Would anyone be interested in participating in this?

[Wolfeman]

In June I interviewed for a missionary position. After the interview I asked the Pastors who interviewed me if there were any areas I could improve upon. The immediate answer from one was that I should work on being more concise in my answers. I was too verbose and spoke too long.

Our society has programmed us all for shorter and shorter attention spans. From TV and internet content to teaching methods in school to even parking lot and store setup. Twitter is a great example of this. Yet when asked theological questions or questions about our opinions we continue to post walls of text that do nothing more than reduce our ability to get our point across.

I'm suggesting a twitter answer exercise. Each Monday a question will be posted. During the week each person can post a single Bible verse and a short answer to the question. On Friday voting will begin to determine who answered the question clearest. Because questions are often opinion there will be no vote to determine who won, just who expressed their opinion the clearest. The winner gets to post the next question.

Twitter's limit of 140 characters is way too low for this I believe. There is no limit but 2 to 4 sentences (not including the Bible verse) seems ideal.

So... anyone interested?

 

[Patriot]

I'm sorry, your post was too long for me to read all the way through. Can you be more concise?

All joking aside, there are certain topics that cannot be explained in a couple sentences. I'm all for making a point as clear as possible (which generally involves the shortest answer), but I would hesitate to "dumb down" certain explanations because the audience is too lazy to sit and listen.

 

[Wolfeman]

It's an exercise in being concise but not dumbing it down. Simple but not simplistic.

It's very easy to dumb things down. It's much more difficult to be concise. If you are asked about why someone should be saved in a game, can you be concise enough to answer their question or would you have to take it outside the game? What about someone in an elevator asking you why homosexuality is wrong? We need to be able to give good, short and simple answers to questions without giving up the meat of the answer. Most people today can't do that.

 

[Patriot]

It's an exercise in being concise but not dumbing it down. Simple but not simplistic.

It's very easy to dumb things down. It's much more difficult to be concise. If you are asked about why someone should be saved in a game, can you be concise enough to answer their question or would you have to take it outside the game?

No, I can't. Though it is a bad example for me since I tend to think a game is not the best environment for discussing spiritual matters. Too many distractions as well as being rude to every other player there who is in the server to play a game, not hear a sermon. If someone wants to seriously discuss it then they should be willing to take the conversation outside of the game.

What about someone in an elevator asking you why homosexuality is wrong?

Aside from "Because God says it is"? If they don't believe in God or the Bible then the entire discussion is an effort in futility anyway.

We need to be able to give good, short and simple answers to questions without giving up the meat of the answer. Most people today can't do that.

I think I am one of the ones who can't. But I don't really see a problem with that. And some questions do not have short, simple answers.

Hmmm, I think what I wrote may sound a bit antagonistic even though I don't mean it like that. I think the idea is good in theory and I just keep picking on the exceptions. So I'll shut up now.

 

[ursen]

As long as it doesn't have to be on twitter but on forum yes. Reply under 140 win.

 

[Wolfeman]

No, I can't. Though it is a bad example for me since I tend to think a game is not the best environment for discussing spiritual matters. Too many distractions as well as being rude to every other player there who is in the server to play a game, not hear a sermon. If someone wants to seriously discuss it then they should be willing to take the conversation outside of the game.

It's a lot ruder to allow someone seeking the truth to die and go to hell than it is to interrupt a game with a few sentences about how one can receive eternal life. But, I'm going to assume you're calvinist and don't believe that God works thru man to plant the seeds of salvation in others which makes what I said a moot point, However, 1 Peter 3:15 still applies no matter how you believe a person comes to salvation. We need to ALWAYS be ready to give an answer. Even when it's rude to do so. This is why being concise is so important.

And some questions do not have short, simple answers.

But that's the beauty of the Bible. All questions have a short simple answer. And a much more in depth answer with many intricacies.

Hmmm, I think what I wrote may sound a bit antagonistic even though I don't mean it like that. I think the idea is good in theory and I just keep picking on the exceptions. So I'll shut up now.

I enjoy the debate. It's good to see all sides of an issue. I certainly don't mean to sound antagonistic and didn't hear that in what you wrote. I think for you its so hard to give a short answer that you'd rather make excuses why you can't than try. In that regard we are a lot alike. The first thing I said after that Pastor offered me the advice on being more concise was "Thank you, but". I tend to feel very strongly about these things and short answers makes me feel like I'm not getting that importance across.

