Facepalm icon

[Silly Uncle Wayne]

I have noticed this week that there is a new level of absurdity creeping amongst us. While it has somewhat of an advantage that it makes the wolves who wear sheep's clothing more obvious, thereby more of a rift between the vessels for glory and the vessels for destruction, I am concerned that the consequences of being so absurd can produce severe depravity .. and ultimately there are children in this world who suffer as a result.

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I have noticed that the voting emoticons, where we can rate a comment with an expression as "like", "prayers", "agree", "winner", "friendly" etc, there is nothing there that can really express disapproval. I have seen people use the "prayers" icon for that purpose, and I have noticed the temptation to use it for that purpose myself, but it really does not assist a person to be Christian if they are tempted to do that because it is dishonest and it is irreverent toward God.

I feel like suggesting a new icon to express disapproval in a spirit of concern, so to serve all members with a reminder to be responsible about what they say: "foolish talking and crude jokes are out of place" - Ephesians 5:4.

I used to debate on the Amazon UK forum and the only thing you could do there was answer the question 'does this post add to the thread' which was used to post disagreement... without actually saying why they disagreed. So a post by me could have 14 people rating that it didn't add to the conversation, but only one or two people actually responded and they were people who generally didn't vote.

I say this to point out that a negative vote of any kind becomes a cop-out for actually discussing why you don't agree with a post. I'd much rather people responded to actually say why they think I'm wrong.

Any idiot can hit an emoticon, but it can mean that they don't like the person, or don't like the general argument (whether it is well reasoned or not) or haven't even read it the point being made and have already disagreed fundamentally with earlier posts.

Even facepalming can be used badly. E.g. the number of times I responded to one person gently explaining a point clearly only to have another one respond with a 'duh!' or similar means that will people will use it for responses that may be obvious to them, but clearly aren't to others.

I like the current system.

 

[Serving Zion]

It seems to me that if you want to facepalm a post, then you should ask yourself why, and how do I respond in a meaningful way, that helps someone see a better response. Sometime back someone responded to a post of mine with the word 'facepalm' and the 'doh' icon.

I was a bit flummoxed but ultimately wrote a response explaining what I had contended in the post and why I believed it was a correct response. Sometimes we need more Barnabas (child of encouragement) than we need contemporary dismissiveness.

I have wondered once of twice if there might not be a 'heterodox opinion' icon for response, but I suspect I may have wandered into the sin of gross overuse if there was one, and realistically you have to either ignore it, or confront it rationally with 'orthodox opinion'.

I used to debate on the Amazon UK forum and the only thing you could do there was answer the question 'does this post add to the thread' which was used to post disagreement... without actually saying why they disagreed. So a post by me could have 14 people rating that it didn't add to the conversation, but only one or two people actually responded and they were people who generally didn't vote.

I say this to point out that a negative vote of any kind becomes a cop-out for actually discussing why you don't agree with a post. I'd much rather people responded to actually say why they think I'm wrong.

Any idiot can hit an emoticon, but it can mean that they don't like the person, or don't like the general argument (whether it is well reasoned or not) or haven't even read it the point being made and have already disagreed fundamentally with earlier posts.

Even facepalming can be used badly. E.g. the number of times I responded to one person gently explaining a point clearly only to have another one respond with a 'duh!' or similar means that will people will use it for responses that may be obvious to them, but clearly aren't to others.

I like the current system.

This is all true and fair to say, but I have found the lack of the provision in instances where somebody needs to be told to take another look at what they just said, but without adding words that ultimately provoke a response.

Ultimately, what this boils down to is handing the judgement over to spirituality upon the principles found in Matthew 12:30, Matthew 5:20, Proverbs 17:13, Matthew 13:12, Matthew 23:38 culminating in the maturity of the crop (Matthew 13:26, Matthew 7:16), and as we allow The Lord with His host to do their work in this way, binding the tares to be burned, it relieves the stress on the remaining wheat so that it is more free to produce the crop.

 

[RaymondG]

Well, no because I confessed and repented. We need to uproot the ones who press into deeper evil of deceit and denial.

See? another misunderstanding. I was saying that your stock went down because there was another example of misunderstanding on one side that could not be foreseen.....i wasnt saying that your specific action somehow detract from your argument....but added to mine original statement: this will give those who look to get offended and report, more reasons to do so.

 

[Serving Zion]

See? another misunderstanding. I was saying that your stock went down because there was another example of misunderstanding on one side that could not be foreseen.....i wasnt saying that your specific action somehow detract from your argument....but added to mine original statement: this will give those who look to get offended and report, more reasons to do so.

