Looking for a Reason

[Maximus]

Can someone give me a good reason to continue visiting this web site?

Am I the only one who gets overloaded here by all the falsehood?

I don't have the time to answer it all!

I have a job and a family!

One thing that troubles me: pretending that people who are raging heretics are somehow part of the Church and are somehow "okay" with Christ.

What good do we do?

Some of these people need a total re-education. They have been steeped in manure for so long, they think it smells like roses.

I hope this post hasn't violated the rules; but the way I am feeling now, the prospect of being banned from here doesn't seem all that bad.

Pardon me for blowing off steam.

Comments?

[Orthodox Andrew]

I find peace in the fact that every person on this earth will someday find out the truth upon death. Can I give you reason why not to leave this site? I guess the only thing I can say is that God is with you, and when others persecute the truth you may say to them, they are truly persecuting Christ, and Christ can handle it.;)

[Reader Nilus]

Once upon a time I was on the other side, and thought everything was very clear. Some will awaken, but I understand it gets discouraging at what passes as Christian today.
Hang in there Maximus.
Jeff the Finn

[Philip]

Maybe a little break from IDD would help. I would hate to see you banned from here.

[InquisitorKind]

Can someone give me a good reason to continue visiting this web site?
There are many lurkers that read our discussions. It's worth continued posting for them.


I don't have the time to answer it all!
I understand these frustrations. The vast majority of internet posters are not full-time apologists. If you still want to be involved in helping people hear the truth, but don't have the time to post, perhaps it would be best to simply give some money to support apologetic publications?


One thing that troubles me: pretending that people who are raging heretics are somehow part of the Church and are somehow "okay" with Christ.
Yes, a spade should be called a spade. I actually have a lot more respect for Eastern Orthodox who are candid about the heresy of Evangelicalism than for those who try to be politically correct about our differences.


What good do we do?
Again, it's the lurkers that should be the object of our posting. That's personally how I came to hold some of the conclusions that I do, mainly through lurking.


Comments?
If you concentrate on the lurkers, and don't post with the object of changing the opponent(s) mind on the subjects that are being debated, it makes the posting less frustrating. It also keeps arguments in perspective, and makes it easier to leave conversations that aren't going anywhere; since your goal is simply to present the truth, once that has been done to a reasonable extent, there no longer needs to be fruitless debating and restating of positions.

Sometimes taking a break can help to. I took about a two month break from my posting before I decided to join here, and it was quite healthy.

Hope your frustrations don't become overwhelming,
~Matt

[Philip]

There are many lurkers that read our discussions. It's worth continued posting for them.

This is a good point. Remember what happened at TBTSNBN

[MariaRegina]

Dear Maximus:

I've learned a lot from my discussions with you and others, and I'm sure everyone else will agree with me. I don't visit IDD anymore because I have found that the newcomers will come over here when they check the new postings, if they are sincerely searching for the truth.

Lovingly yours in Christ our God,
Elizabeth

[Orthodox6]

Oh my! If you think that this group of Orthodox fora are tough to deal with, you must never have been around the "Indiana List", or any of the REALLY (!!!!!!) nasty/aggravating/unbearable message boards. The "Internet weather" around here is so Carribean balmy, I scarcely can believe it!

Internet message boards can be spiritually dangerous. They can suck us into spending untold hours at the computer, hours which could be spent far more profitably doing something else. We also can fall into sins of pride with regard to our own opinions and surmisals, and start to think that our own counsels are valuable (as though we have become worthy guides for other people). I have just returned to "boards" after taking more than a year off because of my own sins, as listed above.

I am NOT (!!) accusing you of any sins. Just sharing some things that have helped me.

Also, for those on the "new calendar", today is the first day of the Nativity Fast. Satan ALWAYS turns up the heat on us during the fasts, especially at the beginning and end.

With prayers,

Orthodox6

[Reader Nilus]

Goodness my non-Orthodox wife thinks all we do is argue from reading my email which I get the Orthodox Forum and the Indiana list. But I do not think Maximus was refering to this forum but some of the other forums here.
Jeff the Finn

[Maximus]

Goodness my non-Orthodox wife thinks all we do is argue from reading my email which I get the Orthodox Forum and the Indiana list. But I do not think Maximus was refering to this forum but some of the other forums here.
Jeff the Finn
You are correct, Jeff.

The Orthodox and Catholic forums here are havens of tranquility.

And I have been on some pretty mean-spirited web sites in the past (ask Philip and Oblio; they know first-hand of what I speak).

I just get a little frustrated at times, that's all.

As a person who has a degree in History, I get especially torqued when I see it twisted and mythologized.

Well, I guess I should not have started this thread.

