In the words of the infamous Dread Pirate Roberts:
"As you wish."
To be clear, it was never my intention to be negative, but rather to speak up for some who have been badly injured and feel as though there is no justice and some who have felt great constraint on their freedom of conscience. It was for these reasons that I believed it was appropriate to respond to this topic on this forum.
I suppose I just learned the hard way that some subjects are more pointy than others. To be sure, I'll avoid raising this subject again in this forum, and I hope others (like the OP) will do the same from now on.
I also come here for uplifting content so I apologise if I added ballast to the conversation.
Furthermore, if anyone wants to address me directly from now on, perhaps you could do so via private message so that I can more readily delete any unsolicited personal attacks
Dexter,
I agree with your original post on this and all the coercion around pandemic and vaccines is very relevant for this forum. It damaged lives in similar ways . All too often I think some vocal people who leave or criticise xcf would have gladly stayed if they could have wielded the power that they now say corrupted others.
Bagel wrote: ↑Wed Aug 16, 2023 1:06 am
Dexter, you say in some posts that you only know what to think when people tell you what to think.
That is snide, vicious, belittling and plain despicable. You owe him an apology.
Greetings baptist1611,
I hope you are well and happy.
I guess my thoughts are that maybe we are very different people baptist1611. Dexter had written those words about himself, I was wishing to extend the conversation, absolutely nothing other than that. My words in my head were calm, curious and conversational.
I agree with you Guest! As someone who is a new XCF (within the last 12 months), after decades of involvement, I come to this (previously contraband) forum for acknowledgement, reassurance and encouragement from people who know the issues from their own experience.
I agree with you Bagel, that it is inappropriate for anyone at all, especially one outside the CF experience to come in and challenge and argue in this forum which is visited by traumatised people and many with PTSD.
It is also way not appropriate for that one (as read in another post in which you again were also aggressively challenged) to push their theology onto those who visit this forum.
We have come out from under a teaching of “certainty” by people who “know”.
I myself have kept my faith as a Christ follower and can fully embrace the Nicene Creed. However, I very much love your gracious, gentle and accepting approach to those who are deconstructing what they consider to be toxic doctrines, as I have.
We come here as fragile creatures, whether we are still inside the CFs, or outside and dealing with shunning by family and or our oldest and dearest friends.
Some are even still living with CF members, and it is a difficult w/e for them to have to be alone while the meetings have taken the rest of the family to Samford. These ones trying not to think about what narrative is being offered to questions of “where’s ….” Or “how’s …..”?
I agree Bagel with your advice for that impassioned one, who I’m sure is well intentioned, to find another forum to preach their views. We here need one another’s gentle understanding and support for healing.
I have reached out to many XCF folk for support and have found them to be fellowshipping in a variety of churches, or none at all. Although I have delved deeply into theology and how to read the Bible other-than-literalistically, I don’t push my understanding onto them.
We all have different understandings of many things in the Bible, but have agreed that our only dogma is Love.
By love, I mean that demonstrated by Jesus as self-giving, radically forgiving and co- suffering.
Yes, thank you Lilith. It’s important to respect the intent of this forum. Perhaps at first it was set up in reaction to abuses and heresy with the CF communities? We cannot claim our motives are pure, for sometimes we need a place to vent. We have all suffered horrendous abuse and still the abuse continues.
Some people left here as they were triggered by what others were writing. They didn’t want to be subjected to preaching.
Your suggestion that all views should be accepted and that we love one another is an excellent reminder.
‘Speaking the truth in love’ was a saying used by the elders to bring out the big stick and beat people. It was also an opportunity to judge others for their sins and wicked behaviour.
There was never any compassion or empathy that we are all sinners and have all fallen short of the glory of God! The gospel of headship was ‘right, true and godly’ according to eldership.
Thanks for the reminder to be kind, be generous, be patient, be humble and above all loving with those who are in or out. Bless you Lilith.
