I was accused of being unfair, and even accused of not being a Christian, in not allowing anyone to join regardless of their motive for joining. What is your input on this? Is it ok to say no sometimes? It is important to me that I am doing what is right. smile
For reference;
Garland-Green
blazendevil2
Garland-Green
blazendevil2
Garland-Green
Dr Roar
so can i still come and ask questions even tho i don't believe in god?
Depends on the motives that you have for joining. If you are a hardened atheist you have already made up your mind, and no answers can be given to any questions you have that is satisfying to you, or will make you see things in a new light. But you are welcome though, if your questions are sincere, and your motives for joining is that you want to believe. smile I won't allow the guild to be a place for endless debate. It was not what it is intended for.
“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.”
Stuart Chase
This is actually a horrible response; you are not suited with guidelines like that. You base your religion on other peoples quotes rather than the quotes in the bible. Perhaps you need to study more.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.
1 Corinthians 11:1-2
Your duty is to spread his words in your study to everyone while you insist on leaving people out rather than turning their denial into faith.
I can't turn peoples denial into faith through debating them, since faith is not something you come to through an intellectual realization, if we go to the Bible and see if it tells us where faith comes from. Heb 12:2 says "...Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith". And Rom 12:3 says " ... God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” These two verses clearly tell us that faith is not something that we do or a presence of mind that we develop by intellectual realization, but that faith is a gift from God. Rom 10:17 says " ... faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ." My job is not to convince someone intellectually, but to preach the gospel and let the Holy Spirit work through that. Asking questions is ok and I don't mind people asking me questions, I rather enjoy it, as long as the motive is not to affirm or worse strengthen unbelief. His motives were not that, but were honest and he was allowed to join. There are however those who do not really want to ask questions, but are intent on mocking you for what you believe with their questions. Now I am all for answering honest questions about the faith (1 Peter 3:15), but Jesus did say something about throwing your pearls before swine. (Matthew 7:6, Proverbs 9:8, Proverbs 23:9) We have to keep in mind that not everyone who asks are unaware of the answer you are going to give, and have beforehand rejected it.
You are denying them entrance, how are they supposed to see if you deny them entrance to this? You sir are no christian at all.
You are not at all reading what I have said, or even hearing me out. The Holy Spirit is not just at work through the guild, and some will have made up their mind and already rejected the gospel message before wanting to join, they have hardened their hearts to the message (Romans 1:18-28,), and want to join for motives such as trolling, or making others doubt. (Acts 20:29) Closing it, is not shutting down their only opportunity to hear the gospel.You may not believe it but there are people out there who knows everything about Christianity, but still reject Christ. But you have already made up your mind that I am not like you, and certainly not as loving and as accepting as you are. If it was only me in the guild it would be fine, I would let trolls roam freely and deal with their troll posts one by one, but there are more than just me, and I know not everyone is equally good at discernment. That doesn't mean I have decided they are unworthy of hearing the gospel.
