SINNERS!

[Lynx]

Milk Chocolate and peanut butter.

You heretic! Dark chocolate with orange is the only real chocolate. You'd better repent.

 

[JosephsDreams]

Joseph,

I just wanted to clarify (and I can only speak for myself) that my post in this thread was not in regards to your posts at all, but rather the one that said coffee is a gateway drug to heroin, because in all honesty, that post had me completely dumbfounded.

I appreciate the information you and several others post about nutrition because I find it to be a fascinating subject. There was a recent post I read about cobalt that I found to be immensely interesting.

The only time I start to become troubled by such posts are when there are implications (and again, I'm not saying that you do this personally) that other people who do not follow the same exact recommendations as a poster follows must not be a real Christian or are somehow lesser Christians because of it.

Who on earth can follow every recommendation perfectly anyway? My personal outlook is that I try my best and that's all I can do for me--if someone else asks me what I do, I just state what works for me but I certainly don't look down on them if they choose something else. It might not even work for them or their lifestyle. For instance, I am borderline fanatical about sun protection. My current dermatologist was shocked at my initial appointment because the color of my arm is the same all the way around and shows no sign of even a "farmer's tan". He said he couldn't ever see me being at a risk for skin cancer if I kept it up (but that's certainly not an absolute, and I keep getting checked anyway.)

But I know this is also because of circumstances in my life that most other people couldn't uphold, nor would I ever expect them to try. I also know that there are people out there who are even more diligent than I am, so I could never see myself as following "all the rules" in this area perfectly either.

I also take all medical advice with a huge block of salt. I was thinking about your posts on my way to a doctor's appointment today. I have had nearly every type of doctor--dermatologist, dentist, medical, and optical--discover something about me that is often very different from others ("That's only been seen in 1% of the population!") Yes, I know, I know. It's kind of become a hallmark of my life.

I just tend to zig where everyone else zags. I have a good friend whom I love dearly but we just about have to eat the exact opposite things of one another, because the diets that work for each of us would make the other one very sick. Likewise, we have a family friend who is in the triple digits regarding age, takes absolutely no medications, is in better health than many people a third of their age, and has pretty much disregarded a good portion of "professional" medical advice all their life (example--this person was a career farmer and considers organic food a waste.) I'm not saying I agree, I'm just saying that this person found a different beat to march to, and it obviously worked for them (along with the grace of God, of course.)

I very much enjoy in-depth posts about health and nutrition, and often stop to read them when I have the time.

It's just that... and I could be wrong about this, but I just feel that people struggling to live healthier lives should be encouraged to make the best choices they can (even if they're different from others), and not badgered into thinking they are lesser Christians, or worse, not even Christians at all.

In no way at all do I believe that one has to eat better to have a meaningful relationship with God. A person can be mentally challenged and have a substantive relationship with our Lord. Children can have a intense bond with God. In no manner do I think for even a second that one can not have a purposeful ministry if they do not eat well. And so on.

But I do stand by my statement that if one is not eating well and their lifestyle does not align with Gods natural laws then yes, they are not reaching their full potential intellectually, physically and spiritually. I have seen it time and again.

Last, their are people like you who are unique in some ways. Yet generally speaking, we are all subject and bound to the same rules and laws of good health. I have not once, and neither has my mentor, who has literally seen over 30,000 clients in his 50 years of practice, ever seen anyone who has not tremendously benefited by improving their diet and lifestyle.

Here I go again...might as well. About your sun protection. It's good you do it. Still, use chemical and cancer causing free formulas. You think you are and are not. i don't know, just I have seen people think they are using something that is not harmful and it is.
We need some sun. Studies show that if you are in the sun, hands and face, in the morning, before around 10, you get a decent dose of Vit C and also it affords improved protection from whatever other sun you may be exposed to during the remainder of the day,
Also, yes, back to diet again; on a better diet you absorb the sun better and utilize it's energy in a more profound manner. Sun rays a form of energy for your body. Just like plants we use it for vital chemical process's. No amount of Vit C supplementation can replace that.
I always avoid the sun between around 10 am to 4pm. The other times I allow some of the life nourishing rays to bathe me.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

legalism.....

 

[Lynx]

legalism.....

Makes the world go... er, makes the forum go 'round. And 'round and 'round and 'round.

 

[Tommy379]

You heretic! Dark chocolate with orange is the only real chocolate. You'd better repent.

Make me!!!!

