Biased

[TGarisek]

Gues,

I apologize to you for the "French" comment. I apologize because you apparently were hurt by it and in the context of this conversation it was not appropriate.  I do not apologize for still believing it.

Everything else I said is right on the money. You can call it rumor if you like. You apparently have not spent 20 plus years "under the thumb" of a real autocrat and the indoctrinees (of which I was one) watching your every move. There is so much more all of us could share. After all decades of indoctrination provide us with a wealth of experiences. Some of it would be so redundant and hurtful to bring up it would not even compare with that "French" backhand. What is rumor about 2 or 3 witnesses (and there are more - I know) coming forward about the philanderer? What is rumor about very, very dear sisters pouring out their hearts in such eloquence and sensitivity regarding spousal and familial abuses? Please explain this to me!

Tony Garisek - not a sister, BTW

[Peacefulg]

Hi Gues, I sent this to another person earlier, but thought that you might need to see it as well.  Like I told him, I mean not ill, but you still need to stop complaining about not getting your way in the wrong site.

This web site has a focus, it is a focus that you and others may not like, just like the car company does not like the problem website talking about it car(s).

Have respect for where you are at, what you read, and where you visit, especially if you do not have to go there (i.e.,  the old saying no one is putting a gun to your head).  You are grown enough to take accountablity for you actions, this web site deals with real issues, if you wish to not deal with it, then do not, but have respect and be grown enough to know where you are at.

Lord Bless,
George

[Peacefulg]

BTW; being an African American, black, colored (whatever you want to call me this decade).  I would like to give another example of having respect/knowing where you are at on a web site.

If I go to a skin head site, I am going to not like it, but I am grown enough to know that I am now in their domain.  Maybe they are right, and all blacks, jews, etc. are second class citizens deserving of death, thank God they are wrong, but I still know where I am at, so I do the one thing I will always be able to do until I die PRAY for them.  PRAY FOR US Gues, that we may Grow in the Grace and knowledge or our Lord Jesus Christ.

G

[Suzie Trockman]

Gues Not,

#6 on your post should read:

Perhaps people use an alias because they are fearful.

I am being serious here.

[retread]

Gues Not,

#6 on your post should read:

Perhaps people use an alias because they are fearful.

I am being serious here.

Who knows what evil lies in the hearts of men? - and don't say the shadow knows

Psalm 140:1
Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men;
protect me from men of violence

Psam 25:21
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.

[Suzie Trockman]

I guess I should elaborate on the last post.

At times I have wanted to post under an alias.  I can see that this stemmed from some bondage I have struggled and currently struggle with.  This bondage is fear, and more specifically the "fear of man".  It manifests itself in the fear of rejection,fear of what people will think of me, and also longing for approval.  

[TGarisek]

I guess I should elaborate on the last post.

At times I have wanted to post under an alias.  I can see that this stemmed from some bondage I have struggled and currently struggle with.  This bondage is fear, and more specifically the "fear of man".  It manifests itself in the fear of rejection,fear of what people will think of me, and also longing for approval.  

I understand and must say that when I first registered, I felt like I didn't want to be known. My wife, dear lady, signed on as herself and helped me to quickly dispell any concerns. I was never outspoken, ever! Now, I find that rather than being afraid of saying something too sarcastic or possibly a little subjective I have decided to err on the side of outspokenness! Please forgive the sarcasm and/or subjectivity when it meanders into my posts!

[Randal]

Brent,
brah, i bus laugh at yo posts.  I tot you goin' say George one pilau buggah.  you too funny brah; dis coming from one katonk.

[editor]

Randall

I was born in Hawaii, and spent my summers and Christmases there until I was twenty.

I was a Kahala boy, and a Waikiki yacht club brat.  Are you a local boy?

Brent

[Luke Robinson]

Wow, now this is quite a lovely page.  It started off on the wrong foot, though, with the whole "biased" comment.  Everything you say will be biased, unless you are some kind of computer.  But not too advanced, the HAL 9000 was kind of biased.  

