What big things have you learnt on this forum?

Hmmm! said:

Just to add to the above, a good teacher enables and helps equip you to make your own decisions. You heading towards the EO church and feeling that Albion, who I believe is Escopalian, has helped you exemplifies that.

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Right but he is a Continuing Anglican.

Hmmm! said:

Whatever! It sounds like he's helped you find your own way rather than trying to convert you to his own denomination.

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Yeah I appreciated what you added I was just clarifying his denomination.

Hmmm! said:

For me it has been learning something about church history, in particular the five Solas of the Reformation, viz:

• Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")
• Sola fide ("by faith alone")
• Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
• Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone")
• Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone")

Also, learning about Ephesians 2:8-9:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

And finally, just how many different views there are as to what role, if any, our free will has to play in our salvation.

I'd be interested to know what big things others have learnt here.

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I've learned that there's an even wider diversity of beliefs within the Christian world than I previously thought.

I am confused, if there is one God the creator and one son of God Jesus how can there be so many different views here? Are we creating God in our image? So God gave us his word that we may known him through the Holy Spirit by the sacrifice of the Christ Jesus.
Need I say more or less?

I've learned that there are many caring people in the world,who give great advice and that this is a great community.

I was taught that the biggest challenge to the faith wasn't non-believers or anti-christians, but christians themselves.

Positive note it made feel a sense of relief and proudness of being Catholic.

Cis.jd said:

I was taught that the biggest challenge to the faith wasn't non-believers or anti-christians, but christians themselves.

Positive note it made feel a sense of relief and proudness of being Catholic.

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I can identify with this even though I am not Catholic. Sometimes I get a bit of "information overload" due to thinking through things and thoughts enter my mind such as "how is it possible God actually came to earth as a man?" and "why doesn't God make his message 'divinely simple'?" and "How/why does God judge people based on what they know?". I sometimes deal with extreme doubts even though God has proven Himself to me time and time again. But that is what prayer is for! God always delivers what I need to deal with my doubt. The doubt often comes from my own ideas based on what I know, not based on what I don't but God always answers my prayers regarding doubt. "I believe, help my unbelief".

Coming here has really opened my eyes to the desperate need we all have for serious Bible study and reliance on the guidance of the Holy Spirit in understanding it (as opposed to what we have been taught).

I have had my view on many things challenged, and sometimes changed, by members of these forums. I have had to closely examine my own understandings against Scripture, and learn to really listen to others instead of blindly defending my beliefs.

Also, I have learned the value of Hebrew and Greek dictionaries in understanding Scripture. This forum is one of the main reasons for my desire to study the original languages of the Bible in order to better understand it.

One word of caution for those new to this site: your faith MUST BE in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, NOT in your teachers or your ability to understand the Bible! If being challenged to examine your beliefs causes you to lose faith in Him, then your faith is in the wrong place! Don't get me wrong, doctrine is extremely important, but I have become convinced that no individual or denomination has it all right (that includes you and me!)...

Finally, stay true to the God that the Bible reveals, and be open to the possibility that you may not have the best understanding on everything the Bible teaches. Be kind to those who differ from you, and be willing to hear them with an open mind, and prayerfully examine the Scriptures to see what the truth is.

God bless you all!
Michael

I think the biggest lesson I've learned on this forum is to pay close attention to the details. Both in the details of what an individual may say; as well as the details of what Scripture actually says.

Be willing to dig for the answers you are looking for.

Hmmm! said:

That's very interesting. Could you give an example of what you mean when you talk about details?

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By details I mean to pay close attention to either what the person (or verse) is actually saying. Don't make assumptions that "this is what they are talking about".

I encounter a fair number of people on this forum who don't actually listen to what's being said. They make assumptions.

Also, depending on what category your responding in; especially like mental health threads. The person might be having difficulty expressing what they are intending to say.

Now this is a neat thread. 20 years later, to see that this forum is still making a positive difference in people's walk with G-d, is a great blessing to read.

G-d bless you all!

Hmmm! said:

Thanks for your comprehensive reply. I think the same too. A forum is a venue for debate and argument and so people do try to win the argument but it's also a place to learn new ideas. But that does involve switching from combative to listening mode. This is hard to do because we all feel, often burningly, that we have something to share that would benefit others. And no doubt we often have but that means that, equally, other people have something to say that will benefit us too and so we also need to listen.

Agreed. People with mental health issues often have very real and important things to say that go way beyond the normal pleasantries of life which makes them challenging and so difficult to hear.

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Well, I find it especially challenging when people won't listen to Scripture that contradicts their pre-set assumptions (or denominational doctrines). I know quite a bit of Bible and I still look something up before I respond just to make sure I'm answering as accurately as possible.

Granted, I know everyone is at different levels of learning; but at the same time, it's usually not the "newbies" who do this.

As per the mental health threads; I'm not actually talking about pleasantries as opposed to psychologically heavy subjects. Often times, psychiatric issues are brought about by years of bad messages that play as "old tapes" in people's heads, which usually go back to childhood.

Often times those "old tapes" are so engrained that the person isn't even aware that they are there. This is usually complicated by lack of ability to properly identify feelings, which goes back to "old tapes" "recorded" upon by dysfunctional (some times extremely so) family systems.

And of course if that's what one grew up hearing all their lives; they have no reference point to identify that it's faulty to begin with. And "unpacking" all of that takes time and sometimes a lot of guidance. Not sure how many people realize this but our thoughts have profound impact on our emotions. That's what cognitive behavioral therapy is about; and why it's more effective than just talking about how one feels.

That's what I mean by the person having difficulty expressing what they are intending to say.

Hmmm! said:

As I understand CBT, it's changing your thinking now so that your behaviour will change as opposed to going back into the past and trying to resolve old hurts by talking them through. This seems a good fit with Christianity because as Christians we believe that as we fill our minds with God's truth our behaviour changes.

Perhaps our faith can add an extra dimension, a vertical one, to CBT because we can bring God into the picture when we try to express our thoughts in a different and more positive way.

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Very true. Confronting mental health issues most certainly has a spiritual dimension to it. And that is absolutely necessary for recovery.

CBT though is about specifically targeting the negative thought processes to identify and change them. And of course in the process of targeting the negative thought processes; one would also address the events and emotions that accompany them. People who come out of abusive childhoods certainly have a lot of emotional pain.

Treatment for child abuse is difficult, because the patient often has very little in the way of healthy point of reference to compare to. An adult trauma survivor who had a decent psychiatric foundation as a kid, has a far better chance of faster recovery.