Quote:
Originally Posted by testallthings
My apologies to brother Ohio
I apologize to bro. Ohio for the harsh way I have treated him in my last posts. Even before posting the first one I felt guilty, even more because I knew he is older than me. It was the first time in my life I dared to speak in such a tone to someone older than me. Ohio (and the rest of you) doesn't know (because I didn't say much about myself) that we have many things in common, even our passion for the history of the Brethren! I am sure we could sit together and talk for hours and find (surprisingly for him) many, many points in common (I am not going to tell which ones).
There is something, though, that has not escaped my notice since I started reading posts on this forum: Ohio (and maybe others) has sometimes a tendency to be “looking for trouble”. I saw this in his heated exchange with amrkelly, with OBW (he made OBW really, really mad!), and his many attempts to lure me into an argument with some unnecessary and out of the blue comments on Darby and/or the Brethren (If my deduction is wrong brother Ohio, please correct me). I turned a blind eye to the first, the second, the third (I don't know exactly how many) attempt until the last one. Well actually at first I ignored it, as usual, then, as usual I reread the posts and BOOOM I decided that this time it was enough. If Ohio wanted a fight, this time I would not dodge it (even though I knew it was not a Christian attitude)!
There is something that I have noticed on this forum, again, and again and this does not regard Ohio alone but almost everyone – the tendency to glance at the new thread, or at a post, and hit the keyboard whit the first thoughts that come to mind. This results in misunderstandings and misrepresentations. Deductions should be based on strong evidence. Another problem is the matter of proving a point with appropriate quotations. The last one provided by Ohio was written by an anonymous reader of the Sword and Trowel magazine. My insistence to Ohio to check his source was well meant. We all should be more careful with what we say. The harsh words, the incorrect words, the useless words, the hurting words, the lazy words, etc.. we speak, or write today will be repeated at the judgment seat a second time. I don't want my unfruitful words to be repeated again, and I wish you all to be more careful when you are going to hit the keyboard.
I have many more things to say, but, D.V., maybe I'll write about them the next time, and if anyone notices unkind words, rebuke me. It is better to say sorry today, that to say sorry in that Day!
P.S.
I use big fonts because so it is easier to read on my monitor and on the readers' monitors, too. |
OK, thanks bro. Sorry I misinterpreted your large letters as shouting. I should have remembered Paul's words, "see what large letters I have written to you," (Gal. 6.11) and considered them to really be your love to me.
Also, I will admit that I am often too brief and it appears more contentious than I intend. As my signature line indicates, I prefer brevity which makes a point, than much talk that misses the point. It is merely suitable to my character, but sometimes fails me. Even when conversing with friends, I prefer short interactive discussions, rather than long messages which bore me. Sorry for not taking more time to thoroughly read and respond.
Concerning the Brethren, I have begun to takes James' view -- how do they treat one another rather than what do they teach. This now governs my views of the Exclusive writers. The same applies to WL's materials -- i know he has said many great things, but I'm no longer interested after learning how he treated the brothers.
Regarding amrKelly, it did get heated because of the bio of Nee by Hsu. Many posters here felt his backlash. At one point he threatened my life, but in the end, thru brother awareness, we talked on the phone, apologized to each other, and were reconciled. Praise Him!
Regarding OBW, you are right that we are quite different, and have rubbed each other wrongly at times, but I have learned over time to really appreciate him. There have been times when I had little to say, and his labored posts brought out insights and viewpoints I had never even considered. I think he is the kind of brother that the more you know him, the more you love him, in contrast to some other people I have known.
Sorry again for all the misunderstandings. Thanks for addressing them.