Christian Chat

@rav3n Thanks explaining this my friend. At times i feel unsure what to share and what not, for i consider faith talk to be different than religious talk.

It is sad to see that the many sins of Christianity as a religion hinder us here talking freely with anyone about the awesome power faith in truth and love can have the life of someone who is mentally ill.

For i do agree that Christianity as a faith is often guilty handing over (hurting) people to mere religious ideals, rather than sharing their love joy and faith in the love of our Creator for all, bible bash them. That happened to a lot of (hurting) people i know, and to me and my family as well.

i hope you have a great day!

@DownMoreThanUp thanks for sharing that brother, to know that you have remained in touch and are showing him Jesus in the way you live your life is wonderful. I feel that he will seek Jesus out.

My sister told me that our dad drew closer to God because of me. I reminded her that it wasn't me, it was God using me.

I still pray for my ex friend and former God children as I have heard they have turned their backs on our faith. God used me to bring this friend back to Jesus so I am sad she is back sliding and not bringing her kids up in faith anymore.

God keeps telling me "well done good and faithful servant" as I write this - I believe it is meant for you.

I hope you're feeling good today and that the weather is nice down your way 😊

I have to stand by @DownMoreThanUp on this. For there are many people seeking but wouldn't openly connect with the Christian chat.

I see so often now where we as Christians are being shut down for speaking our truth whereas other religious groups are free to speak out and demand that their beliefs and traditions be observed.

To me, I need to share Jesus whenever the opportunity arises.

We are taught by Jesus to speak His truth. As the saying goes- speak with love the word of God, for it may be the only God a person gets to hear/see.

I am uncomfortable being called religious. I am not. I'm a Christian and there IS a difference as we have all seen.

I won't deliberately post about faith on other threads but I won't deny it either. I've been supported by several members on Sane when I've spoken of my faith.

If Sane is going to be so inclusive that it starts to exclude, then their mission will be lost.

Thanks for the information @AuntGlow It has helped a bit. I feel abandoned which is triggered by childhood trauma. 😭 I'm so hurt that they didn't tell me that they were going but am trying to understand! I need to try to reach out to others. I know that's the only way it's going to work for me. It's so hard, though. I feel like I've lost a 'good friend'! 🥹

@ENKELI Thanks and this counts for you as well! Loving people enough to pray for them although there is nothing in it for you in the present is truly Jesus Spirit moving us within i reckon. For i'm sure your love for the lost is no must do but solely want to as well.

i did once bump into a fine young man on a depression forum, who suffered from autism, and who had also spend years working with people on the street. When i met him i thought we can share things about our experiences there. thinking we have things to share about working with down and out people.

However the poor man was so disappointed working with those who mockingly labelled 'lazy bums and hopeless losers.' For at the time he was deeply depressed about the years he felt he had wasted working with losers, and he himself becoming a loser helping them those losers.

At first he became a little angry with me, when i shared my love for these people, even though i knew they had fallen low in life. Yet when i explained how when we operate out of love not thinking we ought to do good works, rather than getting depressed, it helps us to fight depression for we have cultivated the very force that can overcome depression, he kept it in mind.

Luckily over time he did turn around, for he found the love of Jesus for himself, through others on the forum, and like so overcame his depression through god's love within. We became much closer friends after that, and often together witnessed God's love to hurting people on the forums.

hey @ENKELI & @DownMoreThanUp - appreciate you both sharing your point of view. i think i have often used faith and religion interchangeably, but i can see that for others, these words have separate meaning which makes sense too. thank you for explaining this!

i can hear where you're coming from and thank you so much for being open and earnest about this. it's really important that our Christian members feel like they are able to share their faith, especially as it's such huge facet and conduit for healing. 💙
when we moderate or move around any religious posts, we are not looking to suppress or silence your beliefs. however, we always look at posts as objectively as possible, to ascertain how other members may receive it - this is to help ensure everyone's beliefs are respected. In saying this, we absolutely appreciate how much Christianity has supported your wellbeing and we never want you to stop posting about the things that bring you purpose, meaning, and hope.

also wanted to offer - if you have any suggestions/feedback around how the forums space discusses faith and our guidelines, please feel free to pass it on here: Feedback and complaints policy!

