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Zeeb · Dec 29, 2006, 03:47 PM

How about starting a Bible study thread and connecting it to the political lounge? This could be useful when various topics degrade to the point where a few members begin heated discussions about whether the issue or behavior being talked about is condoned in the Bible. It seems to happen frequently and in fact is occurring right now on a thread about pre-marital sex. Such discussion tend to derail the thread they start in and never end, since the meaning of the Bible is open to interpretation and everyone on this forum seems to think they know "the truth". It gets annoying and goes nowhere. "No THIS is what was meant when Jesus said. . . .", "No actually you're wrong, I KNOW Jesus meant this. . . " Yawn.

Such threads could be moved to Bible study when they reach this level and everyone else can move on.

Dakar² · Dec 29, 2006, 03:58 PM

A sticky in the PL?

Seems logical, but so would a ID vs. Evo or Abortion or Gay Rights thread.

imitchellg5 · Dec 29, 2006, 04:03 PM

Good idea. Let's have it.

Dakar² · Dec 29, 2006, 04:12 PM

I wanna say it would have happened already if they wanted to do it.
But I could be wrong.

mac128k-1984 · Dec 29, 2006, 07:51 PM

I think the sticky Bible thread will derail and degrade just like every other thread that has religion in it.

imitchellg5 · Dec 29, 2006, 07:53 PM

Yeah but we could let all of the derailment happen in there instead of everywhere else.

besson3c · Dec 29, 2006, 08:31 PM

I'm here to discuss the Bible.

I really like the brown leather kinds....

subego · Dec 29, 2006, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by Zeeb

How about starting a Bible study thread

You'd have to make it a whole subforum.

cakey · Dec 29, 2006, 08:43 PM

This can only end well.

imitchellg5 · Dec 29, 2006, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

I'm here to discuss the Bible.

I really like the brown leather kinds....

Oh me too. I got a two-tone Italian leather one in light brown.

Blasphemy · Dec 29, 2006, 09:34 PM

the derailment wouldn't stay confined. It's just not in our nature.

The pol-war scene is mostly anarchy.

imitchellg5 · Dec 29, 2006, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Blasphemy

the derailment wouldn't stay confined. It's just not in our nature.

The pol-war scene is mostly anarchy.

That's the beauty of MacNN. You might get 3 real posts, but the rest are just random derailments. I love this place

.

turtle777 · Dec 30, 2006, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by Zeeb

Such threads could be moved to Bible study when they reach this level and everyone else can move on.

Gotta love idealistic n00bs

-t

besson3c · Dec 30, 2006, 12:56 AM

This thread needs more Bible studying and discussion.

Kevin · Dec 30, 2006, 01:05 AM

Yeah and more insincere sarcasm.

besson3c · Dec 30, 2006, 01:07 AM

What is your favorite chapter of the Bible, and how many awards did the author (forget his/her name) win for writing such a famous book that has been around for so long? Has it ever been featured on Oprah's Book of the Month club thing?

Kerrigan · Dec 30, 2006, 01:45 AM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

That's the beauty of MacNN. You might get 3 real posts, but the rest are just random derailments. I love this place

.

Well, there are different sorts of derailments. You get religious flame baiting, which draws in the usual crowd.

Then you have the veteran "allusion" derailments, where distinguished members bring up funny or sensitive subjects, and a thread spins out of control (DBGFHRGL, Hampstor, Badgers, redesigns, etc)

Lastly you have the noob derailments. There are about 4 or 5 relatively new members here who tend to derail threads and turn them into idiotic discussions amongst themselves of some unfunny subject.

So no, a stick thread simply wouldn't work.

gorgonzola · Jan 2, 2007, 02:52 PM

Sorry, I don't think this idea makes sense.

centerchannel68 · Jan 2, 2007, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

ID vs. Evo

Does anybody with the ability to write, or use a computer even defend intelligent design? Seriously?

turtle777 · Jan 3, 2007, 02:43 AM

Originally Posted by centerchannel68

Does anybody with the ability to write, or use a computer even defend intelligent design? Seriously?

My turtle was intelligently designed. I can prove it.

-t

ApeInTheShell · Jan 3, 2007, 02:45 AM

So what do you want to study in the bible. I am reading the book of Jeremiah and how God gave Israel over to its enemy (Babylon) because the Israelites were worshipping other gods. I think it is important when people study the bible they can apply what they learned to their lives. Whether it is recognizing that we are prone to putting personal possessions, money, or relationships before God or it is turning our backs on God when things don't go our way.

If you want to talk about the larger issues such as pre-marital sex you will need to quote from scripture and put it into context. Often a string of verses can lead to heated argument because people are not given the whole story. Even if you do explain to them they may still derail your discussion but the point is to persist with the Word.

