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Taboo Topics - What do YOU think?

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Shantih Shantih Shantih
 
Joined in 2008
March 11, 2008, 22:56

I very much agree with this comment:


Discussion boards are also impersonal. You make a matter of fact statement and 10 people take you 10 different ways. It’s so easy to offend when you lack eye contact, a smile and the ability to be immediately questioned.


and relate exceedingly to this one:


I just happen to be the exception…I’m thoughtfully outspoken in real life and cop the crap for it. I’ve been complemented (and abused) for my sense of humour and criticized for being too intense. I like to get to the bottom of things…


What do you know, Kit, perhaps we aren’t so different after all? 😉

Anthony Venn-Brown
 
Joined in 2005
March 11, 2008, 22:59

I


Perhaps the best course of action (as I see it) would be to mention these hot-button topics in the Membership and Posting Guidelines section as topics that have come up and been debated before, and which should be avoided if possible. Although similar to making them taboo, it may achieve the same effect without causing stigma to be attached to one viewpoint or another.


Just a suggestion.


good suggestion…….all we need to do is make sure that people read the guidelines before they post.


I guess at least if it in there then we can refer people back to them. Like we do when someone is being rude, aggressive or disrespectful………”have you read the guidelines buddy….we don’t speak to each other here like that”

😆 😆 😆

Anthony Venn-Brown
 
Joined in 2005
March 11, 2008, 23:03

I think the only problem with that Anthony is the arguments may not stay in that section. And even if discussions don’t boil over into other threads, then grudges, misunderstandings and ill-feeling almost certainly will.


This issue is more difficult to resolve than it first appears… 😕


I think you are right william. it was only a suggestion. I personally would prefer to be out of that kind of environment.


I know that sometimes these forums become a place where dysfunctional people come and vent. in the end they become incredibly unhealthy and only feed peoples hurts. I know of one recently the moderators close down because it became so vile.


I guess one of my concerns as well is for the lurkers or the people visiting for the first time……..if they read some of the intense dialogue it could scare them aware from a place that was meant to help them.

Anthony Venn-Brown
 
Joined in 2005
March 11, 2008, 23:09

“AActually Anthony it never registered with me that you had at one point tried to convert me, I picked you as more of a “live and let live” kind of guy. I supose I only see people as trying to convert me if we discuss what the bible says on a particular issue and as far as my memory serves me we have never had a lengthy discussion on the biblical validity of pro-gay theology, actually I have no idea what you even believe when it comes to the bible or theology so I’m not even sure what it is you were trying to convert me too. 😆 .



yep i had lots of 😆 ‘s in that post Sandy. No i’ve never tried to convert you from memory………always tried to respect that the choices you make about the way you live your life are between you and God……and who am i to tell you what you should believe or how you should live you life.


its actually none of my business. I listen……not always agree…..but always try to respect.


BTW…….i was only using the infallibility of the bible as one example of a possible taboo subject (ie unproductive on our forum). I wasn’t putting it at the top of the list…..or even on it for that matter.

Sandy
 
Joined in 2007
March 11, 2008, 23:32

oh… LOL I thought you were serious about the trying to convert me, I think I was preoccupied with the bible stuff and missed the sarcasm, opps! Here I was thinking I had missed some deep, invloved, soul-bearing discussion 😆


Well if the infalibility of the bible does become an issue that people want in the naughty corner I am really going to need to know. It probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to anyone else but its important to me.

magsdee
Disabled
Joined in 2006
March 12, 2008, 09:00

I do think an excellent point made is this, allow people to have their say without shooting them down, sure discuss the topic, even have your points as to why you believe things to be a certain way, question each other not a problem but we have to remember what Freedom to Be as a forum is, a place for us to be affirmed and supported in our orientation and beliefs, at the end of the day one where people feel they arent being given what they get everywhere else, rejection or clobbered for being gay and christian.

