Commentary on the "discussion" thread

[Sophia7]

Hi Tall—aside from you debating, I often wondered how it was that you had so much time to spend on internet forums. Was you church congregation very small? Like under 30? I know our pastor said he doesn’t have time to waste on forums because his flock needs attending to. So how do you do it? Just curious.

For comparison, I posted three members who joined about the same time—look at that number of posts between the three. I think Daryl might be retired, I’m not sure. But I work at my job and as you can see the huge difference between the number of your posts and those of Daryl’s and mine.

Isn’t being a pastor a full time job too? Where did you get the time to do so much posting?

Join Date: 23rd September 2005 -----TALL
Posts: 11,390

Join Date: 29th September 2005----Daryl

2,777

Join Date: 10th August 2005 ----Honor
Posts: 1,931

Daryl did not post much when he first joined, and you were absent from CF for many months, Honor. You're hardly making a fair comparison.

As far as your other accusations, my husband worked hard at his job. Most weeks he worked way more than 40 hours. Pastors are allowed free time, too, although you seem to think that he should have been working constantly. He also composes his posts very quickly and types very quickly.

 

[Sophia7]

Accusation? From a question? hhhmmm

Besides--this question is directed exclusively to Tall since he decided to comment on the OP.

This is a public discussion forum. If you want to direct something exclusively to Tall, PM him.

 

[NightEternal]

Please Sophia. Like you have to justify Tall to her.

Little miss 'I hate the Prog area sooo much, but I just cannot seem to stay out'.

Credibility OUT the window. Like it was ever there to begin with.

 

[StormyOne]

Please Sophia. Like you have to justify Tall to her.

Little miss 'I hate the Prog area sooo much, but I just cannot seem to stay out'.

Credibility OUT the window. Like it was ever there to begin with.

yep... basically...

 

[Sophia7]

I have never believed the claim that pastors are so busy. Their evenings perhaps are more filled but I highly doubt they are all that busy in the daytime. Of course to make posts sometimes it only takes a couple of minutes I do it on short breaks at my desk.

But I do think pastor's do try and cultivate that idea of how busy they are so that they can remain on the top of denominational salary range.

Pastors are busy, but their schedules can be very erratic and unpredictable. Many evenings are occupied by meetings, Bible studies, church events, etc. A lot of our days and evenings were filled with visits to church members (which could range anywhere from very early mornings to evenings, depending on their schedules). Hubby would also do a lot of paperwork and studying during the day. When funerals came up (which was quite often in our district because we had a lot of older members), they took a lot of time, with visits to the family, prayer services, sermon prep, driving time, etc. In our first district, one of our churches was 60 miles from our home, and another was 25 miles in the opposite direction. In our second district, one of our churches was 40 miles away and another 20 miles in the opposite direction. We had members who lived 100 miles away from us. We lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere, so when our members were in the hospital, we usually had to drive at least 100 miles one way to larger towns to visit them. We spent a lot of time driving.

However, pastors do get free time whenever they can fit it in.

 

[Sophia7]

Maybe you can rephrase the question in a way that does not come across as insulting.

Wouldn't that be nice.

 

[Sophia7]

Ouch!

I know you are not asking me, but thought I would respond anyway since I have lived this myself.

My Dad was/is a SDA pastor and he worked a lot. He did have spare time, but he would not have used it in forums. He would have taken his spare time and watched tv, read, or watch the news instead. "Time to waste on forums" probably means it isn't important to your pastor. He probably spends his free time doing something else. Does your pastor have a hobby at all or is he really working 24/7? Yes, I realize a pastor is "on call" 24/7, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have any time to do anything but pastoring. Remember pastors are people too and are not the super spiritual giants that many make them out to be. I would hardly think that spending one's spare time discussing things with Christians would be something to disdain though.

Exactly. People make time for what's important to them, and just because it's not important to one pastor, that doesn't mean it's wrong or a waste of time for another. Thank you, sciana.

 

[sentipente]

I really feel sorry for Honor. To be host to a mind like this cannot be a pleasant experience.

 

[tall73]

Hi Tall—aside from you debating, I often wondered how it was that you had so much time to spend on internet forums. Was you church congregation very small? Like under 30? I know our pastor said he doesn’t have time to waste on forums because his flock needs attending to. So how do you do it? Just curious.

For comparison, I posted three members who joined about the same time—look at that number of posts between the three. I think Daryl might be retired, I’m not sure. But I work at my job and as you can see the huge difference between the number of your posts and those of Daryl’s and mine.

Isn’t being a pastor a full time job too? Where did you get the time to do so much posting?

