I know this will probably get me in a lot of trouble, but I think that this is wrong depending on the reasoning. If someone is insulting members on here with careless consistency, that is definitely a good reason to delete. People come here in hopes that the Lord will show them their one and only, not to be tormented.
However, one member has just been deleted, I think, for his views about abortion. I did not agree with this man. In fact, I am probably one of the strictest females concerning it, having only just found another woman with the same belief that, if the baby can survive regardless of whether or not the mother can, the mother should continue with the pregnancy. Not only that, but he insulted her--our--belief as worldly, which, to be fair, everyone, including myself, had said the same about his.
My point is that unless we are willing to suffer another view, how can we expect them to, let alone accept it as truth?
One of the biggest things I have wanting, since becoming a Christian and learning of church ways, was to have a place under the authority of Christians, but yet still allow for free speech and discussion, as long as each person is treated with respect, even if their beliefs are not.
Deleting this person, despite his unbiblical beliefs (I'll add in my opinion even though, if I truly believe something, I don't consider it my opinion), I think was wrong. Maybe I missed a part of the site stating what he did wrong that we didn't or maybe he did something somewhere else in the forum that was against the rules and had nothing to do with his abortion/alien beliefs. It's always a possibility that I missed something concerning this, but it feels like we pushed him away instead of helping to correct so that he may be closer to the truth. I know he ticked people off and touched nerves, but the Lord is slow to anger and winks at sin.
dear phoenix, you are right. no one should be deleted for their beliefs.. none of us get it right so that we all agree all the time.. long as someone is not being disrespectful or insulting or mean or vulgar. then they should be allowed to state their beliefs. then anyone who doesnt agree should be able to state their beliefs back just the same. thats how we learn and share out thoughts and beliefs.. you can have two sides of a coin placed before you and choose what your heart and the word tells you to believe. but censoring if someones bein respectful is just wrong.
No need to apologize to anyone. Asking that he be watched was not anything bad and probably the best thing to do in such a circumstance. He might have very well been a troll like Ian said. I was just worried that he was deleted for his beliefs, not for his behavior. That comment about him figuring out, despite God, would have ruffled my feathers a bit. The Bible says all knowledge comes from God. Personally, I don't think that all life was created for destruction, but most, like animals or mortal souls, I think were since Hell is destruction itself. I stuck away from that conversation because I thought the guy to be an evolutionist and that's a heavy subject for me because it was the very thing Lord used to bring me to Christianity. It gets me angry all over again to know that people are still being fooled by that evolution lie and that I was one of them for so many years.
jjarr61,
It was a bit exciting to see so mean people getting into discussing scripture, too. :)
HopefullyJ and cattleman2011,
I'm sorry that I am not answering specifically to your comments, but my grandfather is in a rush to go by bee supplies and I'll make sure to mail you J.
Hopefully J, I'm sorry, but I can't respond on mail because of your age restrictions. I wouldn't mind continuing conversations in the forums and I'm sorry for missing a few that you have made. Hope to hear from you soon. Have a blessed day. :)
I have to agree that censorship for opinions is dangerous. I would and could be for mine but i find that behavior could and should be fair reason for removal.
I have spent years being hung up on by phone interviews when they get to "are you pro choice or pro life". It is not my, or any other man's (humankind) place to force anything on anyone, so I have always been "labeled" pro-choice. This would be fair to say since this site has various forms of faiths represented no one is forced.
Before I'm completely excluded as a radical though please read on. Four years into our marriage my wife had a second affair which resulted in pregnancy. I do feel that choice is everyone's right and although the pregnancy was the result of infidelity our (yes our) choice was to continue the pregnancy. My son was born and to ensure that I never fell to the world and took out on him I gave him the name "Nathan Robert" ("God has given" Robert) after the prophet Nathan who addressed the issues of David and Bathsheba.
My wife and I did divorce 12 years later after she conceived to another affair. However in the divorce my son chose to live with me, as well as my step daughter. Much to the dismay of many of my family members who have always believed that neither of them is my problem or responsibility. My children do have a wonderful relationship with their sister (now 4) and she frequently visits our home (she refers to me as her "uncle")
So as anyone can see I could be removed for my views that choice is ours, but if Christians as we all claim the title of would teach what Jesus had, choice would not be an issue, everyone would choose life, as I did for my son.
Hopefully no-one would ever need to be removed in the future, but the scriptures clearly state that there are times we need to remove ourselves, hopefully as is referenced in Matthew we will address it properly and only then exclude another. Always keeping in mind as was mentioned earlier to pray for those who are lost or misguided for we serve a God who can and does do His will.
I agree with Linnie and Tristan, I think you did the right thing. To ask that his posts be watched was just the thing. I do agree that he could have side tracked new believers. I was very offended by his posts, I found them outrageous.
