Peacekeepers and Bible studies.

StrangeWulf13 · Post by **StrangeWulf13** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 11:43 pm

Tonight, I went to Bible study with my family, those of us who could make it. I didn't have the lessons done for this week, but I still got some interesting things out of it. The video section was the most interesting though.

The author, Beth Moore, talked about how she once had somebody tell her she'd better "realize the difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper". You may not think there is one, but trust me, the two are not the same.

She said that a peacekeeper will try to keep the peace at any cost. And it's often a false peace that they're keeping. I've seen evidence of this in the real world. God knows the UN tried their best to keep peace with Iraq and fifty other nations, pulling every deal they could to appease the tyrants and madmen. And it never worked. The peace was false, and the evil rulers simply took advantage of it (they would be the other opponents of true peace, the lovers of contention; always spoiling for a fight). We sometimes end up as peacekeepers in our home and workplace because we want to be polite and courteous, and because we're afraid to deal with the problem.

I've recognized this before. I've even seen it happen in these forums a couple times, where a peacekeeper emerges trying to keep a peace that simply does not exist. But it wasn't until tonight that I had words to express it. Peacekeepers are not blessed by God; peacemakers are called His children.

Peace doesn't come from us. We can't make it. Peace comes from God, and he can withhold it. Simple as that. And until people submit to His will, he can hold out indefinitely. No one in hell has peace. And they have even less than what they had here.

Those of you who seek to keep the peace in here, don't. You'll only end up trying to forge a compromise to protect a peace that does not exist. Stop being afraid of the forums erupting into flames. Only one person's been banned so far, and they simply proved to be too contentious and argumentative to even bother reasoning with. Things are not going to get as bad as you think. Stop calling for peace. Start growing a backbone. Your life cannot be well-lived if a flame war on a message board puts great fear into your heart.

Stop being afraid. I can respect any man who stands up for what he believes, even if I disagree with those beliefs (though some people make it especially difficult). I cannot respect the man who sits timidly in the corner and simply pleads for everyone to get along. Such a man does not understand true peace. And until he changes, he never will.

Shyal_malkes · Post by **Shyal_malkes** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:10 am

the only reason I fear the forums getting too flamed up is because I hate seeing my friends fight each other. they could flame me all they wanted and I don't think it would really matter to me that much, I just hate seeing them fight each other.

CasVeg · Post by **CasVeg** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:59 pm

Everything from world wars on down to one-on-one murders and muggings is violent conflict. The idiocy of peace riots (and anti-gun riots, too) is that they are ultimately part of the problem that their members claim to be fighting. They just don't get it. . . .

The JAM · Post by **The JAM** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 7:41 am

[...unWARP!!!]

Good evening.

Nicely said, Wulf.

I find the debates here interesting, but when people start insulting each other and straying to personal attacks, well, I skip the posts until things calm down.

The debates can get quite heated here, so try to keep a cool and level head, and be prepared to back up your data.

Drat, where was that magazine...?

Sharuuk · Post by **Sharuuk** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:25 pm

For all intents and purposes we're all "friends" here. We're loud, opinionated, raucous and occasionally we yell at each other and call each other names........but that's human nature.....and what group of people, either complete strangers or close friends agree on everything all the time?

In a sense, other than those of us who have actually met other members of these forums in person, we're all complete strangers with a common love of comics and fantasy. Occasionally, politics and religion cause tempers to flare and the flaming and shouting gets under way......but it ultimately cools down and look at us......for the most part we're still speaking to each other with only one or two exceptions. When you take into account how many of us are here at any given time, the world-wide collection of both cultures and beliefs, and the passion of some of us in our beliefs, I think we do pretty damn well at maintaining the "peace".

Personally, I'm quite happy to be here and am totally comfortable with the company I'm in.

Just my $0.02 worth

S'aaruuk

Shyal_malkes · Post by **Shyal_malkes** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:34 pm

the trouble is that most all the friends i have at home are either just acquaintences i met through work or are my brothers' friends that I'm just borrowing.

even if i never meet one of the other forum-goers in person, i found you guys on my own, that means something to me. and yeah, even i get argumentative so i guess i understand when you guys wanna yell and scream and kick and tear eachother's entrails out and use them to hang up your new curtains... but i still don't like it.

BlasTech · Post by **BlasTech** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:44 pm

Ditto for me, i missed alot of my closest buddies when we went to uni and i havnt seen some of them in ages. All i end up seeing are the guys who you just nod to when u pass ... its kinda depressing

With the forum here, there are alot of people here id count among my friends and so long as we keep talking after our disagreements, well i can live with that.

SolidusRaccoon · Post by **SolidusRaccoon** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:35 am

Bah I don;t need any of you, I got my money and my robots....my girl robots.