 

[NoNameMcgee]

Makes the world go... er, makes the forum go 'round. And 'round and 'round and 'round.

it's a shame.....
i believe
we ought to help the people who dont know better if God has revealed to us the truth...


and do so in a way they wont falsely accuse those who are trying to help our brothers and sisters in error
babes in Christ

and those who have not yet heard sound doctrine


i had a legalist mindset (sinless perfectionist) less than a year ago

 

[Tommy379]

legalism.....

It's for lawyers.

 

[BillG]

It's for lawyers.

Don't you mean liars

 

[NotmebutHim]

We don't need the mods or administration to make people feel like the forums are a concentration camp--we already have the crowds to do that. For example, in Singles--if you post about your struggles as a single, supposedly well-meaning people will tell you to get up off your lazy single butt and "Do something for the Lord!", and that ultimately, during your service, He will then surely answer your prayers for a spouse!!

So then when people try to explain that they HAVE been participating in various ministries, then you get the people who will say you're losing any heavenly reward you might gain from your service by talking about it openly, via Matthew 6:3.

It really IS a matter of people condemning you if you do, and then condemning you if you don't. It's always a Catch 22, no matter what you try to say, and no matter how hard you try to explain yourself.

We surely can't have any fun threads because people are offended that they are not mentioned in them, but when you try to mention them, they often get offended by what IS said (which I do understand--that's why I only try to mention people I have either known for a long time here or have a PM correspondence with.) So on one hand, people will say, "Why wasn't I mentioned in such-and-such thread? No on notices me, everyone forgets me, I may as well not even be here," but on the other hand, when people ARE mentioned, they're either hurt by someone's comments, or else they accuse everyone else of forming a big clique and purposely excluding them.

You just. can't. win.

When people write threads, they're often accused of making something up, not trying hard enough to clean up their situation before presenting it, or are flat-out told that they are being trolls (what about the posts that are actually legit?) And then there are also a steady stream of complaints about how there aren't any new threads, or that the forums have become boring. But then when users DO present new threads, they're usually shredded to pieces or killed off within the first 5 posts (often being told, "Someone has already posted about that, stop wasting our time"), as if that seems to be what some might look forward to most on the forum-- totally destroying a thread before it even has a chance to get off the ground.

I always try to encourage people to write threads of their own, but lately I've had second thoughts about even doing that, because unless a person writes threads on a regular basis, they probably don't know that you really have to have a spine of steel to write them, especially on a regular basis because you. are. going. to. get. blasted. from every angle (most often, by people who NEVER even write threads themselves!) I don't like the feeling of setting people up as targets.

Back in the day, I used to drop a lot of threads here, but now I have to stop myself and think about how hard I want to brace myself for the backlash. I've been working on a sequel to the "Knights in Shining Armor" thread in my head for over 3 weeks (I had an idea long before I even wrote the first thread), but it all becomes a matter of trying to anticipate what kinds of criticisms you're going to get in advance so that you might be able to avoid the major battles in the hope of a good discussion.

I keep thinking to myself, "Well, I could say... but then someone is going to say blah blah blah... and if I point out such-and-such... then someone is going to holler about this-and-that..." And so, the idea has been written out and lying dormant on my table for almost a month because to be honest, I'm at a dead-end in wrestling with myself over how to handle the inevitable criticisms.

And there are so many other things to be spending time on in life besides arguing with anonymous strangers on the internet.

Like anything else, CC has its own "generations." When I came to CC, Singles was a lot more interactive, and the chat rooms were just plain fun. We used to play Bible Trivia, have Bible Studies, and really interesting group discussions nearly every night, often led by a very talented group of moderators and active people on the site. I had always hoped it might go back to that, but I'm pretty sure it never will.

I know that people move on and that the "landscape" here changes at least every year or so, but I'm just not sure anymore what we can all do to try to make it a more positive experience. I used to think that if we all kept writing threads and talking to each other, it might bring people in closer community with each other, but unfortunately, I think it's actually having some of the opposite effect, as we seem to be drawing in more and more critical people (not just to Singles, but to the site in general.)

I am very grateful to CC for the friends I've met here and the opportunities I've had to practice communicating with people on this type of interface, but I have to admit that as positive as I've tried to be, I too have lost most of my hope for trying to make even Singles a more upbeat place to spend time in.

Well said, Seoulsearch!

Nice picture, by the way.

