Raca! You fool! You idiot!

[Bootstrap]

Jesus said this long before internet forums:

21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister, will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.

I have rarely seen this kind of thing in face-to-face discussion in Mennonite churches, so I'm surprised when even Mennonites respond this way to each other online. But I am seeing people say things that clearly mean "you have no right to speak, you are an idiot" or "you have no right to speak, I have the Holy Spirit and you don't" or "you have no right to speak, I know what I am talking about and you don't".

Can we do better? I think the analysis below is accurate. I definitely think we should be able to offer other opinions, question something that has been said, discuss areas where we might grow, ask for evidence if people say something that may not be true, etc., but that's different from the whole Raca! You fool! You idiot! thing.

https://www.gotquestions.org/raca.html

The first-century Jews recognized that “anyone who murders will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:21), but Jesus warns that even calling another person insulting names such as “raca” is sinful. Murder begins in the heart, and epithets such as “raca” are signs that there is hatred lurking within. The hatred that causes one person to hurl insults is the same hatred that causes another to commit murder. The attitude of the heart is the same, and it’s this attitude that makes a person morally guilty before God.

Jesus not only warns us against expressing unrighteous anger, which can lead to murder, but clearly commands that disparaging denunciations and name-calling be avoided. Such abusive words reveal the true intents of one’s heart and mind for which we will be held in judgment: “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve” (Jeremiah 17:10; cf. 1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Chronicles 28:9).

[Hats Off]

It has been suggested that with correspondence like this on a forum or even by phone people will say things that they would not say to someone in person. The other problem in remote correspondence is that we do not have the benefit of seeing or knowing each other so it is too easy to be misunderstood. Words alone do not do a good job of properly expressing what we are trying to say. They are poor servants but still the best we have.

[lesterb]

I have rarely seen this kind of thing in face-to-face discussion in Mennonite churches, so I'm surprised when even Mennonites respond this way to each other online. But I am seeing people say things that clearly mean "you have no right to speak, you are an idiot" or "you have no right to speak, I have the Holy Spirit and you don't" or "you have no right to speak, I know what I am talking about and you don't".

I sincerely hope that I haven't come across this way. I'm sorry if I have.

There are a lot of hurting people in the world and some of them are or have been on MennoDiscuss and MennoNet. My vision for MennoNet is that it would be an encouragement to do right and to follow Jesus. I don't always agree with everyone, and there are times that I feel compelled to say so, because I don't want someone to come along and get a false impression.

But I do feel that Christian people should be pretty careful in their online relationships.

However, once in a while I glance through the comments on a news site, or elsewhere, then I decide that I guess we're not quite as bad as I thought. And I also feel that there has been definite improvement in this since the days I first dropped in.

Cheers brothers and sisters. Keep serving Jesus! And if you're not serving Jesus, remember He loves you and died for you. PTL.

[Sudsy]

Boot, I applaud your continued efforts to seek reconcilations and improvements on how we honour one another in our postings. In our strivings to be better Christians, imo, a forum is not a good place to rebuke other believers but rather a place to share our views in a nice way that may be quite different than other's views. I know I have much to learn in how I go about 'defending the faith', as if I now have the absolute truth on a subject.

Hoping some day that the 'foe' feature here goes away and we no longer need consider one another in this way. I can see where someone may use it for a period of time but only with a goal to be able remove that name from their 'foe' list.

Another way to test my attitude toward another, which I have noticed about myself, is if I am reluctant to click on the heart feature of anyone's post. If I can't 'amen' someone for a post that encourages and\or rings true in my heart, then I need to check out my attitude toward them.

Anyway, keep up the good example and I will try harder to do likewise. If I am on anyone's 'foe' list, feel free to PM me and I will try to work things out regarding why I am there.

Yes, we can always do better.

[PastorRich]

A "foe" list? This makes me smile! While I am sure I may have been added to one or two in years past I have never put anyone on it. I rather tend to enjoy those with whom I disagree most.

My wife has often commented my diverse groups of friends of which sometimes the only thing we have in common is we don't have much in common!

[temporal1]

A "foe" list? This makes me smile! While I am sure I may have been added to one or two in years past I have never put anyone on it. I rather tend to enjoy those with whom I disagree most.

My wife has often commented my diverse groups of friends of which sometimes the only thing we have in common is we don't have much in common!

that's rich.

[Valerie]

A "foe" list? This makes me smile! While I am sure I may have been added to one or two in years past I have never put anyone on it. I rather tend to enjoy those with whom I disagree most.

My wife has often commented my diverse groups of friends of which sometimes the only thing we have in common is we don't have much in common!

