Christians, your feelings about non-Christians on CF?

cloudyday2

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There are some non-Christians members on CF who have no interest in converting to Christianity but enjoy the conversations here. As a non-Christian member, I sometimes feel that the many moderators and members would like me to go away. I bought a lifetime membership several years ago, but I wouldn't want to hang around at CF thinking I am adding value to the conversations when maybe I am only an irritant. It is easy to misunderstand or overlook the feelings of others when typing on keyboards.

The forums where non-Christians can participate are called "outreach" forums, and I suppose that "outreach" might not include conversations with people who have shown no interest in conversion over years of membership.

So I was curious what Christians members honestly feel about that.
 

Albion

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My feeling is that it is fine so long as the people who are here only to attack Christianity do not post in forums for people who are seriously interested in the faith and might, if questions were answered to their satisfaction, consider Christianity for themselves or at least have doubts about some belief or practice resolved.
 
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Ttalkkugjil

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There are some non-Christians members on CF who have no interest in converting to Christianity but enjoy the conversations here. I sometimes feel that the many moderators and members would like me to go away. I bought a lifetime membership several years ago, but I wouldn't want to hang around thinking I am adding value to the conversations when maybe I am only an annoyance. It is easy to misunderstand or overlook the feelings of others when typing on keyboards. Maybe the stereotyping and annoyance I often perceive is a my imagination or maybe not.

The forums where non-Christians can participate are called "outreach" forums, and I suppose that "outreach" might not include conversations with people like me who are not candidates for conversion.

So I was curious what Christians members honestly feel about non-Christians members like me who are unlikely to ever convert.

Non-Christian members like you I feel fine about. You seem persinable and friendly.
 
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topher694

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Forgive me if this sounds harsh, I truly don't mean it that way, but it's confusing to me that you would "enjoy conversations" about something you have "no interest" in. What is your motivation for these conversations then?

I am not attributing this to you, but personally I get annoyed when the only reason someone is commenting here is to try to make me or what I believe in look bad. Not that I can't handle criticism, but if that is someone's primary goal, I see little point in engaging in it. Again, not saying you do this, just giving an example of what would make me avoid certain discussions.
 
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The Righterzpen

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There are some non-Christians members on CF who have no interest in converting to Christianity but enjoy the conversations here. As a non-Christian member, I sometimes feel that the many moderators and members would like me to go away. I bought a lifetime membership several years ago, but I wouldn't want to hang around at CF thinking I am adding value to the conversations when maybe I am only an irritant. It is easy to misunderstand or overlook the feelings of others when typing on keyboards.

The forums where non-Christians can participate are called "outreach" forums, and I suppose that "outreach" might not include conversations with people who have shown no interest in conversion over years of membership.

So I was curious what Christians members honestly feel about that.

Principally speaking, I don't have an issue with it if people are being civil. I've seen this phenomena in lot's of Christian sites.

It does make me wonder though (especially if someone has been around for a long long time) - why? Why stay? What is the attraction if there's no interest in the faith?
 
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HTacianas

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There are some non-Christians members on CF who have no interest in converting to Christianity but enjoy the conversations here. As a non-Christian member, I sometimes feel that the many moderators and members would like me to go away. I bought a lifetime membership several years ago, but I wouldn't want to hang around at CF thinking I am adding value to the conversations when maybe I am only an irritant. It is easy to misunderstand or overlook the feelings of others when typing on keyboards.

The forums where non-Christians can participate are called "outreach" forums, and I suppose that "outreach" might not include conversations with people who have shown no interest in conversion over years of membership.

So I was curious what Christians members honestly feel about that.

I don't mind nonbelievers being here at all. Sometimes nonbelievers ask questions that believers might not think to ask. I find that helpful.

The forum rules here prohibit the typical "internet atheists", who are simply trolls, from being disruptive, but those rules also prohibit believing trolls from being disruptive, so it seems fair enough.
 
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cloudyday2

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My feeling is that it is fine so long as the people who are here only to attack Christianity do not post in forums for people who are seriously interested in the faith and might, if questions were answered to their satisfaction, consider Christianity for themselves or at least have doubts about some belief or practice resolved.
A few years ago there were a lot of non-Christians using the "Exploring Christianity" sub-forum to debate theology with Christians, but now there is the "Apologetics" sub-forum for that purpose. Hopefully that problem has gone away.
 
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Lazarus Short

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I don't care to put my belief in, and concept of, God...in a box. Therefore, I declined to assent to the Nicene Creed, though I found nothing particularly in it to disagree with. That said, I must, as a CHRISTIAN, be very circumspect on some of the sub-forums here. The presence of non-believers here irritates me, but I would not be in favor of banning them as long as they adhere to the rules.
 
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Albion

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A few years ago there were a lot of non-Christians using the "Exploring Christianity" sub-forum to debate theology with Christians, but now there is the "Apologetics" sub-forum for that purpose. Hopefully that problem has gone away.
The Apologetics forum has been around for years, however, and it has not stopped people from using other forums instead. Had all who fall into the category for which that forum was established actually gone there with their comments and questions, I doubt that there would have been any need for the question you asked us here.
 
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NothingIsImpossible

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My feeling is there are three types of non-christian on here:

A. The type that are looking to convert/have questions.
B. The type that aren't interesting in converting really, but enjoy talking none the less.
C. The kind that are here to troll.

I'm fine with A and B, but not C. The C kind should just be banned. They either post stories or response to things with only the intent on being trolls. Knowing full well if someone gets annoyed, they can report them and get them in trouble. They also enjoy circular debates where no matter what you say, they go around and around to drive you nuts.

Its also why I think if a non-christian has a history of reporting people, is known for antagonizing or only posts to cause problems, they should just be banned. Some say block them, but why do that when you can save the community the hassle by just removing them for good.
 
