Half arguments over at GCM

[Mark C]

QUESTION

What is GCM anyway?

At the slight risk of being a bit too blunt, it could probably be described as a Churchianity-based website dedicated to ear-tickling, where issues about what Scripture "REALLY says" are more likely to be decided by a vote than actual reference to what is Written. (No, I am honestly not joking. )

There are pointers higher up in the thread here to the site. More seriously, while there are without question serious students who probably read the debates there, I find that the majority of what I see reminds me of why I so long ago left the "mainstream church", and find the Acts 17:11 reference to the Bereans so refreshing.

One last observation: there are a number of juvenile "quirks" and gimmicks which seem to affect the mindset of posters there ("manna", pretentious "titles", and rankings, for example). They seem to serve as great examples of what NOT to do on a site dedicated to serious study of Scripture!

 

[Memphis Dwight]

Mark is right on. If one wants to know the right way to go about learning and teaching, then visit GCM and go just the opposite way.

The way they operate over there, one person posts a thread with a title like:

Is it a sin to (fill in the blank)?

And then a round of "discussions" take place where either no scripture is used (in lieu of baseless conjecture and theorization) or the NIV "bible" is quoted way out of context and always with a splash of good ol' fashion antinomianism.

 

[Edward the Elder]

Well then I'm glad I didn't bother to visit the site. I just don't have time for such things anymore. Perhaps I will later, when I am older. lol :lol:

You know, more and more I'm finding that there are a good deal of artificial sins being fabricated by organizations claiming to serve GOD. I believe that if a thing is not specifically identified as a sin in the scripture then it is not a sin. In my youth I condemned plural marriage but was seriously convicted for doing so later on in life. The old "judge not lest ye be judged" came into play for me with flying colours. One of the things I have been asking of others recently is whether there is enough sin in this world already without man having to fabricate artificial ones. I believe such practices to be mere distractions, more of an exercise in straining at gnats and swallowing camels as it were. Activities like these tend keep our minds from the real issues at hand, holiness and the good things of GOD, and I find that as each day passes that we are wiser to be part of the solution to all these problems than a part of the problem. Our lives on this planet are short and there is so much work to do.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:22-26)

Please don't misunderstand me. I believe there is a time and a place also to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. It's just that I've witnessed so much fussing and fighting over religion in this short life that I am inclined to agree with my 20 year old daughter when she cries, "Where is the love???" Religiosity is killing people faster than anything else these days, it seems. I am seriously reflecting on ways in which the true followers of the Word can make an actual difference.

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (Jude 1:21-23)

Thank you both, for your prompt replies. GOD bless you.

 

[Revgill87123]

I have been asked by a few to go back on there I have tried every thing even not logging in and I get this every time.

"We are sorry Guest, but you are currently banned from using this forum. If you feel you have not violated any rules, it is possible that this message is an error caused by your browser. We have found several browsers can cause this error. The following solutions have worked to fix this problem. If you are an AOL user, you will most likely need to use an external browser like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari or FireFox. For Windows users, Internet Explorer, or the browser you are using, usually may be found by going to your Start Menu or Desktop.
<P>
If you are using Internet Explorer, delete your cookies by going to TOOLS, INTERNET OPTIONS and then click DELETE COOKIES.
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IF YOU ARE USING FIREFOX, you will need to delete your cookies for this domain by going to TOOLS, located at the top of your browser and selecting OPTIONS. Next select PRIVACY. Then click on the button that says, SHOW COOKIES. From there you scroll down to the record for GraceCentered.com and click REMOVE COOKIES. We have seen this work many times.
Promoting polygamy is no longer allowed on this site."

So I guess I am banned.

 

[Tlaloc]

They tagged your IP address, you've been suppressed. What was your name on that forum anyway?

 

[Mark C]

..."Promoting polygamy is no longer allowed on this site."

So I guess I am banned.

Sadly, Revgill, you suckered me into going back over there and seeing if I'd been banned for talking about Unpleasant Biblical Truth as well...

So far, not. They shut down every thread on the topic as soon as it becomes clear that a few more sheep may begin to "search out the Scriptures for themselves", however, and actually see that "these things" ARE True! So I hadn't seen the new Verbotten Nichtspraken Topicken! That must be Section 1074B, Subparagraph 17.2 of the Rules! It's a good thing they are not Legalists!

(There are a few there, as most anywhere that claims to support Scripture study, perhaps, who are really interested in being like the Bereans. But the active majority, particularly those with Lotsa Points and Hifalultin' Titles -- like "Legendary Member", "Hero", or (no kidding) "Designated Reality Checker" -- seem to value their Prestige far more than His Word. After a few exchanges there, I coined the title "Church of Abounding Grace", in reference to Paul's famous question in Romans 6:1, to describe a place where "shall we sin more, that Grace might Abound?" is answered with a resounding "YES! So long as WHATEVER we do, it's not UNDER THAT OLD "LAW" THINGY!" Church Tradition Trumps the Word, fer shure, in other words.)

If you've posted on any of the "Exodus 21:10-related" threads, we've probably read each others' stuff. So, like Jair, I'm curious - what did you call yourself? (For my part, I'm not much for nicknames. No one here would fail to know what I write over there, in other words.)

But I do feel a need to go take a shower now...

 

[Memphis Dwight]

The GCM forum got started by some that are loosely connected with the "churches of Christ."
I grew up in that church and even attended one of their preaching schools, the Memphis School of Preaching (MSOP).

Prior to the Civil War, the churches of Christ were the fastest growing among all of the groups in the US.

Back in the late 1960s, they were denoted by Time magazine as the most bible bound church in America.

But something was brewing. The seeds of evil had been planted long ago.
Democracy had crept into the local congregations. And we all know that the Republic form of government is what God has prescribed for the family, civil government and the local congregation.

For a long time, the church of Christ (COC) was thriving because it still retained some of the dynamic in place where the teachers were respected. But over time, it became somewhat like an internet forum but even worse.
In an internet forum, someone brings up a topic and then it sort of goes around the room and everyone says this is what I feel and so on and so forth. And we know that if one person says something that is unpopular,then the schoolyard mob mentality kicks in and the others will chide him or even have one of the overseers have him banned.

In the congregation setting, the way things went downhill was in the way the bible was taught. They gradually stopped respecting male leadership and teaching and went for a democracy where one person would read a verse and then go around the room to see how every felt about it.

Chaos set in.

And now there is a machine in place that functions to stop the voice of those crying out from the wilderness. That machine works in the form of humiliation and ridicule to outright censoring of those that advocate looking for the truth of God's word.

Now if a person goes and wants to talk about love, and false grace or thing related to charismania or women being preachers, then that will be accepted by the babbling incoherents over there. But if you go and you remind them that what they are teaching is not what God hath said, then in time you will be banned.

The churches of Christ are no longer a bible bound group. They are just as much apostate as the United denominations.