For the record

Hello,

I just wanted to come in and offer a few comments.

This forum IS moderated.  It may feel at times as if there is no one watching out for its course, but not so.  I check in daily if possible or as soon as possible.  Over the last couple of years, I have seen no reason to intrude, but that wasn't always the case in previous years.

When this forum was established by Ev, about 9 or 10 years ago, the idea was for a safe place to discuss the many isssues surrounding mainstream Christianity.   When non-christians came in to challenge all believers, regardless of denomination or emphasis, a debate forum had to be created.

The purpose of this forum is not just as a place of support, but a place where Christians from different walks can discuss their differences in a safe place as opposed to the outright confrontation of the debate forums.  Anything placed in a debate forum is fodder for anyone who simply wants to disagree with Christianity as a whole or with belief in God. 

In the early days, some of the people who  came on this forum had views based on some other philosophy in addition to the Bible, therefore other forums were created to accomodate their particular beliefs.  That freed this forum for Biblical discussions only, however, there is no rule as to what interpretation of the Bible is allowed or not.   The operative word here is 'mainstream' Christianity.  

There are some people who have come in from time to time with some prettty bizzare ideas of what mainstream is, but those have been rare and far in between.  They have not been banned becasue they fall into a grey area as far as the rules of the forum go.

In the case of this previous discussion between Grace, Vektek and even Refreshed, no rules have been broken.  I don't understand why Vektek  mentions in one of her posts that she expected the moderator to chastise her for her posts.  Vektek has never violated the rules of this forum and neither have any of the other two.

If you check the forum description you willl see that dicussions about the practice of the gifts of the spirit, whether they are for the pressent time or not, are part of the discussions that can safely take place on here.

I am very sorry to see someone leave the forum, so I hope it is for other reasons than feeling like they no longer have a place here.

Faith is one of the most delicate, private and personal positions we hold in life.   Not everyone can stand up to being challenged or challenging others, but part of living out that faith is expecting that it will happen at times and we are to take it with grace.

Regardless of anyone's individual path, I encourage everyone to continue sharing and discussing amongst yourselves often and fearlessly.