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StromRider

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Forgive me if this sounds harsh, I truly don't mean it that way, but it's confusing to me that you would "enjoy conversations" about something you have "no interest" in.

Having "no interest in joining" Christianity is not the same as having "no interest" in Christianity. As a Canadian athiest currently living in the US I have zero interest in joining Christianity but I and my family are affected greatly by the influence religion has on life here due to politicians never ending pandering to the religious.

Why would the presence of non-Christians on this site bother anyone when there are so many places here to hide from us? It never ceases to amaze me to see thread titles like "Why do athiests think x?" in sections unavailable to us. I guess having your views reinforced by like minded individuals is more important than getting actual feedback from those being talked about.
 
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Albion

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Having "no interest in joining" Christianity is not the same as having "no interest" in Christianity. As a Canadian athiest currently living in the US I have zero interest in joining Christianity but I and my family are affected greatly by the influence religion has on life...
That's fair, and it is why I tried to include that idea in my earlier post.

...due to politicians never ending pandering to the religious.
...and that is NOT an inquiry into Christianity, regardless of whether you are interested in converting or not.

Why would the presence of non-Christians on this site bother anyone when there are so many places here to hide from us? It never ceases to amaze me to see thread titles like "Why do athiests think x?" in sections unavailable to us.
Its a "Christian Forum," friend, not an equal opportunity discussion board for anyone with any axe to grind--and certainly not one on which the Christians should need to find a place to hide. :rolleyes:
 
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PloverWing

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I enjoy interfaith discussions. Some of the discussions I've enjoyed most have been ones in which I've talked with Pagans or with Muslims (the two non-Christian faiths I encounter most often on CF) to see how my Christian experience compares with theirs, how we're alike and how we're different.
 
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cloudyday2

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Forgive me if this sounds harsh, I truly don't mean it that way, but it's confusing to me that you would "enjoy conversations" about something you have "no interest" in. What is your motivation for these conversations then?
I was a Christian until college and then I continued to "leave the light on" for God for another 20 years in hopes that He might be real. Then I started experiencing things (in retrospect maybe only hallucinations) that made me believe in Christianity for a couple of years. That was 10 years ago. Then I began to have a feeling that something was wrong, and I lost confidence in Christianity. I began reading a lot of books to rationalize my experiences.

I don't know if that explains my interest in Christianity or not. Christianity has been an important part of my life.
 
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topher694

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Having "no interest in joining" Christianity is not the same as having "no interest" in Christianity. As a Canadian athiest currently living in the US I have zero interest in joining Christianity but I and my family are affected greatly by the influence religion has on life here due to politicians never ending pandering to the religious.

Why would the presence of non-Christians on this site bother anyone when there are so many places here to hide from us? It never ceases to amaze me to see thread titles like "Why do athiests think x?" in sections unavailable to us. I guess having your views reinforced by like minded individuals is more important than getting actual feedback from those being talked about.

I would extend my statement to atheism as well and present the same challenge to Christians who have "no interest" in becoming an atheist. I'm not interested in atheism and I don't seek out conversations about it. The only time I do is when someone is struggling with questions that atheism presents and giving them answers, but in the end that is really more about Christianity than atheism.

I'm not saying that the interest is invalid or wrong, it just doesn't make sense to me personally. I have better things to spend my time on than things I have no interest in, whether that be joining or otherwise. Again, for me, it comes down to motivation. If the primary motivation is simply to argue and be right, (for atheists or Christians... or anyone), it seems like a unfruitful exercise to me. (again, I'm not attributing that to anyone here)
 
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RichardY

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Personally I believe Jesus Christ exists, I have no doubt there is God. But I do not consider myself Christian. Part of what allowed me to accept the existence of God, was Metaphysics and the presence of Evil in the world. My certainty is Panentheism (a Transcendent and Immanent Reality). "Made in the Image of God." Without which, freewill would be impossible.

It just seems really lame that the most zealous Christian offshoots, the Mormons and Jevovah Witness's which have the best metaphysical foundations, are perverse in someway.

Where as the rest have permitted Sodomite and female clergy. Kissed the feet of those that wish death to Christianity. i.e The Pope. Refugees welcome!

I mean with the Islamists encouraging 6 children PLUS! per woman, it's not that long ago when that was the norm in the West. They're going to annihilate Christianity at this rate, as has been done now in the Middle East. Divine grace, if this is what it looks like, there is something really messed up somewhere. In the Quran as long as a person can stand up right they've had enough to eat. The rest essentially is breeding, war and Gnosticism. With perhaps exception of the Sufi's.
 
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topher694

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I was a Christian until college and then I continued to "leave the light on" for God for another 20 years in hopes that He might be real. Then I started experiencing things (in retrospect maybe only hallucinations) that made me believe in Christianity for a couple of years. That was 10 years ago. Then I began to have a feeling that something was wrong, and I lost confidence in Christianity. I began reading a lot of books to rationalize my experiences.

I don't know if that explains my interest in Christianity or not. Christianity has been an important part of my life.
Kind of, I think in this case it's just a difference in personality not that anyone is right or wrong.
 
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StromRider

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...and that is NOT an inquiry into Christianity, regardless of whether you are interested in converting or not.

Why does it have to be an enquiry into Christianity? I must have missed that part.

Its a "Christian Forum," friend, not an equal opportunity discussion board for anyone with any axe to grind--and certainly not one on which the Christians should need to find a place to hide. :rolleyes:

The powers that be have decided that non-Christians can play, on a limited basis. So here we are. Why are you assuming it's non-Christians with an axe to grind? Some of the most interesting conflicts here have been between the various flavours of Christianity questioning the piety of each other like some kind of Monty Python skit.
 
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