.. but what harm has been done if I have confessed and repented?

 

[RaymondG]

I've heard warnings can be challenged. I learned that after I had been banned once.

I tried this once to no avail. I created a rebuttal thread, and after a week or so someone replied that my rebuttal thread will be closed because of inactivity. I replied in dismay wondering if i was supposed to reply every few days asking for an update.....never received another response....

 

[RaymondG]

.. but what harm has been done if I have confessed and repented?

Another misunderstanding. Im not talking about you or your response. Im speaking in general. Im saying That others will misunderstand your intentions and you can end up banned....just like you misunderstood me in that instance.....which i did not find remotely offensive nor thought you needed to "repent" from. I think Im saying nice words and trying to help you out now....yet you think I am giving offense......even after explaining in this thread that i dont get offended.

Im trying to us this one example to explain how others may misunderstand new icons. Maybe me and you never report or get offended.....but others.....maybe not

 

[Serving Zion]

Another misunderstanding. Im not talking about you or your response. Im speaking in general. Im saying That others will misunderstand your intentions and you can end up banned....just like you misunderstood me in that instance.....which i did not find remotely offensive nor thought you needed to "repent" from. I think Im saying nice words and trying to help you out now....yet you think I am giving offense......even after explaining in this thread that i dont get offended.

Im trying to us this one example to explain how others may misunderstand new icons. Maybe me and you never report or get offended.....but others.....maybe not

Yes, I see that the real problem is in the unrighteousness of judgement as you have experienced (Proverbs 25:26). I will say that if you read carefully my explanation in #94, you will come to understand that the whole reason that misunderstandings occur so easily, is because the culture has taught us to expect evil instead of good. Let me explain:

If people were looked down on for flaming vegans, then it would be unusual for me to have expected that you were flaming vegans, but because it is so common in my experience for vegans to be flamed and provoked, I naturally accepted that idea and went ahead to form my response. But after making that response, I came to see that I had not read you right, and I was in error. This is how it happens.

I have been treated the same way in a past time on this website, where someone thought I was attacking a particular denomination when I said that a person's belief system had a weakness in it, but whereas what I really meant is that the individual's thinking about systems of authority is a belief system, but these people were particularly prone to being attacked for their denominational identity and they thought that I was attacking their denomination. Truth is that it doesn't matter what denomination that guy was going for, I would have said the same thing toward the circumstances. The "belief system" that I referred to is found in every church.

Anyhow, this is what I mean by saying that if the site is to uproot the tares among us then we would have less exposure to evil spirit and therefore less contention for holy spirit - which is the way we find agreement through truth.

I hope this helps you a bit, and I do encourage you to think deep upon the principles of kingdom judgement found in post #102 ("thy will be done on earth as in heaven").

 

[W2L]

Even if you had knowledge of all mysteries, but have not love, it profits nothing. Love is kind.

 

[Serving Zion]

this will give those who look to get offended and report, more reasons to do so.

The moderators should recognise the motive as being of sin, and throw it out. That would be the solution to all our problems. Problem is, if this trend has already started, then they've already been fractured (eg: Proverbs 17:13).

 

[Serving Zion]

I've got it! ... I knew I could do the facepalm with grace! .. I do it all the time

This would be the perfect icon (includes certain aspects of post #2 and post #18 too )

Here it is:

 

[SolomonVII]

An emoticon rating is meant to be a comment on a post that was worth the read. A lot of good posts would go without comment, or have post after post with nothing but a thumbs up.
It lets the reader know that the post was read and the reader gained something for having read it.
For those posts that you strongly disagree with, this is where you post a reply with an argument.
With prayers I presume no ill intent. I presume that any Christian who does something in the name of God, they are being sincere. I guess that is between them and the Holy Spirit in the end.
But if someone posts a laugh emoticon on my post when it was obviously not meant to be funny, this is something that will motivate me to put them on my ignore list automatically.
I don't waste my time on such dishonest people.

 

[Swan7]

Someone has to permit it to be misused. They make that judgement. Too many unrighteous judges these days, people are accustomed to injustice. "When the wicked rise to power, people hide, but when the righteous triumph the people rejoice". Proverbs..

I think it's safe to say that you are talking about something entirely different from what I posted, initially. This is exactly what I meant (as an example in regards to forums).

 

[Serving Zion]

I think it's safe to say that you are talking about something entirely different from what I posted, initially. This is exactly what I meant (as an example in regards to forums).