 

[Tommy379]

Don't you mean liars

Why do you thinl they cost so much? They are taking all the risk of going to hell for us.

 

[seoulsearch]

You heretic! Dark chocolate with orange is the only real chocolate. You'd better repent.

Make me!!!!

Oh HE WILL.

Just as soon as he finishes his third cup of coffee. Er, I mean, The Devil's Bean Juice. And after that, surely a round of illicit street drugs because everyone knows that's what coffee leads to.

Fun fact #1: Lynx actually does not drink coffee, or tea, in real life.

Fun fact #2: Lynx and I are not dating (gotta get a head start on warding off those rumors again.)

Now back to your regularly scheduled condemnation of OTHER sinners, thank you.

 

[Tommy379]

Oh HE WILL.

Just as soon as he finishes his third cup of coffee. Er, I mean, The Devil's Bean Juice. And after that, surely a round of illicit street drugs because everyone knows that's what coffee leads to.

Fun fact #1: Lynx actually does not drink coffee, or tea, in real life.

Fun fact #2: Lynx and I are not dating (gotta get a head start on warding off those rumors again.)

Now back to your regularly scheduled condemnation of OTHER sinners, thank you.

I'm glad you got that out the way..... I'm was going to ask Lynx out to dinner.

 

[seoulsearch]

Hmm, a cogent point...

Yay for the Not By Works thread. May it live forever!


Kim: Come on, don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

Now this is where I have to demand that YOU repent, Lynx.

Because you know darn well that if I were to actually express how I felt and in the way I wanted to say it, 1. There wouldn't be enough room in the forum (and, 2. I'd probably be banned as soon as the post went up due to the way in which I expressed myself.)

P.S. For the record, I have, and most likely always will be, a staunch supporter of the CC site itself because of the many wonderful people I've met here over the years (I admire them for being so long-suffering.)

All the things I talked about in my posts are, unfortunately, beyond the control of this, or any site administration--it all boils down to differences of perspectives and how they are carried out by individual posters.

 

[JesusLives]

I always tell my daughter the names and the faces change but the people stay the same.... Meaning you will always have the certain types of people... Mean, nice, bossy, nosey, pleasant, grumpy, humble, arrogant....etc.

My first two weeks at CC had me talking to God saying boy these Christians are MEAN.... and I was encouraged by God at the time to stay and to try and be an example of what a Christian should be... (Note here I admit I am not perfect and am still under God's construction of character).... But try and be like Jesus (Note 2 I fail at times).... Stay and try to treat them like you'd want to be treated...(Note 3 I am a blond and people can and do get on my last nerve sometimes cause I'm not God)....

The point was for me to stick around and try to do the best I could to be a good example and represent Jesus... To try and be a listening ear, a helping hand, to give decent advise etc...

I have learned from CC that there are good people and made some nice friends. But all people groups are well represented and sometimes you can get your feelings hurt. But by far the good outweighs the bad and so I stick around whether some want me to or not.....lol

Good thread Lynx and I get where you are coming from....

 

[seoulsearch]

I'm glad you got that out the way..... I'm was going to ask Lynx out to dinner.

I wouldn't want to get in the way of a good thing!

And, you're in luck, Tommy. Good things usually happen once I'm removed from the picture!! (A lot of the guys I've known have gone on to get married.)

Er... I mean... Maybe I'm running too far ahead here.

After all, you don't have to ask Lynx to marry you on the FIRST date.

 

[Tommy379]

I wouldn't want to get in the way of a good thing!

And, you're in luck, Tommy. Good things usually happen once I'm removed from the picture!! (A lot of the guys I've known have gone on to get married.)

Er... I mean... Maybe I'm running too far ahead here.

After all, you don't have to ask Lynx to marry you on the FIRST date.

But the picture wouldn't be as pretty without you.

 

[BillG]

I always tell my daughter the names and the faces change but the people stay the same.... Meaning you will always have the certain types of people... Mean, nice, bossy, nosey, pleasant, grumpy, humble, arrogant....etc.

My first two weeks at CC had me talking to God saying boy these Christians are MEAN.... and I was encouraged by God at the time to stay and to try and be an example of what a Christian should be... (Note here I admit I am not perfect and am still under God's construction of character).... But try and be like Jesus (Note 2 I fail at times).... Stay and try to treat them like you'd want to be treated...(Note 3 I am a blond and people can and do get on my last nerve sometimes cause I'm not God)....

