Dealing with Professing Believers Walking in Sin in Online Boards

[JonC]

You can verify this through Annse who was a moderator at the time and was attempting to work with the guy who offed himself. I recall the guy being from Maine. Like I would make this crap up!

I have known you a long time (in the context of an online presence....not personally.....and certainly not biblically ....). I know you would not have made this up. I believe you. I just am not aware of the incident. But I take you at your word because I have no doubt such things could happen or that by your testimony they did happen.

I have met cruel people in my lifetime. But I have never met people as cruel and spiteful than some of the professing Christians I have encountered in online forums. The example you give does not bespeak of cruel intentions but perhaps of good intentions misguided by poor theology. I know of very few here who I believe would rejoice in the death of another person. But sometimes good intentions doe not make up for bad belief ("tough love" is often misplaced hate).

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I have known you a long time (in the context of an online presence....not personally.....and certainly not biblically ....). I know you would not have made this up. I believe you. I just am not aware of the incident. But I take you at your word because I have no doubt such things could happen or that by your testimony they did happen.

I have met cruel people in my lifetime. But I have never met people as cruel and spiteful than some of the professing Christians I have encountered in online forums. The example you give does not bespeak of cruel intentions but perhaps of good intentions misguided by poor theology. I know of very few here who I believe would rejoice in the death of another person. But sometimes good intentions doe not make up for bad belief ("tough love" is often misplaced hate).

Unfortunately yes tough love can well run afoul of misplaced consequences, like watching a train wreck and being powerless to stop it. As I said, if you can get in touch with Ann she could put it all right... she reached out to that poor unfortunate to help support him and it was her who reported to us of the mans untimely death...also Ann was quite shaken up at the time. I think the take away should be that we should measure our words, actions and dispositions toward others. We can’t judge others till we have walked a mile in their shoes. Be well my friend.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I can only speak for what I have done. If I feel that a post requires some action taken (like deleting), then I report the post with a note on the specific rule that I feel has been violated and the action that I would request be taken (like "deletion of post" or "remove the last paragraph").

It at least clearly communicates your concerns to the Moderator without making them "guess" about anything.
Then I shrug and move on because "life is short and the internet is full of challenging interactions".

The members in question who were threatening me are on my ignore list ever since the incident. It just would have been nice to have gotten the idea that my reports were being taken seriously.
I do wish the ignore function worked like it did on other sites, and blocked them from interacting or seeing your posts at all. Considering what they were threatening.

Sent from my SM-J737T1 using Tapatalk

 

[JonC]

The members in question who were threatening me are on my ignore list ever since the incident. It just would have been nice to have gotten the idea that my reports were being taken seriously.
I do wish the ignore function worked like it did on other sites, and blocked them from interacting or seeing your posts at all. Considering what they were threatening.

Sent from my SM-J737T1 using Tapatalk

Well, I personally believe the man I had to deal with is wicked. But not all evil people face is intentional. And sometimes it is just disagreeing.

Either way, I think the best thing to do is ignore those types of people.

 

[Yeshua1]

Well, I personally believe the man I had to deal with is wicked. But not all evil people face is intentional. And sometimes it is just disagreeing.

Either way, I think the best thing to do is ignore those types of people.

it would be helpful to not call differences in understanding on doctrines as heretical when they are not, such as labeling premil and Dispy as heresy, when they both have been seen as viable options!

 

[JonC]

it would be helpful to not call differences in understanding on doctrines as heretical when they are not, such as labeling premil and Dispy as heresy, when they both have been seen as viable options!

I agree. There are heresies (a departure from orthodox Christianity) and these are stated historically. Since this is a Christian board "heresy" is a departure from orthodox (accepted) Christian doctrine (which itself encompasses a wide range of beliefs).

 

[Yeshua1]

I agree. There are heresies (a departure from orthodox Christianity) and these are stated historically. Since this is a Christian board "heresy" is a departure from orthodox (accepted) Christian doctrine (which itself encompasses a wide range of beliefs).

Think a lot depends on if one is a "confessing" Christian or not on just how generous Orthodoxy is defined as being!

 

[JonC]

Think a lot depends on if one is a "confessing" Christian or not on just how generous Orthodoxy is defined as being!

It does. There are things that I would reject as heresy which are technically within orthodox Christianity (they are unorthodox to my view, but not to Christianity itself). "Heresy" itself holds a steep requirement to prove (it has to be shown that the belief has been rejected by Christianity as a whole). So when such a charge is tossed out it needs to be quickly (immediately) proven by providing the source and context where the view was deemed heresy.

Sometimes a Christian is and should be justified in wearing the label "heretic" as a symbol of pride depending on the doctrine and organization he or she is rejecting.

 

[Yeshua1]

It does. There are things that I would reject as heresy which are technically within orthodox Christianity (they are unorthodox to my view, but not to Christianity itself). "Heresy" itself holds a steep requirement to prove (it has to be shown that the belief has been rejected by Christianity as a whole). So when such a charge is tossed out it needs to be quickly (immediately) proven by providing the source and context where the view was deemed heresy.

Sometimes a Christian is and should be justified in wearing the label "heretic" as a symbol of pride depending on the doctrine and organization he or she is rejecting.

Heresy has been pretty much defined and agreed upon for a long time, as it includes things such as rejecting Trinity, Deity of Jesus, The death and resurrection of Jesus, etc!

 

[JonC]

Heresy has been pretty much defined and agreed upon for a long time, as it includes things such as rejecting Trinity, Deity of Jesus, The death and resurrection of Jesus, etc!

I agree. But they also change. There is not complete heresy list. Things move back and forward. Penal Substitution was, at one time, a "heresy" (see Aquinas' arguments). Now it is orthodox. The medieval view of God paying a Ransom to God was the orthodox view. Now we would consider it heresy.

Also, developments create new heresies (like Islamic influences, strange UFO ideas, etc.).