Tek7 (Legacy)
CGA & ToJ President
Greetings, all.
Many of you have recently read a thread in which I publicly reprimanded a forum member who posted a hostile reply to another forum member. The situation presented me, as forum moderator, with a difficult choice: Do I close the thread and suggest that such behavior is "swept under the rug" or do I publicly reprimand a forum member for a public attack and risk offending others? I made the best decision I could make with the information I was given, but I made a key mistake: I did not walk away from the computer and my frustration to pray and seek the Lord's will in this situation. I later moved the offending posts to a private forum and posted a note on the public thread to say that the situation was being dealt with privately. Still, the damage was done.
I apologize to the community as a whole and specifically to the individual I offended for not seeking the Lord in prayer before reacting. My frustration was still fresh when I posted my reply. Many situations present an obvious resolution, but others, like the case in question, do not. In these cases, moderators should pray over the matter, search the Scripture, and reach a conclusion before reacting.
Though the incident occurred in a Tribe of Judah forum, I feel compelled to appoint a second moderator to the CGA General Discussion forum. After I have appointed a second moderator, I will personally start a new thread for the purpose of discussing upcoming films. This topic relates to all Christians, not just ToJ members. I will also make a point to prayerfully consider responses to violations of the forums Terms of Service in the future. The purpose of the Terms of Service is not to punish those who don't follow the rules but to develop and maintain an environment where those who do follow the rules benefit and grow in their relationship with Christ.
That being said, I will continue to enforce the rules set forth in the Terms of Service. I will be careful to seek the Lord and act wisely, taking my responsibility to this community seriously. I will do my best to moderate the forums in a fair and impartial manner. Hostility toward other members will not be tolerated. We, as Christians, are called to unity. Disciplining members who break the rules is not intended to humiliate or embarrass, but rather correct. It is to be done in love. We all make mistakes and we should be received by other Christians in love when we repent. This assumes giving the offender the opportunity to repent.
Putting the issue of rules and enforcement aside, I want to share my heart for this community. It is my fervent desire to create an environment where users are comfortable discussing difficult topics and asking hard questions regarding faith, religion, and life. There are many churches where people, especially young people, are hesitant to open their mouths to discuss difficult topics for fear of being mocked, attacked, and ostracized. We choose whether or not we will dare to discuss controversial topics. I passionately believe that we should discuss these subjects--in a civil, respectful, and even loving manner.
We are members of a strong faith that has stood terrible attacks over thousands of years. We should be eager, not afraid, to ask questions to make our faith our own. This is the reason I have kept the Religious Discussion forum open and continue to allow non-Christians to post on these forums.
A relationship is developed by spending time and talking with that person about a range of topics, including those that are confusing, complex, and troubling. Our relationship with Christ is no different in that respect.
Many of you have recently read a thread in which I publicly reprimanded a forum member who posted a hostile reply to another forum member. The situation presented me, as forum moderator, with a difficult choice: Do I close the thread and suggest that such behavior is "swept under the rug" or do I publicly reprimand a forum member for a public attack and risk offending others? I made the best decision I could make with the information I was given, but I made a key mistake: I did not walk away from the computer and my frustration to pray and seek the Lord's will in this situation. I later moved the offending posts to a private forum and posted a note on the public thread to say that the situation was being dealt with privately. Still, the damage was done.
I apologize to the community as a whole and specifically to the individual I offended for not seeking the Lord in prayer before reacting. My frustration was still fresh when I posted my reply. Many situations present an obvious resolution, but others, like the case in question, do not. In these cases, moderators should pray over the matter, search the Scripture, and reach a conclusion before reacting.
Though the incident occurred in a Tribe of Judah forum, I feel compelled to appoint a second moderator to the CGA General Discussion forum. After I have appointed a second moderator, I will personally start a new thread for the purpose of discussing upcoming films. This topic relates to all Christians, not just ToJ members. I will also make a point to prayerfully consider responses to violations of the forums Terms of Service in the future. The purpose of the Terms of Service is not to punish those who don't follow the rules but to develop and maintain an environment where those who do follow the rules benefit and grow in their relationship with Christ.
That being said, I will continue to enforce the rules set forth in the Terms of Service. I will be careful to seek the Lord and act wisely, taking my responsibility to this community seriously. I will do my best to moderate the forums in a fair and impartial manner. Hostility toward other members will not be tolerated. We, as Christians, are called to unity. Disciplining members who break the rules is not intended to humiliate or embarrass, but rather correct. It is to be done in love. We all make mistakes and we should be received by other Christians in love when we repent. This assumes giving the offender the opportunity to repent.
Putting the issue of rules and enforcement aside, I want to share my heart for this community. It is my fervent desire to create an environment where users are comfortable discussing difficult topics and asking hard questions regarding faith, religion, and life. There are many churches where people, especially young people, are hesitant to open their mouths to discuss difficult topics for fear of being mocked, attacked, and ostracized. We choose whether or not we will dare to discuss controversial topics. I passionately believe that we should discuss these subjects--in a civil, respectful, and even loving manner.
We are members of a strong faith that has stood terrible attacks over thousands of years. We should be eager, not afraid, to ask questions to make our faith our own. This is the reason I have kept the Religious Discussion forum open and continue to allow non-Christians to post on these forums.
A relationship is developed by spending time and talking with that person about a range of topics, including those that are confusing, complex, and troubling. Our relationship with Christ is no different in that respect.
