How much nonsense should Christians tolerate?

[Esther4:14]

I think it goes both ways.  I have seen some of the threads in question over the last week or so.  I have also seen excellent responses made to some of these posts.  

So, there are the posts that do need to be addressed in some way.  

However, there are the posters that can often be very aggressive in their rebuke, and there may be nothing wrong with their argument, but their tone is just so harsh.  I still find them very offensive.  

There is something that I have read somewhere along the line about how this message board is supposed to help foster unity.  However, I often only see unity in the form of favoritism for people that other people know they agree with or that they are friends with, and this is fine.  It is fine to have some people we just will get along with better.  There is only so many hours in the day.  There is only so much time to really get close to people, so the number of people we will ever really be close with is small.  

So, it is fine to have friends, but it isn't so fine to treat people differently if they don't fit in the same mold as your friends, or if they are growing in Christ with different questions that you might have about life that is causing them to pursue understanding of things you might not feel you need to find answers for.  

So, there is just as much impatience for others that I see here on the forum, as there are some posts that go a little too far left.  

Patience is an exercise of faith and it is what will keep people seeking Christ.  My childhood was kind of a train wreck.  I have struggled with addictions as a Christian.  I still have PTSD and get very nervous about being accepted in church at times because I find it very difficult to relax.  It makes me feel like people are looking at me and thinking I am weird because I feel tense a lot.  I can't help it.  

So, I know from experience that I would be no where if someone was constantly pointing this out to me the way I have seen people do here at times in very aggressive ways.  I would be no where without some of the Christian people I have known who have had the faith to let God lead me rather than trying to control what I do or how I think.  

I do think that the forum does provide a way for us to assemble together; however, sometimes, I think people need to take a break every now and then and spend some time reading scripture and growing in our faith in other ways.  

I have been enjoying reading from the Ante Nicene Fathers recently.  I find it very comforting and Ignatius really has some great things to say about the importance unity played in the early church, which has caused me to consider what I had read somewhere about the experiment of unity that motivated the establishing of this site.  

"Have a regard to preserve unity, than which nothing is better.  Bear with all, even as the Lord does with thee.  Support all in love, as also thou doest,"

"Let not those who seem worthy of credit, but teach strange doctrines, fill thee with apprehension.  Stand firm, as does an anvil which is beaten.  It is the part of a noble athlete to be wounded, and yet to conquer.  And especially, we ought to bear all things for the sake of God, that He also may bear with us," 

"Let your assembling together be of frequent occurrence." 

"Be studious of unity, than which nothing is more precious.  Bear with all men, even as our Lord beareth with thee.  Show patience with all men in love as [indeed] thou doest." 

"If you love only the good disciples only, thous hast no grace; but rather subdue those that are evil by gentleness.  All [sorts of] wounds are not healed by the same medicine.  Mitigate [the pain of] cutting by tenderness," (The epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp, empahsis added).  

 

[The_Patriot21]

heres the other thought. How are young christians, supposed to know how to deal with such topics, unless they see mature christians addressing them?

[MorningGlory]

4 hours ago, Davidjayjordan said:

Ha, some prisoners have been known to chew off or cut off limbs to allow them to esacpe, better to have only one arm rather than be tortured.

Ha, I also hate foot traps on animals, just not humane.

But HEREIN< free discussion does help people not chew off parts, but digest fully what they truly believe. Heres a vote for open discussion.

I wonder what person this thread was referring to ? Why didn;t they just come out and mention their name ? Why not be honest ?

I believe the OP said that according to the TOS we are NOT to debate the person but the topic.  And that IS in the TOS; everyone should read it.

[enoob57]

4 minutes ago, MorningGlory said:

I believe the OP said that according to the TOS we are NOT to debate the person but the topic.  And that IS in the TOS; everyone should read it.

I can't read  

[MorningGlory]

2 minutes ago, enoob57 said:

I can't read  

Well then, how did you know what was in my post?  Huh? 

[enoob57]

Just now, MorningGlory said:

Well then, how did you know what was in my post?  Huh? 

 well uh uh uh well  I guessed

[enoob57]

Selling ocean front parcels in Oklahoma... cheap  

[MorningGlory]

2 minutes ago, enoob57 said:

 well uh uh uh well  I guessed

 

[FresnoJoe]

2 hours ago, Rick_Parker said:

I don't know who anyone thinks Ezra is talking about (I myself have at least a couple who come to mind), but as previously stated, if the shoe fits.......

Shoes?

And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:21 (ESV)

You Got Shoes?

"'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18 (NIV)

[gdemoss]

Our guidelines for tollerance ought to be taken from scripture.  And our authority ought to be seen in signs following that which we speak.

When Peter spoke Ananias and Saphira dropped dead.  When Jesus spoke the fig tree withered.  Paul was known for giving people over to Satan for the punishment of their flesh and in one place spoke saying that if he had to come a third time he wouldn't be spare.

When I speak out against homosexuals burning in their lust one for another in the authority of the scripture, I know that I need say no more because God said they would receive in themselves the recompense for their error which was meet.  I know it will happen if they do not repent but I also know that God is both long suffering and gracious not willing that any should perish so there is a time given for repentance while his Spirit pleads with them.

Learning to trust God to govern has been difficult for me but is working at a greater level in all aspects of my life than ever before.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of coming of the Lord and has seen him trampling the vinyards where the grapes of wrath are stored.

So I enourage my brothers to be concise in your words, reaffirming that which has already been declared by scripture and wait upon the Lord to deal with those who are reprobate concerning faith for he was very patient with me, allowing me to hurt a lot of people on my journey to Him as well as through my time of growing in Him.

We do need to be careful not to be Pharisees beating our chest but also not afraid to speak the truth into the lives of others with the hope of repentance rather than destruction.  For the scripture says that we are all worthy of death but God in his Grace has always made a way unto life.  

Tollerate ignorance and be apt to teach meekly with long suffering but warn those of their destruction who follow after evil.  Whether it be as Pharoah and a vessel of wrath or as a homosexual burning in their lust once the truth is spoken to them the clock begins to tick unto their repentance or destruction.  My hope is none will perish.