Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
I was a 'declared atheist' until I discovered that love itself is a worth 'god', worthy of respect and admiration, and that Jesus showed us perfection of that love and told us that is what we know of God for now...
Ah, so. disparaging, derogatory, or belittling isn't sinister to you.
And if the loss of the gospel isn't sinister to you, I wonder what would be.
Well that's great. But I don't see a vote for option #1 as ever getting us to something in between.
I don't think you've really looked into what's going on in terms of cross-proselytizing and inoculation ....
Ah. Now you're denying the result instead of the attempt.
Exactly what's your criterion? Just so you don't go slipping around mercurically like the past hundred posts. And is that a solid criterion? Do you expect it to change in the next 20 minutes, or 20 hours, or 20 days, or 20 months?
Don't forget politics, morals and ethics, and non-theological/metaphysical philosophy - which, it seems to me, really encapsulates the majority of the type of discussion that goes on here at CF, and has since before the change of rules, too.
You've set criteria and moved them around as long as I've engaged ya. Back up & read your postings.My criteria hasn't changed. You made the positive assertion that non-Christians on CF are knowingly and willingly dangerous to the faith of new Christians here; you have thus far failed to provide me with any strong evidence to back up that claim. All you've shown me is an incident in which there is absolutely no evidence of a sinister motive.
Not only did you just state something false that I've never claimed, you've continued to state falsehoods about your opposition throughout this multi-thousand-post thread.I'll ask for evidence as many different ways as I have to, until I get a satisfactory answer from you (ie: "Here is my evidence...," or "I don't have any more evidence"). But the question at the center remains the same: you indicate that a significant portion, if not all, of the non-Christians here are conspiring against CF. Can you back up your claim or not?
I don't think you've really looked into what's going on in terms of cross-proselytizing and inoculation ....
Religion has a long history of being a major threat to stealing men away from love, not to beliefe in love , as indeed what is behind this poll itself has shown ... atheists are a tiny minority in this world ,yet they do have some telling questions to ask of the particulat hypocrisy and unlovingness of many christians, even those who teach and proselytise ...You made the positive assertion that non-Christians on CF are knowingly and willingly dangerous to the faith of new Christians here; you have thus far failed to provide me with any strong evidence to back up that claim
http://www.christianforums.com/f74-questions-by-non-christians.htmlRegardless of how you feel, it might be profitable to take a look at the "Outreach" section, "Questions by Non-Christians" folder. It might provide a preview of the direction the forum might head under option 1.
(I still think there is a place for this type of thing, but not all over the forum.)
My point is, there's plenty of topics that atheists and Christians can discuss civilly without even getting onto the topic upon which they differ.And there wasn't enough forums in here to do that for both?
On the one hand, my heart is for the lost and the hurting. On the other, it can be enormously hurtful and difficult to deal with them. Add in that they will see what imperfect, unlovely people we can be to each other that they will naturally ask themselves what could possibly be attractive to them about following Jesus.
What you have is a real dilemma.
I have voted for Option 1, but Erwin, it was an agonizing choice to make. I don't even like the fact I voted that way, but I have to choose to at least try to love the unlovely over making this forum an exclusive club of imperfect Christians who are no more loving to one another than the unbelievers are to us.
What I would hope for is this: You want revival? Then resolve to begin with yourself!
In the last year, month, five minutes ... have you posted an unkind, self-centered, egotistical and ugly remark to a fellow Christian? Or worse, to an unbeliever who knew he could get under your skin (because you wear your heart on your sleeve) by making a similar disparaging remark to you or a friend?
If so, you are the one I'm talking to right now. Do you raise doctrinal issues to the level (or above the level) of the saving message of the grace of Jesus Christ? Do you think it more important to espouse your particular denomination's articles of faith above the message of sin, grace, and God's love? Do you, by your discusion choices, make a single issue of worship more important to you than the sharing of the good news of what God has done in your life today? Do you come on this forum intent on arguing your opinion over discussing your f faith?
Even if you don't think you do, you probably do. I do. At least I'm honest enough to admit that. I'm not proud of it, but I'll own that fault as being mine.
When we as believers do that kind of thing, what are we saying to unbelievers? What do you suppose they think when they see us cut each other to ribbons over issues they don't understand, or even care about? How does it glorify God to insert verbal violence into another pointless rehash of tongues, OSAS, baptism, the Rapture, or any other favorite controversial subject? We often sound like a bunch of kindergartners playing the "My dad can beat up your dad" game, only we are pitting God against Himself, and I'm certain He does not approve. Read Mark 3:24, 26 for proof.
It is the primary mission of the body of Christ to spread the good news. We cannot do that by blocking the doors to our churches, our businesses or even our chat rooms and forums to the unbelievers we are supposed to evangelize.
But we've got to change our attitudes. We have to stop looking like the world. We have to stop shooting our own wounded, most of whom were wounded by "friendly fire."
Unless we are willing to look in the mirror and admit to the need for change, we may as well vote to have Erwin sell the servers to YouTube where they can really serve the world its own filth.
We have to act Christlike. Otherwise, what is the point?
You've set criteria and moved them around as long as I've engaged ya. Back up & read your postings.
Not only did you just state something false that I've never claimed,
Don't wonder that I won't further answer someone who can't establish a basis for his position
Regardless of how you feel, it might be profitable to take a look at the "Outreach" section, "Questions by Non-Christians" folder. It might provide a preview of the direction the forum might head under option 1.
(I still think there is a place for this type of thing, but not all over the forum.)
My point is..we already have that. And since we do, if you want to bring the topic up of faith, you can do that too.My point is, there's plenty of topics that atheists and Christians can discuss civilly without even getting onto the topic upon which they differ.
So then you agree that the argument that atheists can't be here for any reason other than to subvert new Christians' faith is bogus?My point is..we already have that. And since we do, if you want to bring the topic up of faith, you can do that too.
My point is..we already have that. And since we do, if you want to bring the topic up of faith, you can do that too.
Hooo boy, I couldn't agree with you more. If anyone poses a threat to new Christians' faith, I'd say the number one culprit is other Christians who don't reflect the love of God.I can with all honesty say that in the 2+ years I have been on Christian Forums, I have spent the majority of my time in GA. Never, not a single time, has an atheist tried to de-convert me. It has also been rare for an atheist to be rude or inflammatory about my beliefs. I have run into far more rude brothers and sisters than I have atheists.
Lisa
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?