Posting on our Lord's Day

[Michael]

I'm bringing this up out of honest curiosity. I searched the board and found this thread where the topic was briefly discussed about not posting at all. In the thread, Joshua shared the following:

As far as I know, we're not taking votes on this. People that do not want to come to the Puritan Board on the Lord's Day, do not have to. As for any Administrator, or Moderator that feels compelled to come here just to moderate the board on the Lord's Day ... well, he/she needn't. It will be taken care of. As for those who just come here, even though they don't want to, on the Lord's Day, that's not the Admins' nor the Mods' nor the PB Members' responsibilities; rather, it lies with said person who violates their conscience by coming here, and they should exercise self-control.

Well said, and I could not agree more. As far as efforts the board has already made, he added:

We have made provisions that certain forums which are inappropriate for the Lord's Day, to be closed. Hence, the forums that are left open are game, so long as they are forum appropriate and do not draw attention away from the purpose of God's gift to us, the Sabbath.

And it's here that I find my questions:

• When you attend church or live out your life in general on the Lord's Day, do you honestly refrain from all conversation whatsoever of topics such as the ones that are closed for discussion here?
  
• If not, and with good conscience to a historical Reformed confession, do you support these areas of the board being closed for discussion?
  
• If so, would not the first half of Joshua's comments above apply anyway? No one is under compulsion to post at all.

Let me offer an example. To my knowledge the PB does not allow discussion of politics on the Lord's Day. This is somewhat confusing to me as politics are discussed in the Word of God (and at times even from the pulpit). Politics also seem to be discussed among the people of God in person on the Lord's Day--albeit usually within the context of God's standard of righteousness. It therefore makes me wonder why a different standard would apply to the board? Again, anyone whose conscience is pressed is not under compulsion.

Yes, I fully get that this is a confessional and puritan site. That's the reason I am here. I am familiar with WCF 21. Where is the compromise? Are we incapable of exalting God with our discussion in all areas of the board here on the Lord's Day?

Again, just curious...

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

John Murray refused to talk about baseball on the Sabbath.

 

[Scott1]

Chapter XXI
Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day

.....


VIII. This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their wordly employments and recreations,[38] but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.[39]

The general principle is that of focus and priority. Thoughts, words and deeds about work and play are abstained from as we break the pattern that we consume ourselves on so much of the rest of the week in order to prioritize the worship of our God, all day.

For example, this would mean, ordinarily, focusing our time on playing football, talking about football, or thinking about it on the sabbath are violations of the fourth commandment. If our minds, mouths and bodies are focusing on this, we are not "ceasing" from these ordinary things of the rest of our week.

"Ordinarily" is a good description, because we might be able to imagine necessary or merciful applications that might apply and I think even "incidental" kind of applications.

But, basically God calls us to cease and make holy, one day in seven.

This is a difficult thing, because, in our flesh, we do not want to "cease" and "set apart" time for God. But I think the Divines basically got this right in summarizing the doctrine of Scripture and its application.

It is one of the more difficult things to do, it would seem, I'll grant that, but God is faithful and blesses our obedience. Many people would come to know sabbath rest as they never have, a foretaste of the eternal rest to come if they would only repent, confess and try to obey God in this. Rather than spending great effort trying to "spiritualize" the physical rest aspect of it or rationalize every ordinary activity as "necessity" or "mercy"

(By the way, "ceasing" even from political discussion and focusing on that can be a blessing- one is more refreshed to face it the other six days, and with greater clarity, and a lesser sense of consumption by it. The sabbath is a tremendous gift to man... and a delight!)

Along this line, while application can be imperfect, I can understand closing forums that tend to produce these activities, in thought, word and deed, on the sabbath. I can also understand abstaining from the board during the sabbath.

 

[Michael]

Hey Scott,

I hope it doesn't sound as if I am pressing you too much, but at least 2 out of the 3 bullet point questions in my original post apply to everyone here. It sounds as if you are in favor of certain forums being closed. In that case, can you please answer bullet points one and three?

