics. The more substantive debate fades quickly as you start to get the biting remarks that tend to discourage the more serious poster.
 
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I really appreciate certain people's responses here.
Thank you to all those who have given me a positive reply.

However, I think folks misunderstood me here. I was merely curious as to what other Christians would do. Hence, why I asked the question. This is not to say that I don't know what to do personally when others do not want to discuss the Scriptures with me. My response when others do not want to address Scripture is to pray for them so as to look over those Scripture verses again some time and truly see what they say. My response is to love them in return (even if I feel that their belief may be wrong). My response is to strive to be patient with them and tell them the truth in love. I was merely seeing if others here would give them same reply (or something similar). For me, it grieves me when someone does not see the truth of God's Word and they are defending a wrong belief that is not in the Bible. I love them, and I am only trying to reveal the truth to them in love.

Anyways, thank you everyone here who gave a positive reply; May the Lord Jesus Christ and His good ways shine upon you in a great way today.
 
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For me, it grieves me when someone does not see the truth of God's Word and they are defending a wrong belief that is not in the Bible. I love them, and I am only trying to reveal the truth to them in love.
Truth is absolute, but our grasp of [Him] (on this side of Heaven) is progressive, as we walk after the Spirit. And that goes for all of us no matter how old or young we are in Jesus.

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV
 
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Truth is absolute, but our grasp of [Him] (on this side of Heaven) is progressive, as we walk after the Spirit. And that goes for all of us no matter how old or young we are in Jesus.

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV

Well, I am not God to have all knowledge. God will always know more than me. I am talking about those important doctrines that the Bible does teach that are essential to our faith. It is also not my intent to quarrel with anyone here. My intent was to see what others would say in regards to my question (even though I already had an answer to the question personally).

In other words, I was comparing notes and I wanted to see if we were all on the same page.

May God bless you.
 
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Sabertooth

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I am talking about those important doctrines that the Bible does teach that are essential to our faith.
But the thread title is
What do you do when Christians will not discuss Scripture with you?
That means that they have already made peace with the essential, important doctrines. Everything that comes after that is the progression that we experience in our walk.

I am not questioning the veracity of your experience with Truth. I am just not certain that God grows each of us in the same sequence of revelation. That is, you may have some part of the Truth that they don't yet have and vice versa.

By all means, share what you have, but let God decide what sticks when.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 NKJV
 
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But the thread title is

That means that they have already made peace with the essential, important doctrines. Everything that comes after that is the progression that we experience in our walk.

I am not questioning the veracity of your experience with Truth. I am just not certain that God grows each of us in the same sequence of revelation. That is, you may have some part of the Truth that they don't yet have and vice versa.

By all means, share what you have, but let God decide what sticks when.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 NKJV

I don't believe that is the attitude Paul and others had. When a person was in error about the resurrection, he did not let them be, but he corrected them on it in 1 Corinthians 15.
 
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Sabertooth

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Such were not Christians, the target of the OP.

It appears like you are simply wanting to be adversarial. That is not the purpose of this thread. I asked for advice and not criticism or negativity. Be a little friendlier please. I would appreciate it. If you disagree, then may the Lord's love shine upon you.
 
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