Monday, May 14, 2007

I'm being eaten alive...

...by mosquitoes every time I take the dog out to potty. I've called the complex, but it needs to be fixed like now. Seriously, they are biting me through my pants and shirt sleeves! How do you combat that?! I'm going to by some bug spray today.

Not much going on. Weekend was nice. I got my mom and charm for her birthstone kids necklace, but it was a doggy one with Sprinkles' birthstone. :-) She said she liked it, and she actually added it to her necklace. Yea! Went to Taste of Addison -- it was fun to watch Katelyn enjoy the rides.

I was catching up on the message boards this morning (the ones on the churchofchristsingles.com) and I noticed a comment in a thread that sort of alarmed me, so I went looking for what they were referring to. Apparently some members of the site talked to the webmaster and got another member kicked off for doctrinal errors/being a wolf in sheep's clothing. He posted that he had "found the right Jesus" on a thread, and instead of being happy for him (after years he had gotten out of the ICOC and was finally getting over some super bad things from that) and helping him in some doctrinal errors he might have had, they freaked out because he was now attending a Christian Church, and they have instruments there. I guess my questions are:

1. Will using instruments really send us to hell? I don't use them out of preference, but I know people on the site that would say VRCC is super in the wrong due to the praise team. There's an argument that mikes are instruments even. Is that really a "salvation issue?"

2. Am I really to be so closed minded as to believe that the church of Christ members are the only ones going to Heaven? Am I a bad person and putting my soul in danger for not falling for that and preaching that? Who am I to judge that? I believe to go to Heaven you must follow the plan of Salvation -- repent, be baptized, and the like, but who says someone who does that but goes to a church with another name is going to Hell??

I'm just sort of troubled by the thought that they kicked him off the site without trying to seriously help him in any way. When I look at it all, I could honestly be up to be kicked off the site based on what the conservative people on the message boards say. I've told most of you that I have been called a "false teacher" before, and it really makes me question whether my beliefs are firm enough or right. I need to study more, but never have I found a place in the Bible that says what some of these people are saying. Of course I also haven't found a place that says the way to save souls is to be hateful to those in the church that you slightly disagree with, so yeah...

It's boggling my mind right now.

4 comments:

  1. I guess I can see their point a little. I mean letting somone on "Church of Christ Singles" that wasn't a member of the Church of Christ would be almost as silly as letting someone who wasn't single on "Church of Christ Singles". Oh wait, they do let that happen, don't they? Never mind.

    Seriously, it amazes me everytime I encounter someone with this strictly legalistic understanding of our faith, especially when the Bible that they cite is so often clear on God's unconditional love and rejection of outwardly acceptable while inwardly hollow shows of religious practice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What it really makes me think is that CofC Singles may not be the place for Joanna. The more I hear about it, the more close-minded it sounds, and I really don't think that is what you are looking for.

    Who showed them how to use the Internet?

    I'm sorry - was that tacky? :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks you two. I'm not going to renew my membership when it runs out. I've met some lovely people through the site, and I'm currently starting to talk to a really nice guy, but I'm not going to pay to remain on this site when my money is gone. It's ok really -- I think from reading some posts that I have been "marked" by some and that's why people aren't really responding to my posts much anymore -- apparently it's Biblical. If someone is so wrong in what they believe, you can mark them and refuse to study with them any longer. I believe they're practicing internet disfellowshiping. And ya know...I'm ok with that.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey, nice meeting you. Our template is similar too! I didn't read everything yet, but I will. Yes, what happened to that person was awful. But I am trying to keep my blood pressure down, so I won't get all worked up!

    ReplyDelete