Rick,

As always, you exercise superb judgement, incredible paitence, and extreme maturity as you administer this website.

I bailed on CATC a long time ago. It had become THE most contentious site on the entire forum and and embarassment to Christianty. I finally just refused to be associated with and drawn into that type of interaction. I need no "help" in confronting what I disagree with.............. wink

I accepted Jesus Christ--the risen Lord, God come in the flesh, fully God and fully Man, 40 yrs ago. I believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible Word of God in it's original autographs and what have today is 99%+ what was contained in the original autographs. Further, the 1% of "questioned" text is absolutely insignificant to God's message to humanity and is solid proof that God has preserved His Word to us. I am a card-carrying conservative Evangelical Christian, for those who prefer labels.

So one would think I'd be among the few "futile-mentalists" that would be in agreement with their typically "righteously narrow" view. After, only the select few truly follow the straight and narrow path that leads to heaven...........Right?

The issue is is the handful of knuckleheads who made CATC an unwelcoming and judgemental place were among the "ignorant arrogant." When coming across ANY disagreement with their myopic little canned view of God--as if any human mind can fully understand Him, they'd elevate their OPINION about God and His Word above all else, never even considering if their understanding might be justa little faulty here and thered That was stupid beyond belief and a sign of a VERY immature faith. ALL our own understandings--ESPECIALLY MINE--are faulty this side of Glory, and those truly secure in their faith in God have no need to call fellow Christian brothers "deceived of Satan" just because of a disagreement on a "disputible matters" (NIV) or if you prefer, "doubtful disputations" (KJV). Rom 14:1.

Now there are some who are going to cry foul at my comments. Just do an search of their posts on CATC and see if they fit what I desribed.

CATC should have been a place where bothers and sisters--bound by their love and commitment to Jesus Christ, could edify each other and build one another up. Ocassionally CATC would tease us with doing that, but in the end it would denegrate again into contentious bickering, self-aggrandizement, and righteous posturing. We should have been able to share our views form our varied backgrounds and helped us all broaden our understanding of the things of God. I have had many face-to-face Bible studies where belivers of highly diverse background came together and united in their desire to lift Him up and grow to be more like Him.

That was not CATC. In fact, CATC brought out the worst in ALL of us. None of us that ever were active at CATC can claim to be without blame in our behavior there. Rick was right to kill it.