Tbolt · Post by **Tbolt** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:31 am

SolidusRaccoon wrote:Bah I don;t need any of you, I got my money and my robots....my girl robots.

Bugs Bunny:

* Points at female rabbit robot, shrugs *

"Heh,... mechanical..."

* Robot pecks Bugs on the cheek and practically electrocutes him *

" So,... It's mechanical!"

* Bugs proceeds to chase after the thing *

(If I recall the old schtick correctly...

)

Msd22000 · Post by **Msd22000** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:46 am

SolidusRaccoon wrote:Bah I don;t need any of you, I got my money and my robots....my girl robots.

Just don't build them like that guy in Buffy. You know, all homicidal.

CasVeg · Post by **CasVeg** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:47 am

SolidusRaccoon wrote:Bah I don;t need any of you, I got my money and my robots....my girl robots.

Oh, my goodness! I know who you are! You're Dr. Drakken, aren't you!?

Shyal_malkes · Post by **Shyal_malkes** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:57 am

msd22000 wrote:Just don't build them like that guy in Buffy. You know, all homicidal.

but,... but,... but that's how they'r esupposed to be built. if a robot doesn't try to burn down your house, take over your brain steal your money or just out and out kill you and everything that vaguely resembles you within ten minutes of it's activation there has got to be something wrong with it. i mean that's what robots are for aren't they?

CasVeg · Post by **CasVeg** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:13 pm

shyal_malkes wrote:but,... but,... but that's how they'r esupposed to be built. if a robot doesn't try to burn down your house, take over your brain steal your money or just out and out kill you and everything that vaguely resembles you within ten minutes of it's activation there has got to be something wrong with it. i mean that's what robots are for aren't they?

That's hollywood robots, dear. Like most forms of modern equipment, real robots are for breaking down at the most inopportune moments possible.

Shyal_malkes · Post by **Shyal_malkes** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:06 pm

CasVeg wrote:That's hollywood robots, dear. Like most forms of modern equipment, real robots are for breaking down at the most inopportune moments possible.

"ohhh" so kinda like the millenium falcon then?

but what does that mean about all the bots I got in my basement? are they defective or something cause I thought they were supposed to do that...

NydaLynn · Post by **NydaLynn** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:33 pm

Well... if they don't quit working within an hour of turning them on.. I guess they are broke!

SolidusRaccoon · Post by **SolidusRaccoon** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:57 pm

CasVeg wrote:
SolidusRaccoon wrote:Bah I don;t need any of you, I got my money and my robots....my girl robots.
Oh, my goodness! I know who you are! You're Dr. Drakken, aren't you!?

Who?

Wayfarer · Post by **Wayfarer** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 2:14 pm

StrangeWulf13 wrote: She said that a peacekeeper will try to keep the peace at any cost. And it's often a false peace that they're keeping.
[...]
Peace doesn't come from us. We can't make it. Peace comes from God, and he can withhold it. Simple as that. And until people submit to His will, he can hold out indefinitely. No one in hell has peace. And they have even less than what they had here.

Those of you who seek to keep the peace in here, don't. You'll only end up trying to forge a compromise to protect a peace that does not exist. Stop being afraid of the forums erupting into flames. Only one person's been banned so far, and they simply proved to be too contentious and argumentative to even bother reasoning with. Things are not going to get as bad as you think. Stop calling for peace. Start growing a backbone. Your life cannot be well-lived if a flame war on a message board puts great fear into your heart.

Stop being afraid. I can respect any man who stands up for what he believes, even if I disagree with those beliefs (though some people make it especially difficult). I cannot respect the man who sits timidly in the corner and simply pleads for everyone to get along. Such a man does not understand true peace. And until he changes, he never will.

I see the problem with being a peacekeeper - with trying to force peace between parties that want to refuse it. But I wonder what you leave for peacemakers to do. Disagreement is fine, and the ability to express and communicate about disagreement is good. I do not, however, think that contention, or the so-called "flame throwing" is necessary for that, and I would venture to say that it is often counterproductive. Yes, one needs to be willing to stand up for what they believe regardless of what the reaction to it will be. But to desire peace and the peaceable airing of disagreements is not necessarily cowardice, and the willingness to face and throw flames is not necessarily bravery.

I suppose I can be as argumentative as the next person (I'm often notified when I'm arguing here at home), because I'm not sure even now how saying this will be constructive. But I see in your statements a definition of and warning against peacekeeping. I do not, however, see where you leave room for a peacemaker to act, or perhaps to even exist.

Ah, well. Hello to everyone while I'm here. I look forward to coming back soon.

~The still wandering Wayfarer who returns to campus (and therefore "officially" to the forum... rather than just spying) on August 14th

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Peacekeepers and Bible studies.

Peacekeepers and Bible studies.

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