I think the best thing to do is continue to pray for him but I don't think the poison he spews should be allowed. Prayer is very powerful and if it be Gods will, our prayers will lead to this mans salvation. But it is his choice.
I dont know how active the mods are on this forum. I have been active on other forums, I was very active years ago on a gaming forum for years. On there there was very specific rules about what you could and could not talk about, and they had a very specific way of dealing with people who broke the rules or trolled, or had bad attitudes. They were always contacted directly by the mods, and warned first. Alot of topics were either locked or deleted. Users were banned and unable to post for periods of time. It wasnt just a couple people complaining about them and they got gone.
I would rather see something of that nature here. People do need to have rules in order to follow them. As of right now there is nothing stating what can and cannot be talked about in the forums, or anything other then the general warning in bold letters that states *Obscenity, Inappropriate Language or Insults WILL NOT BE TOLERATED HERE. If you are found to be in violation of these terms, your profile will be deleted and you will be banned from the site. Also, do NOT promote your website or product here- links are prohibited*
The last few people who got gone were not doing that, they were just not in agreement with our beliefs. Now, as I said in another post, i beleive this is a place for people of life faith to meet and build familes and share advice about a specific subject, ie dating and relationships and I think the people coming in should be screened a little more carefully in someway.
But I do think that there should be actual rules that we and the mods can point at and say to people - ummm you cant do that.
However there are also people who like to come to christian forums ( seen it a million times) and who have no motive other then to argue with the * dum christians * They are not here to debate, they do not have teachable spirits, and they have heard all the answers before. I think if a thread opens of this nature, and they prove to be of this spirit it should just be locked and they should be warned (by the mods) for thier attitudes.
I, myself, and the others who are familliar with the arguements and reasoning of these people, don't have the time to chase every thread and deal with them. (And the mods are obviousnly not going to and dont feel this is the place for this stuff.) You will see that these people will jump from thing to thing like the guy with the abortion jumping right to the space monkey thing at the same time. And yeh it got us talking, but was it profitable? well, who knows, if you like that kind of thing and want to flex your brain muscles, then yah it is. But we also have other people who who are new christians (you can read it in thier profiles, * i am a new believer and would like to meet someone who can teach me more about christ, etc etc*) and I dont want thier brains turned to mush. Keep in mind, the bible also warns us to avoid controversies and speculation and arguments of this nature anyhow for this and other reasons.
Now yes, it is our ultimate goal to glorify God, show love, and lead others to Jesus, but we do serve a Soveriegn God who will get to people, period, no matter where they go or how hard they run from him (and pheonix, I know you know this one TULIP girl) so this forum is sure not the be all end all of places for folks to wind up to hear about the gospel. I am not afraid to see them on thier way if they are just being argumenative and stuborn and showing no honest desire to examine our faith and just want to make fun of us, God will get them here or wherever. And take this from a man who has witnessed to people and had them die the next day, I know we can be peoples last chance at times. But I wasnt on a christian dating forum at the time.
For now, because we have no other option as to how we deal with them, lets be a little slower to pull the trigger on these folks and lets take the time to warn them (in love) that they will get banned if enough people gripe about then, as we know to be true. and while they are hear, lets do our best to argue the truth in love, until and if things change.
I have to say, Alex, that I enjoyed reading the post and got a laugh out of the TULIP part.
Personally, I'm a bit wary of debating issues on a dating site because some people conform to fit their preferred date's preferences, rather than it being from the heart.
For that TULIP thing, anyone that I sent that link to and asked their opinion on, that's all I would normally get. No arguing about it, just asking to see if we match. If we do, great. If we don't, no problem being friends.
I'm also a new Christian, if referring to just time (one year), even though I've been surrounded and spoken to about the Bible since a babe. I don't think Christians that are not secure in their faith and steadfast in reading their Bible, the "silly women" it speaks of, should be looking for a spouse. Just my opinion and not attempting to argue. It's just that the communication in a Christian's relationship with God should first be established on solid ground, before the Christian should attempt with another relationship with another child.
As I am new to this forum, I do not know whether my opinions will be appreciated, but as I have never been one that is shy about sharing my opinion, and since I see no reason to start now - here goes.
I have been involved with several "Christian" websites. Recently, one has been embroiled in controversy over abortion and homosexuality. In my opinion, there should not even be a question about theses sinful behaviors, let alone a discussion. To take the life that God is forming in the womb, and throwing that life away like a sack of garbage is dispicable. And, the idea that someone may have been deleted because of their ungodly support for abortion, quite frankly, delights me to no end.
It is tiresome to be condemned for being pro-life by people that call themselves "Christian."
