Is The Cure Worse, than the sickness? Options

[Seraphim7]

OK, so omebody here thinks that the 3A's issue is "prophetic" and thus will affect the Adventist church worldwide?

[YogusBearus]

Some thinking of mine:

There are some issues that have been gone over so many times with neither agreement nor resolution that I personally think that it is not productive to continue to discuss them. But, that is just my personal thinking.

There are other issues that I beleive are tangential, off the main focus, and a dervision of valuable time an effort to discuss. Again, that is just my personal thinking.

In any case, for reasons of the above I do not respond to some issues and posts. Some stuff which is in litigation will simplly have to wait for the courts to resolve. In the mean time, any comments that I might make on those contributes nothing.

However, and here comes the "but." This forum, and the others does serve some value:

1) It serves as a medium for the opposing sides to communicate. On a surface level one might think that there is little of value in the discussions tha take place. On a strategic level I will suggest, without explaination, that there is great vaule in the discussions that take place.

NOTE: As a U.S. Army officer I early leaarned the valut to talking to one's enemy. I do not want to call those who oppese the positions that I have taken as my enemies. I will simply say that I see value in what may seem to accompllish nothing.

2) This forum serves as a place where developing news may be given to the pubic. It may be that nothing is happening outside of the litigation and that is going slowly. From time to time something happens. It is of value to make that available to those who are interested.

3) The above is true in regard to events that happen at 3-ABN and in the lives of the people involved on both sides.

The above are three major reasons why I consider this forum to be of value and would not want it shut down.

NOTE: While I could have given specific examples for # 1, I have refrained from doing so as giving such might have laid me open to the charge of bias. Also, I did not want to open up discussisons on my examples.

Gregory, while I think some of your points have merit, I’m really starting to question the value of this section. While I think many are hoping for a dialogue that is more representative of how Christians would speak to one another, I’m not so sure we’re even approaching the level of acceptable secular society discourse.

Anecdotally I note that other forums that have discussion available on the 3ABN matter have very little overt rancor or even disagreement. The fact is that they are essentially dead. The reason for this is fairly obvious. There is little if any dissent from the company line. The only active participants have already concluded their roles as judge and jury and are just awaiting confirmation of their ruling. At BSDA there has been no lack of passionate individuals on both sides of the equation for years. Since we now seem to have entered the Wild West phase of the BSDA 3ABN discussion, I predict things will continue to spiral downward. How many times must the same battles be fought?

Let’s face it, we have members here who have zero interest in the 3ABN situation but view this section as a fertile area to practice their hit and run verbal assaults. Take away the 3ABN section and they are going to have to get much more creative.

Maybe both sides could be encouraged to expand their current internet sites to make sure that the latest news was passed on as soon as possible. They could even add some interactive gaming to allow combatants from both sides to engage as needed.

I’m aware that without the 3ABN section, there would probably be an exodus of 10-15 members. I’m guessing everyone would survive. It really was pleasant last week without 3ABN active. I for one wouldn’t mind trying it out permanently.

-bear

[Fran]

Bear,

With your feeling the way you do, Club Adventist sounds like a great place for you to visit. They have no 3ABN Topics to unsettle you.

[YogusBearus]

Bear,

With your feeling the way you do, Club Adventist sounds like a great place for you to visit. They have no 3ABN Topics to unsettle you.

My goodness Fran, you are up early and have been quite busy. I think I'll pass on Club Adventist as I like it fine here and plan on staying. To demonstrate my goodwill I've arranged for a 60 piece bell choir to serenade you at your home. Please let me know what the best time would be.

-bear

[sister]

Gregory, while I think some of your points have merit, I’m really starting to question the value of this section. While I think many are hoping for a dialogue that is more representative of how Christians would speak to one another, I’m not so sure we’re even approaching the level of acceptable secular society discourse.

Anecdotally I note that other forums that have discussion available on the 3ABN matter have very little overt rancor or even disagreement. The fact is that they are essentially dead. The reason for this is fairly obvious. There is little if any dissent from the company line. The only active participants have already concluded their roles as judge and jury and are just awaiting confirmation of their ruling. At BSDA there has been no lack of passionate individuals on both sides of the equation for years. Since we now seem to have entered the Wild West phase of the BSDA 3ABN discussion, I predict things will continue to spiral downward. How many times must the same battles be fought?

Let’s face it, we have members here who have zero interest in the 3ABN situation but view this section as a fertile area to practice their hit and run verbal assaults. Take away the 3ABN section and they are going to have to get much more creative.

Maybe both sides could be encouraged to expand their current internet sites to make sure that the latest news was passed on as soon as possible. They could even add some interactive gaming to allow combatants from both sides to engage as needed.

I’m aware that without the 3ABN section, there would probably be an exodus of 10-15 members. I’m guessing everyone would survive. It really was pleasant last week without 3ABN active. I for one wouldn’t mind trying it out permanently.

-bear

No one is forcing you to come to the 3ABN threads and participating, YogusBearus. Are you one of those members you referred to in the sentence bolded above? I am always amazed at the individuals that claim to have no interest in the 3ABN situation and yet feel the need to continue posting in numberous threads. For someone who claims to have enjoyed the time this section of BSDA was closed, I am surprised at the amount of posting you have done since it reopened. I am not looking for a fight, only commenting on what appears to be an apparent conflict between professed preference and actual participation with an obvious agenda.

