Are Internet forums dying?

[Josiah]

I think they hit their peak and now have leveled off to those who are drawn to them. Christianity is my favorite subject and I tend to wear out those around me :glasses:. when I get going on the subject my son will say "its Tigger time!" Ok so my real name isn't Tigger but it does start with 't' so the phrase works irl. Lol! Its just convenient, my wife and I will be just hanging out and I'll get on and start seeing what's up. As far as family and friends we communicate primarily through FB.

I'm similar.... I'm a self-confessed theology junkie and I know few others like me. Now, I DO have a FEW at church - and I really enjoy personal, face-to-face discussion with them, but they think like I do and rarely offer me challenges or new information: I like diversity. And I like a daily dose of discussion, not just brief and occasional ones at Bible studies. I've found a few theology websites I really like - but none of them have open discussion forums.

I'm not a big FB person, but yeah - that is how people my age "connect." But those discussions are RARELY about theology or Christian issues since (sadly) not many of my friends are active Christians and the ones who are don't share my interest (especially to my level). And many of the social media discussions seem dominated by what I call "evangelists" - people eager to convert people to THEIR faith or pov's whereas my interest is more academic (I lack the ego to try to convert people to my theology).

To ME, ecumenical Christian discussion forums are like going to a Starbucks where there is always a lively discussion going on about stuff that really interests me and where I'd like to learn more and facilitate mutual understanding and perhaps even agreement (or just find out I'm wrong or at least needing to learn something). I like this to be a discussion with PEOPLE rather than a bookish kind of thing.


I began this when I was maybe 10 years old. I had QUESTIONS that few at my Catholic church welcomed and the people I knew either told me to shut up, just swallow whatever the Church said cuz it did, or "wait until you grow up and all this will go away." I went to Catholic sites, especially designed for youth (there were a few then, most have died). I found others either had the same questions OR some actually had some acceptable replies (which I really appreciated). By the time I was 15 or so, I began to venture out of Catholic sites to more ecumenical ones - which I often found more helpful. Later, as I began mt process of examining my Catholicism, these ecumenical sites were helpful - there were both Catholics and Protestants (and too few Orthodox) for me to chat with. Yes, being annonymous was a plus - I could speak honestly and openly and frankly, in ways that SOME of my Catholic family would not appreciate and in ways my non-religious friends would just find weird and of zero interest. In those days, it was highly PERSONAL... but eventually, it became more academic.


Lovin' CH....


Pax Christi


- Josiah

 

[tango]

Most of the Christians I know who are on faceache do little more than share memes and one-liners. As a rule discussion by meme isn't a good way to make any progress on anything, however witty the meme might be.

Either that or people use the assorted "about" fields to stuff as many statements as possible along the lines of "I'm such an active Christian" and "I'm totally sold out for Jesus", as if cramming that into your "occupation" field actually changes anything. It does sometimes seem as if "sold out for Jesus" has become a bit passe, and so the next logical progression is "totally sold out for Jesus" as a means of setting oneself apart from the lesser posters who are merely "sold out for Jesus".

In many ways I'm cynical about things that are very easy to do and achieve little to nothing, but the very fact they cost nothing to do and change nothing in the process renders them (in my opinion at least) as having little to no value.

 

[Rens]

Tango is sold out for Jesus.
Sorry I mean TOTALLY sold out.

:smirk:

 

[Lamb]

Most of the Christians I know who are on faceache do little more than share memes and one-liners. As a rule discussion by meme isn't a good way to make any progress on anything, however witty the meme might be.

Either that or people use the assorted "about" fields to stuff as many statements as possible along the lines of "I'm such an active Christian" and "I'm totally sold out for Jesus", as if cramming that into your "occupation" field actually changes anything. It does sometimes seem as if "sold out for Jesus" has become a bit passe, and so the next logical progression is "totally sold out for Jesus" as a means of setting oneself apart from the lesser posters who are merely "sold out for Jesus".

In many ways I'm cynical about things that are very easy to do and achieve little to nothing, but the very fact they cost nothing to do and change nothing in the process renders them (in my opinion at least) as having little to no value.

I'm on a few Facebook Groups for Christians and they have some very deep discussions. Those discussions get a lot of activity when people elaborate on their responses.

 

[Rens]

I'm on a few Facebook Groups for Christians and they have some very deep discussions. Those discussions get a lot of activity when people elaborate on their responses.

