Online Forums, Christian Conduct, and Sin

[1689Dave]

I have been involved with Christians and professing Christians across a few boards. One thing that I have noticed is that there are a few people who exhibit a spirit of ungodliness.

Many of us, myself included, have responded inappropriately and with insults. I think that we all recognize this is not proper conduct. But things get heated (and this is no excuse). There are a few people who have been banned from these boards for their behavior. I understand someone having to take an involuntary break because things got out of hand. I think that this is normal as we are human beings discussing diverse beliefs that we hold as foundational towards our faith.

But there are some people who have been banned several times on different boards. This is a different issue as it shows, IMHO, that there is a serious problem.

God has taught and commanded how believers are to interact with one another. I think it is fair to say that we all can stumble in our interactions. But what if this is the mark of a professing Christian? If it were any other sin we would automatically consider that person a “nominal Christian” as he or she would be given over to the flesh.

Is the sin of disobeying God’s commands regarding how Christians are to act any less a sin against God than any other sin?

Is the sin of being abusive to another person any less a sin against God than any other sin?

Is the sin of being unkind any less a sin against God than any other sin?

Is the sin of holding a grudge against another person any less a sin against God than any other sin?

One thing to consider is that those who are unkind on these boards are not only sinning, but they are sinning “with a high hand”. It is willful and indulging the flesh.

I often see prideful people screaming about what they believe is a splinter in the eye of a brother while walking around with a log protruding from their own. Sometimes that prideful person is me. We contend with sin in our own lives. We contend with the flesh. We do not contend with the sins of other people.

But I have noticed a few people for whom this behavior is the mark of their online presence. I have considered the explosion of pornography due to the internet. I wonder if this does not also apply to other sins. It is too easy to indulge the flesh when a ready made "enemy" is only a few clicks away.

"Christian" forums are a perfect example of not being able to control the tongue. We should expect it.

 

[Reynolds]

why would I want any political system dictating to me anything, from what food I eat, what church I go to, who I can marry, how I should vote, dress, drive, etc. that is not true conservatism, rather that is a dictatorship not in keeping with American principals and values.

The Dems are the ones trying to dictate that.

 

[Yeshua1]

Saved people wont vote for the butchers of babies.

No Christian should support Abortion or alternate lifestyles, but some will do such still...
They are very mistaken on those issues, but what determines of one is saved is how they view the person and work of the Lord Jesus....

 

[JonC]

First, you need to understand there is a difference between good Christian behavior, good forum behavior, good etiquette, good social behavior, etc.

Jesus would be banned from almost every Christian forum on the web. Jesus wouldn't make it a day on christianforums.com. So is being banned from a forum a sign of not being a Christian? No, it is not. It just isn't. Those thinking that not following forum rules is a sinful need to reread what Jesus thought of the Pharisees.



If you think that people are in agreement with how Christians are to act, you need to ask some of the pacifists here. They believe that any of you who went into the military sinned. Hey, if I wrestled the gun out of the hands of a man trying to kill a room full of children, one person here stated that I would be sinning. You need to not be vague.

Post the scriptures you're talking about. You may find that there are differing opinions on it.



Abusive how? Like praying publicly for someone to demonstrate how pious you are and how evil and wrong the other person is?

Haven't you learned recently from the leftists? Vague definitions lead to biased judgements.



What's unkind? For example, I thought that publicly questioning a family's salvation right after a funeral was "unkind". But my opinion was different from others on this forum.



I don't understand this one. Everyone knows that the people on this forum are so old and senile, we can't remember long enough to hold a grudge.



There are those who go from forum to forum to cause problems, set fires, and basically be destructive. They are poison to every forum - not just Christian ones. IMO, they should have our pity.

At other times, a person just doesn't "fit" in a forum. I would likely get banned from the CARM forum if I ever joined. I would likely get banned from RCC forums. Christian forums comprised of mostly RCC and reformed-type churches would also likely ban me. I don't see being banned from a "Christian" forum as any sign of one not acting Christ-like.



Some of the topics here are harsh and people are defending themselves against salvific condemnation from others. Anyone who comes on this forum and says they are SDA or RCC automatically announce that they believe we're headed to hell. It's part of their belief system. Even among the Baptists there are battles being fought over doctrine and some won't be happy unless they have all the marbles.

So, you do have a lot of enemies. So, you could pick a side if you wanted to. Or if you want the sides to be able to talk to one another
civilly, you can just have a set of rules to govern discussions without making judgments on what behavior is Christian.

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Do you believe Jesus was in violation of that passage?

Jesus challenged the religious leaders of the day. But how was He unkind to His followers?

 

[JonC]

"Christian" forums are a perfect example of not being able to control the tongue. We should expect it.

I believe it is for some a "secret" sin. It is an opportunity to walk in darkness, to slander, lie, attack and abuse.

For some reason some seem to think it doesn't count as sin because it is not face to face.

 

[Reynolds]

No Christian should support Abortion or alternate lifestyles, but some will do such still...
They are very mistaken on those issues, but what determines of one is saved is how they view the person and work of the Lord Jesus....

Un repentant murderers are saved? Those continuing to condone murder of the innocent? By their fruits......

 

[Reynolds]

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Do you believe Jesus was in violation of that passage?

Jesus challenged the religious leaders of the day. But how was He unkind to His followers?

Do you think any of His followers would have supported abortion and homosexual behavior?
His followers are not murderers and supporters of abomination.

