Bible Question: The Forum is approaching its first birthday. It is nearing 30,000 postings, and over 5,000 users have logged on, many of whom have departed but a number have stayed on. Why don't we share our ideas about the forum? Such as, Why do you participate? Is the forum what you expected? Has the forum strengthed your faith and committment as a Christian, or weakened it? Have you learned anything worthwhile? Is the Forum a good or bad "advertisement" for Christianity? Would you recommend the Forum to a Christian friend or relative? A non-Christian? What are the Forum's good points? Bad points? Do you feel that your time on the forum is well spent? What degree of reliability do you place on the information you see posted on this Forum? --Hank |
Bible Answer: Dear Hank and Forum Fellows, Greetings in Jesus' name! Good question(s)! I enjoy this forum very much! But I have to say that it is not a replacement for the local church or personal Bible study. It is a para-church ministry, a supplement, and sometimes (sadly) an illusion. The illusion part is the false sense of 'ministry' that is a characteristic of the internet medium. There is little or no real responsibility here, theory and opinion are portrayed as fact. One thing that we must all remember is that none of us are *here.* We are where God has set us, in the midst of a local assembly of believers, responsible to and responsible for others, sharing more than knowledge or opinion, but our lives. An internet forum will never be any kind of replacement for the local house and family of the Lord. I participate for a broader grasp of Christian thought and opinion. In this I am not disappointed! :-) This forum is more than I expected, and better than any other I have seen. My faith and commitment have definitely been strengthened. My bones are made fat! I think I have learned many worthwhile things. One thing I knew that has been reinforced is that people are bigoted! Personal opinions don't change easily, and Israel is not the only stiff-necked people. :-) I guess a leopard does not change his spots easily! I don't know if I think there IS a such thing as a bad advertisement for Jesus, as long as you spell His name correctly! :-) It is those that 'misspell' His name and His Gospel that do a disservice to the Lord. In the same manner that an internet forum is not 'real,' I do not think that much true damage can be done here. It is in the realm of personal interaction that our 'un-excellent' behavior causes most harm to the name of Christ. (IMHO) I DO recommend this site to many people! To a non-Christian, no. In any case, most non-Christians loggng into a cyber forum are there to do damage, not find God. (again IMHO) Good points are the fellowship of the saints. Bad points are the ingrained doctrines of man and the audacity to think our opinion is absolutely right, as compared to partially right, which is probably closer to the truth. Yes, my time is usually well spent. But I usually logon only when I'm up for dealing with the wide variance of truth and hogwash. :-) The overall degree of reliability is about average. Some prepare their posts with a great amount of objectivity, study, and insight from the Holy Spirit. Some just parrot what they learned elsewhere. Take a guess which ones I pay attention to. :-) Brother Hank, thank you for asking some very pertinent questions! I pray my answers were honest and at least a little bit interesting to read. Blessings to you and yours in Christ Jesus, charis |