You Can Fake It All

[Charnock]

You can fake it all.

Really.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Charnock

You can fake it all.

Really.

Yes, you really can. Any time any religious organization has rules and regulations or a formula to follow it can all be faked. Do you think these rules and regulations can mask sin and hide fakers? If so, are the rules and regulations helping people be closer to God? or are they simply a human measuring stick?

How do these scriptures apply?

Colosians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21(Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22Which all are to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

[wordsponge]

Originally Posted by Sean

?

Social climbing causes people to uses certain strategies.
Theologians capitalize on this awareness.

May I call you friend?

I sense a good quality person...

Regards,

[Sean]

You sure can brother. I would be honored..Praise Jesus

[wordsponge]

Originally Posted by Sean

You sure can brother. I would be honored..Praise Jesus

Thank you my brother.
Sometimes the Lord gives me these feelings about people....
I am honored also...

The best to you and yours...

[MissBrattified]

Prax is correct: the ability to read PM's doesn't come built into vBulletin. However, anyone who knows what they're doing and WANTS to can install a mod and have access to all PM's. Of course, not all mods/admins have enough access or knowledge to do that. If you're savvy with code, mods, apps, etc., then yes...you can read PM's. The average forum/owner/admin/moderator isn't going to read PM's because they don't know how to create access, (or have they have no inclination to do so) but it can be done. The more important issue at hand here is the implication that Prax was being dishonest when he gave his answer. If he was, another admin could easily step up and call him on it, so why would he bother?

As for missing admins--I'm one of them. I peek into this forum every now and then when I have time and I find absolutely trash threads like the one Charnock posted, I Am Glad I Left the UPC, and all the vitriol that followed. I admit--I don't want to stick around and deal with that. We're still in the UPC, and YES, I am aware that the organization contains imperfect people and people who abuse their authority, but that is NOT the common thread in our organization. My negative experience was at the hands of an independent church, and yes, it made me gun-shy, but I don't go around talking about all independent churches as if they're all guilty of my negative experience. That would be ignorance speaking, painting with a broad brush. That logic, on principle, is what causes racism and bias and hatred and even wars. IMO, when those types of thoughts pop into your head, they should be squelched as the irrational, biased, unfounded thoughts that they are and replaced with reality. Back to what I was saying...

I confess: I have been avoiding this forum like the plague. I don't like the fighting...over any topic. It used to be discussion--a long time ago, when this place was the FCF. It has failed to remain that and the hatred I feel pointed in my general direction when I read posts here is worse than anything I've ever encountered in real life. Charnock, in particular, has shocked me with hostility pointed at me personally that I never thought I warranted, in addition to pointing hostility toward an entire group of people--of whom he only personally knows a small handful. And yet he wants to be the one to sit in a seat of superiority and point the finger at all the horrible people in the UPC? If he was speaking with kindness and in a godly manner, and only about particular people and particular situations, I could accept his opinions, but as they stand, they are the epitome of hypocrisy. I have difficulty stomaching it.

You guys discuss "abuse" at the hands of the UPC and I can come here and experience "abuse" at the hands of people who hate the UPC. The irony is rich. FTR, I've never felt that from ILG or Dichotomy Girl, and I do believe there's some benefit in analyzing issues and problems and not sweeping things under the proverbial rug. At the same time, there's not a lot of benefit from living in pain, and dwelling in past hurts is precisely that.

Both ILG and DG have presented some of the most difficult topics that I have ever considered, but they almost always do it with kindness and reason, and I appreciate that. That's respectful dialogue. Some people USE threads like theirs to express their hostility and they DO lump everyone together and it's hurtful. Others use every thread as an opportunity to mock, condescend and feel superior to Christians or conservative Apostolics. The trend that I see (judging from the narrow slice in this forum) is that people who have left the UPC end up being hateful, bitter, rude, dismissive, superior jerks, and it's very difficult for ME not to broad brush right back. The only thing that keeps me in check on that point is knowing that my thoughts aren't always rational and I have to continue to address people as individuals. ILG and DG are two of the people who remind me that not everyone is the same, not everyone is unpleasant, not everyone is filled with hate.

