There's been a lot of debate about what we should/shouldn't talk about on the forums! What do you think? How much can we talk about before it needs to be "private"?
If one takes the postion ' these subjects should not be discussed in a open forum' they have happened upon a slippery slope. Everyone of these topics are addressed in the Bible, some quite indepth. To take this postion would mean ; forbidding parts of the Bible to be discussed. The next slip would be to say ; 'only those professionally trained in Greek should be allowed to discuss the New Testament '. Even one with little logic can plainly see where such a path leads. Even history paints a fine picture of such a path. One need look no further that into the history of the roman catholic church. They would not allow the Bible into the language of the average person because according to them the average person was not qualified to interpret the scriptures for themselves. Therefore scripture was fulfilled ' my people die for lack of knowledge'.
BUT... Romans chpt 14 & 1Cor 8 call us to respect those with a weaker faith. On a forum such as this; it becomes a " walking the tight rope routine" You never know if others have the same freedom to discuss all the topics you mentioned until someone gets a wrinkle in their underware. I must admit it can be extremely frustrating and limiting , but their wishes must be respected. However at some point there has to be balance, otherwise we find ourselves back in the 'Dark Ages'.
I think any time someone has a question or wants to start a discussion, the floor should be open to it. Some of the more "different" topics are a nice break from the usual "why do girls not like nice guys?" and "why won't anybody respond to my messages?" questions.
People are going to disagree, but we have to remember to respond in our disagreement by directly addressing the issues. Exaggerations, especially of the "you always," "you never," and "all y'all" variety aren't helpful.
I do agree though that we shouldn't be posting just to get a reaction out of people.
if it is a positive messege of overcoming it no problem. if some one wishes to glorify their past or some thing that has happened to them, then they need professional help.
Certain topics the bible does discuss, however it also says to seek wise council. Some think that we can give advice on anything.
paul wrote- young men asl the older men for advice. where as young ladies are to ask ladies for advice.
I paraphased this.
Just to write something for attention is not a wise idea and is an act of immaturity.
Question- How do you know the other person is even real?
They could be some teenager just messing with your head.
A professional counslor has been trained to deal with many issues. I have not. I did take some mail order bible college classes 15 years ago. We on the internet have no bussiness handing out advice to people going through some crisis. The law says we have to have a licencse!!!!! so, in dealing with alcoholics, rape and so much more a professional counslor has a licencse and insurance to protect them from a lawsuit.
CDFF management will not allow you to write the word ER*CT�it seems that it does not trust us adults. As adults we should be able to discuss any subject, leaving nothing taboo. It is when some act like children giggling at adult remarks and stooping to �bathroom� humor and fixated on sex�?
We cannot discuss subjects that would �upset� others�such as why we are where we are (as a Nation)�how can we change our course (as a Nation)�will this �National Health Plan� drive us to Socialism?
What is left is the banal, the mundane. A classroom can be hijacked by just one or two students. All of the students in that class are brought down to their level. This can happen in any group. Any group can be brought down to the level of one or two in that group. Just addressing them brings that group down. That�s a Democracy.
I�ve been here at CDFF for quite a while�I�ve watched it change. I�ve seen good Christians leave because of the change in The Forum. Me�I am a Fighter. It will take a round to the head or Heart. Debate is good. Debate is how ideas are hammered out and minds are changed�minds that are open to change�open to the Truth. I Love it when someone changes my mind because that means that I have been corrected and therefore I have Learned something new.
Don�t let the few hijack your Forum. If you just don�t answer them�they�ll get bored and go toilet paper some other home. As Christians you intrinsically know what is right�go do it.
We should remember that just becomes someone wishes to discuss rape or pornography, or has a question about something, does not mean that they're seeking "counseling." Also, the Bible calls us to share one another's burdens and to pray for each other. It's a cop-out to tell someone to run to a counselor when maybe all they need is a listening ear, some prayer, or your opinion on something. There weren't professional counselors in the Bible! That was (and still should be) the role of the body of Christ. Christians should not contract out their Biblical responsibilities.
Back in September, I asked what a guy would do if his girlfriend was raped and became pregnant. Many people expressed to me (both on the topic and in messages) that they felt I should not mention rape on a public forum. I was told that I should go get counseling. But, you know what? There is something seriously wrong with the body of Christ when they can't even tolerate a simple question about rape. Why would I go pay a counselor $100+ dollars to ask what most guys would do in such a situation?! I was seeking opinions and curious as to the attitudes of guys. That's not a counseling issue.
And if you're going to turn everything into a counseling issue, then CDFF shouldn't even have "Ask a Guy" or "Ask a Guy" questions. If someone has a question about why guys won't respond to their messages or what winks mean, then they should just go to a professional... /sarcasm
If people are offended by those who have questions or ask for prayer, then THEY are the ones with issues. A Christian has a very big problem when he (or she) is so offended by people's tragedies that he can't even extend compassion or offer prayer. And if you're worried about a lawsuit for doing that, then your focus is in the wrong place. How is such a person ever going to hold up if they're told they'd be tossed in jail for attending church or keeping a Bible around? They wouldn't hold up at all probably!! They'd say that because they might be forced out of their comfort zone into a less than desirable circumstance that going to church or keeping the Bible around must be sin. We would do well to remember that Christianity is not about self-preservation, though. Our job is to obey God's Word and then trust Him with the outcome -- and to still trust Him even when the outcome isn't what we wanted. If you're living your life Biblically, there will be times when you are WAY out of your comfort zone.
Our faith does not grow when we sit around nursing on bottles of milk and rejecting the meat that God sends our way. And, yes, helping someone walk through a tough circumstance and offering them encouragement is part of that meat. Becoming born-again does not mean that you should sit in your safe little world wearing rose-coloured glasses. That's not what it's about. You know how young children like to hide under blankets sometimes when they feel overwhelmed or don't want to deal with something? They're supposed to grow out of that and learn how to be courageous and learn how to cope with life. Likewise, Christians need to mature and stop rejecting people who are going through tough times, hurling insults at them, and then turning the other way.
Something else to think about: What does it say about who God is when you refuse to discuss certain topics? It says that He is powerless to give you the words to say and powerless to work on your heart and give you a deeper understanding of things. Of course, that isn't true. So, let's flip the question: What does it say about you when you refuse to discuss certain topics? It says that you don't believe that God is who He says He is in the Bible. If God is powerful enough to raise Christ from the grave... If He is powerful enough to part the Red Sea... If He is powerful enough to physically heal people... Then, surely He is powerful enough to help you through a conversation with a brother or sister in Christ who is going through a rough time. If you're not experiencing the extent of His power in your life, then that is something that YOU need to work on (with God's help). It's not appropriate to pass off your lack of spiritual maturity on others. So, if someone comes across a topic that they don't feel spiritually mature enough to handle, then they need to take that to God and pray that God will change them, NOT start slinging insults and accusations.
The Bible calls us to lay our lives down for each other, yet some can't even lend a listening ear or devote a couple of minutes to praying for someone.