Oh that makes so much sense, lovely. @heartathome

I am sure this feels really vulnerable for you... and I completely get it. Having someone be present and consistent, and then suddenly disappear, is deeply triggering - particularly when we are unsure why.

What do you need most when you feel this way? 💛

Also, I think reaching out to others for support is a really good idea. Please know that this person likely left because of what was happening for them, and I am certain it would have had nothing to do with how much they valued your friendship and connection.

Big hugs. 🫶

@DownMoreThanUp and praise Jesus your friend was saved.

For me, the experience of knowing Christ intimately is something I want everyone to have. Like you, I've known people who would mock my faith and then they have a complete turnaround. I had one colleague ask me for forgiveness and I was so amazed at his transformation. He was one of the sleaziest men I'd ever met and now he's devoted to his church, where he met and married his lovely wife.

The downside though is that I have also had former Christian friends tell me how bad of a believer I am and that I better get used to the idea of going to hell because my belief was an excuse to judge people.

Background story, I asked how he could pray the rosary each morning and use tarot cards at night.

The same with former friend. I made a comment about how her daughter had treated me and she threw more Scripture at me than I could follow. She used God's word against me and again commented that I am a poor excuse for a believer if I can't forgive her daughter for disrespecting me constantly.

I'd long forgiven her daughter, my God children. Ex friend took a little longer and I still say I forgive her in my prayers. 70 times 7 right?!

And that's why I got upset when you quoted Scripture regarding your dog. I was so triggered and I didn't realise how it had affected me.

So here, as your sister in Christ, I am saying I am sorry for how I spoke to you and ask your forgiveness.

Unfortunately she was also a backyard breeder so it was a double whammy. She let her dog breed and when she couldn't find homes for the pups she literally dumped them at the dog shelter.

I am so sorry I wasn't able to communicate these facts. You are not a backyard breeder and I know that you will do the right thing when you do breed your champion pupper.

Lol, this is what happens when you ask the Lord for transformation!

God bless my dear brother, I hope your night is going well 🙏 ❤️

@rav3n thanks for your understanding lovely.

Like I said to @DownMoreThanUp, being on fire for Jesus makes me want to tell the world about him.

When I was first born again my athiest brother had to put up with me asking how he couldn't see how amazing Jesus is!

He's much more accepting of my faith and I teasingly warned him that God is going to transform his life too!

I will definitely have a think about your suggestion to give feedback.

I certainly don't want to go the whole Jehovahs Witness on every member I interact with but you are no doubt aware that I offer to pray for fellow Saneys. I've not had any kickback and in fact no one has said no when I've asked if I could pray for them.

The situation with the Christian thread on another topic page I saw as innocent but perhaps I am naive. If I am not tagged in a post but choose to read it then that is on me and I have no right to complain.

I was tagged on the pagan thread. I mentioned to the member who tagged me that I didn't want to be tagged and all is good. We both respected each other's beliefs and chat in other threads.

Sorry I gab on so much, my mother would say I was injected with a gramophone needle!

Hugs 🫂 🤗 my favourite rav3n xx

@ENKELI i can not use the support button but i kiss a holy kiss my dear sister. for getting to know you has been an exciting journey here on SANE.

i understood you were triggered, and i was too, we were both set up against each other. i saw the devil laughing in my face at the time, hence my trouble at the time going through this. i did not mean to bible bash you put just use scripture to back up my point of view, and you did not want to upset me but reacted out of past hurts as well as the bad habits of others you knew about.

That nasty creep always does this when we believers meet each other in Christ, as we had been doing. Then he sets us up against each other about things that do not really matter, just to break oneness in Christ. The very awesome oneness Christ prays about for His followers in John 17.

Let us remember in the future, when satan tries again to pry us apart through our differences, that Jesus paid for both of us to have our life down here, even for our life in wrong He lays down His life, and that we see each other only ever in Him and through Him.

Very happy to get to know you better. That our Lord bless you and keep you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzqrWae5lK4&list=RDx0E9_jRtrHc&index=12