[Green Cochoa]

...[SNIP]
Let's face it, we have members here who have zero interest in the 3ABN situation but view this section as a fertile area to practice their hit and run verbal assaults. Take away the 3ABN section and they are going to have to get much more creative.
...[SNIP]
It really was pleasant last week without 3ABN active. I for one wouldn't mind trying it out permanently.

-bear

Well, perhaps you need not be so active. Go ahead and get creative...somewhere else...to fulfill your own words here.

What? No Demerol? no Morphine?

It helps my headaches if I just stop pounding my head against a wall!

I went to a bell choir concert by our schools. It gave me a headache that took 4 trips to the emergency room and 4 shots of Demerol and hospitalization for the night. I hear the words "Bell Choir" and I run!

My goodness Fran, you are up early and have been quite busy. I think I'll pass on Club Adventist as I like it fine here and plan on staying. To demonstrate my goodwill I've arranged for a 60 piece bell choir to serenade you at your home. Please let me know what the best time would be.

-bear

Yogus, that's bogus! You're mean! Speaking of hit and run...I'd run too if I were you!

[YogusBearus]

Well, perhaps you need not be so active. Go ahead and get creative...somewhere else...to fulfill your own words here.






Yogus, that's bogus! You're mean! Speaking of hit and run...I'd run too if I were you!

Well I thought Fran's post about the perils of the bell choir was hilarious. Obviously my response was less so to you. Fran, if my post invoking the nightmare of bell choirs was offensive or hurtful in any way, please accept my apologies and be assured I've canceled the bell choir appearance.

-bear

[Dona]

Well I thought Fran's post about the perils of the bell choir was hilarious. Obviously my response was less so to you. Fran, if my post invoking the nightmare of bell choirs was offensive or hurtful in any way, please accept my apologies and be assured I've canceled the bell choir appearance.

-bear

One thing to remember.....It is not always what is said, which could have been with the best intent and motive. The reader, or hearer, bears just as much responsibility in how they choose to take it. And, therein lies most of people's problems.

Dona

[inga]

One thing to remember.....It is not always what is said, which could have been with the best intent and motive. The reader, or hearer, bears just as much responsibility in how they choose to take it. And, therein lies most of people's problems.

Dona

Just want to acknowledge a historic occasion -- that for once I agree with Dona.

[PeacefulBe]

Just want to acknowledge a historic occasion -- that for once I agree with Dona.

Dona, Inga, I agree with both of you as wel!!! I believe this calls for a celebration! How bout a nice bell choir concert? I've worn the white gloves and love hearing those bells!

[Green Cochoa]

Anyone for a nice "Asian bell choir" using bamboo? It's about the nicest-sounding rustling of the reeds you might ever hear.

Blessings,

Greenie.

[PeacefulBe]

Anyone for a nice "Asian bell choir" using bamboo? It's about the nicest-sounding rustling of the reeds you might ever hear.

Blessings,

Greenie.

Yep. I'm for one! They could open for the bell choir and make it into a veritable festival of historical acknowledgement. Sounds like we'd better book a larger venue.

[inga]

Yep. I'm for one! They could open for the bell choir and make it into a veritable festival of historical acknowledgement. Sounds like we'd better book a larger venue.

[LaurenceD]

My questions is at what point has the medicine and the dispensing of it become worse for the church than the illness? Or has it already? Is there ever a point when both sides need to just come together as Christians, lay down their swords and get on with the work of spreading the gospel. Is the cure killing us instead of the sickness?

The problem, as I see it, is that there has not been any opportunity for anyone with any authority to step in and call sin by its right name, or end anything because someone was caught in the act. Only rumors...and rumors of someone witnessing so-called sin...and "sin" as defined and interpreted by them. No one has decided that anything alluded to, or alleged, was wrong...yet...except insiders with a self-preserving and bias call.

IOW, when Christ walked into the temple and took his whip to the money changers...everything was different. People didn't play with words and say things like..."well, this is a missionary project we were doing a fund raiser for." Caught in the act, and in the fearful face of one with authority, the money changers ran...they weren't bought and sold and sent off with a signed gag order.

Imagine using the internet back in Christ's day to try and settle the matter in our minds...ie, whether the money changers actually had a case with their alibi that their mission was pure and innocent (or not!).

Hopefully, one thing we wouldn't do nowadays, as a parallel, is to send in a Judas to cleanse the temple--temple meaning any organization, sub-organization, or function of the greater mission. We'd send in someone who knows more than us average reactionary onlookers.

This post has been edited by LaurenceD: Feb 1 2008, 12:02 PM

[Noahswife]

I thought I would add the following comments from a blog I read and have mentioned here before.

"I’ve been thinking for a while that the hyperpartisanship on both sides was beginning to resemble the Protestant/Catholic sectarian troubles in Northern Ireland. Hate and malice are being extended by both sides to those “others” over there. The “other side.”

Nothing else matters but that they don’t believe the same things “we” believe (whoever “we” are, Conservative or Liberal). Because they don’t believe the same things “we” believe, they are bad, undesirable people and we shun them and will not have them in our midst.

It’s downright unAmerican, if you ask me. And the tenacity with which both sides cling to their beliefs makes one wonder if the political extremes are not misplacing their faith - putting it not in God, but in “the party” and “the movement.”

http://theanchoressonline.com/



nw