Ban

[sherryt]

Posthuman: I thanked you for all you help but I'm not sure where it went. Does this tell you anything ???? lol

 

[Runningman]

Hi

As mentioned in my original message, I don't believe in a personal or separated God. But I do believe in God, it's just a different understanding than Christians have of God.

That also means, I'm trying to move towards peace through God's "help".

The reason why I use the chat is to be inspired. And I don't have to agree with everything people say to be inspired and feel peace.

You are welcome to ask if you would like me to explain it further.

What religion, path, faith, guru, etc, do you subscribe to? Or is it more of the home-cooked flavor of spirituality that defines a god of your own understanding?

 

[Unitas]

there is a lot to be said. there are thousands of 'flavors' of these beliefs; hundreds of millions possibly even, when we see how that ((particular under the umbrella of 'new-age')) practically every single individual builds their own personal belief-system for themselves, as it were, making their own gods of themselves and of various spirits.

maybe a good place to start is that in Hinduism and all its derivatives ((Buddhism, yoga, reiki & all the other new-age mutations, etc)) there is ultimately no distinction between good or evil; all are part of god and eventually become subsumed in an eternal gray field of void and meaninglessness as they come to realize they don't exist, never have existed and never will exist -- everything and everyone is illusion. it's nihilistic; Siddhartha Gautama was an Hindu and his idea of 'enlightenment' is fundamentally the same as that of Hinduism, just that he found his own path to it: eliminating suffering by eliminating desire & will, with a goal of arriving at elimination of his own being, considering his own existence as a soul to be no more than illusion. 'heaven' in Hinduism/Buddhism/etc is annihilation, not even the sense of cessation of some temporary existence, but in the sense of a lie called "personhood" coming to the realization that there is no such thing as itself and never was.

in Christ on the other hand there is life, rather than death. i do not consider that true peace comes from non-existence; if you are not, who is it that is left to experience peace?

That was much information, and I have several things to say regarding it. If you are interested in it, we can have a discussion about it

To begin with, I will however just ask you a few questions based on your information.

Your text: "they come to realize they don't exist, never have existed and never will exist -- everything and everyone is illusion"
Bible: Mark 8:34 Jesus called the people and His followers to Him. He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must give up himself and his own desires. He must take up his cross and follow Me. (NLV)
Question: What does it mean for you to give up yourself and desires?

Your text: "if you are not, who is it that is left to experience peace?"
Question: Is it necessary to focus on, who we are, while being happy?

Your text: "in these other beliefs, there is no "life" -- all things and all creatures are at a basic level considered false, illusory and purposelessly transitory"
Question: Even though, man never steps into the same river twice, does that make the river an illusion?

 

[Unitas]

What religion, path, faith, guru, etc, do you subscribe to? Or is it more of the home-cooked flavor of spirituality that defines a god of your own understanding?

It's not a religion, that is for sure. Maybe it can be called home-cooked. For me it's more important listening to and trying to understand others belief, than giving it a name.

 

[Dude653]

The bans in chats are decided by users, not moderators. Last i heard it takes 3 users to ban someone from chat. This was put in place because mods aren't available 24/7. So it leaves the power in the hands of people who may not be capable to use it properly.
No one here knows how it went down, and of course your side of things will show you as innocent. And maybe you are. But unfortunately some people misuse such options. Your complaint is not too uncommon, actually.
I'm not sure what, if anything, mods can do in this situation. Perhaps send a PM to OnceFallen explaining what happened and see if he has any answers.

Yeah that defeats the purpose of even having moderators

 

[Magenta]

Question: What does it mean for you to give up yourself and desires?

Question: Is it necessary to focus on, who we are, while being happy?

Even though, man never steps into the same river twice, does that make the river an illusion?

Hello, Unitas, welcome to CC

I would like to answer some of your questions

You earlier asked about cleanliness in terms of how one can be clean if all are sinners? The answer is not based in our own righteousness, but that of Christ's. We are washed/cleansed in the shed righteous blood of the spotless Lamb of God even as we may still stumble and fall into error and sin.

