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Can I ask questions here?

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paulo75

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I was posting on another Christian website, and got expelled for asking questions.. can I ask questions here about my faith?
 
lol... I hope not.

I'm asking because I got expelled from another Christian site for asking questions in a chat room. When I posted about it in the forums, it got deleted.

Here's what the post said. It's been edited to preserve the site's anonymity:

Hey there,

I posted this earlier today, but for some unknown reason, it got deleted. I really do hope that it wasn't an attempt to "gag" me. I tried to PM *****, the moderator, but I was unable to do so. If any moderator can contact me in private, please do so. Since my post got deleted for no reason, I feel no real remorse for re-posting.

I need some clarification as to why I was expelled from the chat room.

Over the course of the past year or so, I've been visiting ***** in search of answers to my questions. Questions regarding my faith, about the Bible, God, everything. While many answers were in fact reassuring, many others left me wanting more explanation. When I asked for that, I was deemed "un-Christian", and my beliefs were challenged. Considering that these accusations came from fellow Christians, I found that very disheartening. I would not expect this kind of tone and finger pointing on a Christian forum.

I do feel that I've been condemned for just being who I am. I have a very inquisitive mind, and I tend to prod deeper for answers. But when I do, I get banned from even asking questions at all.

I suppose the rebuttal to my concerns will be "We gave you answers, but you're not listening", and that's just not the case, for I am. But I can really start to see why so many atheists and agnostics criticize the Christian faith. If you question it, you get gagged... that's cult mentality. I'm sure that Jesus wanted us to ask questions... just like anything else in life (science, biology, medicine), that's how you get to the truth... at least that's how I did.

Why is asking questions so wrong? That's how you learn. I just don't see how asking questions about God gets you gagged. Are people on ***** afraid of these questions? That their faith may be challenged? If so, good. When my faith is challenged (which has been quite frequently, inadvertently thanks to *****), I only come out stronger in my faith in the end.

I'd also like to know if my expulsion is a cause of a year of inquisitive chat, or because of one particular topic. I am Christian. I think the Bible is 100% accurate. But I also think that many parts get misinterpreted. I've read (and posted) many topics regarding homosexuality, marriage, and heaven and hell, and I've had some wonderful conversations do so. But for those who were not in the chat room when I got expelled, I was trying to discuss AJ Jacob's attempt to literally follow the Bible for one year. To me, that was his own personal path to finding God. To the moderators, it was blasphemy because (IMO) he wasn't finding God the way that *they* thought he should.

I'm just looking for an answer... so to all reading, please respond. I'd love to get some opinions on this should the mods choose not to contact me privately. And I just hope that *this* question doesn't get me expelled again.

Merry Christmas.


Will that happen here?
 
hi.gif
I'm turnorburn, give me an hour I'll give my opinion
 
Hi Paulo, I don't think anyone here can or even should try to comment on what the moderators of a different thread decided to do. All I can say is that if you respect the Terms of Service here, and are sincere in your questions, it is unlikely that you will be banned. If you haven't read the Terms of Service you can do so here:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=9219
 
heat.gif

Where did the time go, I haven't formed an opinion because you haven't
made any posts, besides my authority means zilch, I have none, so here's
to good posting! :-D

In His Service,
turnorburn
 
I did a quick search on this A.J. Jacobs fellow. Looks like an agnostic trying to live for one year like a person in biblical times, practicing Christian behavior. He apparently did this so as to write and sell a book about it. Although there may be more to the story than my quick research brought out, it none the less looks harmless and maybe helpful to him. Below is a quote from a USA Today article about him.

His biggest challenge? "That'd be no coveting, no lying, no gossiping. They're little sins, but they're killers. My year made me realize just how many of these sins I committed every day. And refraining from them for a year was really hard but completely transforming."

Biggest lesson? "Your behavior shapes your beliefs. If you act like a good person, you eventually become a better person. I wasn't allowed to gossip, so eventually I started to have fewer petty thoughts to gossip about. I had to help the less fortunate, so I started to become less self-absorbed. I am not Gandhi or Angelina Jolie, but I made some progress."

One rule he followed to the max: Be fruitful and multiply. During his year of living biblically, his wife, Julie, gave birth to twins, Zane and Lucas.

His next project? "I'm waiting for divine inspiration," Jacobs says.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, there may be more to this story, but it does sound like an interesting experience. What I noticed what what he said about the "little sins" being "killers".

They are indeed.
 
paulo75 said:
I was posting on another Christian website, and got expelled for asking questions.. can I ask questions here about my faith?
Click to expand...

Hi Paulo75,
Welcome to the forums.

In researching the posts that you have made so far, it seems as if your interests are focused on one topic. You have already stated that you see nothing wrong with a sin that God clearly calls sin.

If you hope is to keep asking questions until God changes His mind, you will probably not be real happy here. There are one or two others that ask questions simply to distort the truth. The devil himself is the mastermind behind that. He started in the Garden of Eden and has been planting seeds of doubt ever since by asking "Did God really say that?" and following up with what he wants you to believe that God really meant when it was said.

On the other hand, if you want to come to a clear understanding of what God wants for you, and conform to His ways, then I am sure that you will find lots of help here. God's word does not return to Him void, but it accomplishes what it set out to do. Here's hoping that your faith and trust will sprout, grow and flourish and you become rooted and grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
turnorburn said:
heat.gif

Where did the time go, I haven't formed an opinion because you haven't
made any posts, besides my authority means zilch, I have none, so here's
to good posting! :-D

In His Service,
turnorburn
Click to expand...

Oh, come on! Don't chicken out. Answer!
 
8eleyqv.gif

You were expelled, Why? what kind of questions were they, isn't your head getting sore from bumping into the same questions?
 
Just a reminder to stick with the topic of this thread, which is about the freedom to ask critical questions here at 123.
As to being critical, be sure to keep focused on issues and refrain from ad hominems.
 
Oh, nothing in particular right now, just if something came up I'd like to be assured that I can ask scary questions without being deemed as "un-Christian" for doing so, that's all.
 
"just if something came up I'd like to be assured that I can ask scary questions without being deemed as "un-Christian" for doing so, that's all."

paulo75, my opinion is no one here can guarantee that your beliefs will not be questioned if you ask "scary" questions that seem to be "unChristian". However, I would not let that discourage you. I would just encourage you not to take things too personally. Ask your questions, and if you feel you are indeed a Christian and your heart is right before God, then hold on to that, but at the same time, if you find that your beliefs are being questioned on various Christian sites, you might want to examine why that is and consider what other Christians are saying. Moreover, I hope you will have a positive experience on this site, and I hope that you can have a mutually respectfully exchange of ideas. I think it is also wise to keep in mind that probably most people on this Christian site that consider themselves Christians have somewhat of a conservative view of the Bible. So if you come up with a really radical or far left idea, it is probable that someone might question whether that idea is Biblical or not. That does not mean someone is slamming you personally, just consider it as Christians we must be as iron sharpening iron. It is good to try and help one another find out God`s view on things and sometimes we need to sort these things out Biblically. So ask your questions but expect that not everyone will agree with your ideas, but that does not mean we can not respect one another.
 
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