But on to the important "thangs".  First of all, I like how this website promotes an open forum where anyone can pretty much say anything they want about the assembly.  But my, when one man(Gues) says a few things that he has seen in the assembly, a couple of people start tearing him apart, such as Garisek, who equaled him to a little boy stomping of to his room, into a world of fantasy and make-believe, while Brent said that this guy is on the "golden-brick road" to WACO.  And retread said that since Gues came up with a different idea to take six weeks off from the website instead, Gues was squirming because he was having his sin exposed, like cockroaches when the light is turned on.  That is all quite lovely.  You know, It must be easy to be in the majority and say cunning, slick things to a person who would like to remain anonymous.  But are you trying to win people, or humiliate them, or undermine them, or just enlighten them?  I fail to see the point where clever, little antidotes are used to totally mess up the point that some guy is trying to make.  Yes, I disagree with him on some things, but you know, he does make a few good points.  You know, everyone is quick to say "Ichabod" over the assemblies, and say that God left a long time ago.  That we should take the six week challenge(hopefully we'll find a different church to go to in that time) and get out as fast as you can.  Now Gues has come up with the idea that you should take six weeks off of the website.  Well, I think that if you plan to take six weeks out of the assembly, take six weeks out of the website, too.  Just take a step back totally and let God fill you.  Put everything aside for a little while and just ponder what God wants.  I, personally, am not going to stop either(unless God tells me otherwise).   Friends, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, don't make this a website where those with a different vision, get pummeled and made fun of.  We need more Dave Sables and Brad Mathias' who are willing to listen as well as speak out.  You know, this website is becoming more and more like a gladiator battle.  Sometimes one side has more warriors, sometimes the other.  But always, it is a war.  A humiliation battle, where one can only express the same views of those in power.  Does this remind you of something?  You are telling Gues to find another website to talk on.  And Chuck, you said something about there being "apparent bad-will" from Gues.  Oh, there's lots of that to go around.  This website is just loaded with it.  It reminds me of the Civil war.  Brother against brother, father against son, man against man.  Let the man speak!  He might bring up a point that you had no idea about!  I am just amazed at this poor example of Christian unity.  Yes, the assembly is a Godless place, that has been said hundreds of times already.  Yes, you need to take the six week challenge.  Everyone is praising it.  Yes, you need to get out of that place and never put another dime in the Lord's Treasury.  Many times.  Yes, every brother is guilty and we all want apoligizes because we were all wronged in some way or another.  Thousands more.  But a long comes Gues.  He spells his name different.  He doesn't register.  God forbid.  And he is chewed on and spit out.  He has a new idea that everyone should take a break from the website.  God forbid.  We have a system here, that cannot allow for other views.  WOW! De ja vu! (speaking of French).  Let us learn to show love and give people some room.  He did say some mean things about the people that run this assembly.  And you all gave it back to him ten times over.  Just lovely.  God must smile.  Feel free to disagree.  

A Brother in Christ and soon to be the next Gladiator victim,

Luke Robinson  

[Oscar]

Speaking of $$$, in my last few months in the assembly I was very displeased by an expenditure of about $25,000 dollars of assembly funds for a member of the Geftakys family.  I told them so.  They didn't like it much but no one gave me an explanation at all.

I was just told that I was a bad boy for thinking that.

So, one day I decided to ask to see the "records".  I drove over to George's house, and went in.

I spoke to George a while, he was a little embarrassed because Paul Martin was there from St. Louis, installing a bay window in GG's living room while we were talking about how the money was handled.

I asked to see the financial records.  The answer was "Don't you trust us?"  "Our records are open to trustworthy men who have a reason to see them."  I wish I remembered what I said to him.

 Anyway, seems I was not a "trustworthy man".  After all, I had only been in fellowship for 18 years and in the leading brother's meeting since the day it started.  I guess I needed a little more time to prove myself.

A couple of months later I said sayonara.

God bless,
Thomas Maddux

[BenJapheth]

Luke, you're reacting to a reaction...Don't become what you don't want to be.  When folks shoot from the hip they rarely hit the heart.  

This site has lots of problems.  Why? cause it's made up of people - hurting people, injured lambs...On balance the Grace exceeds the disgrace.  

Chill Buddy...Love and peace to you.

Chuck Vanasse

[SugarMagnolia]

Hey Luke, while I do not agree with personal attacks toward Gues, I don't think it is wrong to rip Gues's "arguments" to shreds.  That is the beauty of an open forum, stupidity is likely to be pointed out.  I personally have experienced this in my own posts to a much lesser extent.  If you come onto this site spouting all kinds of ignorance and simple-mindedness, people are going to call you on it.  This is a healthy thing, if one is able to humble themselves and learn from it.  Also, I think it is worth noting that Gues is not prohibited in any way from defending his "arguments."  He is not a helpless victim of his fellow posters on this site.  It's just that some "arguments" are harder to defend than others.  

[Luke Robinson]

Yes, Ben, but it all depends how you react.  He might have acted out of ignorance or stupidity, as you say, but how you speak to him has got to be pleasing to the Lord.  Have grace.  If he's wrong, through your kindness, you can bring him around.  Have your speech seasoned with grace.  But if you think this is a good idea, one day, you will screw up or say something stupid, and you will be humiliated.  Treat others as Christ treated you.  I know I haven't been doing this all the time, but Lord willing, I can start right now.

God Bless.  You can learn through kindness.

A Brother in Christ,

Luke Robinson

[SugarMagnolia]

I feel it IS the kind thing to attempt to show someone the folly of their "arguments."  Heck, isn't that one way the Holy Spirit works within us?  I don't, however, agree with personal attacks.