Been there, done that

[jasonc]

Runner I say on how we act on the internet ,I call it plastic friendship.any stress the wrong way it breaks and can't be fixed .

 

[Dorothy Mae]

The only thing I want to say is those who choose high and lofty names don’t seem to feel any pressure to live up to that claim. I’ve noticed this on other sites, too. The more humble the chosen name, the more likely some real character qualities are there. The more self-complimentary the name, the less likely the character is matching.

 

[Consecrated Life]

The only thing I want to say is those who choose high and lofty names don’t seem to feel any pressure to live up to that claim. I’ve noticed this on other sites, too. The more humble the chosen name, the more likely some real character qualities are there. The more self-complimentary the name, the less likely the character is matching.

"If my approach bothers you, if it isn’t welcome on these forums – well, too bad." ( Runner )

 

[Runner]

The only thing I want to say is those who choose high and lofty names don’t seem to feel any pressure to live up to that claim. I’ve noticed this on other sites, too. The more humble the chosen name, the more likely some real character qualities are there. The more self-complimentary the name, the less likely the character is matching.

Wow, that's funny! I was showing some of these threads to a friend of mine who isn't a believer, and that was what leaped out at him - some of the "holier than thou" names. That was the first thing he said: "What sort of person chooses a name like THAT?"

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Wow, that's funny! I was showing some of these threads to a friend of mine who isn't a believer, and that was what leaped out at him - some of the "holier than thou" names. That was the first thing he said: "What sort of person chooses a name like THAT?"

We live in a society where the standard of your words being your law by which you bind yourself to certain behavior is foreign. A friend once asked a young adult how they can sing those words (a praise song with awful words) and the response was, “I don’t think about the words.” People don’t think about what name they choose tells us about their character. In the Old Testament God honored people by changing their name but in todays church, people don’t wait for Him.

The answer to your question is: a proud person who praises themselves.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

"If my approach bothers you, if it isn’t welcome on these forums – well, too bad." ( Runner )

“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.”

 

[Dorothy Mae]

You know Runner, Jesus taught that when you’re coming to a public gathering do not choose for yourself the place of high honor lest you be found to be less worthy of that honor than another.

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

 

[Runner]

You know Runner, Jesus taught that when you’re coming to a public gathering do not choose for yourself the place of high honor lest you be found to be less worthy of that honor than another.

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

I have no idea what point you're making here, but OK.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

I have no idea what point you're making here, but OK.

Jesus taught his followers not to honor themselves particularly in public. Those who choose lofty names for themselves violate that teaching.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

There are christians who more carefully follow his teachings, that’s all.

 

[Runner]

If my approach bothers you, if it isn’t welcome on these forums – well, too bad.

Quoting myself again, the ultimate form of flattery!

Rather humorous that the above statement would be deemed controversial.

Let's try these:

• If my five-point Calvinism bothers you and isn't welcome here - well, too bad.
• If my devout Catholicism bothers you and isn't welcome here - well, too bad.
• If my tongue-speaking Pentecostalism bothers you and isn't welcome here - well, too bad.

I believe these statements would be understood as simply meaning "I'm committed to what I believe and don't really care whether you agree." Isn't this pretty much the position of everyone who is committed to their understanding of the faith?

As I made pretty clear, I'm committed to the understanding of the faith I've arrived at after decades of hard work. It's quite different from the perspectives that predominate here, and I don't expect it to be popular - nor do I care whether it's popular.

If that bothers you - well, too bad. (Oops, I already said that, didn't I?)

Jesus taught his followers not to honor themselves particularly in public. Those who choose lofty names for themselves violate that teaching.

Oh, OK. It sounded as though you were directing it at me, and I was trying to figure out how it fit.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Quoting myself again, the ultimate form of flattery!

Rather humorous that the above statement would be deemed controversial.

Let's try these:

• If my five-point Calvinism bothers you and isn't welcome here - well, too bad.
• If my devout Catholicism bothers you and isn't welcome here - well, too bad.
• If my tongue-speaking Pentecostalism bothers you and isn't welcome here - well, too bad.

I believe these statements would be understood as simply meaning "I'm committed to what I believe and don't really care whether you agree." Isn't this pretty much the position of everyone who is committed to their understanding of the faith?

As I made pretty clear, I'm committed to the understanding of the faith I've arrived at after decades of hard work. It's quite different from the perspectives that predominate here, and I don't expect it to be popular - nor do I care whether it's popular.

If that bothers you - well, too bad. (Oops, I already said that, didn't I?)

Oh, OK. It sounded as though you were directing it at me, and I was trying to figure out how it fit.

Ah, not intended for you at all. Your name is rather humble if “fast moving.”

Now Jesus was firmly convinced of what he believed and yet that was NOT his attitude. Why? Because He cares about others, not just about being right. He also was not afraid of questions or opposition, Why? Because he knew he knew the truth. The truth is NEVER afraid of questions or challenges. Lies are afraid of the light questions bring.

 

[hawkman]

It was "accidental" in the sense that I went in the space of an hour from someone who'd never given Christianity a thought - truly not a thought - to someone who had accepted Christ and was crying like a baby. I was completely alone during that hour - no one "led" me to Christ. As I said above, it involved a completely chance encounter with the Gospel of John and a strong supernatural element. In 50+ years as a Christian, that was one of only two incidents that I would describe as having a specifically Christian supernatural element.

Do I think what occurred was accidental? Absolutely not. I believe every last detail was orchestrated by God. I believe God reached down and claimed me at a critical juncture of my life when it was in danger of taking a very different turn. I think he knew full well I wasn't ready to fully embrace Christianity and that the experience would launch me on a long quest, but I believe he reached down at that unlikely instant because it was a critical time - "now or never," you might say.

The supernatural aspects of Christianity never troubled me in the slightest. I'd had fairly compelling paranormal experiences before my born-again experience and have had them throughout my life. I've been a member of the British Society for Psychical Research, the American Society for Psychical Research, the International Association for Near-Death Studies and other similar organizations.

If I'd been resistant to the supernatural aspects, my born-again experience wouldn't have been nearly as compelling to me as it was. My answer to those who ridicule the supernatural aspects is always, "If we believe God is the creator of the universe and the author of life, why would any supernatural aspect of the faith trouble us?

Thank you for your reply . I now understand more about you .
Details orchestrated by God, I have seen that in my own life too .

 

[GodsGrace]

As I said elsewhere, I was raised by two incorrigibly alcoholic parents. Nevertheless, from a very early age - maybe three - I had a sense that I was watched over and protected and that everything would somehow turn out OK for me (as it did, way beyond my expectations). I never really connected this with a "god" or "angel" or anything like that. It was just an inner sense and confidence that in the midst of the chaos I was protected by someone or something outside myself.

I've also always had a strong sense of the mystery of life. I believe God is far bigger and more mysterious than the God of evangelical Christianity, who always strikes me as sort of a Cosmic Walt Disney.

I don't know about a cosmic Walt Disney, but yes, we Christians do tend to put God in a box.

And it's not even the same box...which I find alarming.

 

[Mister E]

I don't know about a cosmic Walt Disney, but yes, we Christians do tend to put God in a box.

And it's not even the same box...which I find alarming.

Since Moses.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

I don't know about a cosmic Walt Disney, but yes, we Christians do tend to put God in a box.

And it's not even the same box...which I find alarming.

When we look into the appeal of all false teachings, at least the ones I’ve looked into, they appeal to something wrong in us. It’s interesting. All of the ones I considered appeal to something sinful.