An Opened letter to Jan: Lead-Administrator of Christian Debate (CD)
Jan,
Let me say at the outset "don't give up, don't give in, and don't give over" in thinking that this site is a failure. CD is to live forever. Your efforts, skills, and sacrifice are not in vain. What some would project as a decline and an impending death of CD is just a natural, yea, an inevitable correction. Things will not always be this way. Time is a revealer of truth: Christianity and the sincere users of this site. Stay the course!
Those who left, this site, did so on their own free will. In doing so, they expressed their contempt for your enormous sacrifice and vision, all under the guise of users who wouldn't conform to their expectation of the ideal user. They were not removed by any administrative actions or pressure. However, steps you have taken to prevent them from spreading falsehoods, that those who remain are the damn or should be damned, are understandable.
You're on to something good. It has the potential of doing much good for the Christian Community and the world over. You’re at the foundational level. It’s a work that can’t be skipped, rushed, or short-cuts can be taken. A building is no better than the foundation that it sits on. The taller the building, the deeper and the wider the foundation must be. It takes skills, knowledge, and quality materials (persons).
Please, be reminded, that “the only time a person starts at the top is when one is digging a hole”. What you’re building takes time, patience, and people with a degree of insight beyond their own self-importance. There are many (unfortunately "so-called" Christians) hoping you would abandon your dream (current project). May I admonish you, never put your dream into the head or hands of another person. The sad truth is, one may not implement with your best interest in mind.
Your desire to provide a place (site) for Christians (character) to debate (skill/knowledge) on biblical matters; a cross-section of other topics and current events that confront the Christian, in daily living, is noteworthy. With the approximately 7 billion people, on planet earth, I am sure those who left, can be replaced and then, some. The quality of contributions always takes precedence over the number of users on a site. In my humble opinion, the "New CD" is far superior too many of the other Christian discussion/Chat/Debate sites that are currently in operation. There is no site like this one. It provides a wide range of opportunities to the committed users:
- General
- Bible Questions
- News & Current Events
- Devotional Thoughts
- Apologetics
- Ministry Methods
- Pop Culture
- Biblical Studies
- Prayer Requests
There is something for everyone from the "Seekers; the new Christians, at the beginning of his journey with Christ; scholars, retirees, students or the skilled debaters. It's a smorgasbord of options and choices for one who willing to share, interact with others with similar views or with those who hold completely opposite positions. You will be challenged to study anew, rethink your positions, and amend some, or completely abandon others. You will receive and are at liberty to give resources are given for thoughts given or for further studies. It's a reciprocal opportunity for all to learn!
Is it a perfect site? No. Does CD have some concerns? Yes. Are you opened to change? Yes. Does CD know it all? No. I will share with you how to address some concerns listed above in a Personal Message (PM) entitled: "What 'Aileth' CD". These are my suggestions for you to consider to relate to former users and help current and new users to fulfill CD's objectives. You are at liberty to share the complete remarks or select portions with the users of the new CD. It's your call to make. I hope you find them useful for immediate implementation for effective improvement for site destined to become the online discussion site second to none.
Be of good courage. Hold fast to that which is good. CM
Comments
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I don't think it is fair to say former members gave any contempt for Jan. Their farewell posts said nothing of the kind. Let's stick to facts.
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Thanks for your response. CM
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@C_M_ said:
Thanks for your response. CMI do think we need to find a way to get the board more alive. It's been like a ghost town the last few days. I've tried the last week or so to take a softer tone and I think all of use can do a little better one the abrasiveness of our tone with each other.
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Thanks @C_M_ for your kind words. You're right, CD is here to stay, even with the ever shrinking group of users, and even if the original CD came back.
With all the work that has gone into posts and debates, shutting it down would be a bit unfair towards the contributors too.Let's pray that the right people will join at the right time.
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Happy New Year! 2019!
Chairman, Jan,
The first month of the New Year (2019) is almost gone and will take its rightful place, like all the other months and years of the past, into history and eternity.
Thank you for your vision and steadfastness in providing forums to Christians to express their knowledge, opinions, understanding of political, spiritual and societal matters. As you can see, posts have been in the range from the elementary to the scholarly; extreme literal conservative to the "liberal" progressive; and from the sublime to the ridiculous. Truth is given deductively and inductively. At the end of the day, enlightenment remains the goal to be reached by all -- participants and silent readers.
Jan, thanks, for your willingness to do your part monitoring the overall tone of posters and mutual respect for one another, here in CD. I encourage you to be diligent in being a "Change Agent" for higher standards, the best advertisement for solid growth.
As you have seen, deliberate steps have been taken to include new topics, challenging and stimulating, for the Bible student or reader. In addition, the relevant update on current events added to satisfied any political, spiritual, intellectual, and/or social conscious mind. In view of the format, you offered, no one, past, present or future visit to this site can't say (with any degree of sincerity), we discuss only or there is too much politics. The claim held "no water" in the past. It's an "absolutely positively" impossibility now!
So, Jan, when you travel and/or visit sites beyond my reach, tell them of Christian Debate (in my view, "second to none"), a place of challenges and an opportunity to witness to others with real-world mentalities.
In providing the offerings of CD, you don't need me to tell you that all participants professing Christianity some may express non-Christian sentiments and endorse a myriad of ancient heresies, by design and from miseducation over the years. However, one doesn't have to look hard or very deep to see some contributors who espouse biblical views, but the core of the expressions is one of the following:
- Docetism -- denied Christ had real physical nature, asserted that He was a mere phantom, flitting across the stage of the world—a transient apparition.
