[CS-FSLUG] Administrative note: A Christian community is shutting down.

[David McGlone]

----- Original Message ----
From: Ed Hurst <ehurst at asisaid.com>
To: A Christian virtual Free Software and Linux Users Group. <christiansource at ofb.biz>
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 5:30:37 AM
Subject: Re: [CS-FSLUG] Administrative note: A Christian community is shutting down.

David McGlone wrote:

>> How shall they believe if they have no teacher?
> 
> I humbly agree.

Taking off the list mod hat, here.

I want them here. We might *need* them here. It will change the list,
perhaps in tone, surely in character. That might be good. It might not.

It probably will change the tone and character.

 This may not be the place to teach them. 

This is also what I fear, but at least nobody can say we (or I) didn't try.

It's not fear to
note things like this have imploded in other places.

Yes they have and I've seen it also. And I learned a great deal from it. 
I've learned that getting upset and lashing out doesn't do any good.

 It's not about
whether God can do it, but does He intend to here and now.

Well the way I look at it, if God didn't intend it, it would have never been brought
 to our attention in the first place.

Then comes the question whether we will rise to the occasion and make it
work. It will be more work in the long run. 

I'm not afraid of work, especially when it's for a good cause.

Not because we would welcome
rowdy folks -- that's really not much work. It only takes a minute or
two to remind folks where the boundaries are, and another minute or two
to block someone from the list who won't observe them.

True.

It will be work because everyone will get more traffic, probably more
threads, and we will not have quite that insulation we now have.

I don't read every thread. I don't even think everyone here does either, 
but even if we did, I think it would be a small price to pay.

 And
will they feel they have to pay a virtual "eye-tax" plowing through our
redeemed verbiage with their spiritually dead souls? 

They may or may not be spiritually dead, but if they are that is more
reason to invite them here.

Those who deem it too much will agitate for more tech talk,

It seems this list is already 99.9% tech talk anyway.

 and we have to decide if such appeals are even permitted.
You'll surely think of things I didn't, but I suppose it's possible our
host and the moderator could create an "associate membership" category,
wherein one need not assent to any statement of faith, but must
recognize such rules the list itself, and rules their participation.

I don't know how this would be approached, but put yourself in their shoes, would
you want to join something where you feel like the minority or the third wheel?

What I won't tolerate personally is the statement or implication there's
something wrong with leaving that door closed.
 Just as surely has Jesus
opened His ministry to all the damned on earth, He also took time to
pull away and rest, and teach His disciples in private. Part of what we
decide now is whether this list operation is closer to the former or latter.

I don't think there is anything wrong with this, but what I do know is jesus would never
turn his back on someone who is in need.

PS: I am just expressing my thoughts. I am  in no way trying to push the issue or cause
any grief to anyone. I will wholeheartedly support any decision the list makes.
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