 

[KenH]

Un repentant murderers are saved? Those continuing to condone murder of the innocent? By their fruits......

Voting for a particular candidate is not condoning murder unless such a candidate is wanting to pass a law mandating that someone be murdered. Abortion being legal does not make a person get an abortion, anymore than alcoholic beverages being legal makes someone get drunk, or fornication being legal makes someone fornicate. Lots of abortions were taking place in the United States before Roe v. Wade. We Christians would make a lot more progress, in my opinion, in lowering the numbers of abortion by spending way more time spreading the gospel of Christ and a lot less time engaging in earthly politics.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Political fighting in the USA stems from the fact that the government confiscates half your money and spends twice as much as they confiscated. Politics has always been combative in the USA. Trump is attacked everyday but so far not as much as Lincoln was. Hoover was attacked until the day that he died and he was a devout Quaker. Martin Van Buren was stagecoach wrecked in Indianapolis and thrown out into muddy water by a political stagecoach driver. Thomas Sowell has called Obama worse than Jimmy Carter. That's not very nice.

Come on, Hoover!?! The guy that sent the military into Washington to burn out the WW1 Vets... Is that the earmark of a non violent Quaker (people serving the inner spirit)?

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

The Dems are the ones trying to dictate that.

I got news for you, both Dems and republicans actively do that and that’s communism. Stifling a free market system, borrowing from the enemy, closing down businesses, unfair tax policies, legislature prohibiting firearms, alcohol, drugs etc... this ain’t what the founding fathers had in mind when they got away from Europe.

 

[Reynolds]

Voting for a particular candidate is not condoning murder unless such a candidate is wanting to pass a law mandating that someone be murdered. Abortion being legal does not make a person get an abortion, anymore than alcoholic beverages being legal makes someone get drunk, or fornication being legal makes someone fornicate. Lots of abortions were taking place in the United States before Roe v. Wade. We Christians would make a lot more progress, in my opinion, in lowering the numbers of abortion by spending way more time spreading the gospel of Christ and a lot less time engaging in earthly politics.

You run on the abortion platform , you are pro abortion. The Dem platform is that of abortion.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Voting for a particular candidate is not condoning murder unless such a candidate is wanting to pass a law mandating that someone be murdered. Abortion being legal does not make a person get an abortion, anymore than alcoholic beverages being legal makes someone get drunk, or fornication being legal makes someone fornicate. Lots of abortions were taking place in the United States before Roe v. Wade. We Christians would make a lot more progress, in my opinion, in lowering the numbers of abortion by spending way more time spreading the gospel of Christ and a lot less time engaging in earthly politics.

Sounds like some serious anarcho-libertarian doctrine dancing around the truth there. Would you claim that sort of reasoning makes sense if applied to murder outside the womb, or to slavery or human trafficking? An unborn person is nonetheless living.

 

[Yeshua1]

Sounds like some serious anarcho-libertarian doctrine dancing around the truth there. Would you claim that sort of reasoning makes sense if applied to murder outside the womb, or to slavery or human trafficking? An unborn person is nonetheless living.

Abortion is murdering the child, but the Christian who states that abortion is acceptable would be very wrong, but would not be a salvation issue by itself....

 

[Yeshua1]

You run on the abortion platform , you are pro abortion. The Dem platform is that of abortion.

Abortion should never be supported by a Christian, but salvation is how one views Jesus, not abortion!

 

[Reynolds]

Abortion should never be supported by a Christian, but salvation is how one views Jesus, not abortion!

No. What did Jesus say about murderers?
Discussions on this board have turned into a vain effort of casting pearls before swine. I have better to do with my time than discuss whether or not followers of Jesus can be non repentant murderers.
I am going to take a VERY long vacation from this place and its liberal foolishness.

 

[JonC]

Do you think any of His followers would have supported abortion and homosexual behavior?
His followers are not murderers and supporters of abomination.

No. Scripture specifically tells us that murder and homosexuality is depraved behavior and those who practice such "walk in darkness".

 

[Yeshua1]

No. Scripture specifically tells us that murder and homosexuality is depraved behavior and those who practice such "walk in darkness".

The OP is can one be saved and hold to such, and the sad truth is yes, but they would be in grace held position!

 

[church mouse guy]

No. What did Jesus say about murderers?
Discussions on this board have turned into a vain effort of casting pearls before swine. I have better to do with my time than discuss whether or not followers of Jesus can be non repentant murderers.
I am going to take a VERY long vacation from this place and its liberal foolishness.

The SBC is in disarray and decline because of Greear and Moore and cultural marxism. It is like they are trapped in hippie heaven.

 

[Yeshua1]

No. What did Jesus say about murderers?
Discussions on this board have turned into a vain effort of casting pearls before swine. I have better to do with my time than discuss whether or not followers of Jesus can be non repentant murderers.
I am going to take a VERY long vacation from this place and its liberal foolishness.

I am just as conservative as you are, but the question was can a saved person gold to abortion is legal, and sad truth is yes they can!

 

[JonC]

The OP is can one be saved and hold to such, and the sad truth is yes, but they would be in grace held position!

The truth is we do not know.

One could do all the right things and not be saved. One could do wrong and be saved (we do not know how God may be working in the person).

But we are called to judge by the fruit and act accordingly. That is an issue with churches today. Some want legalistic adherence to the Law while others seek to be passive against sin. Both sides are equally wrong.

Scripture does say that we are no longer mastered by sin. Either that is true or it is false.