Oh. Never found those. I once looked for Facebook prayer groups. Prayer warriors!! Yay!! Finally people I can pray with. We're gonna pray for revival and this country saved!
Oh. Every week a meme or: can you all pray for me?

 

[Cassia]

I'm on a few Facebook Groups for Christians and they have some very deep discussions. Those discussions get a lot of activity when people elaborate on their responses.

Where do you find those? Most of the Christian groups on fb that I've found are just posting scripture

 

[Lamb]

Where do you find those? Most of the Christian groups on fb that I've found are just posting scripture

All the Christian ones I'm a part of are Lutheran Groups except for one prayer group that someone put me in. There are a lot of pastors involved in the postings on the Lutheran ones so they can be extensive! LOL It's nice to learn though.

 

[tango]

I can't say I've particularly looked for Christian groups on faceache and, given most of the "discussion" there is either discussion-by-meme or "winning" an argument by howling until anyone expressing a different viewpoint gives up and goes away I can't say it's a medium I'd even want to use for rational discussion.

 

[Brighten04]

I am not on FB. I like discussion forums better. I like the structure. And, I like sharing insights with fellow believers.I said a while back that I fellowship with a Baptist congregation, but personally I am more non-denominational in practice.I certainly hope discussion forums do not die. I learn a lot from other believers who dare to go deeper into scripture and the supernatural aspects of our faith.

 

[user1234]

I'm on a few Facebook Groups for Christians and they have some very deep discussions. Those discussions get a lot of activity when people elaborate on their responses.

I've never seen them.

Oh. Never found those. I once looked for Facebook prayer groups. Prayer warriors!! Yay!! Finally people I can pray with. We're gonna pray for revival and this country saved!
Oh. Every week a meme or: can you all pray for me?

I'd love to join.

I am not on FB. I like discussion forums better. I like the structure. And, I like sharing insights with fellow believers.I said a while back that I fellowship with a Baptist congregation, but personally I am more non-denominational in practice.I certainly hope discussion forums do not die. I learn a lot from other believers who dare to go deeper into scripture and the supernatural aspects of our faith.

I know less about fb than I do about ... Oh ... let's say, Flat Earth?!
But I'm a dinosaur when it comes to computers, and still consider myself fairly new at the whole social media thing.
I dont remember when I signed for a fb account, I almost never look at it, I dont really have fb friends, but I messed it up by not putting my whole real name (I thought you werent supposed to, all the warnings about ID theft and all, but now it seems like everybody puts their whole life there for anyone to track you and know your most intimate details, so, idk, I dont get it, really.)

I too, definitely prefer the threads, I like the interaction, although it's understandably more sparse on CHaven, hopefully more ppl will join. But I like to talk about, and learn about, Jesus and His Word. I wish there was an interactive chat, too.

And I'd like to see more prayer, even two or three together, and really, collectively bringing the Lord into it and genuinely asking Him to lead us almost like a ministry to watch what He can do if we ask, lift each other up and ask Him to bless us like a family, (well...as sons and daughters of the King, we ARE ... A royal family.)
(Okay, no jokes about me being a royal pain-in-the ...oops!) :=D:

Maybe a daily devotional section, too. Ppl taking turns posting from their favorite video pastor, or quoting a written passage like from Spurgeon, or a favorite author, etc.

 

[Lamb]

And I'd like to see more prayer, even two or three together, and really, collectively bringing the Lord into it and genuinely asking Him to lead us almost like a ministry to watch what He can do if we ask, lift each other up and ask Him to bless us like a family, (well...as sons and daughters of the King, we ARE ... A royal family.)
(Okay, no jokes about me being a royal pain-in-the ...oops!) :=D:

Maybe a daily devotional section, too. Ppl taking turns posting from their favorite video pastor, or quoting a written passage like from Spurgeon, or a favorite author, etc.

We have a Prayer & Devotion forum It would be great for members to begin new threads in there using your ideas.

 

[TurtleHare]

My reply will be quick before I go clean up the kiddos before dinnertime but I wanted to give some input on this even though I'm not around much cuz you know, life. I'm on a couple other forums and they have slowed down too so let's say they all got an illness or something or maybe some disease spreading through but can they be healed? Guess it's up to God on how he wants his next move to reach the lost will be, eh?