Pros and cons of religous forums

[Zoness]

QUOTE="Zoness, post: 73503801, member: 229057"]I do get tired of reading all the wrong opinions.

Sometimes I do find it extremely frustrating but then I remember that these forms are pretty Fringe, since the average person doesn't care enough about their religion to post on a forum about it.

I've learned a lot about myself people's beliefs though, and I've learned a lot of history. It's made my views more complete and deep even if this is the only subforum I frequent.[/QUOTE ======================================
To wit: more pagan since reading this forum ?

Hmm good question. When I joined these forums ten years ago I was still Christian. My pagan faith had evolved separately from them though reading up on religious history and religious politics interested me.

Honestly it's made me a firm skeptic; and probably more Atheistic than anything.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Hmm good question. When I joined these forums ten years ago I was still Christian. My pagan faith had evolved separately from them though reading up on religious history and religious politics interested me.

Honestly it's made me a firm skeptic; and probably more Atheistic than anything.

In other words, if you ever were to become a follower of Jesus,
it would be because of what you find somewhere else ? (a common acknowledgement on most forums, btw)

 

[Zoness]

In other words, if you ever were to become a follower of Jesus,
it would be because of what you find somewhere else ? (a common acknowledgement on most forums, btw)

Yeah, I wouldn't expect a forum to convert me to any religion. Most people don't pick a religion based on conversation.

For the overwhelming majority their religion comes from their parents and cultural programming followed by personal experience.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Yeah, I wouldn't expect a forum to convert me to any religion. Most people don't pick a religion based on conversation.

For the overwhelming majority their religion comes from their parents and cultural programming followed by personal experience.

Religion and being born again are two very different experiences.
Few are ever born again. (required to enter heaven).

When /if you find and see people who have the truth and the joy of salvation and life as Jesus says (not as religion says),
as happened to me -
you might see true joy and life, and develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness and start desiring the life that God gives only in Christ Jesus.

i.e. the steps of your life depend on Yahweh (God) directing you,
not on your own plans. Maybe He will bring about the Salvation of Jesus in a way you see and desire His Way ..... (not as seen on the internet at all)

 

[danny ski]

The exposure to this religious forum changed nothing for me personally. An exchange of ideas between different outlooks is an useful tool in gaining acceptance and tolerance. Having said that, a non neutral forum such as this one is not the best place for that.

 

[cloudyday2]

Sometimes it almost feels like there is an avatar-personality that seems to evolve over time that is relative to other avatar-personalites. For example, I think of myself as agreeing with "johndoe123" and disagreeing with "johndoe321", and then I tend to respond in ways to reinforce the agreements and disagreements. It is like I am role-playing the character "cloudyday2" (with a Charisma of 18 of course ), and that role-playing tends to steer me down well worn paths of past forum behavior. All of that seems to affect my real-life attitude towards seeking God. I become less hopeful about finding God, because "cloudyday2" is a cynical fellow. LOL

 

[jacknife]

Sometimes it almost feels like there is an avatar-personality that seems to evolve over time that is relative to other avatar-personalites. For example, I think of myself as agreeing with "johndoe123" and disagreeing with "johndoe321", and then I tend to respond in ways to reinforce the agreements and disagreements. It is like I am role-playing the character "cloudyday2" (with a Charisma of 18 of course ), and that role-playing tends to steer me down well worn paths of past forum behavior. All of that seems to affect my real-life attitude towards seeking God. I become less hopeful about finding God, because "cloudyday2" is a cynical fellow. LOL

My Charisma 2 I speced for a magic build.

 

[awitch]

For me it seems that religious forums make me more cynical and atheistic. I'm not certain why this happens.

I feel the same. I think it's because it's rare to get a satisfying answer when challenging someone's religious claim, or wanting to explore the implications of said claim.

 

[Robban]

It helps with headphones and music.

What?

Sure, try this on for size.

Where is God?

Wherever you let Him in.

