Quote:
Originally Posted by Nell
While you're wondering about "the tone of many of the conversations on here", may we wonder about your tone as well? Do you really think your joke is appropriate? Many on this forum have been gutted by LC leadership and members. If you really think the "main purpose" is to point out flaws of other believers, you have totally missed the point of the entire forum, and if you really think that's something to joke about, you are clueless.
You understand that for you to say “I know, I know” conveys both a dismissive and condescending tone? "Supposedly" about helping others...? Perhaps you should acknowledge your own critical and judgmental spirit. Your "tone" not only minimizes but makes jokes about the pain of your own brothers and sisters who were abused in that system. Can we say your critical and judgmental and dismissive spirit is also NOT Christ?
What is YOUR focus? Is it your "focus" to defend those who abuse the Lord's brothers? Is YOUR focus "Christ"?
Are you assuming that you are the only one who prays about your words, before posting?
Here we go. Sure. There is room for love and forgiveness for the LC leadership and members who "have been" and still are in error. But it would really help if you all would repent. That is, have a change of heart and mind. Stop your sinning against your brothers and sisters. Make amends.
Can you be "in error" and "in Christ" at the same time? Can you abuse someone while you are "in Christ"?
"Love and forgiveness" is a two-way street. That's where it starts. You can't expect someone else to "love and forgive" while your sin continues...while your "error" continues. And when someone has had enough abuse, they finally find their voice and begin to TELL THE TRUTH about the one/s abusing them, you accuse them of not loving and not forgiving. This is gross hypocrisy.
To the sober minded man, no. Hypocrisy does not make sense.
But, we've heard this before. There are plenty of posts on this forum like yours...it’s the classic "blame the victim" post. You blame the victim for not being "in Christ" while excusing the abuser who claims to be "in Christ". You expect "love and forgiveness" toward those LC'ers who (admittedly) have been in error, but you have NO love and NO compassion for those who cannot take the abuse any longer. Some of us have finally found our voice to speak the truth to those who have little or no capacity, or will, to hear. As Ohio said, no one is listening.
Nell
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All good points, Nell. It is a very sensitive topic, to be sure. I certainly don't want to try and minimize the hurt & damage others have felt.
Yes, it is hard and maybe impossible for us to forgive. Fortunately it was not impossible for God in Christ to forgive, while sinners were unrighteously torturing and putting Him to a degrading death.
One thing about unforgiveness is what it does to the person holding on to it. Corrie ten Boom also found it impossible to forgive the "monster" Nazi officer who had carries out heinous things against others in the concentration camp she was in. Yet, after the war there he was, standing in front of her, a new creation in Christ (and forgiven by Christ). Impossible to forgive his overt brutality, and she experienced that. When she knew 100% she wasn't capable of the least bit of forgiveness to him, then God had a way. She experienced God's overwhelming forgiveness -
what a gift of freedom to her bitter heart!
Has there been a ton of bad things done by the LC, LSM, WL et. al.? Sure. Have many been hurt by their actions? You bet!
But where do we go from here?
Again, sorry if I offended. I just know one day there will be accountability for all in His body and how we handled one another in love. Real love. His love.