Is this a "generation gap" or what?

[Cherylu]

I have found a phenomenon here that I simply do not understand. 

 

And maybe by reading this you will understand a little bit better why I respond to some things here the way that I do.

 

I will be sixty two years old come January.  In all of those years I have been taught that as Christians we are to love each other, respect each other, treat others with gentleness and kindness and that what we do as Christians is to be edifying and meant to encourage and lift up our fellow Christians.  And that we are, by our lives and our words, to give a true witness to the One that we claim we serve.  The all righteous, all loving, holy and just God.

 

So why is it that it seems that cantankerousness is promoted here?  Why does it seem that it is sometimes good to belittle or attack others instead of just disagreeing with their view points?  Why is humor about killing folks created in God's image thought to be appropriate? Why did someone feel the need to warn everyone that if they were easily offended they probably shouldn't read what he wrote so that everyone else could get on with their "adult" conversation?  Why does it seem that cutting sarcasm is often highly valued?  Why is it that after an incident here yesterday that started over what someone called "bathroom humor" and that was followed by a heartfelt apology to all us, is the same behavior encouraged by others?  If someone truly apologizes, should we encourage them to go back to more of the same?  Are these types of scenarios truly hallmarks of mature Christian living? Or mature theology?  If they are not, why are any of them promoted here?

 

Am I completely crazy and just an over the hill person that is totally out of touch with reality here?  Or are individual "rights" and personality types, etc,  being glorified here at the expense of the type of living and speech that God truly wants from all of us?

 

None of us are perfect or have arrived.  I know I certainly have not.  But are we not to encourage each other in walking in godly ways and not encourage each other in things that often seem to be the opposite of what God has spelled out for us in the Bible?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Char]

H8N crappy art is good for the soul.

Holly said:

I think I'm done for today, unless Char wants to H8 some art with me.

[Cherylu]

Like I said Holly, I am not the only one that sees a problem with what goes on here.  Even the site moderator agrees there has been a problem.

 

I was just the one that was stupid enough :)  to bring it up and hope that maybe some other folks would see the problems too.  But I guess that is not likely to happen.  Think all I am doing is beating my head against a brick wall and getting a head ache in the process.

 

Holly said:

It's starting to look like you want everyone to march to your drumbeat.

Cherylu said:

Lisa,

 

Have you seriously read all of the comments here?  Once more, this is not all about personal offence at all.  Although that enters in, it is about a whole lot more then that.  If those issues are not ones to be cared and concerned about, I certainly can not see why not.

 

[Cherylu]

Yeah, but you aren't God.  And He wasn't joking about it either. 

Char said:

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

...The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

 

Just saying.

Oh wait, I guess you're right. Jesus doesn't just talk about it, he has it done. Mea culpa.

 

Cherylu said:

Would Jesus talk about using blood and knives and watching the blood drip??   Or talk about killing people and that it would "probably be more fun?"  Is He or is He not our ultimate standard?

 

Maybe you can see Him doing that, but I certainly can't.

[Holly]

I'm game.

Char said:

H8N crappy art is good for the soul.

Holly said:

I think I'm done for today, unless Char wants to H8 some art with me.

[Holly]

Except as I read what you write, I'm not sure what you want. For everyone to - what? I mentioned ignoring people who irritate you several posts back and Lisa offers it as a solution as well. Don't interact with them!
If this gets to be a place where people see running to the mod as a solution to whatever they're offended by, look for more people to simply leave. No one wants to be bullied - either directly or anonymously through a mod, and no one should be.

There isn't a mod to appeal to IRL, so I think a tribe of grown-ups can work out their differences on an internet forum without resorting to such silliness. I mean, I would hope so.

That's all.

Cherylu said:

Like I said Holly, I am not the only one that sees a problem with what goes on here.  Even the site moderator agrees there has been a problem.

 

I was just the one that was stupid enough :)  to bring it up and hope that maybe some other folks would see the problems too.  But I guess that is not likely to happen.  Think all I am doing is beating my head against a brick wall and getting a head ache in the process.

 

[Char]

The irony of adding Bernard is that he is often considered one of the major culprits in the "feminization" of Christianity. Very big on personal relationship (and yeah that mode of thought is that old). But On Loving God is decent work-not what you'd expect from a mystic. In fact, he's the least puke worthy of all of them. He is to mystics what Festo Kivengere was to keswick charismatics.

 

Calvin and Luther also liked him a lot.

joanne guarnieri said:

 AND Bernards (whoever he is, but am sure, a really great guy).

[Char]

Who does joke about important things like that?

And are you saying Jesus also isn't God? Since you said he doesn't talk about it but now imply that God can?? Hrm.

Cherylu said:

Yeah, but you aren't God.  And He wasn't joking about it either. 

[E. A. Johnston]

Let's all just call a truce... delete this time-consuming yawn of a thread... argue about something - anything else. Please.....

Char said:

Who does joke about important things like that?

And are you saying Jesus also isn't God? Since you said he doesn't talk about it but now imply that God can?? Hrm.

Cherylu said:

Yeah, but you aren't God.  And He wasn't joking about it either. 

[Cherylu]

Char, 

 

Of course Jesus is God.  I said God doesn't "joke" about killing other people.  I didn't say he doesn't talk about it.

 

And what do you mean by your question?  "Who jokes about important things like that"?  I thought it was you that was joking about killing people and guns and knives and such.

 

 

 Char said:

Who does joke about important things like that?

And are you saying Jesus also isn't God? Since you said he doesn't talk about it but now imply that God can?? Hrm.

Cherylu said:

Yeah, but you aren't God.  And He wasn't joking about it either. 

[Daniel]

No.  But it has been there for years.  It was part of the early creation and modifications to the About Page.  We had problems early on with some folks deleting and signing up again shortly thereafter and you had a lot of context and content lost in the process.  So we asked folks not to do it.  And, if anyone let me know ahead of time that they are thinking of leaving, I try to get them to leave their accounts and just take a break.  I guess now there is an option to delete all your prior content without leaving, and that appears to have been the choice here.  I know there is now a choice when you suspend someone that gives the moderators a choice on deleting their content.  It was when the default option on that changed that all of Xulon's content was lost when he was suspended for a few days and decided to not come back.

TVPG Phil said:

Daniel, has that 'don't delete your account' business always been a part of the rules?

[E. A. Johnston]

The reason I said that is because with a few notable exceptions, this thread is just rehashing the same thing. No one, again with minor exceptions, is willing to budge. Initially I had no idea what the buzz was all about, then I read most of the thread. Now I see both sides. IMO you all need to shake hands, agree to disagree about substance, manners, personalities, etc. Ya'll need to pray for each other, commit the ones who are offensive to God for His tender care, and search your hearts sincerely. I think that applies equally to Char and you. So, in my in my humble opinion - stop. Please.

[Char]

Like I said who's Joking? You keep mentioning "joking" as if someone is doing this or something. Also I have never said I would kill someone with guns. That's cowardly.

 

And you might want to watch how you say things in the future. The fact is, I caught you out making a completely wrong statement--and instead of admitting you were wrong you tried deflect it with a red herring. But because you stood by the original comment, all you did was imply Jesus isn't God. Sloppy.

Cherylu said:

Char, 

 

Of course Jesus is God.  I said God doesn't "joke" about killing other people.  I didn't say he doesn't talk about it.

 

And what do you mean by your question?  "Who jokes about important things like that"?  I thought it was you that was joking about killing people and guns and knives and such.