Thank you for your opinions. Given the response so far in terms of views versus votes and comments I doubt I'll do it here. But it was good to hear your opinion of it.

 

[Wolfeman]

As long as it doesn't have to be on twitter but on forum yes. Reply under 140 win.

I don't do twitter. And the answers would be 2 to 4 sentences long, not 140 characters.

 

[Patriot]

It's a lot ruder to allow someone seeking the truth to die and go to hell than it is to interrupt a game with a few sentences about how one can receive eternal life. But, I'm going to assume you're calvinist and don't believe that God works thru man to plant the seeds of salvation in others which makes what I said a moot point, However, 1 Peter 3:15 still applies no matter how you believe a person comes to salvation. We need to ALWAYS be ready to give an answer. Even when it's rude to do so. This is why being concise is so important.

*chuckle*
I've actually made the transition from a Baptist background (Free-will with the exception of OSAS) all the way to a reformed viewpoint and have now moved to a point somewhere in the middle. I believe God does work through man (it would be hard to make a case otherwise). But I also think we need to keep our witness polite and respectful. Interrupting a game seems rude when (if the person is serious about their questions) you could simply take the conversation outside of the server. If talking to people through a game was the only option then I would say go for it.

I enjoy the debate. It's good to see all sides of an issue. I certainly don't mean to sound antagonistic and didn't hear that in what you wrote. I think for you its so hard to give a short answer that you'd rather make excuses why you can't than try. In that regard we are a lot alike. The first thing I said after that Pastor offered me the advice on being more concise was "Thank you, but". I tend to feel very strongly about these things and short answers makes me feel like I'm not getting that importance across.

Thank you for your opinions. Given the response so far in terms of views versus votes and comments I doubt I'll do it here. But it was good to hear your opinion of it.

I think you misunderstood me. I indicated I was willing to try, but that I felt not all questions could be answered in a simplified manner.

 

[Wolfeman]

I believe excessive conversation in a game is indeed rude. Once the conversation gets to the point where it interrupts gameplay it should be taken outside of the game. But in my opinion we should always be ready to give short answers when asked. If they Holy Spirit has prodded, that may be the only time or place that person can get that question answered. A short quick concise answer in game may be what is needed to get them out of game to talk more or make them seek more in-depth answers elsewhere.

I certainly lack the skills to give short concise answers. I knew this but it took a Pastor pointing it out during a missionary interview to make me act upon it. I understand you are willing to try and I appreciate that. However, this thread has 131 views and only 3 votes. It doesn't seem like we have enough people interested to make a go of it.

 

[LITSAFALDA]

Wolfeman..........that's the reason behind whispers/tells and making parties. You can discuss things at length in game without interfering with others playing the game. In the past I have helped many people through whispers, tells, and even over IM when needed......or through PM's here.

Sorry but I don't think I would be interested in participating in your quest. BTW the reason I became a member of CGA/ToJ many moons ago was because of in game whispering and tells. It was nice to find a respectful place to play and also work together with people who are Christian even if we "hear" from God in a different way. I have always said sometimes HE speaks to some in whispers and other times HE needs to hit some upside the head with a two by four. That is why each of us is unique according to God's own plan.


Blessings and Hugs, "Angel"

 

[Wolfeman]

Not sure whispers or tells exist in TF2 or L4D2 for the normal player. There is the option of using Steam but you have to be friends first.

Just trying to improve my ability to be all things to all men and help others as well.

 

[The Mighty Gerbil]

Just coming in to say it seems like a non-disagreement disagreement is occurring. You know the type of disagreement, that seems to occur to often, where the parties involved are really not disagreeing but not seeing it. It's a question of balance or perspective and people are making much ado about nothing.

Does not everyone agree with the following...

Christ is more important than anything else, including games, but...
People playing a game are, for the most part, there for the game. If you make it impossible to play the game by discussion some will want you to shut up, leave or worse be turned away from Christ but...
The opposite could happen and they become interested overhearing you. Games are the only contact you will have with some so if you are going to say anything to them it has to start there.

Yes you can usually take talks to a private chat method but talking does not start there. Someone must say something before then. There is not a blanket answer for every situation yet we should still prepare as best we can 1 Peter 3:15.

