"I feel offended!"

[Willa]

On 3/22/2019 at 5:50 AM, thomas t said:

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

We have been there, tried that.  We are a Christian forum.  We found that many of the people in the hidden sections were trying to convert us to their unbelief or errors, and new Christians and even young teens who are not established in our faith were being confused if not led astray by some of those unbelievers.  Many in that group are quite hardened.  Nevertheless mature, solid  believers here are trying to reach out to them and even disciple those who desire to be taught the truth.  

In the middle east it was a custom to only eat with your friends and allies since it was to them fellowship like we share in the Lord's Supper.  However, Scripture asks us what fellowship has light with darkness?  It even says to come out from among them.

[enoob57]

3 hours ago, thomas t said:

Hi Steven,

needed some time to respond to your post.

bolded mine.

When Jesus wanted some time alone with his disciples he went to a private and/or calm place. Never the great public.

I accept George's decision. Just wanted to comment on your argument that separation is a good thing in and of itself.

George's reasons for separating the unbelievers from us rather center around protecting the flock, if I understand him right.

 

Regards,

Thomas

The darkness has no part with the light as the light has no part with the darkness … we are to be witnesses of the light by being here yet

2 Cor 6:11-18

11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.

13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
KJV
 

[thomas t]

double post

Edited April 5, 2019 by thomas t

[thomas t]

Hi Willa,

I highly appreciate your efforts here on Worthy.

At the same time I think rhetorics are the problem.

"We are the light, they are the darkness. We are so good, they are so bad. We are so good, they are so evil. We are so good, they will end up in hell. And they deserve it. We are so holy, they are not. We should seperate, they be invisible. They are not worthy, nevertheless we are kind enough to answer."

This is a mantra. This makes them feel like we think we are better.

The problem I see is that you wrote taking things to the personal level writing..

On 4/3/2019 at 2:45 PM, Willa said:

Many [non-believers] in that group are quite hardened. Nevertheless mature, solid  believers here are trying to reach out to them

bolded mine.

Why can't we just hand out the bread of life? Why include condescending remarks? We see them every day. They have become a mantra on Worthy. Maybe they act in the form of self-fulfilling prophesies? The more we tell them they are hardened the more they become hardened, I'm afraid. How do you judge when someone is hardened? When they don't convert after 10 posts? 100 posts? Or even more?

When our rhetorics confuse them they won't profit from all the blessings we may enjoy as Christians; such as a life with Jesus, the one we believe in. And being able to finally have found the sense in our lives.

On 4/3/2019 at 2:45 PM, Willa said:

In the middle east it was a custom [...]

Please Willa, let Bible alone determine the way we speak. Not customs. In the Middle East they used to use female genital mutilation which is also a custom.

Just to give an example that, in my opinion, we shouldn't base our actions on customs rather than the Bible.

On 4/3/2019 at 2:45 PM, Willa said:

and new Christians and even young teens who are not established in our faith were being confused if not led astray by some of those unbelievers.

This, however, is a real problem, please see this thread I opened up.

On 4/3/2019 at 2:45 PM, Willa said:

[...] only eat with your friends and allies

but the non-believers are there. And they do eat by reading the things we write. I hope that the bread of life is passed out by what is written.

At the same time, they are made invisible by us. To stay in the picture, they eat somewhere below the table or in the cellar where nobody sees them. In my opinion, this is the same as treating them as inferior or as second class in the eyes of us.

I agree with George that the descision is right, as I explained earlier. Even if the decision is more than sad.

But I do not understand the rhetorics that come along.

 

 

Regards,

Thomas

Edited April 5, 2019 by thomas t
typo