To give up one's desires has to do with forsaking the flesh which is opposed to God, and surrendering to the Spirit of Truth, Who is Himself a person known as Jesus. Some call Him Yahweh or Jehovah, etc. He has many names and titles, which is kind of beside the point. The point is to realize there is One True God and He has given us His Living Word that we may know Him in personal and profound ways. In other words, one surrenders to Him Who is defined as Truth and the only way to God. To argue against this will get you banned even if you are simply seeking to have others understand your views, since your views oppose Christian beliefs. It may be helpful to you o accept that God is both immanent (present and personal) and transcendent (separate, holy). He has promised to make Himself known to those who diligently and sincerely seek Him. I believe you are doing that, even if you are still engaging in defining God in ways that are acceptable to you as opposed to defining yourself in ways that are acceptable to God.

The river you speak of is life and is found only in the Person of Jesus Christ,
Who is the Light and Life of men. He alone holds the keys to life and death.

 

[maryjohanna]

Thank you for a positive reply

I believe in God. But not in a personal and separated God. I don't focus on dogmas that I see as being part of a relative consciousness. Instead I try to focus on intuitive consciousness, that doesn't try to explain what God is, but instead on following the righteous path by removing an illusion about the self. To know by being part. I can explain this further if you would like me to.

This thread though isn't about how I or others see life, but about if it's allowed to be here, even though we understand God differently.

For me the most important is to be allowed to follow what feels right for us. From there we can better sense it, and find out if it really brings us peace. The thread is asking the question: Am I allowed to be here as I am, if my intention is to listen and share?

For me that is what fellowship is about. Then it's up to each person to decide if they want to listen and share with others. But like you wrote, we shouldn't ban others, just because they disagree or don't understand. Maybe instead we should ask the question: Do I understand the other?

I'm glad to see, you are trying to understand me.

I understand that this isn't the point of thread. I guess I am just trying to get a more clear grasp on your ideals so that we can get to the root of why you were banned. So, I am assuming that what you mean is that...you do not believe in

Thank you for a positive reply

I believe in God. But not in a personal and separated God. I don't focus on dogmas that I see as being part of a relative consciousness. Instead I try to focus on intuitive consciousness, that doesn't try to explain what God is, but instead on following the righteous path by removing an illusion about the self. To know by being part. I can explain this further if you would like me to.

This thread though isn't about how I or others see life, but about if it's allowed to be here, even though we understand God differently.

For me the most important is to be allowed to follow what feels right for us. From there we can better sense it, and find out if it really brings us peace. The thread is asking the question: Am I allowed to be here as I am, if my intention is to listen and share?

For me that is what fellowship is about. Then it's up to each person to decide if they want to listen and share with others. But like you wrote, we shouldn't ban others, just because they disagree or don't understand. Maybe instead we should ask the question: Do I understand the other?

I'm glad to see, you are trying to understand me.

Hello Unitas. Hope you have been having a blessed day.

So, I have read all of the responses on the thread. I understand that this thread is not dedicated to conversation about your personal beliefs, moreso about why you got banned and what the rules are. I am going to stick with what I said in my original post and take a direct approach in answering your question: this is a Christian forum, which means that because you are not identifiably a Christ follower, you will undoubtedly meet consistent opposition at times. If you make a statement that is inherently blasphemous or heretical, you will most likely be banned. If you ask questions, express curiosity, or hold a different opinion, you should not get banned; HOWEVER, it is just hard to say how things will play out because there are different people working here on the forum.

This is a forum/chat that primarily consists of Christians, so just understand that as someone who isn't pme, this may not be an ideal environment for your mindset of belief. Would I ban you? No, personally, I would not. I am of the opinion that one should not be turned away just because they are not of the same faith understanding. Please stick around. I would love to converse with you about Jesus, Christianity and share with you the beauty of the Gospel. As Christians, we have been ordained by God to fulfill and complete His mission of sharing His Message with others. I cannot convince you, I cannot change your heart, I cannot change your mind; any believer who thinks they can is fooling themselves lol. All we can do is plant seeds and pray. I am not trying to veer off the path of the thread; my point in saying this to you is to help you see that IF you choose to remain, understand that people will try to plant seeds, and I hope you approach those conversations with an open heart and mind.

