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: Greetings, Hank! Now I will finally rest from the other topics so that I can write an insightful response to your thread that discusses the state of the Forum.. Thank you for starting this excellent discussion that is worthy of our attention, my friend! Not many times is one asked of his opinion in a 'live' post on this Forum, and I want to take advantage of that right now! :-) The main reason that I continue to participate at this Forum, day after day, is because of people like you and a few others of whom I feel that I have developed a close friendship and 'tie' to! This 'medium' gives us a chance to interact on Biblically based themes, and we can learn a lot from each other. Another reason that I continue to participate here is the fact that I believe that the Forum is in need of people like me, who are "defenders of the faith" so to speak, and who can provide good answers that are backed by Scripture and commentary as well. If I felt that I was not 'making a difference' by being on this Forum, then I would leave it as soon as tommorrow. Is the Forum what I expected? When I first joined the Forum, April 12, 2001, it was everything that I expected and more and I saw a great potential for this Forum! However, almost a year later I have come to the conclusion that the Forum has not entirely grown, or at least in the direction and pace that I had at first envisioned, and instead of revealing the deep Biblical truths that we all can encounter day after day by diligently studying Scripture, it is showing me just how diverse that the Spiritual maturity and education of Christians in general can be.. So in some small ways, I did get what I expected, but I received a lot more of what I didn't expect to receive upon joining the Forum. The Forum has had no bearing whatsoever on the strengthening or weakening of my faith, and if this Forum would ever become an "obstacle" for my faith, then I would leave it tommorrow or take an extended break from it without saying a word to anyone. If the Forum has helped me in any way, it has helped me to better organize and know what I believe, and it has strengthened my Bible memorization by repeating the same Scripture when all of the same topics come up again month after month after month. :-) As far as the Forum being an "advertisement", I would say that one should not come here if they are a newcomer to the faith. This Forum is not for the faint-hearted, and a person should be well versed in the Bible just to stand their ground on subjects that others may disagree with. If I was attempting to argue against myself on this Forum, then I had better know the Bible inside and out, since anything is 'fair game!' :-) So I would not recommend this site to those who are new to Christianity or to a non-Christian, since it may prove to be more detrimental for them rather than being an encouragement, like it should be. Do I feel that my time on this Forum is 'well-spent'? Good question! My grandmother would say that "at least it keeps you out of trouble!" :-) I learn from even my own answers to questions, but I get away from it often when I feel that there is simply nothing to be gained from it, based on the topics at hand. One big thing that I most certainly would not do is to ask for advice on this Forum about personal matters or spiritual matters. I believe that those types of things are best left in the hands of pastors, family and friends and those who know you the best. As far as the "degree of reliability" goes, that all depends on the 'sources used', my friend! :-) Blessings to you, Nolan |