I can't take it anymore!

[Momo-P]

Ugh, this is driving me mad.

Lately I've had to put up with a lot of people who call themselves Christians, but always seem to be ripping apart the Bible. Saying Genesis and other parts didn't really happen and just stand for something else, going on about how evolution HAD to have happened and just...gah.

I could just ignore it, but it's in a Christian club I go to online, and I'm the owner, so I can't just abandon it so easily. Not to mention I feel like leaving these people to their own ideas isn't very good. One guy goes on about how the Bible isn't logical and true because "when I was in 2nd grade I read the whole thing and realized it didn't fit real life". Obviously there are so many dang things wrong with that statement, but there's no use arguing with these people.

The oldest members on this forum are roughly in their twenties (pokemon forum), yet people still argue heavily in the debate forum. Problem? Not only can no one that young put up a good arguement against or for God, but a lot of the best debaters are atheists and very popular members. If anything it seems like people are just reading these guys' posts and taking it all as fact because they are good at wording junk and also because they are so popular.

Like I said, I wanna quit...I wanna just say forget it and stop troubling myself with these people, but I can't just leave them either. Leaving them with the wrong answers and letting them believe it, I know that ain't right. I've prayed about it and many times God has helped me, but it always comes right back. I've wondered if maybe it's just satan trying to keep me away from doing stuff for God and being with others who believe too, but I don't know.

I just don't know what to do anymore. Sometimes I actually thank God the page won't come up anymore because then I don't have to put up with this crap, but I know that ain't good either.

Any advice and prayers...totally appreciated. Also been thinking about stuff I shouldn't be lately, prayers for that would be nice too.

[Mithrandir]

Hmm... I can try for the advice part, but I'm not always very good at it.

If Genesis was simply Hebrew poetry, would that make what Christ did for you any less real? Would it rip apart your salvation? I don't think so. I don't claim to know if creation happened in 7 literal days, or over the course of millions of years. However God chose to create, who am I to judge?

If all someone does is pick apart the bible, that's kinda messed up. Just believing something different than I do - maybe not so bad.

I can certainly emphasize with your situation, though. There have been times when I've had to leave something I really likeded because I just couldn't do it.

I used to be caught up in the debating, but then I realized it was pointless. Noone online ever listens to anything you have to say anyway.

Now I ocassionaly give my opinion when someone explicitly asks for it, but that's about it.

Hmm... Maybe that won't help you much. Sorry o.o#

[Doubleshadow]

Since its your forum, can't you say the debating isn't allowed since its not constructive?

I know lots of people who try to debate, I used to, and it does no good. Christians and non-Christians typically have entirely different world views and systems of logic that prevent them from drawing the same conclusions from the same information. At best, without a mutually agreed upon ultimate source of knowledge of right and wrong, the best one can do is a stalemate.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor. 1:18

Non-beleivers have been not getting it since the begininng.

Mith is right. Christians are called to witness, like a witness on the court stand. You tell what you have seen, heard, or experienced. It's hard for people to argue with, and it holds a lot more clout than anything else.

At any rate, I'll pray for the situation.

[Mithrandir]

I don't know if you have any say on your board, but that's precisely WHY we don't allow debates here. It never changes anyone's mind, and it serves to cause strife and division.

I don't know if it's the best model - or if it would even work everywhere - but it's what we do.

At the very least, you can always have no-flame clauses. If enough people have their threads closed for flaming, you can make a pretty good case for shutting down the debate forums.

YMMV, I guess.

[Tenshi no Ai]

If all someone does is pick apart the bible, that's kinda messed up. Just believing something different than I do - maybe not so bad.

