Christian Forums....Why did you join?

[Heart2Soul]

I'm reticent to say another thing that is negative about forums, but perhaps I'm allowed to quote scriptures.
"When you come together there will be divisions among you; and there must be also heresies, that they which are approved may be made manifest. However, if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another".

Some members continuously speak negatively about this forum so if they have such ill regard for it why come here? To point out issues occasionally, especially in reference to the language used by others, is ok.

 

[Heart2Soul]

Many years ago, in June 2011 I was head hunted by the then owners of the forum via an email and joined, but I did not become active on the forum until a few years ago. I became active on this forum because the two other forums I was on faded due to a lack of interest from its members. The Prophecy Talk Forum was shut down because of strife, I believe, from some of its members. I was an active member on that forum for a number of years. Some people on this forum remind me of some of those members on that forum.

I searched for a prophesy forum but couldn't find one that was still active. Yes strife amongst members is a joy killer.

 

[Heart2Soul]

I do like this thread...

Tell us why you joined @farouk...

 

[farouk]

Tell us why you joined @farouk...

@Heart2Soul Good forum, not moderated in Congressional-Committee-subpoena-driven-by-media-grandstanding-style...

 

[farouk]

Some members continuously speak negatively about this forum so if they have such ill regard for it why come here?

@Heart2Soul Kind of begs the response: Nice to see you, but why did you come?

 

[Heart2Soul]

@Heart2Soul Kind of begs the response: Nice to see you, but why did you come?

Not to me....but if it insults you I apologize.
Or correct me if I am missing the point...thanks.

 

[farouk]

Not to me....but if it insults you I apologize.
Or correct me if I am missing the point...thanks.

@Heart2Soul
Oh I was paraphrasing what you said, and agreeing with you...

 

[Heart2Soul]

@Heart2Soul
Oh I was paraphrasing what you said, and agreeing with you...

Ahhhhhh ok thanks

 

[aspen]

to practice articulating my beliefs

 

[farouk]

I've given this pride thing a lot of thought, and concluded that I haven't done much to be proud of.

@Waiting on him I know the feeling...

Philippians 2 comes to mind about the perfect, sinless One Who humbled Himself...

 

[Heart2Soul]

to practice articulating my beliefs

So are we your "Guinea pigs"....lol....you practice on us so you can perfect your ministry in the world?

 

[farouk]

So are we your "Guinea pigs"....lol....

@Heart2Soul Interesting term to use...

 

[Heart2Soul]

@Heart2Soul Interesting term to use...

Country slang....lol.

 

[farouk]

Country slang....lol.

@Heart2Soul Oh it's widespread as an expression; was thinking of the context, there, really...

 

[historyb]

Even if the owner is still the same, CF is the money-maker, but this site is the real one. I would prefer if we were as big as CF, but it would be a total free-for-all if we had that many people here. This site is indeed more Wild West, where people largely police themselves as necessary and take matters into their own hands. It's why I believe this place is reserved for those the Lord Jesus Christ calls to it (aside from the entertaining nut jobs).

Well I don't think this board is reserved or anything like that. I am a mod on another forum that is even smaller than this and the wild west approach drove off good members like it did here and the owner finally got mods and had to enforce the rules and I own a forum that has one member, me because over time people left and I let the wild west approach stand and I should have been smater. If CF and this place have the same owner than both places are either money makers or they are not.

 

[historyb]

? ... hmmm ... if you had the site, owned it, or had the power otherwise,

would you put a stop to the posts of the false (as defined by Scripture) gospel ?

Maybe allow them to ask questions, of course, but not to continue to promote the false (accursed) gospel ?

The problem with that approach is just because you think something is false doesn't mean it is nor is the person necessarily promoting a false gospel. The best way to handle this problem is to make different sections in the overall forum for different denominations and no denominations, it is the best way.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Well I don't think this board is reserved or anything like that. I am a mod on another forum that is even smaller than this and the wild west approach drove off good members like it did here and the owner finally got mods and had to enforce the rules and I own a forum that has one member, me because over time people left and I let the wild west approach stand and I should have been smater. If CF and this place have the same owner than both places are either money makers or they are not.

