We know that all things work together for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

CENTER FOR INTRIGUING THOUGHTS

Comment Guidelines for TNC Forum

by Bruce Van Blair

Inevitably, and happily, some of you will want to suggest topics for our discussion. Simply your topic, and I will eventually post it for one of our discussion weeks. However, I do consider myself the “Host” of this Forum. Therefore I may edit or slightly alter your suggestion. If I mess it up or miss what you were after, email me again and I will try again.

Meanwhile, two comments for your consideration:

1.) There are lots of people making dubious claims in God’s name. Sometimes mentioning some of this sets up the topic. I complain about such things also, and too much at times. However, if we let our annoyance toward all the “jerks” sidetrack our discussion of the real subject, we mostly spin wheels. It is an epidemic complaint in our society that “I can’t be religious anymore because other people have ruined the language.” (Meaning: I don’t like “God-talk”; or I don’t like prayer; or I don’t like to use the word “Jesus,” etc., because of the way others have abused the words.) Get over it. There are many things we must keep honoring and holding as valuable, despite the way others are thinking or what they are doing. (I can’t make love to my wife anymore because some people are abusing and misusing sex?)

This forum needs to stay a place where we can keep talking and sharing with each other from our own genuine thoughts and experiences. I certainly don’t want to turn into the censor, but unless your complaint(s) toward how others are thinking is a springboard for what you want to say, this forum is probably not the best place to critique our culture’s religious maturity.

2.) The notion of “intriguing thoughts” sounds like an invitation to go hunting through the Library of Congress for impressive quotations. But that is not the intent for this Forum. Maybe some of you will want to see if Joey will start another forum for people who want to trade important quotations. (I have reams and reams of them from years back when we were taught that a good sermon should be laced with profound quotations from others. Then I discovered that my parishioners could also read, and that many of them also knew about Bartlett’s Quotations and subscribed to the Reader’s Digest.)

So Shakespeare, Emerson, Rumi, and Burroughs notwithstanding, this Forum is for your thoughts and comments. Of course, many of your thoughts and comments have come from other thinkers. But put the humility aside, and tell us in your own words what you think, experience, and care about.

Thanks so much.
BVB