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Originally posted by little elmer
Are we so insecure that we must attack those that are not in agreement? I feel the Lord winces each time a name is hurled toward another He loves. Perhaps we could extend the same grace and patience He has extended you and me (?)
Sorry, but can we be Jesus' people?
I just happened on this forum after a long time away. (I'm usually in the politics forum) The reason it was a long time was exactly what you described. I don't find this forum edifying, and in fact it's very discouraging to come here, and I'd rather have my faith edified and encouraged than to be constantly reminded of what I don't like about my fellow christians.
Many, many times I feel that it is time for me to move on also..and believe me I have tried very hard but am constantly pulled back..There is nothing wrong about discussing the bible and our different interpretations of verses, but there is so much "my way or no way" attitude that enters and brings insults, and personal judgements..and we lose the feeling of "sharing" what He has put in our hearts, and we seem to lose what He taught us..Love..
Seems that none of us can offer a personal thought response as the Spirit leads us without someone either calling you out wanting book, chapter and verse, or saying your opinion is a "cop out"..
Personally I believe with all my heart and soul that Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to us when He would not be with us in the flesh so that we would not be left orphans..Jesus continues to teach us, comfort us and fill us through the Holy Spirit and has made Himself a part of each of us through that wonderful gift which though is unseen is alive and present in us and hopefully we can respect that one persons relationship may be deeper and more personal due to what Paul called "maturity"..
It is becoming harder and harder for some of us to find a thread to reply to that we wonder if it will turn into a battle of who is right or wrong..
I sometime wrack my pea brain trying to come up with a friendship thread that maybe if we knew a bit more about each other we would be more understanding and less judgemental..
Anyway, that is just my opinion, for what it is worth
To all the ones who have left and may be taking a peek here.. "Love you and think of you often"
Amen!
You know why Little elmer the answer to that question..... !!! And Alpha is right! The one's who looked the most like Christ.....left! And I miss them so much!
It use to be a great place to interact with others....
Now days very few that are left find it difficult to try to post, they're usually put on defense immediately because of a certain group who has such agenda to get across, instead of the love of God to share and to agree to disagree!!!
Where is that in scripture? and how is agreeing to disagree showing the love of God?
In the church most of us have "second class christians". Meaning, christians who we grudgingly admit are saved, but who we really don't like, or deride or disdain because their opinions don't perfectly match ours. These are people who we don't truly accept as brothers and sisters in the faith. I think it's often good to ask yourself....
1. Which is more important, adherance to five point Calvinism, or loving Jesus for saving you from your sins?
2. Which is more important, believers/infant baptism or loving Jesus for rescuing you from the second death?
3. Which is more important, voting Republican or Democrat, or loving Jesus for loving you first, when you hated him?
I'm not saying we shouldn't debate about these things, but we need to realize that that guy on the other side of the fence has also been bought with a price, and whom Jesus loves just as much as he loves you, and who is your brother. Yes, your brother! (or sister)
I'll close with two of my favorite quotes...
"--But don't the Bible say we ought to love everybody?"
"--Oh yes, the Bible says a many good things, but then nobody ever thinks of doin' em"
--Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin
"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things love." --Moravian saying
We should all keep in mind the value of the different levels of spiritual "maturity", as Miss Blue put it.
For me, perhaps the most aggressive individual on here was Moderator cut: an unnamed poster. He would post thread after thread visciously attacking my spiritual path, demand a verse from the version of the Bible he chose to be God's word, and then call me everything from "deceived" to "ignorant" to "lost" to "taken by the devil" and all the rest from the repertoire.
In his sincere attempts to draw people to Christ, his vitriolic approach certainly drew the worst out in me, leading to more than a couple infractions.
Then I read a testimony he wrote on a thread about how he has long struggled with alcohlism and, like our former president, he turned to a fundamentalist lifestyle as a tool for holding himself up when he didn't have the strength to do so on his own. The "Jesus, take the wheel" line, if you will.
In understanding his personal journey, I came to respect where he was in his growth and that he needed to believe only those who agree with him could possibly be loved and accepted by God and Christ. He needed to attack people like me not for the sake of God or Jesus, but for his own psychological needs.
I feel this is the strongest value of fundamentalism and why we need to protect people's right to experience it and to not take it personally when they lash out at us. It is such an important step on the journey back to God.
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I think we're living out 2 Timothy 3: 
) but I'm coming out of the mire!
!!! And Alpha is right! The one's who looked the most like Christ.....left! 