The point was for me to stick around and try to do the best I could to be a good example and represent Jesus... To try and be a listening ear, a helping hand, to give decent advise etc...

I have learned from CC that there are good people and made some nice friends. But all people groups are well represented and sometimes you can get your feelings hurt. But by far the good outweighs the bad and so I stick around whether some want me to or not.....lol

Good thread Lynx and I get where you are coming from....

With you on this.
A couple of times I have almost quit here.

Almost did a couple of weeks ago.

But I'm drawn back to walk with like minded people.
Who just want to talk, discuss, help and learn..

That should be our purpose.

To build each other up and not tear each other apart.
Agree to disagree if needs be but still in love and still engage.

 

[WineRose]

After having a bit of my own condemnation here on this forum at one point, I can really agree with this OP...

 

[cinder]

And there are so many other things to be spending time on in life besides arguing with anonymous strangers on the internet.

But if it weren't for arguing with anonymous strangers on the internet, many people would have no life at all.

And I want to add something substantive to the discussion but my thoughts are spread between how much energy we often put into such unimportant things while leaving the big and important issues in the world unchallenged. I imagine I'm as guilty as the next person on that but trying to discuss it further would probably only make it sound like fun is bad, enjoying anything that isn't churchy is bad. And I think that maybe the Bible talks so much about not judging or condemning your brothers and sisters in christ because that's one of the chief temptations we face. And are we really that different from the world, or do we just jockey for position and favor in our little alternate Christian world, where we speak a different language and congratulate ourselves on our theological and philosophical differences from the world because in practice we really aren't that different.

And then I think of those who have made great personal sacrifices just to follow Christ or to serve others in his name, and I wonder if any of us who have grown up in the comfortable west with our commercialized christian clubs really understand what true christianity is all about. But as they commonly say these days, haters gonna hate. Christ said by their fruit we'd know them and well I like to think I have a good enough idea of who he is to recognize when someone who's claiming him doesn't have a speck of Christ in them.

 

[joefizz]

In my town the bowling alley is a seedy dive where disreputable people hang out. So my church has a standard against bowling because of that. BOWLING IS SINFUL!

In a town near me the pool hall is a similar seedy dive, and their church has a standard against it for the same reason. THE POOL CUE POINTS STRAIGHT TO HELL!

Playing cards is associated with gambling, so some churches have a standard against playing cards. (Wait, is that still a standard? I know it used to be in some places, but I haven't heard of it lately.) Oh well, no matter... THERE'S AN EVIL JOKER IN YOUR DECK!

Because of the hippy movement and their habit of growing long facial hair as a sign of rebellion against authority, many churches used to have a standard against facial hair. The stigma and the standard against facial hair have faded away in most places, but... THE DEVIL WILL PULL YOU DOWN TO HELL BY YOUR BEARD!

Coffee is... (Oh forget it. That thread in the misc. forum has worn me out about coffee. Somebody else say something here about it. Maybe something about when your grandmother was young she went to a church where the pastor preached against coffee or something.)

This one town I heard of, the local church had a standard against dominoes. (This is a true story.) The problem was, people were skipping church on Sunday night to go to their friends' houses and play dominoes. Dominoes in this town was like golf in some towns - they took it real serious. So many people regularly skipped church that the church put a standard against dominoes. YOU ALSO WILL FALL LIKE YOUR DOMINOES AND TUMBLE INTO HELL!



This forum used to be fun. It used to be a cool place where christians could hang out and chat with other christians, and the occasional non-christians who followed the rules and didn't argue about christianity. It used to be an interesting place.

Lately the singles and misc. forums have turned into BDF-wannabes. No matter what you say here, somebody will disagree with you, insult you because you are so stupid as to believe such an idiotic thing and call you not a REAL christian. It has reached the point where I worry every time I make a post in any thread, on any forum, because I know somebody is lurking, waiting to pounce on anything they can twist into an argument.

THIS FORUM IS NO LONGER FUN OR EDIFYING!

Many of the cool people have drifted off, because this forum is no longer fun or edifying. Some of the remaining cool people don't post nearly as much as they could because they are always dreading the expected arguments that ensue. I have considered leaving myself, because it's just not worth it anymore.

Argumentative people: Please chill out. Go back to BDF and argue with like-minded self righteous people. You are killing the only cool forums left in this place.

Wait... that's what you WANT, isn't it...

Don't worry I'm always here!
And this is edifying to me it relieves my stress and leads me to meeting and keeping new friends!