"I feel offended!"

[thomas t]

Dear community,

non-believers can't post in the main sections. They are assigned a seperate section. I don't know where that section is.

To me, assigning them some invisible seperate section comes across as wanting to serve them lunch below the table. At the same time, we sit at the table enjoying our meal conversing with each other, i find this is horrible. Making them invisible is the same as ostracising them.

But I do think that George is spirit-led when he dicides that way. I believe him when he says it's better for them to be seperated from the rest.

So let's think about why the Holy Spirit might tell him to resort to such a measure. I think this might be because conditions for the non-believing side within the main sections would be so incredibly bad that it appears better to shut them out altogether.
Maybe, while sitting at the table to stay in the picture, the others would behave in a manner that's even more rude than having them sit under the table.

So please let's have a look at how we treat provocative quetsions in general. For asking provocative questions is exactly what non-believers do all the time.

In another thread someone asked a question that somehow managed to combine the notion of God and rape & murder in one sentence! Then I saw one lady answering this by "I feel offended!" (or some similar answer). But it wasn't anything like a statement that frankly stated that God was responsible for that. It simply was a question. Telling the inquirer "I feel offended" (or something similar) in this situation came across as wanting to shut him up, I think. Others gave what I would call a one-size-fits-all-answer, subsequetly declaring that his question has been answered "in full", although the question was complicated in my understanding. Also a means of shutting the inquirer up?

Now, this is my point: if we reply to provocative questions in this manner, inviting non-believer to the main sections again would be devastating. Even more than the current situation is (I think it's devastating). We must have freedom of speech, even for the non-believing side, I think. Please let's do something so the Holy Spirit could finally tell George to open the sections up for non-believers.

Regards,

Thomas

Edited March 22, 2019 by thomas t
I added "or something similar"

[enoob57]

They are already separated out by their choices they have made about God and His Word... I am sure the spirits of disobedience doesn't like that they cannot mix in with the children of obedience but oh well... God plans to separate them eternally from us...

41 minutes ago, thomas t said:

We must have freedom of speech, even for the non-believing side, I think.

There is but one Word which has total freedom and it is from God called the Scriptures all else is a generated puss of lies!

[Tzephanyahu]

Shalom brother,

57 minutes ago, thomas t said:

"I feel offended!"

Yes, it's sad that so many are quick to be offended and then respond with an attack.  We should exercise patience, kindness, long-suffering and respect - all summarised in true love for one another, as if they were yourself. 

The Word of God is our sword, but not to attack each other with!  But, if you judge others with such tactics, you may find God using the same tactic against you - "you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others" - and He knows the Word much better than you do! 

But let's also be aware that such tactics also come from the evil one, who threw verses out of context at Yeshua.  So maybe we ought to be more prayerful about keeping this forum safe from people who join with ill-intent.

Let's work to love each other as one big family where everyone feels respected and heard.  Then we have a kind family to welcome non-believers to, instead of looking for ways to divide it over words, misunderstandings and sensitive topics.

 

13 minutes ago, enoob57 said:

They are already separated out by their choices they have made about God and His Word... I am sure the spirits of disobedience doesn't like that they cannot mix in with the children of obedience but oh well...

I couldn't disagree with you more. I'm sure the 'spirits of disobedience' are smart enough to get through and join the forum. It's hardly Fort Knox.  Also, try not to be so hasty to write-off the unsaved who are searching for answers.  Yeshua ate and drank with the sinners and so should we if any are to be saved.  We should not speak so fatalistically about those who God may have called, a lost brother or sister.  We were all in that position at one time.  Therefore, don't fear them or the 'spirits of disobedience'. Yahweh is good and faithful to His family.

Love & Shalom

Edited March 22, 2019 by Tzephanyahu

[Neighbor]

One with wisdom does not invite the thief into his home.

The many minions of satan love nothing more than to steal away the joy of Christians, as they do their ministry of distraction. The house of the Lord is NOT an open forum for chants and displays of disharmony, nor should a Christian message board be one either.

 To me the operator of the ministry here on Worthy  has done a Holy Spirit led effort to invite nonbelievers into the Worthy Pavilion. They do have opportunity to seek out information, as well as to express themselves to Christians within limits of proper decorum. They are, it seems to me properly so, prevented from being trolls and ministers of satan's distraction ministry. 

There are boards that have been destroyed by non-Christians coming onboard to create discord amongst the believers in Christ Jesus as Lord God and personal savior.

There is one suffering board that I know of that has few Christians now, seven of the top ten posters being little anti-Christs with daily diatribes  against Jesus. That is nothing to invite here.