It's extremely frustrating, and BTW, this is not just a response to this thread, but to Charnock's recently closed thread as well.

I feel for Prax, trying to moderate by himself at times, and I admit that sometimes I am a coward about dealing with you people. I do wonder sometimes if you realize (or care) that you are hurting good people just as much as you claim to have been hurt. What, do you think we all deserve it simply because there's an acronym on our church sign?

[KeptByTheWord]

Awesome post Miss B! Big hugs and kudos to you for kind, balanced words and reasoning, and for the time that you do come here to share your thoughts and time.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

You guys discuss "abuse" at the hands of the UPC and I can come here and experience "abuse" at the hands of people who hate the UPC. The irony is rich. FTR, I've never felt that from ILG or Dichotomy Girl, and I do believe there's some benefit in analyzing issues and problems and not sweeping things under the proverbial rug. At the same time, there's not a lot of benefit from living in pain, and dwelling in past hurts is precisely that.

Both ILG and DG have presented some of the most difficult topics that I have ever considered, but they almost always do it with kindness and reason, and I appreciate that. That's respectful dialogue. Some people USE threads like theirs to express their hostility and they DO lump everyone together and it's hurtful. Others use every thread as an opportunity to mock, condescend and feel superior to Christians or conservative Apostolics. The trend that I see (judging from the narrow slice in this forum) is that people who have left the UPC end up being hateful, bitter, rude, dismissive, superior jerks, and it's very difficult for ME not to broad brush right back. The only thing that keeps me in check on that point is knowing that my thoughts aren't always rational and I have to continue to address people as individuals. ILG and DG are two of the people who remind me that not everyone is the same, not everyone is unpleasant, not everyone is filled with hate.

Thanks, Miss B. I really appreciate your post! Actually, while I was being repeatedly accused on this thread of hating UPC'ers and wanting to put them all into one box, you are one of the people I thought of. You are a very sincere, respectful person and are able to discuss issues without broad brushing everyone who has left or who posts on controversial topics as being bitter and hateful.

People ebb and flow. Healing ebbs and flows. People will talk and then box things up for a long time and then talk again sometime down the road when something makes them think of a subject. We all do this. This doesn't mean that because a person brings up a controversial topic years after they left that they are sitting at home sucking their thumb wondering how to get back at the evil church and people who hurt them. To the contrary, that would not be healthy at all. The whole point in this exercise is to discuss like iron sharpeneth iron. We can all gain and benefit from this.

As to certain people who are lashing out. And I say this because it is coming from both directions, it isn't healthy or productive to lash out and call people names and belittle them. It is really, really frustrating to me when I want to discuss an issue and the whole topic degrades into nothing but a mud slinging session. I feel like the whole issue that needs to be discussed gets lost underneath piles and piles of manure. I usually try for a while and then, often walk away because it feels useless. Then, later on down the road, I bring it back up again, after getting my courage up from some life event or personal growth of some kind.

Posting on these topics can be totally emotionally draining, but it can also be rewarding in certain ways. The rewards never come from slamming someone or trying to make someone feel like they are less than. The rewards come when there is an understanding breakthrough from either or both sides. There is a difference between unity and uniformity. Those who press uniformity have a different goal than I do. My goal is unity. Unity comes from, not agreement, but from understanding and mutual respect.

Again, Miss B. Thank you very much.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Awesome post Miss B! Big hugs and kudos to you for kind, balanced words and reasoning, and for the time that you do come here to share your thoughts and time.

Thanks, KBTW. I guess I needed to get that off my chest. LOL!!!!

[Carl]

Amen sis! It needed to be said. Thanks for all your work on and concern for this forum.