- Gnosticism -- denied that a divine Person could become incarnate, or unite Himself with a human body.
- Docetic Gnostics -- maintained that a divine element descended upon Christ at His baptism and departed before the crucifixion, so Deity did not suffer on the cross.
These and several others I can cite. If these were not enough, some even questioned the source of all authority and truth, the Bible, and the foundation of Christianity, Jesus, the Christ. Although these "tares" are sown in opened view, I pray the wheat of truth to continue to be planted that there will bread of truth to feed the hungry soul. It has been said to discern truth from error is heresy is not needed. The foolproof method is to study the original, The Word (Bible).
Let's not forget, truth, in any form, can stand close examination. CM
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I think we've been doing quite okay over the past year. Most threads have been going more or less civilized. True, we've lost some members, but we also gained some.
CD is now regularly mentioned on the Logos forums, almost every time a thread goes into theological discussion or out of hand in other ways.
I created a Facebook page which has lots of followers already. (I confess I did a minor paid promotion for it...) https://www.facebook.com/christiandiscourse/
I'm not too worried about the various heresies. No-one would really want to join a forum where everyone agrees, right?
Another plan for this year is obtaining permission from FL to salvage the old CD.com content. I noticed the site now redirects to FL groups, so I suspect it's never gonna come back. It would be a shame to lose all the old CD threads.
Bottom line: still lots of potential for growth!!
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Jan,
As we come to the Omega of this year, thank you for all your support. May make a suggestion layout of the various categories?
Would you consider, if all possible, proven helpful and effective, to keep all the contributions (OPs) under the healing of the category? For example: one would click of the category headings to see all the contributions (OPs). Instead of see all the contributions for the various topics, one would go to the specific categories the latest posts and the others. CM
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I'm not getting it...
Right now, if you click on a category, you see all posts in that specific category. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?
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Sorry, poorly written. This is what I intended to say: When looking all the contributions at once, especially, when "current events" (politics in particular) dominates, it may be a turn-off for some. As you were, carry on. CM
PS. Jan, I know your "plate is full", but pace yourself. Do what you can when you can. Thanks. CM
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Oh, I see what you mean now.
I copied this layout idea from the old CD, but maybe it's not such a good design. I'll have a look into it after running the updates.
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@jan @C_M_
I got to thinking earlier. What if there was a formal debate section of the board where a topic could be challenged, only two people allowed to post in a formal setup.
Opening Statements
Rebuttals
Closing Statements.
Thoughts?
M
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Thanks, Reformed, for the contribution. Your suggestions appear to be workable only if the following are in place:
- If it adds to the overall Bible understanding--Christian Faith and be a platform for "anti-christ"/Christian to spur warmed over ancient heresies.
- Having the personnel in place to set up monitor process.
- Provide a summary of the exchanges or a transcript of the entire debate.
- An independent source (non-debaters) to select the questions or topics for discussion.
- Invite two guests educated skilled-debaters to take on the current CD's two anti-christ/Trinitarian promoters (Bill/Wolfgang).
These and other things need to be considered when moving forward. CM
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Oops! In need of Corrections:
Error:
If it adds to the overall Bible understanding--Christian Faith and be a platform for "anti-christ"/Christian to spur warmed over ancient heresies.
CORRECTIONS: It should read:
If it adds to the overall Bible understanding--Christian Faith and NOT be a platform for "anti-christ"/Christians THOUGHTS SPEWING warmed-over ancient heresies.
Sorry for the misprint. CM
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You are overthinking this.
- Any topic should be able to be debated.
- 2. Agree
- 3. No, this is not needed. All that is needed is a format that must be adhered to. This will not be an endless debate. 2-5 posts for each participant at most.
- Why? Why not let any member challenge another member to a formal debate?
- Why are you singling this out?
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It seems you have this all worked out. I gave my suggestions. I will leave it at that. I guess if can persuade the Chairman, Jan. My desire is to exalt Jesus and affirm the Word (Bible). Be blessed. CM
PS. See what Mitch thinks. CM
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Chairman Jan,
Thank you for your commitment and service for the past year. Warmest greetings and blessings to you and your family. A little break from your studies, I hope it gave you time to reflect on a better year. As we embark upon this new year, you will see that some people, things, and topics remain the same. With a new year, there is always the possibility of change, without and within our power.
Do you have any news, fresh ideas, or changes for Christian Debate in 2020? All of the efforts are well-noted and always appreciated. Thank you again for the privilege to be a part of this and the freedom you afford each. Good things come to those who wait, especially on the Lord.
God's speed! CM
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Sorry about the late reply. I'm still in time though to wish everyone a Happy New Year...... a Happy Chinese New Year! 😁
I always have many ideas, but I think I should restrict myself to two goals for 2020:
- Get permission from FL to revive the name "Christian Discourse" for this forum. (That's the smaller goal.)
- Recover the content from the old Christian Discourse forum from www.archive.org and create a new site archive.christiandiscourse.net with all the old content. (Massive project.)
Apart from that, I'll continue my studies. I'm in the middle of the Near Eastern archaeology course, and plan to join as a volunteer at the Sodom excavation site in 2021. Other projects for 2020 include setting up a German apologetics YouTube channel (much needed, as there's nothing comparable to the amount of quality content that's being produced in English on a daily basis) and initiating a big Amazon boycott campaign (which is currently stuck for a very silly reason, and if anyone of you could connect me with a trustworthy investment broker or a finance broker in the States, that'd be awesome, and very helpful to get this thing going again).
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@Jan,
Where is this fulfillment in 2023? CM
