A Public Service Announcement for Those Who Argue With "Believer"
 

Please notice his user name is not "Thinker".


We now return you to your normally scheduled posting.

That is rough without knowing his circumstances. Glad I use to be on your "good-side" before this thread.....

Not that I do not agree with you.

:)

Who are you again?

I know the guy means well. I believe he is misguided. We're going through lessons at my church how to witness without putting people off like he does. Hopefully I'll be able to share some of my newly gained knowledge at its conclusion.

They let you in because of your wife, didn't they?

There is little doubt. She opens a lot of doors for me.

He's the internet equivalent of Ned Flanders.

I'm very impressed with the direction that more and more churches seem to be going these days with their witness. Being raised in a Southern Baptist church, it always seemed the focus was to just get people in the door, let them have a religious experience through a revival, then hope they'd get saved (and join/grow the church). My parents switched churches about 10 years ago, and everything changed. Now their witness basically consists (or consisted in my father's case) of doing various outreach ministries (working with the homeless, giving appreciation dinners to various community organizations like the firefighters or teachers, tutoring young kids, going on medical mission trips to 3rd world countries, etc.) During all of these outreach ministries, actually witnessing, as in sit down now and hear the obligatory 30 minute spiel about Jesus, was hardly ever done. The way my father explained it to me was that they put themselves in these opportunities, and they believed that God would then open doors to allow them to witness. This might take the form of someone asking them why they were doing what they're doing or just striking up a friendship that eventually became an opportunity to witness. The emphasis was always on the work itself with the understanding that the opportunity to bring someone to Christ would come naturally from that.

without all the flowery okely dokely's

why is it necessary for everyone to believe that to be a Christian, one needs to have some "conversion" experience? It's always to some folks about being "saved", when in essence, isn't being "saved" more about learning to live in love and grace? Seriously, sometimes being a Christian just doesn't mean I have to say, "I believe Jesus is my savior", but more about "I'm thinking this love thing is way better than this hate thing and it seems JC did a heck of a job doing that, so maybe I'll get my cues for living from him."

Time the f**k out. There will be not deep thought or discussion in MY thread.

.

Apologies to Simplex, but anyway...

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I can tell you the reasoning. Christ said, "I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by me" (John 14.6). This is a pretty explicit that the only way to God is through Christ. Jesus also said "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). So, if one believes in a literal interpretation of Christ's commandments, one believes that it is incumbent to witness. Many believers also believe that by spreading the good news s/he is saving others from damnation.

Right, I understand their reasoning. I get tired of it. that passage can mean something entirely different when read with a discerning heart.

good point. there is much more to being a christian than saying i believe in God/Jesus.

I just dont believe that online ministering can work, people cant see you as a person or hear the sincerity of your voice. Its a cold, sterile environment where its impossible to gauge emotion or the essence of a person.

I myself have no problem with Believer, if i dont want to read his thread or anybody else's its a VERY simple matter of not reading them, i dont have to question his sincerity or call him names.

I. simply. move. on.

yeah, i find that hard to do. it's like a train wreck...I just can't look away.

I agree and disagree. I think the key is to have a relationship with the people. I imagine there are people that chat online all the time and feel they have a true friendship or at least a relationship. I know that I feel fairly friendly with some of the people here at the Planet. In the past, when I was online all the time in college, much of my social life consisted of online friends (I gamed a lot). I think those types of online relationships might lead to witnessing.

I agree with you that this format, and specifically the way Believer goes about it, isn't productive. No one has any sort of relationship with Believer here. No one knows jack about him. He just comes here and spams, alternately, his love of Huard or Jesus. He didn't cultivate relationships and let people get to know him first, he just barged in and started "witnessing."

This thread has gone to
http://www.bowzerbird.com/flash/flas...tions/poop.jpg

You make a very good point here. Sometimes overzealousness can turn people off before they actually get a chance to know you.

Nailed it.

NC....
Wasn't it your father who was missing for a while on a mission trip a year or two ago?

Yes it was. Last year.
http://hola-arkansas.com/news.php?nid=322

this is the church where the Pastor tells jokes about Jesus?

sorry, dont care to learn anything from this place of "worship"

Wow. You're becoming increasingly judgemental.

I see your truuuuueeeee colooooors shining through...

I heard this joke there.

What did Jesus say when he was up on the cross?

"This was one Hell of a way to spend my Easter vacation."

it might be because the Bible says we do.

its great to be obediant to His commandments and walk as He did, but its hollow without following the most important one, to believe and trust and put your faith in Him.

great sign, ROFL

post count, 2 for today.

I find Believer's approach about as bad as those of the condescending Atheist.

I'm becoming increasingly convinced he's an agent provacateur.

oh no, the worst word in America!

Sin all you want. But dont be, dare I say it, "Judgemental"

Phobia is a big boy. He is "Judgemental" about my theology, so when he reveals thats his Pastor has no problem with humor at the Lords expense, then it puts into question the credibility of any "teachings" that church has to offer me.

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Does anyone else believe that this is someone we have known before?

I believe his CULT is very happy with result.

I think that him being "judgemental" is more or a reaction than an action. I don't know about him, but whenever someone comes at me telling me that I'm going to Hell without knowing me or any of the decisions I've made in my life, I tend to throw what they're slinging back at them. I believe in your theology, I just have to say that I agree with those who believe you're presenting it in the wrong fashion. People don't tend to openly accept people who are judgemental and aggressive with them.

I do.

He's kind of like the guy I fired a month ago. You know, a week before Christmas.

OMG - real or photoshopped?



4

:shrug: Found it on Yahoo when I searched for "poop" in images.

Might be a good caption pic.


I know my wife shops for crap, but jeez

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another gem

Don't let those post whores give you s**t about post whoring. You can trust me when I tell you that NOBODY gives a rat's ass what Goatcheeze thinks.

One of the best movies ever.

Similar arguments from a theological perspective, similar haughty manner...

agreed, a favorite

ah, I know. He's zealous in his contempt, that's for sure. BTW, did we just hijack your own thread?

It seems you're thinking what I'm thinking. :hmmm:

If that's the case, time will tell. It usually does.

shhhhh....

Hijacking your own thread just shows how good you are.

He's the best at it, for sure.

I should have let it flow, But was searching for clarity on the planet's definition.

Amen.

No pun intended at all.

Multiple id's this time will make it take longer. I think both are out of the closet though.

I'm on board with you guys, as well.

There may even be a third user ID. I'm suspicious about another id, other than SLQ and Believer ones.

Often when spotted he'll drop that ID and start using a new one, so these may die.

I was hoping FirstDownSammie was just some regulars attempt at being annoying, but I'm beginning to think he's just a f**king idiot.