You make me mindful of this passage:

Proverbs 27:17King James Version (KJV)

17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

I also appreciate people being willing to share when they want to rebuke, correct, admonish or teach me something when I share my own thoughts or understandings-
I think Boot is pointing out the necessity of 'speaking the truth in 'love'- sometimes when we feel passionate about our own perception of truth regarding all things Scripture & Church- our emotions can get in the way if we begin to feel frustrated (at least I can feel frustrated at times trying to convey my thoughts/heart on something, especially when responses seem to convey that I don't get a point across well)
Since a forum like this one is made up of people who seem to really want to follow Christ and grow & mature in that desire to follow Him, speaking the truth 'in love' should come across like though we disagree here & there doesn't mean we don't care for each other-
Like lesterb, when I read comments 'elsewhere' whew- people can get really nasty with one another, use foul language, etc-
It makes anything disagreements on MN look tame by comparison YET as Boot points out, we can do better- we are not of the world. If we have stepped over the line in treatment publicly here- then publicly acknowledge it and let us witness forgiveness. Do not let the devil get a foothold-

Ephesians 4:26 (KJV) Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

[Bootstrap]

I also appreciate people being willing to share when they want to rebuke, correct, admonish or teach me something when I share my own thoughts or understandings-

Me too. That's important.

And really, there's no point to these discussions if we aren't learning from each other.

I think Boot is pointing out the necessity of 'speaking the truth in 'love'- sometimes when we feel passionate about our own perception of truth regarding all things Scripture & Church- our emotions can get in the way if we begin to feel frustrated (at least I can feel frustrated at times trying to convey my thoughts/heart on something, especially when responses seem to convey that I don't get a point across well)

Sometimes I think I've explained what I think reasonably well, but people don't agree with me. I'm not sure if they actually read what I said carefully or not, and I'm not sure if I explained it as well as I thought. But I think that's just the way things work. And I think it's important to leave room for people to be different, to think and feel differently. Not to leave room for sin, that would be wrong, but to leave room for varieties of understandings and feelings.

I get frustrated if I feel I have to change other people. Most people don't come here to be changed by me, you, or anyone else. I get frustrated if I try to win the debate instead of being part of the discussion. I get frustrated if I try to write a post that will shut the other person up, because the other person always responds, and often picks up on the tone in my post and ups the ante. I'm trying to pay more attention to my feelings - if I'm feeling frustrated or angry, it's usually not a good time to post. That feeling is going to come out in ways I may not realize until I read the post again later. By then, it's fanned some flames.

Since a forum like this one is made up of people who seem to really want to follow Christ and grow & mature in that desire to follow Him, speaking the truth 'in love' should come across like though we disagree here & there doesn't mean we don't care for each other-

Yes! Very well said! That's a big part of what I was trying to get across in the original post. Caring is pretty close to the meaning of the Greek word agape - caring for each other, caring about each other, the caring kind of love.

Like lesterb, when I read comments 'elsewhere' whew- people can get really nasty with one another, use foul language, etc-
It makes anything disagreements on MN look tame by comparison YET as Boot points out, we can do better- we are not of the world. If we have stepped over the line in treatment publicly here- then publicly acknowledge it and let us witness forgiveness. Do not let the devil get a foothold-

Amen.

If we want to be a testimony to the world, we really need to live in forgiveness, reconciliation, and love. Even with people who disagree with me. If we can't do that, it doesn't matter how right my opinion is on anything.

[Hats Off]

It has been said that "arguing" is pointless; if you are right, there is no point in it and if you are wrong, why continue? However, I have noticed that usually when we talk of arguing, we refer to heated disagreements; those are the kind we want to avoid. When an author says that he will "argue" for a certain interpretation, that is similar to what we want to do on this forum. This "argument" is to present the facts as we see them, and hopefully convince you that our understanding is correct. Or, conversely, to learn that we do not have all the facts yet, or that our understanding is misguided. And yet always with due respect for the other.

[Robert]

You make me mindful of this passage:

Proverbs 27:17King James Version (KJV)

17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

I also appreciate people being willing to share when they want to rebuke, correct, admonish or teach me something when I share my own thoughts or understandings-
I think Boot is pointing out the necessity of 'speaking the truth in 'love'- sometimes when we feel passionate about our own perception of truth regarding all things Scripture & Church- our emotions can get in the way if we begin to feel frustrated (at least I can feel frustrated at times trying to convey my thoughts/heart on something, especially when responses seem to convey that I don't get a point across well)
Since a forum like this one is made up of people who seem to really want to follow Christ and grow & mature in that desire to follow Him, speaking the truth 'in love' should come across like though we disagree here & there doesn't mean we don't care for each other-
Like lesterb, when I read comments 'elsewhere' whew- people can get really nasty with one another, use foul language, etc-
It makes anything disagreements on MN look tame by comparison YET as Boot points out, we can do better- we are not of the world. If we have stepped over the line in treatment publicly here- then publicly acknowledge it and let us witness forgiveness. Do not let the devil get a foothold-

Ephesians 4:26 (KJV) Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

That sounds like teaching to me!

Preach it sister!