I think a huge thing of it, is that from their point of view it makes NO sense. And really, if you look from their perspective and ask them about it, it makes sense as to why they think in such a way. Still, the way I see it is that them picking apart the Bible and saying this and this, is no different than when Christians take some other belief and start ripping their ideas to shreds :/

Honestly, the one thing I wish for with people like that, is to open their minds to one another to at least try and UNDERSTAND the other person, and why they would think in that sense. One person can read and see something one way, but a different set of eyes can see it another. Most of the time though, people don't WANT to understand... Personally, I always try and learn about things from other perspectives, with people I know that have different beliefs. You learn alot, and ignorance fades with the more you know (unlike when I was younger and didn't know the real facts about things, and used them in debates...)

Just something to think on^^ And yeah, this is why debates are pointless. The thing that annoys me though, is when people make fun of it in front of you and you want to tell them your perspective on things, and most of the time they shut their minds and don't want to listen... Once again, that goes both ways with beliefs. People just... LOVE to be right about things. Of course, it's really not about being right or wrong, well it is, but... it's almost like a sense of pride sometimes, so it seems...

I'll stop my ramble there^^ Praying...

[Radical Dreamer]

Yeah, I understand your problem. XD Internet debating can be ridiculously lame, mostly because it's a bunch of know-it-all teenagers who are not only arrogant and boarish but are also wrong about half of the stuff they say. Debates like these on forums, as far as I'm concerned, are offensive and a waste of space; offensive since there's no regard for anyone's feelings, and a waste because no resolution or agreement is ever met. If I were you, I'd just tell the forum that debating is not allowed, and let that be the end of it.

[AsianBlossom]

I'll be praying. But one question: did you say it was a POKEMON forum? Why are they debating the Bible on a Pokemon forum?

Besides, you shouldn't question the Bible's credibility. Just because parts seem miraculous or you can't understand parts of it doesn't mean it's not true. Those people need to go home and rethink their lives. (gratuitous star wars reference)

[Radical Dreamer]

I'll be praying. But one question: did you say it was a POKEMON forum? Why are they debating the Bible on a Pokemon forum?

Most forums, regardless of the main topic, have "General" forums just like CAA. Others have "Discussion" forums or, as the one Kingdom Hearts forum I used to visit called it, "Intellectual Discussion". (Hahahaaaaa.) It's just a place, in theory, where ideas can be shared with a level of civility, though it's unlikely on most websites. XD

[Tenshi no Ai]

Most forums, regardless of the main topic, have "General" forums just like CAA. Others have "Discussion" forums or, as the one Kingdom Hearts forum I used to visit called it, "Intellectual Discussion". (Hahahaaaaa.) It's just a place, in theory, where ideas can be shared with a level of civility, though it's unlikely on most websites. XD

After many popular members from my old OLD forum, Pojo (still around, but NOWHERE the same as it used to...) drifted to With The Will, they added a forum of the such. You see, on Pojo I haunted the Digimon forums, but there was a HUGE thing of leetness going on there... If you asked a common question, you were laughed at, mods were big shots and members who had very HIGH nerdly IQ about the Digimon fanbase where PRAISED by members with their high knowledge... A couple put together "With the Will", an entire Digimon forum. The mods weren't exactly the same off Pojo, but were almost all snobby with their power of authority on the forums. They were "smart", you see.

Anyways, to make a loooong story even shorter, they eventually added in a sort of intellect/debate forum where only "smart things could be said/discussed" and of course, religion was the first thing to go against :/ And yeah, all the "smart" ones had their way and no one could win and they had MANY MANY supporters... Basically, these are the types of people who LOVE to argue. And sooooorrrry if don't know what so and so evolved into on episode 36 >_< It's that bad^^

[Danderson]

Will be praying....
I used to be a very heavy debater back when I was still trying to figure out a way to defend my faith on the internet....It's usually not the best way to bring others to Christ....You can make good points, but usually there are other alternatives to fighting (great....another star wars qoute....)

[chelle0227]

I'll pray for you, and the people on the forums, But remember it is there coice on what they want to believe, if they want to believe that evolution happened, then pray for them, and pray that God will let them see the light.

I don't know how good I am at giving advice, but I hope my little input helps just a little