Well, actually it's not that we are talking about different things, it must be something else. The only way our words can be twisted and used against us, is if those words are brought before a [entity] that exercises judgement against us that is unjust. That could even be the person who is responding. When I call that person a judge, it is because they have made the ruling to believe and act against us according to what they have been led to believe of what we have said. It is all about people jumping the gun, not doing justice (consider Proverbs 18:17), but if their love is insufficient (1 Corinthians 13:6) and they are caused to hate the accused (John 15:25), they often these days refuse to cross-examine the accused, so Proverbs 18:13 is invoked because of their pride, that prevents them from repenting. Hence they come into demonic possession as long as they are refusing to accept the information that will lead them to acquit the innocent - Proverbs 21:13). Once the demon has found how to work them that way, they are always potentially vulnerable through the same attack vector.

 

[Serving Zion]

An emoticon rating is meant to be a comment on a post that was worth the read. A lot of good posts would go without comment, or have post after post with nothing but a thumbs up.
It lets the reader know that the post was read and the reader gained something for having read it.
For those posts that you strongly disagree with, this is where you post a reply with an argument.
With prayers I presume no ill intent. I presume that any Christian who does something in the name of God, they are being sincere. I guess that is between them and the Holy Spirit in the end.
But if someone posts a laugh emoticon on my post when it was obviously not meant to be funny, this is something that will motivate me to put them on my ignore list automatically.
I don't waste my time on such dishonest people.

Ok, well there certainly is a more main purpose of the button that is about communication, like an acknowledgement of differences without wishing to engage with them.

But I do admit that there have been times in the Exploring Christianity section where a newbie is potentially vulnerable to being misled by popularly wrong opinion, that I had wanted to add a rating to the effect that it is disputable - where writing a post would cause me to appear overbearing and thereby discredit my value to the OP (because spirituality is rather complex).

Most people don't use the ratings the way you described here (these days), it is more for them to put 2c in and get the momentary thrill for voting. You see this in the fact that people use "winner" not to say "case closed.. no further comment needed", but it's the greatest possible expression of "like".

 

[MartyF]

Sorry, didn't finish accidentally posted.

 

[MartyF]

Downvoting . . . No. Bad idea.

First, people should realize that many many other Christians disagree with them and have ample reason to. Many on the forum do not realize this. I get the feeling that some on the forum would like to resort to the slaughter and divisions of Christians like that which occurred before.

Not with guns and knives, but through always attempting to get the upper hand, always wanting the last word. It actually turns out to be a game where people start to stop trying to understand each other and only wish to win. Downvoting just adds another tool to this game.

No one should not think that they will convince an evolutionist on this forum of the young Earth or vice versa. At best you can provide more info or ask for information. When you ask for information - don't attack the information given.

Downvoting is basically calling someone an @#$*&^%. You're not willing to say why you disagree with someone. You don't want to discuss it. You just want to make sure the person is told-off.

This divides and isolates communities.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Well, after reading the thread the only thing that might continue the discussion is trying to find the biblical way to fix the breach in the wall that's occurred for the last 2000 yrs. and more.

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ezekiel/13-5.htm

5 You have not gone up into the breaches and repaired the walls for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of Adonai.

Or perhaps an indifference icon to show lack of interest in what they are trying to convey? Or somehow indifference with love )

 

[Swan7]

it must be something else.

I think it is something else. But I'll stop posting on that note. Too much room for assumptions.

 

[S.O.J.I.A.]

If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all.

 

[redleghunter]

I have noticed this week that there is a new level of absurdity creeping amongst us. While it has somewhat of an advantage that it makes the wolves who wear sheep's clothing more obvious, thereby more of a rift between the vessels for glory and the vessels for destruction, I am concerned that the consequences of being so absurd can produce severe depravity .. and ultimately there are children in this world who suffer as a result.

​

I have noticed that the voting emoticons, where we can rate a comment with an expression as "like", "prayers", "agree", "winner", "friendly" etc, there is nothing there that can really express disapproval. I have seen people use the "prayers" icon for that purpose, and I have noticed the temptation to use it for that purpose myself, but it really does not assist a person to be Christian if they are tempted to do that because it is dishonest and it is irreverent toward God.

I feel like suggesting a new icon to express disapproval in a spirit of concern, so to serve all members with a reminder to be responsible about what they say: "foolish talking and crude jokes are out of place" - Ephesians 5:4.

There are more to choose from in media.