The guidelines are pretty clear as to what we are about here, sure challenge each other because its healthy and brings growth but not to the point where we end up feeling as we did before we came in here in the first place such as “where do I find a place where I dont feel as if Im being judged all over again”


Okies signing out my weetbix is getting soggy 😉 8)

luke_18
 
Joined in 2008
March 12, 2008, 10:02

i understand anthonys point about the ‘infallibility of the bible’ issue being taboo…. as we saw in the ‘homophobia’ thread, no one got anywhere and heres a possible reason …. those who believe in the ‘infallibility of the bible’ will not budge from this viewpoint, and those who do NOT believe in the infallibility of the bible will get very frustrated by this. AND … the issue of whether or not the bible is absolute truth is such a crucial and fundamental factor in all the discussion that happens on this site. its just going to create a lot of stalemates.


before we make it taboo however, i have a question that i thought was obvious, but now i need clarification …. i assumed that this freedom to be thing was soley BASED on the fact that perhaps the bible cannot be taken as literal fact (ie regarding the homosexuality parts), and thus we have come to the realisation that perhaps homosexuality is not a sin (and thus it is possible to be a christian and homosexual at the same time). if we believe the bible is infallible, arn’t we saying that its NOT ok to be (actively) gay and be a christian too??!!! thus defeating the purpose of freedom to be?!

have i got thing totally muddled up and confused or what??

magsdee
Disabled
Joined in 2006
March 12, 2008, 10:10

Ive been thinking the same thing too Luke. But can everyone see that.

Anthony Venn-Brown
 
Joined in 2005
March 12, 2008, 10:18

no luke……you are not muddled at all my dear friend. We are a network of people from the same background but our journeys are all different. We are not a christian organisation as such as that would mean the people who would benefit most from the connection would most like shy away.


When people read our target market they can see how inclusive and broad the network is.


having said that though, the forum has been a place where a number of GLBT people of faith have been able to connect. Some have had thier faith strenghtened. I’m happy for that as it is an important need for them and here we meet a variety of needs.


Here we have no judgement or agenda…….tricky i know as it is human to have both. No matter whether people are christian, rejected it or emabraced/redefined a new belief system it would do us all good to live like that i think.


Does that clarify things?


PS………I think people can accept the bible as the infallible word of god but its the interpretation that is the problem. Both can believe in the inerrancy of scripture but some interpret the verses that refer to homosexuality differently as has happened down through the centuries on a whole range of issues. eg Womens role in the church, slavery, make up, rock music, abortion to name a few.

Sandy
 
Joined in 2007
March 12, 2008, 10:22

Well the very existence of pro-gay theology tends to affirm the idea that the bible still holds relevance to gay Christians. Why would anyone bother attempting to revise these biblical passages if the bible was, for the most part, a redundant ancient text? I would argue however that about ninety-five percent of pro-gay Christians (in my experience) either do not believe the bible as God’s infallible word, believe the bible covers sexuality insufficiently or believe that the authors did not know what we know now of sociology and psychology thus promoting the idea that the author (God) doesn’t know as much as we do.


I was not under the impression that F2b was founded as a site for people who lack confidence in biblical authority, if it is then what am I doing here? 😯 😆 It would solve a lot of problems to place taboos to avoid the stalemates and misunderstandings you mentioned, they are very real problems. However to censor topics implies an agenda and one of the beautiful things about F2b is its agendalessness (is that a word?).


Perhaps there needs to be a section in everyone’s profile stating their basic beliefs such as the bible is God’s word so we know before going into the fray whether we will be able to reach common ground or not. But then maybe that is an intrusion of privacy…


I read this recently:


The desire to wield power can often overcome the desire to find truth. Battles may be won but the winner ends up far removed from the gospel preached and lived out by Jesus, which demands the renunciation of power in the interest of love.

Affirming the primacy and finality of biblical authority helps keep Scripture from becoming a tool in a manipulative hand, be it the right hand or the left. We will always struggle against our tendency to manipulate the bible, and today we struggle against a universally agreeable method to find truth. We can only try, weighing opposing voices and attempting first and last to attune those voice to God’s word – Thomas E. Schmidt.


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