Sheesh, I go home where I cannot get online as often, and the thread I started gets out of hand. This is what I did not want to happen. I personally don't care that the topic of the thread shifted. That happens, life is screwy that way. I have nothing against people trying to discover and discuss the truth, that's a good and noble thing. But if people are going to argue and hurt feelings, and people are going to misunderstand and feel hurt, then there's a problem. The conversation has moved to a point where it is no longer debate searching for truth, but it seems to have become a case of people butting heads and making personal attacks. The mere fact that that has been previously mentioned, or that people seem to misunderstand it as such, should be a red flag.
PigBoyCrosby, I wanted to and tried to find the source of your quote about the Kingdom of Christ, but it seemed to me that you were simply trying to instigate something nasty. I’ve got plenty of firepower, but I chose not to use it. Friend, maybe I misunderstand (I hope to God that I do), but that offends me. But because my Christ commands it, I forgive you.
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mean to simply point fingers and say he’s the only one at fault here. I think some hurtful things that have been said by a number of different people and some apologies need to be made (thankfully that has happened to a degree). I think the last thing we want on this forum is bitterness between any members.
I'm sorry to all of you. If this was face-to-face conversation, I would actually have been shouting. Please, excuse me for getting a little worked up and ranty, but this is one thing I cannot stand.
You want to debate these issues, be that suffering, Mother Theresa, Biblical historicity, Paris Hilton, or even what color socks to wear to a funeral, that's fine and good. But please, please, please, be civil about it; don't get personal. If that continues, I hope some nice moderator will do us all a favor and lock this thread.