If I were you, I would just tread carefully - ONLY because it is proven to you now that there are people who will ban you; just know that doesn't represent the attitude of everyone here. I would suggest formulating your responses as questions - people on here [should] be willing to answer and help you see what being a follower of Jesus truly means. We are the same here in retrospect; yes, I am a Christ-follower, and you are not, BUT we are both sinners in nature in need of a Savior for everlasting salvation. I want to take every opportunity I can to show someone the beauty of God, and I will be praying for you, Unitas!

Galations 5:1 - "For freedom of Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not again submit to a yoke of slavery."

 

[maryjohanna]

Hello, Unitas, welcome to CC

I would like to answer some of your questions

You earlier asked about cleanliness in terms of how one can be clean if all are sinners? The answer is not based in our own righteousness, but that of Christ's. We are washed/cleansed in the shed righteous blood of the spotless Lamb of God even as we may still stumble and fall into error and sin.

To give up one's desires has to do with forsaking the flesh which is opposed to God, and surrendering to the Spirit of Truth, Who is Himself a person known as Jesus. Some call Him Yahweh or Jehovah, etc. He has many names and titles, which is kind of beside the point. The point is to realize there is One True God and He has given us His Living Word that we may know Him in personal and profound ways. In other words, one surrenders to Him Who is defined as Truth and the only way to God. To argue against this will get you banned even if you are simply seeking to have others understand your views, since your views oppose Christian beliefs. It may be helpful to you o accept that God is both immanent (present and personal) and transcendent (separate, holy). He has promised to make Himself known to those who diligently and sincerely seek Him. I believe you are doing that, even if you are still engaging in defining God in ways that are acceptable to you as opposed to defining yourself in ways that are acceptable to God.

The river you speak of is life and is found only in the Person of Jesus Christ,
Who is the Light and Life of men. He alone holds the keys to life and death.

Unitas, Magenta just provided a fabulous summary of righteousness and cleanliness. God bless!

 

[Magenta]

 

[Magenta]

Twice I've been banned on Christian Chat. Twice after asking questions.

First time I responded to a person which message I wanted to understand correct. The person wrote something about that if he had attended protesters violent behavior they wouldn't' be alive. I asked the person if I understood it correct, that he would like to kill protesters. Then I was banned.

I wonder who the "they" is above? I read it as the other person saying, had they attended the protests, someone may have killed them, not that they would have killed someone else or all others present. Your question rather casts the other person -even if only implicitly- in the light of being a mass murderer, and if it was seen that way by multiple people, they may have banned you for that reason.

 

[Magenta]

It's not a religion, that is for sure. Maybe it can be called home-cooked. For me it's more important listening to and trying to understand others belief, than giving it a name.

Jesus (which is not just a name, but the Name above all names), defines Himself as Truth, and the only way to the Father (God). The Truth you are seeking is found in Him. Our faith is personal, and placed in the Person of Jesus Christ. It reaches into every aspect of our lives and transforms us from the inside out, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. We are exhorted to steep ourselves in His revealed written Word, to read it and meditate upon it daily, and seek after Him and His ways continually. Religion as a word can be understood or defined multiple ways (some even call atheism a religion ). Generally speaking, it is seen as a means of behaving in ways that seek to please God as we understand Him. Much of what is seen as organized religion has rituals and rites and pomp and ceremony attached to it. Is this wrong? It depends. Do they teach Biblical truths? Do they place the traditions of man above the revealed Written Word of God? Is the focus of the gathering of the corporate body for the purpose of praising and worshiping God, and studying His revealed written Word together, to encourage one another, to make ourselves available to serve others, that we may uphold in other through our trials and tribulations in life, and share our joys and triumphs in Him?

 

[p_rehbein]

Did not read the 90 comments.......no real need to........ You should have posed this question to the Admins, and not as a "discussion" Thread............

IF you have been banned twice, how, exactly, are you here yet again?

One definition of trolling forums is a person who is banned and keeps returning with different Screen name to post comments designed to cause distension/arguments among the members......

 

[blue_ladybug]

Did not read the 90 comments.......no real need to........ You should have posed this question to the Admins, and not as a "discussion" Thread............