[Orthodox6]

As a person who has a degree in History, I get especially torqued when I see it twisted and mythologized.

Hear ye, hear ye! (One of my degrees is in history.) Yesterday one of my teenaged sons was watching an Internet broadcast about the Byzantine empire. He turned it off when the program began discussing the Church -- came and told me that he can't stand hearing everything presented so inaccurately.

One of the "perks" of homeschooling is that I can teach my children how to detect bias in textbooks/real-books, and that I can substitute the truth for school-ideas that undermine the faith.

P.S. to Jeff-Finn: I generally refer to the "Indiana List" and other vitriolic/histrionic message boards as "the barf boards."

[MariaRegina]

Hear ye, hear ye! (One of my degrees is in history.) Yesterday one of my teenaged sons was watching an Internet broadcast about the Byzantine empire. He turned it off when the program began discussing the Church -- came and told me that he can't stand hearing everything presented so inaccurately.

One of the "perks" of homeschooling is that I can teach my children how to detect bias in textbooks/real-books, and that I can substitute the truth for school-ideas that undermine the faith.

P.S. to Jeff-Finn: I generally refer to the "Indiana List" and other vitriolic/histrionic message boards as "the barf boards."

Dear Orthodox6:

I wish I knew your church name so that I could address you by your saint's name.

I also homeschooled my son who is now at the university. He is also very discerning and is considered to be an excellent scholar with a 3.89 GPA. He's taking computer engineering courses - so it's not easy.

[Photini]

Can someone give me a good reason to continue visiting this web site?


The reason I changed my mind about leaving, was because of my fellow Orthodox Christians who are here. I have learned alot from reading your posts Maximus, as well as Philip, Chris, Elizabeth, Peter, Andreas, the mysterious Orthodox6, and so many others. When I first started visiting this site, I was blown away by the extremes present here, but the posts made by you guys were/are little rays of light. I see you all as my big brothers and sisters, because spiritually I am only about 4 months old, since I was just baptised in June. I sincerely hope you will stick around. :)

[Maximus]

Well, I think I will probably avoid IDD like the plague (for awhile anyway).

I will probably go back to my own home planet of www.orthodoxchristianity.net (http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net) . There's less controversy there, and outright heresy seldom if ever rears its ugly head.

We in the USA are so used to regarding tolerance as the supreme virtue these days that we tend to think every kind of opinion is okay.

But not every kind of opinion is okay. Some of them come right out of the pit.

It's just a little too difficult for me to remain dispassionate all the time.

[MariaRegina]

Well, I think I will probably avoid IDD like the plague (for awhile anyway).

I will probably go back to my own home planet of www.orthodoxchristianity.net (http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net) . There's less controversy there, and outright heresy seldom if ever rears its ugly head.

We in the USA are so used to regarding tolerance as the supreme virtue these days that we tend to think every kind of opinion is okay.

But not every kind of opinion is okay. Some of them come right out of the pit.

It's just a little too difficult for me to remain dispassionate all the time.

Dearest Maximus:

Please visit us and keep in contact. Things seem to be mellow in this forum right now. It's been a blessing to prayerfully discuss our Holy Faith with you, Chris, Philip, Peter, Andrea, Photini, Elizabeth the second, our new friend Orthodox6, and JefftheFinn.

God bless each and every one of you.

Lovingly in Christ,
Elizabeth (em)

[InquisitorKind]

I will probably go back to my own home planet of www.orthodoxchristianity.net (http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net)
Hey, I have an account over there! Maybe we'll run into each other.

~Matt

[Maximus]

Hey, I have an account over there! Maybe we'll run into each other.

~Matt
Good!

Thanks for your kind words earlier.

[Orthodox6]

I wish I knew your church name so that I could address you by your saint's name. I also homeschooled my son who is now at the university. He is also very discerning and is considered to be an excellent scholar with a 3.89 GPA. He's taking computer engineering courses - so it's not easy.

My name is Antonia (Greek pronunciation, not Spanish). I do not mean to be "mysterious". I just have a legitimate personal security reason for putting very little on the Internet that could be traced to me. I do not object to receiving private e-mails from members of this forum.

[Reader Nilus]

I learned my lesson the hard way, I had an email address basically destroyed by spam! Never will I give out my primary email online again. I get almost 200 messages a day on one and it is all spam.
Jeff the Finn

[Maximus]

I learned my lesson the hard way, I had an email address basically destroyed by spam! Never will I give out my primary email online again. I get almost 200 messages a day on one and it is all spam.
Jeff the Finn
I've gotten a few lengthy e-mails: usually stuff about Nimrod and the Whore of Babylon and all that.

Man, there's a lot of stuff out there!