Can we make MN less hostile?

[Reflecting]

I have yet to be 100% convinced anyone here is TRYING to be a bully.

Yet the evidence is that some people, indeed, are.

Careful there Josh. You shoot yourself in the foot, and even a bootstrap will not be able to help you get a shoe on it for a while!

Sorry for hopping down this bunny trail. Just couldn’t resist.
I probably should have done more reflecting before posting.

[Reflecting]

Someone stops being a "brother" when they accuse you of having lost your salvation because you disagree with them

But they are still a human being with an eternal soul even when one or the other has a different Father.
Be nice even if you can not entreat them as a brother.

As to some of the rest of your comments, I can not respond in part because I don’t know what may have happened via pm.

[Robert]

I hope there is someone warning others of my instability. My wife does it in real life.

[temporal1]

not sure if MG is still reading, but, he/she should know, most members take breaks from reading and/or posting on forum, for all sorts of reasons. all reasons are ok. all lengths of time are ok. announced or not is ok. often, breaks are taken without any outward notice. i.e., members are free to come+go.

new members may not realize this.
imho, it’s helpful to know.

so, peace be with you. for now, and into your future.

[Josh]

Someone stops being a "brother" when they accuse you of having lost your salvation because you disagree with them

But they are still a human being with an eternal soul even when one or the other has a different Father.
Be nice even if you can not entreat them as a brother.

As to some of the rest of your comments, I can not respond in part because I don’t know what may have happened via pm.

Nothing to do with PMs. I was accused in public, in the open, of having lost my salvation (with a quote from 1 Corinthians 6), simply for being too "argumentative" with a certain member of MennoNet and that being a sign of my lost spiritual condition.

Instead of making this personal about me and that person, the better question is if this kind of behaviour should be tolerated, and if not, how to go about resolving it. MennoDiscuss had few rules, but one was that you could not question another person's salvation. Apparently that rule is no longer in force. The answer instead is "Grow a thicker skin".

[Robert]

[bible]matt 10,14[/bible]

[bible]matt 5,39[/bible]

[Robert]

I would edit and say make work in God's favor.

[Bootstrap]

MennoDiscuss had few rules, but one was that you could not question another person's salvation. Apparently that rule is no longer in force. The answer instead is "Grow a thicker skin".

Earlier in this thread, I think we were asked to simply report any such post. Is that still the guidance? I assume moderators would deal with the post?

I have seen that work well for a couple of people who reported posts recently, including me.

[Josh]

MennoDiscuss had few rules, but one was that you could not question another person's salvation. Apparently that rule is no longer in force. The answer instead is "Grow a thicker skin".

Earlier in this thread, I think we were asked to simply report any such post. Is that still the guidance? I assume moderators would deal with the post?

I have seen that work well for a couple of people who reported posts recently, including me.

That's a positive notion going forward.

However, the past does still exist - and we have some rather big elephants in the room, such as an inability on the part of some people to acknowledge that they've done and said very hurtful things, and then attacking ideas like creating an "emotionally safe place" on MN when any attempts are done to prevent hurtful things from continuing to happen.

Part of reconciliation is everyone coming to the table, admitting past wrongs, and agreeing to work together to make the future better. Unfortunately, some participants in this kerfluffle don't want to do that.

Quite frankly, I would have laid all this aside until the hurtful, nasty comments towards MennoGal about depression started up. That shows there hasn't been any change on the part of some for a pattern of behaviour where they act like they can do no wrong, never apologise, and continue to hurt others.

I'm very open to being proven wrong. The start is asking for forgiveness and saying they're sorry, and asking the people they've hurt what they can do to reconcile and make it right.

[temporal1]

I would edit and say make work in God's favor.

Bootstrap wrote:
Earlier in this thread, I think we were asked to simply report any such post. Is that still the guidance? I assume moderators would deal with the post?

I have seen that work well for a couple of people who reported posts recently, including me.

Yep. Robert+mods do a fine job.