It's the same thing we do out of games try to bring people to Christ without turning them away by our efforts. Can being able to communicate concisely can help? Yes. Can you always be concise? No but being able to is a useful tool.

Usually I have problems keeping things concise because individual answers stand on other answers' foundations. I end up not answering a single question but trying to preempt incorrect arguments I already know answers to. Either that or I will say the same thing three different ways to prevent misunderstanding.

 

[ursen]

and other times HE needs to hit some upside the head with a two by four. That is why each of us is unique according to God's own plan.

Lol that is me alright. The longer I have been a Christian, the more I realize that the KISS principle(Keep It Simple Stupid) is more often the correct approach in witnessing to the love of God and power of Salvation in Christ. Yes politely debating the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin can be fun, but of little interest to the unsaved. And

2 Timothy 2:15
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.

is obviously important, but this does not mean being verbose.

 

[Wolfeman]

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time and a place for everything. A time to be concise and a time to be verbose.
1 Corinthians 9:22 tells us that Paul became all things to all men that by all means he might save some.

At one point in time I was talking to a person in a game about Christ. A person who overheard the conversation started talking to me privately. We must never shy away from talking to people in games about Christ because we never know where the seeds will fall. If we deny Him before the world, He will deny us before God. A concise and short answer in a game is less likely to offend or take away from the game for others than a long and verbose one.

I am verbose and wordy. I need to work on that to be more like the Bible teaches me to be. I presented this not to start debate or discussion. Merely to find out if others were interested in exercising their ability to be more concise in their answers. If you can't or have no desire to that's fine. Tek has already stated the mission of CGA/ToJ is primarily fellowship and not outreach. No offense is meant and none is taken.

 

[Odale]

I deal with APA guidelines all day long (APA is the American Psychological Association), and they have their own formatting for papers, research, posters, articles, etc. and being concise and to-the-point are one of the formatting elements inside APA style writing; also, while the APA focuses on psychology, other fields that are unrelated to psychology use APA formatting - for instance the DSC (Doctoral Support Center) in the university where I am currently enrolled for my graduate degree helps the doctoral students in psychology, as well as all other doctoral programs at the school - I'm quite busy and very acquainted with being concise (perhaps not so much on the grammar, though).

I think that for complex questions, there are both long answers and short ones, and the long ones help everyone more than the short ones do. So, I'm not really sure why the pastor said be more concise... unless days passed and you still hadn't answered the question.

I voted no for this because I don't think I would participate. However, I would like to see it on the forums.

Also, for a reference, that first paragraph was one sentence. I think a character limit would be better - if you've got to be concise, you may as well be as concise as you can be. Go big (or small, haha) or go home. Here is what a twitter-esque 140 character response looks like:

How many characters is 140? Well allow me to demonstrate (with double spacing after periods of course). This is 121. Now, we are at 139.

What... I was too tired to wordsmith any more to get to 140. Giving a sentence limit means that people get to be creative with grammatical tools, like -, ;, :, ,, (, ), [, ], and others that I cannot find on this keyboard. These are all ways to get out of being concise. I just saw it as a challenge.

A character limit is a definite limit where as a sentence limit isn't (my first para... uh, sentence was 690 characters, with spaces).

Edit: I hope I am not the only person who thinks this is funny, but all the responses in a thread about an exercise in being concise and not wordy have been HUGE! hahahahaha. I'm out.

 

[Icthus]

I think Nazi's will be mentioned by the 5th page, just saying.

 

[Patriot]

I think Nazi's will be mentioned by the 5th page, just saying.

Technically, you just mentioned them on the 2nd page. . .

 

[Lloren]

"I don't understand where this thread is heading, but I'm in for the idea from OP." (81 characters)

 

[Tek7]

Tek has already stated the mission of CGA/ToJ is primarily fellowship and not outreach.

While I've stated in the past that fellowship comes far more easily to our community than outreach, I would very much like to help start, promote, and expand outreach efforts originating from the Christian gaming community. One of the great strengths of our community is the opportunities we have to help Christians connect with other Christians for encouragement and support, not only in our daily lives but also in online ministry. I believe that serving as a nexus for Christian gamers will remain one of our strengths in years to come, but I would also like to see more focused efforts toward outreach in the near and far future.