Now of course, not every place needs to be changed. Not every belief needs to be changed. But some people seem to be hung up
on "fixing" other people.
it sounds as if you only want an echo chamber. People of like minded beliefs with whom one may sing Kum-ba-yah.
But God Himself is hung up on fixing other people. That's the entirety of the Gospel - to fix the sinner. So while the goal is clear, perhaps the methods may be in question.
You don't believe like I believe, so obviously.. YOU.. are wrong and I am right.
It's strange how we can sometimes get so hung up on how right we are, and how wrong everybody else is.
And yet the entire Protestant Reformation (of which I assume you are a part) was started by this very same fundamental belief (YOU.. are wrong and I am right). Martin Luther felt that HE was right and everybody else was wrong. He transformed and re-defined all of Salvation AS believing the right things. (And if you aren't believing the right things, maybe you're just not saved.) It is obvious, though, that if you don't believe like I believe,
somebody is wrong, and perhaps, even, both parties, so the details need to be worked out. That was Luther's BIG mistake. He just could not fathom that anyone reading the exact same thing as he did could arrive at a different conclusion, so after exhausting his attempts to use reason, he just resorted to cursing them with a most foul mouth.
Of course Luther was condemned to death by the echo chamber known as the Roman Catholic Church.
Jesus never said, take the log out of your own eye and
leave the other guy alone. But as I said above, perhaps the methods may be in question. What is one to do with someone so brainwashed that when shown the colour blue, will always and most stubbornly reply "orange" - to the extent that the person showing blue is vilified as a messenger of Satan?
Now I supposed if I knew for sure God told me to go... I would.
Yet didn't he?
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
- Matthew 28:19-20 KJV
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
- Mark 16:15 KJV
Granted,
πορευθεντες is not written in the imperative mood, but we find a similar expression here:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- Acts 1:8 KJV
But so far, I don't feel
like he has told me to visit any Mormon sites, or jehovah's witneeses sites, or even Roman Catholic sites.
And that may be the case. As for me, I've visited in person with Mormons (both branches) and JW's; with Catholics, and also Evangelicals (who for the most part think Pentecostals are demon possessed). I've traveled extensively throughout Christendom, including all the major Protestant branches, and what all y'all would call cults, including Armstrong-"ism," and the Swedenborgs. While it's hard to find a Christadelphian meeting, the Quakers certainly know how to shut you up.
We have a few universalists, a few aniihilationists, a few non-trinitarians, one or two that disagree with the common Protestant Canon of the Bible.
.. and I wonder... why are they here? I suppose they believe in their minds, they are here to "fix" us. To convert us over to their way of thinking.
(Heaven forbid that you might be wrong about anything.)
And I keep thinking who's the other guy?
Maybe they are just trolls, looking for a fight, looking for something to argue about. It's obvious we have a few of those also.
I often wonder if these people are just so lonely... they just want someone to talk to... every if it's just to fight for a while.
But I suspect a few of them genuinely believe what they are saying.
As a Red Letter Christian, others insult me all the time, to the point where it mostly just bounces off. But as one can see from my first post, I came here to
share, no matter how distasteful others might find it, and I mean the contents or teachings that I post, not my wonderful personality.
The three credible death threats I've received in my lifetime were over my content, not my character.
TalkJesus used to have a "What we believe" section, but if they still have it, it's almost impossible to find.
It sounds as if you think it should be a "What
you must believe" section in order for someone to post anything. That's the Echo Chamber I mentioned above - "KILL 'EM ALL if they don't believe like we do." (How wonderfully un-American. And how wonderfully Spanish Inquisition-ish.)
That said, I have assiduously campaigned for the Statement of Faith to be linked at the bottom of every page and that it be made clear if one's posts must conform to this, and if so, that such should be part of the Terms and Conditions page. I brought this matter up a number of times, only to have it ignored. I happen to agree with
@Christ4Ever that threads on the Trinity can grow like weeds (or kudzu) on this type of forum and that this is the reason such threads are verboten (in general) but again, that's not stipulated on the Terms and Conditions page. (Although I guess if it's just a matter of containment, then the Trinity could just have it's own subsection....)
TalkJesus used to have a "What we believe" section, biut if they still have it, it's almost impossible to find. So then... what do we believe?
What don't we believe? Often it seems like anything goes here. Any belief is valid here, whether it's obviously non-biblical or not.
Maybe the moderator believe in Ecumenism? Maybe they believe in peace at any cost (even heresy and blasphemy). I'm not saying
we all have to agree of everything, but there should be some standards.. some beliefs.
Interesting. Are you trashing the moderators?
Why would you do that? I don't even hold that level of disrespect as to think the moderators should be defending my beliefs. And with regards to heresy and blasphemy, all y'all are heretics and blasphemers to the Catholic. And they've been around a lot longer than you. As Nick once said to me, you could always start your own forum.
Which leads me back to the original question... if you don't believe in these things... why are you here?
The first thought for many of us is... Satan sent you to cause disputes and arguments.
Maybe you need to change your thoughts, if you feel that persecuted.
Maybe we hold to a more fundamental belief in the Gospel that Jesus taught.
If you find yourself uncomfortable, I don't think that your comfort is guaranteed in the Terms and Conditions, but calling others Satan
is a violation (not to mention just plain rude). But in that the Jews called Jesus Satan, I guess I should be grateful. I was banned for a year (ONE FULL YEAR) because I proved that you, BAC, changed the words of scripture in order to promulgate your own personal belief.
Is that the kind of forum that you want?
Respectfully,
Rhema
My advice... when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Don't stir up trouble, don't try to change us.
Well then you should be glad that Paul didn't follow your advice, no? He stirred up trouble and riots everywhere he went, to the point of being killed (yes, actually dead-dead) "oft" (according to his own testimony).
Wait.... you mean that we should become Catholics?