 

[Rajni]

For me it seems that religious forums make me more cynical and atheistic. I'm not certain why this happens.

Anybody else experience this or maybe the opposite? Why do you think this happens?

I think they've helped me realize that beliefs are just that: Beliefs.

Plus, the notion I used to have that there's this homogeneous consensus on any single point of faith has since been corrected. There seems to be as much variety within a single belief system as there is across all of them collectively. So I no longer feel as though there's this timer ticking and I had best better make the Right Choice™ as to which religion is the Correct One™ before I breathe my last "or else".

While I still believe that there's a God, I've become 'agnosticated' as to the details thereof. Whatever conclusion I draw in that department will be, at the end of the day, just another belief among many, and not based on anything I could prove -- not that proof is even required.

I figure as long as the beliefs I hold make me a more loving person, they probably hold more truth in them than not.

 

[jacks]

How you feel about the forum can depend a lot on which discussions you participate in. Many are uplifting and reveal the love Christians (and others) have for each other. Others are always argumentative and tend to do little to enlighten and/or encourage. Personally for me, CF has greatly strengthened my walk with Christ and has been a positive experience.

 

[dlamberth]

One of the things I find so interesting is watching Christians as they come into this "Christianity and World Religions" sub-group all on fire to set us non-Christians straight. They hang for a short time blasting away, never actually listening or looking at other point's of views, than they leave never to be seen again.

 

[Zoness]

One of the things I find so interesting is watching Christians as they come into this "Christianity and World Religions" sub-group all on fire to set us non-Christians straight. They hang for a short time blasting away, never actually listening or looking at other point's of views, than they leave never to be seen again.

Yeah that's a big reason why I never try to get super in deep with them, so many of them leave after you start making good points or if their message doesn't sink in the way they'd hoped.

 

[Robban]

One of the things I find so interesting is watching Christians as they come into this "Christianity and World Religions" sub-group all on fire to set us non-Christians straight. They hang for a short time blasting away, never actually listening or looking at other point's of views, than they leave never to be seen again.

Well, it is outreach, could well be that some find their arms too short too reach.

And if they do not want to get their feet wet, they go somewhere else.

As well is not all are like that but, they are usually on other places of the forum.

 

[ItIsFinished!]

Hmm good question. When I joined these forums ten years ago I was still Christian. My pagan faith had evolved separately from them though reading up on religious history and religious politics interested me.

Honestly it's made me a firm skeptic; and probably more Atheistic than anything.

So you are no longer a Christian?

 

[Zoness]

So you are no longer a Christian?

I have not been one for probably about ten years though if you asked childhood me, I probably had pretty heretical beliefs from late elementary school.

 

[ItIsFinished!]

I have not been one for probably about ten years though if you asked childhood me, I probably had pretty heretical beliefs from late elementary school.

Thank you for the response.
May I ask, what heretical beliefs?

 

[MehGuy]

For me it seems that religious forums make me more cynical and atheistic. I'm not certain why this happens.

Anybody else experience this or maybe the opposite? Why do you think this happens?

I think it is because the Internet makes it easier to expose yourself to a more diverse set of ideas. Religious forums often not being different. My faith lasted about one year on this site, until it was totally ruined and I'd say my interaction with members on this site helped the process. Even then, it wasn't so much the atheist posters but the diverse Christian beliefs I encountered here that troubled my faith. The idea of a liberal Christian who believed in evolution was foreign to me at the time. I had no idea that within the Christian circle there were so many different view points.

 

[Teamo]

Hmm good question. When I joined these forums ten years ago I was still Christian. My pagan faith had evolved separately from them though reading up on religious history and religious politics interested me.

Honestly it's made me a firm skeptic; and probably more Atheistic than anything.

Same here

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Yeah that's a big reason why I never try to get super in deep with them, so many of them leave after you start making good points or if their message doesn't sink in the way they'd hoped.

? how far, how much, how can any truth sink in if someone rejects it ?