Join Date: 23rd September 2005 -----TALL
Posts: 11,390

Join Date: 29th September 2005----Daryl

2,777

Join Date: 10th August 2005 ----Honor
Posts: 1,931

As for how I found the time, I found time because I took time. I took time to spend with my family. I took time studying. I took time working. Do you feel that discussing and studying the Bible is a poor hobby for a minister?

Trads, including you Honor, seemed to enjoy my study on hell. Palehorse never told me I should be doing other things when defending our beliefs in GT. Trads also liked my study on the state of the dead--did they not think that took time? Was that wasted time? It helped my real life ministry as well, and enabled me to answer member's questions. I used some of the material I had drawn up in discussion here to clarify issues for members on death.

Frankly I found it to be a better hobby than most for a minister, and better than others I was inclined to, such as video games. Now as to your pastor, I can't speak for his schedule. Maybe he didn't have free time. But that was ultimately his choice. Ministers can in fact be very busy. But they often need to set some time for family and personal and spiritual development.

 

[tall73]

Join Date: 29th September 2005----Daryl

A. I don't know what Daryl does for a living, whether he is retired, etc.

B. Daryl is on more than one forum. For instance he has , 17,700, in about 8 years. I have no idea how many of those posts have been since I joined here.

C. I think it is great that Daryl dedicates his time to such pursuits.

2,777

Join Date: 10th August 2005 ----Honor
Posts: 1,931

You were gone for months. Now I don't have any idea how much time you spend working. Maybe you have no free time or you spend it on something else.

Either way, what does that have to do with me?

 

[tall73]

Are you calling my pastor a liar?

I doubt he was lying.

 

[NightEternal]

I really feel sorry for Honor. To be host to a mind like this cannot be a pleasant experience.

You said it. I didn't.

 

[NightEternal]

The next time Honor accuses me of 'derailing' a thread, I hope she remembers this one.

 

[NightEternal]

Honor, whether it was your intention or not, that comes off as really ugly.

Avonia has much to learn from the history of this site.

Soon she will see.

 

[sentipente]

Are you calling my pastor a liar?

When he says "the Lord told me" do you really believe the Lord did? Let's just call it embellishment for a purpose.

 

[honorthesabbath]

Maybe you can rephrase the question in a way that does not come across as insulting.

Well--perhaps you could rephrase it for me so as I know what you are talking about?

 

[honorthesabbath]

When he says "the Lord told me" do you really believe the Lord did? Let's just call it embellishment for a purpose.

What on earth are you talking about Sent?

 

[honorthesabbath]

A. I don't know what Daryl does for a living, whether he is retired, etc.

B. Daryl is on more than one forum. For instance he has , 17,700, in about 8 years. I have no idea how many of those posts have been since I joined here.

C. I think it is great that Daryl dedicates his time to such pursuits.


You were gone for months. Now I don't have any idea how much time you spend working. Maybe you have no free time or you spend it on something else.

Either way, what does that have to do with me?

Tall--all I asked you was, as a pastor, how you had so much spare time to post so many posts in forums. Why every body thought this was such a terrible question, I have no idea. I thought it was a legitimate one.

 

[tall73]

Tall--all I asked you was, as a pastor, how you had so much spare time to post so many posts in forums. Why every body thought this was such a terrible question, I have no idea. I thought it was a legitimate one.

I was asking what your post count had to do with me since you were gone for some time and probably spend your spare hours differently?

If anything why not compare me to other ministers, since that appears to be your concern.

Here for instance is an Adventist pastor who since May of '06 has made over 4,200 posts on CARM discussing theology.

http://www.christiandiscussionforums.org/v/member.php?u=4870

He also is an author. Is it wrong for him to spend his time there at CARM? If he didn't there would be practically no Adventist voice there.


Look also at the following quote from EGW:

Some ministers spend many hours in apparent ease, and it is right that they should rest when they can; for the system could not endure the heavy strain were there no time for letting up. There are hours in the day that call for severe taxation, for which the minister receives no extra salary, and if he chooses to chop wood several hours a day, or work in his garden, it is as much his privilege to do this as to preach. A minister cannot always be preaching and visiting, for this is exhaustive work.--Ev 660. {PaM 69.1}


So if I spent my spare time when not engaged in Bible studies, visitation, administration, counseling, evangelism or community service in the study and discussion of biblical things, what is the problem?

 

[JonMiller]

Tall--all I asked you was, as a pastor, how you had so much spare time to post so many posts in forums. Why every body thought this was such a terrible question, I have no idea. I thought it was a legitimate one.

If Tall complained about not enough time for his work or family/etc, then it would be a relevant question.

In general... no. There are all sorts of time and priorities, and he can choose to spend his how he wishes.

JM