Featured What would you do without this board?

You should start a thread about bitterness.

 

For some reason the Music Ministry forum was "banished" to the bottom of the page (in Hobbies and Entertainment), but there are still some of us who post there. Take a look and see if you have something to contribute. The more the merrier!
Music Ministry

 

If there were no Baptist Board, I suppose I would go on with life as usual. I have been a member here since 2001 (and I believe there was another Baptist Board prior to that, if I remember correctly). I enjoy discussing the Bible, music, church history, and other stuff with folks here, and I learn from and find pleasure in the experience. From another angle it provides some form of escape from "dull times" when I am unable to do something else. Not that I don't have enough to do, it's just that at times I can't do some of the other things I need, want or should do. I am a bi-vocational pastor (so that means pastoring plus another job), husband, a primary care giver to an elderly parent, community center board member, organizer and promoter of the Sacred Harp singings in our area -- plus I have grandchildren 5 hours drive away that I need to see regularly! (And all that doesn't count the things my wife can find for me to do. ) I'm neither single nor lonely, but do have a lot of sitting time that allows me to interact here. Overall it has been and is a good experience, but if it were gone tomorrow I would not lose any sleep over it (though I hope it is not gone tomorrow).

 

I have also worked single jobs with long hours (50-70 hours/week), and two jobs totaling the same. Sometimes I enjoyed it and sometimes it was a chore and a necessity. When my son was born, all I could think about was how my dad was rarely around when I was growing up and for exactly the same reason. I resolved that I would be there for my son so I dropped the part time position. I wouldn't miss a school event, a practice or a game, or a night at home, and I've never regretted it. At the time, I was working two jobs, held four offices in the church coupled with being youth director and was preparing two or three lessons a week. I was stretched farther than I thought was possible and my stress level was very high. His mother, who had stopped going to church a couple of years prior, resented me for quitting the part time job and began to hate me so much that she used scripture against me, saying I was worse than an infidel, even though I still had my full time position. This became worse over the next few months and I decided to step down from all positions at church in order to focus on my marriage and family, but she would eventually hate me so much that she would divorce me. I know this is off topic but I guess I just wanted to share. I enjoy reading and participating on this board, although I don't post very much since joining some years ago, and the brotherhood we share should be strengthening, challenging, and compassionate. I would miss it to a degree but I could always find another if I wanted to.

 

Yeah venting is good... We all have a story to tell... Why I come to this board is people on here speak the Lord... Well they are suppose to... We speak what we are taught and believe in serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and each other according to our ability... I was raised in church since the age of seven and am now seventy one... I enjoy this board and seeing what others post and though I don't always agree, I feel I conduct myself in Christian manner as we all should giving an answer to others... I kid some one here and I know how they are being on here so long but others I won't... Some are by the book others more flexible... It's a learning experience being on here and I did leave for 8 months but sometimes well in my case anyway you need a breather... But I returned... Life goes on and I think if those of us who have been on here a long time were to ask if we would miss this board... I for one would say I would miss those who helped me grow in my understanding and walk in the Lord for 16 years... I missed those godly conversations and that's why I came back... I am Brother Glen

 

Thank you for that Bro. Glen. Very well said and I agree wholeheartedly.

 

Do what I usually do. Spend a great deal of time out doors, cook, clean, fix and maintain things, eat, have multiple projects going, read Scripture and fellowship with the Lord everyday, share a word about Christ when "I have" to go shopping, research topics that interest me and occasionally watch a movie.

Lonely? Not in the least. Alone? No, I have a spouse. Live in the woods? Yep, when we are not traveling.

Praise God, He has blessed me immensely.

 

Maybe you should start a thread about internet trolling.

 

Well, I would agree that every forum is going to have cliques, but BaptistBoard is hardly as bad as it used to be, which may be in some part due to the "changing of the guard," as well as the departure of a few key members who incessantly disrupted discussion.

The Forum will be what you make of it, any forum for that matter. I just recently joined and left a forum that had inadequate Moderation in at least one board, where people likely in a clique began disruption and caused a thread to be unjustly closed. The Moderator admitting they were not "following the thread," though they drew conclusions without even knowing what was said in the thread. That has only happened twice now, there, and once on a Church of Christ forum where, for some strange reason, lol, they were averse to someone debating Baptismal Regeneration. I received notification from the Administration that the thread was reviewed and re-opened, but, I did not go back.

For me, Forums are a great place for those interested in knowing the Word of God better, and maybe I am biased but I don't understand why more people are not set on fire by the Word of God. One fellow on this other forum made a statement to the effect of "Christians don't discuss doctrinal issues," which is absurd. I view every forum as an opportunity for accelerated learning because when we are challenged in regards to our basis of belief, there is only one place we must go in order to substantiate our beliefs...the Word of God.