I've often thought that if I ran a forum I would probably do so with a heavy hand. But then I wouldn't be looking for an all-inclusive community either. I'd be looking for a family of strong believers who, despite maybe having some different views on things, loved one another and respected one another. That's what I think we have at the core of this community, so whatever approach they took, I think they did something right.

It's sort of the eternal debate on how to create a strong Christian community without being totalitarian, but whatever happens in the future I'm thankful for what we have here right now.

 

[Mike Waters]

I've often thought that if I ran a forum I would probably do so with a heavy hand. But then I wouldn't be looking for an all-inclusive community either. I'd be looking for a family of strong believers who, despite maybe having some different views on things, loved one another and respected one another. That's what I think we have at the core of this community, so whatever approach they took, I think they did something right.

It's sort of the eternal debate on how to create a strong Christian community without being totalitarian, but whatever happens in the future I'm thankful for what we have here right now.

Several years back I originated a Christian forum the ethos of which was to allow membership to any person who might conceivably have been accepted into the ‘Body of Christ’ by virtue of efficacious faith in such as God had revealed to him/her.
Such was my anxiety to not preclude anyone who God might have thus accepted that there would be few (if any) who would not be accepted into membership.
However, it was a parallel requirement that each member should accept that no one was 100% correct in the details of their faith, and that conversely no one was 100% incorrect, and that members should always accordingly respond to one another with due deference to the darkened glass of 1 Corinthian 13:12.

The forum’s founding membership was formed by invitation to those who I had befriended throughout my various other forum travels and initially the fellowship was such that many reckoned it to be “the best forum they had ever joined”, and some still speak fondly of its memories.
But foolishly I sort to expand the membership by using ‘Google Adwords’ to ‘buy’ first page inclusion to anyone searching for ‘Christian Forum membership’.
Consequently, and despite acquiescence to the above ethos being required and fully detailed in the forum’s registration agreement, new members joined and, in direct contradiction of the agreement, one in particular almost immediately demanded that a long respected founder member should be banned because of one of his beliefs.

Over time such contradiction of the forum’s ethos escalated until I became so disillusioned that I felt obliged to abandon my quest to preside over total, small ‘c’, catholicity, and I closed the forum.
I have since learned to accept that when Christian come together in Forum “There will be divisions among you; and there must be also heresies, that they which are approved may be made manifest” (1 Corinthians 11:19).

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

Several years back I originated a Christian forum the ethos of which was to allow membership to any person who might conceivably have been accepted into the ‘Body of Christ’ by virtue of efficacious faith in such as God had revealed to him/her.
Such was my anxiety to not preclude anyone who God might have thus accepted that there would be few (if any) who would not be accepted into membership.
However, it was a parallel requirement that each member should accept that no one was 100% correct in the details of their faith, and that conversely no one was 100% incorrect, and that members should always accordingly respond to one another with due deference to the darkened glass of 1 Corinthian 13:12.

The forum’s founding membership was formed by invitation to those who I had befriended throughout my various other forum travels and initially the fellowship was such that many reckoned it to be “the best forum they had ever joined”, and some still speak fondly of its memories.
But foolishly I sort to expand the membership by using ‘Google Adwords’ to ‘buy’ first page inclusion to anyone searching for ‘Christian Forum membership’.
Consequently, and despite acquiescence to the above ethos being required and fully detailed in the forum’s registration agreement, new members joined and, in direct contradiction of the agreement, one in particular almost immediately demanded that a long respected founder member should be banned because of one of his beliefs.

Over time such contradiction of the forum’s ethos escalated until I became so disillusioned that I felt obliged to abandon my quest to preside over total, small ‘c’, catholicity, and I closed the forum.
I have since learned to accept that when Christian come together in Forum “There will be divisions among you; and there must be also heresies, that they which are approved may be made manifest” (1 Corinthians 11:19).

Luke 12:51
Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.

 

[Mike Waters]

Luke 12:51
Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.

But that surely can't mean division between believers/disciples, otherwise it would completely conflict with his prayer to the Father that they might be one, even as we are one.
Peace be with you, not as the world gives but .......