Praise God for the fine service rendered to our Lord Jesus at Worthy Christian Forums to His glory alone.

 

[dr3032]

Well... I think it's nice that there's at least SOME semblance of seperation. It's like church. You go for fellowship, encouragement, and worship. Not to spit venom and shake your fists. Now imagine if church was like that. You want to go because you want to make friends and be among like-minded people, but now all you have are atheists and other such types just wanting to strut their ego and mock you. If you invite a wild deer into your home, can you honestly say that you didn't expect it to poop on your good carpet? What good is it if God's house becomes a place of contempt and unease? Even with the current system in place, you still have the oddball fellow who claims to be Moses reborn, or that gay is okay by some really round-a-bout so-called "reasoning". Real mental gymnastics kind of stuff, you know?

They are still able to post and speak freely. I get what others are saying in that we were all like that. In fact, we're still a bit in that position, as we are always seeking more answers and hoping to grow more. However, this system must be as it is, because once the weeds take root in the field, they grow like wildfire and decimate the crop. As Neighbor stated, many other boards got too loose in this regard, and now they're not quite "Christian" boards anymore.

[thomas t]

1 hour ago, dr3032 said:

all you have are atheists and other such types just wanting to strut their ego and mock you.

Hi Dr,

that's quite a generalizing remark, I think. We can't look into their hearts, in my opinion.

1 hour ago, dr3032 said:

 What good is it if God's house becomes a place of contempt and unease?

If you want to shut the doors of the church, then it seems this is contemptful behaviour.

1 hour ago, dr3032 said:

they grow like wildfire

if they really say something against our faith, we still can speak up. If we judge them, then we will be judged, listen please to what brother Tzephanyahu says (my interpretation of the verse):

3 hours ago, Tzephanyahu said:

you may find God using the same tactic against you - "you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others" - and He knows the Word much better than you do!  

thank you very much for your bold interaction, Tzephanyahu. Free speech, as you say, is too important.

Regards,

Thomas

---

Hi Neighbor,

1 hour ago, Neighbor said:

the thief

 

1 hour ago, Neighbor said:

The many minions of satan

I think this is condescending against atheists.

Regards,

Thomas

[Tzephanyahu]

Shalom all,

It seems that some of you are under the impression that this forum is somehow safe from the evil one's influence.  Why is that?  There's no wall of fire that members have to go through to join. 

If such evil influences manage to fake it and creep into churches, what makes you think an online forum is any harder?  Let's remember these things...

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.  Also 2 Peter is pretty much all about this.

My point is that those deceivers were IN the churches already, subtlety distorting scriptures and teaching falsehoods.  They weren't stood outside, they were inside, eating and drinking with them.  Paul warns of this in his epistles too.

So, if it happened face-to-face in the early churches, how much easier would it be with anonymity in an online forum?  Therefore, we shouldn't be under any illusion that we're extra safe because this is for "believers only".   

If there are other reasons for the separation, then fair enough, I have no idea how tricky it must be to run a forum!  But the reason I've read here "to keep devils out" is a poor excuse I think.  Such a thought process could have kept me from being a believer - had the Christian ministry I worked for, as an atheist, thought the same. Thankfully, they didn't and I was able to watch, observe and ask and eventually became a believer. Thank you Lord!

Again, I concede that forum complexities are different to church complexities and I'm sure the moderators have assessed all possibilities carefully.  But as for us, the members in here, let's be not assume the worse of every non-believer.  We were all like them once. 

Love & Shalom

[Neighbor]

Perhaps someone presumes a presumption not in evidence, but instead is merely presumed . 

[shortangel]

I didn't know that nonbelievers couldn't post in the main section it sort of seems sad to me that we cannot share our faith with them in a nonjudgemental way in the main section,  yes I think freedom of speech should be considered but I also think that there would be  a lot of argueing & division if nonbelievers posted in the main section,  I just left a site where argueing & division were happening constantly I hope it doesn't happen here too

Edited March 22, 2019 by shortangel
be

[Neighbor]

I am highly impressed with the diligent effort of Worthy Christian Forums  with it's devotion to duty to serve our Lord Jesus as it addresses the myriad problems of sharing of our Lord over the internet by means of Christian message board. Doing so by  providing for interchange amongst believers, encouragement to the isolated, the hurting,  and for those that want to relate one with another in fellowship of Christians,  and in reaching the as yet unsaved with the gospel of Jesus, is quite the undertaking.

Praise God for Worthy.

 I confess that being "offended" by a free offering of opportunity to use a website run at cost to the operator is quite beyond my comprehension.