I have talked to Christians who seem to know everything about the bible. They can quote me verses and tell me about the important events in the Old Testament and New Testament. But when I ask them about their faith it is open to interpretation. Meaning there are Christians who believe one part of the bible and not other parts. The Apostle Paul warned believers about this in 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. It is no wonder why so many people don't believe in God, don't go to church, or don't like religion. We can't give them a straight answer because we don't know the truth ourselves.

I think we can have a discussion with believers and unbelievers alike. We can talk about the larger issues or what we perceive to be the larger issues like Intelligent Design vs. Evolution or Sexual Immorality. But I think it would be more informative or more interesting if we studied books of the bible that don't get that much attention like Hebrews or Galations and how they relate to our everyday lives not just the big picture.

Kevin · Jan 3, 2007, 07:36 AM

ApeInTheShell that would be fine cept this forum is full of immature people that just want to bash what they don't work wont understand. Purposely take things out of context, and are just all out obnoxious.

It just simply wont work.

red rocket · Jan 3, 2007, 08:00 AM

I have a suggestion:

Gossamer · Jan 3, 2007, 02:10 PM

Genius. Absolute genius.

ApeInTheShell · Jan 5, 2007, 12:43 AM

Of course it will work. Jesus Christ found a way to reach individuals through his ministry. He didn't consult the experts or ask the religious authorities for permission to preach the Word. He also told his disciples that because of Him the people would hate them. That still rings true for us today.

The majority of people that live in my country (U.S.A.) do not share their faith with anyone. If I asked most people who frequent these forums they would say, "None of your ******* business". Americans have adopted this relativist attitude in which (you believe what you believe and I will believe what I will believe and that is that.) The only absolute among Americans these days is that we are religious zealots. But when we suggest Science and evolution is a religion we are mocked and laughed at. So why bother talking about the Bible?

Did you ever evangelize the Mac? Perhaps you just switched to the Macintosh after years on the Windows platform. Before you didn't understand the Mac users attatchment to their computers, their talking about an easy to use interface, and all the other stuff. It was the Mac Cult. Anyone who owned a Mac was a religious zealot. Now you are learning about all the neat stuff that the Macintosh can do and are kicking yourself for not switching sooner.
I used to evangelize the Mac because I thought it was my duty as a Mac user. I was part of a minority of people who used a computer that was unique. When the iPod came out I was one of the first to pick up one for a hefty $400. I told my brother and friends to get rid of their CDs because this was the next best thing. I even encouraged them to buy a Mac because it worked better with the iPod. I still think the Macintosh is an excellent machine but I am not that attatched to it anymore. I took the time to learn about the Macintosh through these forums and other places on the internet and I learn a new thing about Mac OS X or the Mac everyday.

As a small group we beat the odds and the Macintosh community has come a long way since the mid 1990s. So how can you say a Bible Discussion Thread would not work?

I was there every step of the way in the Macintosh revolution. I sat through the tireless debating about the PC vs. the Macintosh. I defended my platform despite the overwhelming odds, the PC users who supposedly knew all, and the people who told me, "It's just a computer".

I for one welcome the immature comments, the heated arguments, and the people who say I am a religious zealot. I gives me the opportunity to explain to them what I believe and why I believe it and how what I am reading applies to their lives and my life.

subego · Jan 5, 2007, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by red rocket

I have a suggestion:

Religious War Lounge is certainly the right name for it.

larrinski · Jan 5, 2007, 01:01 AM

Maybe I am wrong, but aren't there plenty of religious sites for this "in depth" bible analysis?

subego · Jan 5, 2007, 01:20 AM

But they won't be Mac users.

There are a million politically oriented places to discuss politics, the reason I want to discuss politics here is that the things that bring this particular slice of humanity together aren't based on politics.

This would be the same for a Religion sub-forum, and seems to me to be the basic concept behind the lounge proper.

mac1896 · Jan 5, 2007, 01:42 AM

Originally Posted by red rocket

I have a suggestion:

You forgot the "Jihad" and "Crusades" headings in Religious War Lounge.

larrinski · Jan 5, 2007, 02:08 AM

Originally Posted by subego

But they won't be Mac users.

There are a million politically oriented places to discuss politics, the reason I want to discuss politics here is that the things that bring this particular slice of humanity together aren't based on politics.

This would be the same for a Religion sub-forum, and seems to me to be the basic concept behind the lounge proper.

I guess I see the point... I vote for an atheist sub-forum then...

subego · Jan 5, 2007, 02:20 AM

Originally Posted by larrinski

I guess I see the point... I vote for an atheist sub-forum then...

I think some would argue that's what the regular lounge already is.

Kevin · Jan 5, 2007, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by ApeInTheShell

Of course it will work. Jesus Christ found a way to reach individuals through his ministry. He didn't consult the experts or ask the religious authorities for permission to preach the Word. He also told his disciples that because of Him the people would hate them. That still rings true for us today.

Indeed.