| Author | Message | ||
| Free2dance Registered user Username: Free2dance Post Number: 571 Registered: 2-2010 |
So, I know many of you who post here started out their time in this forum by lurking. I am curious, what was it that lead you to take a chance on questioning Adventism? What made you decide to engage in conversation with other Formers? What advice would you give to anyone lurking here on the forum today? | ||
| Jrt Registered user Username: Jrt Post Number: 1234 Registered: 10-2008 |
I was really, really scared to question Adventism and be known as someone who was doubting what I believed. But I found out I could remain anonymous on this forum and reveal myself when I felt truly ready. I could pick an online user name and all identifying information could be hidden from everyone. Also, I was working in the Adventist system at the time and I didn't want anyone to know that I had BIG questions ... So I lurked for a long time ... finally I posted a few things ... And honestly, I kept my identity hidden for over a year as I posted questions and responded to posts. LOL ... I even choose to use language that might make anyone reading my posts think I was male. I even fooled a few people, because they started referring to me as a "he". Haaa, haaa. I just was SO scared to be known as someone questioning Adventism. It really is a safe place to learn and grow and no one needs to know who you are. Literally, no one knew who I was for over a year ... And it was finally I who revealed myself in the end. No one had guessed and I left off any identifying information in my posts. The only people that knew my online name and identity were Colleen and Richard ... And they totally get the feeling about being anonymous. | ||
| Free2dance Registered user Username: Free2dance Post Number: 572 Registered: 2-2010 |
They called you a "he"! That is funny! I love it! I didn't know who you were for a long time on the forum even though I had already met you personally. I think I knew you for a year before I knew who you were on here. Anonymity is definitely protected here. I have truly appreciated that. I also appreciate that there is a certain amount of moderating that keeps things level headed, unlike some of the other discussions I have encountered in other venues. I wasn't a lurker, I jumped right in after being born again, but I know many here started out just reading. What was it that made you finally jump into the conversations, Jrt? | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 9815 Registered: 3-2004  |
I jumped right in after leaving adventism. I joined FAF about 3 months later and did not try to hide my identity at all. I wanted anyone I knew to know that I left adventism. But then I was not working at an SDA institution. Diana | ||
| Rain Registered user Username: Rain Post Number: 76 Registered: 9-2011  |
I took the chance to question Adventism because I was at a point in life where I was very stressed and lots of things weren't going the way I wanted them to. There was a lot of change. I had questions before but they boiled over at that point. I was very afraid because in Adventism it's "you're with us or damned," so I had a lot to lose if I was wrong. However, because I'd already been through the ringer and was in the aftermath of all of my "life" stuff, I wasn't afraid to confront what I thought I believed. I'd started browsing websites dedicated to disproving Adventism, but I reached a point where I had questions that I wanted answered. Reading what other people had to say about certain topics was okay, but I had specific questions. So, after some lurking here, I joined as I was still questioning my beliefs but not yet a Former. I've never had an issue with anyone being disrespectful and the people here only know what you tell them as far as your identity goes. No one but the people who operate the forums knows my name. My advice to lurkers would be to join the conversation. I'm sure there are questions they have and the people here are very understanding in answering those questions. | ||
| Jrt Registered user Username: Jrt Post Number: 1240 Registered: 10-2008 |
Free 2 Dance ... what finally pushed me to start posting was something that was happening on a thread ... Remember I was very fresh with my searching and I still wasn't sure about many things ... many things I held dear ... including EGW. I had begun to doubt her writings to be truly inspired ... and I had just begun to wonder if she was a false prophet. On a particular thread a group of people began to disparage EGW and say some pretty cras things about her and her writings ... Like using her books in outhouses for toilet paper, etc. It really bothered me ... because I had come to learn and people were being flippant and cras. So I posted that I was feeling really uncomfortable by the type of language that was being used and we didn't have to disparage EGW personally, but could just deal with the inconsistancies between she and scripture. I was tender and talking so flippantly about a woman who was dead just felt uncomfortable so I posted about my uncomfortableness. | ||
| Bobalou Registered user Username: Bobalou Post Number: 90 Registered: 2-2005 |
I started posting after former SDA friends visited us. WE were more than on our way out of the church, but had not done any in depth study on the Sabbath. They gave me the predecessor to "Sabbath in Christ" by Dale Ratzlaff and I couldn't put the book down. I had never studied the covenants and when they explained them I was thoroughly convinced the Sabbath was for the Israelites only and Christians are not subject to days. Our rest is in Jesus. I had to voice my jubilation and so I started posting a little here and on Christianity. I now mostly post on CARM as ontheBeam, the Beam being Christ'the light to the World. I really don't need to use anonymity any more and really never did. It is wonderful to stand with those who have had many of the same experiences I had and have claimed the victory over falsehood. In Christ I stand, Bob Shields | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 627 Registered: 5-2009  |
I started posting questions in the Member section months before I was able to share my story that my husband was a pastor. I don't think I shared that until after he resigned. This forum helped me soooooooo much. I didn't even know what "evangelical Christian" was when I first started reading here. And I thought all the Formers belonged to the same church ... or formed a new denomination. There are so many misconceptions that I had about Formers. It's funny to look back on it now.  |
