Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
I struggle with this as well, recite it several times a day. For now I replace “as we forgive” with “as we would like to be able to forgive” as I don’t actually want the Lord to treat me like I treat those who trespass against me. The reason? I’m real good at forgiveness, yes. I understand there are people and there are their nasty demons, separate entities though intertwined until they (and we) can find the inner strength to cast out our demons.
So I forgive, but I don’t forget - and that causes me to turn my back on people who have trespassed against me. I pray for them, in my heart wishing them good health and safety, but don’t want them in my life at all. In many cases I’ve cut off all communication from them. Granted, if I were to get an actual apology (repentance) from them I’d consider having them back in my life in a diminished capacity, but when I lose trust in someone it tends to remain that way.
As far as evil people I’m with you. Yes, it’s their demons who are loathsome, but I can’t find it in my heart to even forgive those who, for example, harm children. There are lines you just don’t cross in life. On an intellectual level one can understand that there are current day beasts who were spawned and brought up in an environment that has taught them to hate good, decent human beings and especially Christians. Or consider the mkultra victims - tortured to a point where their minds have broken and now enslaved to the DS beasts to engage in evil and violence. They never stood a chance to become decent human beings. As I said, I struggle with this daily. Like you, I try, but ultimately leave it in God’s hands.