So if you are having problems with any particular member, the best solution is to meet them on a doctrinal level, whether it pertain to Essential Doctrine or behavioral issues. Sometime when someone challenges a belief or behavior it does us good to consider why the challenged has been presented. It may sound strange, but I have learned more being challenged than from any other stimulus for study.There are going to be some members who are implacable, but, if you address them head on eventually they will leave you alone.

God bless.

 

I posted on CARM for many years. A lack of moderation there allowed the place to become so overrun by atheists and trolls that it became too toxic to be enjoyable or edifying.

When I was a mod back on the "Latts and Atts" boards, we were right on top of the trolls.

Trolls were usually gone instantly.

My suggestion when I was there was that we practice a form of ostracization, whereby the good posters can vote out a troublesome poster.

This place comes and goes in stages.

When I first started posting here, the only problem we had was a moderator who would suspend anybody who disagreed with his musical tastes.

He's no longer a moderator, but still posts here, and he appears to have calmed down quite a bit and I've had many good conversations with him since those days.

Back around 2002-2003, there was a flood of people from Catholics to (other) non-Christians, to a poster who claimed to be a Wiccan. Ironically, she turned out to be one of the nicest people here.

But the bad apples made so much trouble that the mods had to purge them. A lot of us didn't like losing them, but we understood that it was for the good of the board and blamed the bad posters who made it necessary, rather than the moderators.

Unfortunately, the moderation went down hill about three years ago. Until a few days ago, I haven't posted much here since then.

Used to be for me, too.

When I first started posting on Crosswalk and CARM, each of them were amazing places to fellowship with and learn from other posters. I learned more from some of the posters on CARM than I did in seminary.

Same with Crosswalk. They made me study what I was saying to make sure I had my facts straight and it turned out to be a pretty rigorous exercise.

I really enjoyed both of them. But like I said, the moderators allowed the atheists and trolls to drive CARM into the ground and Crosswalk got bought out by somebody, got really liberal, and eventually shut the message boards down altogether.

Thank God there's still a couple of good groups on Facebook.

Actually, that was probably me.

I tried. Doesn't work. Trolls gonna troll.

I'm all for having my beliefs challenged. And when it's presented from someone who's offering Biblical correction and not just accusations, I welcome corrections if I behave badly.

I agree but my complaint isn't about being challenged, but about the unwillingness of the moderators to step in when people are hurling personal attacks.

I put them on ignore as much as I can. Unfortunately, the one who started this whole mess by making very rude personal comments about my children can no longer be put on ignore.

 

One of the moderators was actually Philadelphia Eagles' coach, Frank Reich. He and I corresponded several times and he seemed like a nice guy.

 

I wouldn't endorse a system like that, because there is too much chance that the Doctrine of the Forum is off and controlled by the very cliques you mentioned. Or, as it used to be here, disrupted by them.

If I had a nickel for every time someone called me a troll I'd be a rather rich fellow at this point. This happens on every forum, and comes from Catholics, Protestants, Atheists, and the unnameable, lol.

Well, I can understand that...

Again, I actually have seen a bit of an improvement in the last year or two. I guess its a matter of perspective.

Its the simple principle of accountability, which is one reason why having a good Church Home is important. We should be able to rely on our brothers and sisters to call us out when we stray.

Well, if it was, I will say it was not you or the other fellow that made me decide I would not invest time there, it was the Moderator who after admitting she hadn't followed the thread...closed it down. That's happened twice in all the time I have been on forums and the other forum corrected their Moderators position and told me I was allowed to debate Baptismal Regeneration.

You I would have dealt with, lol, if it was you. I prefer dealing with troublesome members rather than appealing to Moderation, because eventually they will leave you alone.



But who do you appeal to when Moderation is the problem?

This is true, but here is how I look at it: I love to witness to people, anyone. Before I found forums witnessing didn't occur as often as I liked it, so when I found people on forums who wanted to talk about God...I was like a kid in a candy shop, lol.

But it is true there are some who, despite investing a great deal of time in, simply will not engage in discussion and debate.

So with them I step back, and wait.

I prefer to keep it doctrinal, if possible.

Now, if I could just get everybody else to...

The only thing to do is report those posts, and force Moderation to take a look at it. After so many complaints, if nothing is done, then take it to another Moderator and Administrator. I get the impression that there is a collective responsibility with the staff, and while one or two might not like you, it may be that another Moderator will close the gap and something will be done.

Again, I have seen an improvement, and compared to some forums, the staff is doing okay here. Of course, I am very critical as to who should be a Moderator, and feel that there should be Moderators who can address the Doctrinal Disputes and judge the Doctrinal arguments being presented. It was very clear on the other forum that the Moderator was more of a social member than someone who should be in a position to judge between believers discussing Doctrine.

I've never used ignore. Why do that when you can wear them out addressing their statements? That is far more enjoyable to me, lol.


God bless.

 

Ahem, what is that old saying, "Takes one to..."

"...now how did that go...?"




God bless.

 

Good question.

 

Says the guy who is known for Rabbits and Gremlins.

*laugh*