Faith Options in Your User Profile

[TillICollapse]

Never did worry about someone's faith when reading their postings, I more prefer to go by what they say then what they claim to be.

Indeed. I try to get to know a person and who they are by asking them, as opposed to seeing an icon and assuming who they are based off a caricature.

 

[AV1611VET]

Indeed. I try to get to know a person and who they are by asking them, as opposed to seeing an icon and assuming who they are based off a caricature.

But what if what they say doesn't match their icon?

 

[TillICollapse]

But what if what they say doesn't match their icon?

Why should I care ? I try to look at the heart.

 

[AV1611VET]

Why should I care ? I try to look at the heart.

Does what you see jive with what the Bible says about it?

 

[TillICollapse]

Does what you see jive with what the Bible says about it?

Says about the heart of a person ?

 

[AV1611VET]

Says about the heart of a person ?

Yes

 

[TillICollapse]

Yes

I don't live my life based on my understanding of what the Bible says or doesn't say. Thus, this is kind of like asking me if what I see jives with what Shakespeare says about it.

Having said that, and waxing poetic: it seems to me, whatever "the heart" actually is ... some people's hearts are like a dark void full of hard rocks, full of hate, spite, delusion, bitterness. That void is protected at all costs, never sees the light of day, for a variety of reasons. Other people's hearts are soft, fleshy, pliable, honest, inquisitive. I don't see a dark void, rather I see life-blood.

I try to respect both, and every combination in between and outside those pictures I painted. I view that part of a person as "sacred", for the lack of a better term. Whether I think it's full of void and darkness and capable of "evil", or I think it's alive and pliable and capable of beauty and good ... or both. That is a part of a person I try to respect and honor. Thus, I try not to assume or presume to know about it, I try to get to know a person and respect those boundaries, even if they/themselves do not. To me, to sum up a person based on an icon, or any single feature for that matter ... is disrespectful, dehumanizing, and ... unloving.

Does any of that match your understanding of what you think it means to jive with what the Bible says about it ?

 

[AV1611VET]

I don't live my life based on my understanding of what the Bible says or doesn't say.

Oh, I'm sorry.

In the absence of an icon to the contrary, I came to the wrong conclusion.

 

[TillICollapse]

Oh, I'm sorry.

In the absence of an icon to the contrary, I came to the wrong conclusion.

What conclusion was that ?

 

[contango]

You get the 15-second delay between posts lifted.

A BIG PLUS with me.

What possible benefit could not having to wait a whole 15 seconds between posts have? Surely anything worth writing takes more than 15 seconds to type, no?

Which is something the other site does not do.

I have absolutely no idea what you're trying to say there.

The privilege to invest in the Kingdom of God with your finances.

How does giving money to a web site invest in the Kingdom of God? If I want to invest in God's kingdom I'll do it through local church missions rather than a web site where I have no way of knowing what happens to it.

You support yourself and others who are spreading the Gospel according to the Great Commission.

I can support missions directly that I know are spreading the gospel, whereas this site allows people to teach things I consider heresy while at the same time telling me I'm not allowed to offer an alternative viewpoint. That's not something I have any interest in funding.

You are laying up treasure in Heaven.

There are more effective ways of doing that.

As the saying goes with regard to missionary giving:

If you can't go in person, go in purse.

So basically you're paying $50 so you don't have to wait 15 seconds between posts and it makes you feel good? Seriously, what can you possibly have to say that's worth saying that can't wait 15 seconds?

 

[contango]

If someone is claiming something he isn't, then God can handle the situation.

If "Joe" is requesting prayer because "Joe" has cancer ... but in reality "Joe" just wants attention, then the flood of prayers going to God could just spark an undesirable result for Joe.

Either way our prayers aren't any more effective just because the mystery person has a collection of icons that says "female, 34, in a relationship, Christian" when the reality is "male, 14, single and bored, doesn't care"

 

[contango]

AV, I just did some very quick calculation having seen your post count. You've averaged approximately 1000 posts per day, every day, for nine years.

Do you mind me asking just what you're posting that warrants an average of one post every 90 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year?

 

[contango]

Oh, I'm sorry.

In the absence of an icon to the contrary, I came to the wrong conclusion.

Why would you assume something that isn't stated?

I don't see your age next to you avatar, so because it says you're male and married I'm going to assume you're 18. Does that work for you?

 

[stamperben]

AV, I just did some very quick calculation having seen your post count. You've averaged approximately 1000 posts per day, every day, for nine years.

Do you mind me asking just what you're posting that warrants an average of one post every 90 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year?

See here - Count. I was amazed to see the 666th post there.

 

[Fish and Bread]

The privilege to invest in the Kingdom of God with your finances.

Paying to become a premium member of a website that discusses Christianity does not constitute "invest[ing] in the Kingdom of God in your finances". I'm sorry, but it doesn't.

If you want to invest in spreading the kingdom of heaven on earth, give to a church or a charity. Feed the hungry, cloth the naked. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and build a poor family a house.

 

[inlight12]

Wow, all of these people are saying that they'd rather ask a person their gender, faith etc. than know it from the panel. Let me come to your house and remove the electrical wiring, so that you can directly get your electricity from the power generation plant by using a set of batteries, charging them and carrying them to your house.

 

[contango]

See here - Count. I was amazed to see the 666th post there.

Wow. Just wow.

So paying $50 means you can count faster. And this counts as investing in God's kingdom?

I seriously hope he uses a bot to make all those endless posts rather than sitting at the keyboard typing. I think if I spent a decade writing that many posts my wife would be long gone.

I can just imagine bedtime conversations:

"Come to bed honey, it's late"
"Not just yet, I only counted to 437 and I want to get to 850 before logging off"
"OK, well you go sleep in the spare room then, whenever you're ready"

 

[super animator]

How do I change "faith" then?

 

[FreeinChrist]

What you need to do is go to the
Member Services Center (MSC)
and discuss it with staff.

It is not that we are checking to see if you qualify. It is that some people were switching them in order to post or debate where they should not.

 

[FreeinChrist]

When did this start? I thought CF was a message forum for the discussion of Christianity and related topics. I didn't know it was a ministry of a church. What church is it ministering on behalf of? And what is the aim or goal of the ministry? Is this site supposed to be converting people and, if so, to what? Are we providing food to the hungry or clothes to the naked? I am not sure I understand what this means.

I'm not sure I like that people have to declare and disclose a faith, but I understand that's a long standing practice and unlikely to be changed, even though eliminating the ability to make it private "steps it up a notch". You guys could at least bring back those cool faith icons if you're going to force this through, though.

I am really baffled by the inability to change one's faith icon, though. What happens if, say, a Methodist joins a Lutheran congregation, or a Catholic decides he or she is better identified by the egeneral Christian icon that includes Catholicism and other Christian faiths after previously choosing the Catholic icon, or wants the Catholic icon after previously choosing the Christian icon?

What happens if someone wants to change their faith icon because his or her child was molested by a priest or a pastor or some other very traumatic thing happens? Will they have to relive that trauma by explaining it in depth to a moderator and requesting that they be granted permission for a change, while having to stare at that icon on their posts in the meantime? What if the moderator doesn't think that's a good enough reason?

Why do people even need to have a reason?

I don't think I like the way this site is headed.

CF has always been a ministry. That has not changed since the beginning. Yes, there is a profit for the owner, however the staff do not get paid and look at the site as a ministry toward Christians and non-Christians. It is not part of a particular church group - just believers.

As stated, to change an icon, you simply need to start a thread in the Member services center and ask. We will discuss it with you.