You need to forgive those who slandered you. That you still angry shows that you have not. God hears everything everyone says. Let Him take care of the situation.
I'm sure you mean well, friend, but you have some misconceptions there. First off, as God has done a lot of refining of my temper, if I'm still angry it means 1 of 2 things:
1)
The issue hasn't been resolved and something needs to be done. Anger is an emotion that comes from our reflecting God. It isn't supposed to be dissipated without effect but rather it informs and energizes our hearts to fight for justice. Justice isn't just some hypothetical concept, but rather a real thing spiritually. Also, justice is core to my calling in particular, so looking to just get over it, if that were even possible, could be very bad.
Along those lines, there is absolutely no place for forgiving a truly unrepentant person. I think people often actually mean giving the issue to God, which sometimes has a place, or forgiving the person who really is repentant on a deep level, but
actual forgiveness of a unrepentant person would be evil and destructive. Giving it to God means trusting Him to deal with the issue appropriately when the final outcome is seen, most critically the question of if they do repent. Otherwise the pressure on the spiritual reality might be so strong as to actually destroy something by the injustice that would exist. Concepts such as justice, injustice and forgiveness might sound like untethered concepts, but there is actually a truth behind them which makes it critically important not to treat them lightly. As God matures us, though, we become capable of navigating these things ourselves, and then even if we try to give it to God, He just gives it back because it is our right and responsibility to deal with. Therefore there is really no place for blanket directions to just forgive anyone who has hurt you.
2)
Satan is messing with me. This isn't something a person can just choose to get over by choice, but rather the evil spirit has to be dealt with. And yes, I do know how to deal with this if a problem, though it sometimes takes a bit to discern if the source of the unrelenting mental discomfort is something I need to deal with or something I need to rebuke, or even both. If there is an element of this going on though, God is perfectly capable of showing me as He has done many times before.
I've been on a forum that was over moderated. It's pointless. I don't agree with open slather either. There is a balance and it's not easy to maintain it. Jesus was slandered, so why should we expect to be treated differently?
Your experience is a useful note. I'm asking for God's answer to the problem, though. I refuse to assume there is no answer just because humans haven't come up with one. God and His people are a team. And if God picks the people, they will be the one's He has gifted and prepared for this very purpose, or at least ones He is teaching so the kingdom can benefit from their mistakes. It's a different way of going about things then how the world does things. Plus God has already defined a position to protect His church of 'shepherd.' By this I mean the biblically defined role, not the modern definition of 'shepherd' that has evolved/devolved over the millennia. I also don't mean the modern definition of 'church' which has no bearing on the Bible or anything I'm speaking of here. Rather God's church is His people themselves, and thus the church is here if in fact His people are here. Therefore I believe we need some kind of God's provision of shepherd, though I believe it will not happen unless enough people here are looking to God enough to see that it happens. In the words of G.K. Chesterton, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”
As for Jesus also having been slandered, it is a different thing to be slandered by the church and the world. How intimate could a knight's home life be if he wore his armor to bed? No, within the church (any relationship between followers of Christ) there must be a certain level of intimacy to get anywhere, and this requires a level of safety, which is also why God designed the body to have safeguards like shepherds and warriors. And I can tell you it's needed because the lack of safety is getting in the way of my calling. And I will remind you too, that even Jesus made a big deal of Judas betraying him with a kiss - the intimacy of the attack matters.
Verses of note:
"35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.' " Matthew 9:35-38
"
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;
not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." 1 Peter 5:1-4
"28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:28-30
"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.
The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 6:7
"15 'If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But
if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that "every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18 'Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 'Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.' ” Matthew 18:15-20
Verses on Repentance & Forgiveness:
“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and
if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even
if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” " Luke 17:3b-4
"19 Joshua said to the people,'You are not able to serve the Lord.
He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods,
he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.' ” Joshua 24:19-20 (Consider in light of 1 Peter 1:15-16 and Leviticus 19:2 - "
Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.")
"And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching
a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. " Mark 1:4 (Similar to Luke 3:3)
"so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise
they might turn and be forgiven!’” Mark 4:12
"Jesus said, “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34a (Not exactly a case of stubborn unrepentance.)
"and
repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24:47
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might
bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. Acts 5:31
"
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope
that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart." Acts 8:22
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you,
not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
And Luke 13:1-5, and many, many more, but hopefully you get the idea. Do realize that with verses like "Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37), there is no reason to believe they are unqualified statements. In other words, the issue at hand is willingness to forgive, not necessarily a command to forgive no matter the circumstances, which would be counter to much scripture. Realize that qualifications and context can get clunky and in the way of making a new point, so they aren't repeated every time a statement is made. But for this verse of Luke 6:37, the very same book of Luke quotes Jesus elsewhere as saying, "if they repent, forgive them" (Luke 17:3), thus the qualification in this case is given elsewhere.