IF you have been banned twice, how, exactly, are you here yet again?

One definition of trolling forums is a person who is banned and keeps returning with different Screen name to post comments designed to cause distension/arguments among the members......

He got banned from the chats, not the site itself..

 

[tourist]

Twice I've been banned on Christian Chat. Twice after asking questions.

First time I responded to a person which message I wanted to understand correct. The person wrote something about that if he had attended protesters violent behavior they wouldnt' be alive. I asked the person if I understood it correct, that he would like to kill protesters. Then I was banned.

The second time I asked about if I'm allowed to be on the Christian Chat even though I'm not a believer of God as personal and separated from us. People started writing that I was trolling, and I got banned again.

I would like to know, what the rules are on the chat. Am I not allowed to use the chat without being Christian? The rules of the chat doesn't mention anything about this. Also the rules doesn't say anything about not being allowed to ask specific questions. As I understand the rules, we are not allowed to purposefully offend others. And I don't understand how the two situations that has lead to a ban have been offending others.

People don't have to like me. They can have different reasons for not liking me. But does a personal opinion about me, mean I can't use the chat as long as I'm not purposefully offending others? Nobody has to listen to my opinions, but should a Christian ban a person on an public chat for having a different view of life and asking questions?

This doesn't make any sense for me. This isn't the principles I follow. And I don't understand, how it can be Christian principles.

I haven't been to the chat room in years and have yet to download the app for the new format to enable chat. It is like another member has stated, the chat rooms are moderated by the members. I believe it takes 3 negative votes to ban a member. Apparently, you can cast a vote to ban someone for any reason at all. I don't believe the ban is permanent but rather temporary, not sure how long though. Regardless, the best ongoing conversations take place in the forums while also allowing you to really get to know who the members are and what they are about. From what you have described there are those in the chat rooms that are not really keen on displaying Christian principals.

 

[tourist]

go to your profile and there should be a menu option that lists people you are ignoring. i think from there you can un-ignore.
not sure because i have a personal policy of don't ignore people



View attachment 217479


View attachment 217480


View attachment 217481

I don't 'ignore' anybody either but I have had to place a few on 'Eeyore' on a temporary basis.

 

[Unitas]

I wonder who the "they" is above? I read it as the other person saying, had they attended the protests, someone may have killed them, not that they would have killed someone else or all others present. Your question rather casts the other person -even if only implicitly- in the light of being a mass murderer, and if it was seen that way by multiple people, they may have banned you for that reason.

I'm not quoting the exact phrase the person used, because I don't remember it. That is why I wrote: "the person wrote SOMETHING about". Also, I didn't try to show that the person is a mass murderer. I asked about how the message should be understood.

 

[Unitas]

I haven't been to the chat room in years and have yet to download the app for the new format to enable chat. It is like another member has stated, the chat rooms are moderated by the members. I believe it takes 3 negative votes to ban a member. Apparently, you can cast a vote to ban someone for any reason at all. I don't believe the ban is permanent but rather temporary, not sure how long though. Regardless, the best ongoing conversations take place in the forums while also allowing you to really get to know who the members are and what they are about. From what you have described there are those in the chat rooms that are not really keen on displaying Christian principals.

I agree with you view

 

[Magenta]

I'm not quoting the exact phrase the person used, because I don't remember it. That is why I wrote: "the person wrote SOMETHING about". Also, I didn't try to show that the person is a mass murderer. I asked about how the message should be understood.

You questioned whether the other person would have killed protesters:

"I asked the person if I understood it correct, that he would like to kill protesters."

That seems not to have been well received.

 

[Unitas]

Did not read the 90 comments.......no real need to........ You should have posed this question to the Admins, and not as a "discussion" Thread............

IF you have been banned twice, how, exactly, are you here yet again?

One definition of trolling forums is a person who is banned and keeps returning with different Screen name to post comments designed to cause distension/arguments among the members......

I have contacted the admins. They still haven't responded. That is why I went into the forum to express my experience and hear others point of view.

 

[Unitas]

You questioned whether the other person would have killed protesters:

"I asked the person if I understood it correct, that he would like to kill protesters."

That is correct. I don't see any problem in asking if I understand a message correct.