 

[Scott1]

Michael Turner
When you attend church or live out your life in general on the Lord's Day, do you honestly refrain from all conversation whatsoever of topics such as the ones that are closed for discussion here?

With respect to things like sports, entertainment, politics... ordinarily, by God's grace, I try, albeit imperfectly, to, yes.

If so, would not the first half of Joshua's comments above apply anyway? No one is under compulsion to post at all.

If I'm understanding your question,
the Board officials (moderators, administrators), etc. as those in authority have a responsibility to not encourage others to sin. It's not only a matter of others deciding for themselves- some brothers and sisters are weak, and leaders must also consider the effects of their leadership.

 

[VictorBravo]

Let me offer an example. To my knowledge the PB does not allow discussion of politics on the Lord's Day. This is somewhat confusing to me as politics are discussed in the Word of God (and at times even from the pulpit). Politics also seem to be discussed among the people of God in person on the Lord's Day--albeit usually within the context of God's standard of righteousness. It therefore makes me wonder why a different standard would apply to the board? Again, anyone whose conscience is pressed is not under compulsion.

Personally, I try very hard not to talk politics, law, or business on the Lord's
Day with anyone. Even today I had many of my fellow members wanting to know my thoughts on the recent news, and I gently refused. These things are so much a part of my week that it is good and refreshing for me to put them completely from my mind, as much as I can.

However, from a moderator's perspective, the primary reason some topics are closed is more pragmatic: they can become controversial, heated, and require work to moderate. Frankly, it is sometimes a bit disheartening to check in on the PB after a peaceful Lord's Day gathering and find a thread has turned into a slug-fest. We have seen which fora tend to do this and have decided to close them for everyone's sake.

 

[Michael]

I appreciate your response Vic. But do not subjects such as baptism or even worship itself lend to the same sort of potential for heated discussion? I think we all agree that our conversation should be tempered on the Lord's Day and sweetened with Christ. I simply have a difficult time understanding some of the distinctions being made. Again, things such as politics or even entertainment have a LOT of biblical application.

I'm not trying to whine about this. I've been around the board for a long time and it's better now than ever. This is just a little puzzling to me.

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

However, from a moderator's perspective, the primary reason some topics are closed is more pragmatic: they can become controversial, heated, and require work to moderate. Frankly, it is sometimes a bit disheartening to check in on the PB after a peaceful Lord's Day gathering and find a thread has turned into a slug-fest. We have seen which fora tend to do this and have decided to close them for everyone's sake.

 

[Scott1]

I appreciate your response Vic. But do not subjects such as baptism or even worship itself lend to the same sort of potential for heated discussion? I think we all agree that our conversation should be tempered on the Lord's Day and sweetened with Christ. I simply have a difficult time understanding some of the distinctions being made. Again, things such as politics or even entertainment have a LOT of biblical application.

I'm not trying to whine about this. I've been around the board for a long time and it's better now than ever. This is just a little puzzling to me.

I can't speak for the moderators, so I'm only offering my understanding of the reasoning (which makes sense to me).


As we are aware, exact lines of discussion within topics can vary a lot, and applications of biblical principles require some judgments, imperfect ones.

With that as a given, look at the summary of the doctrine of scripture from the London Baptist and Westminster Confessions...

Chapter XXI
Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day

.....


VIII. This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their wordly employments and recreations,[38] but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.[39]

We ordinary "sabbath" (cease from) thoughts, words and deeds connected with work and play (recreation). Broadly, this would include subjects like sports, entertainment, and politics. Now understand, there might on occasion be "necessary" or "merciful" reasons to engage these, but the exceptions are not the point of your post.

So, if a forum is focused on one of these topics, the subject tends to be something we are commanded to cease from, albeit we are imperfect in both our obedience and application. A Lord's Day forum devoted to "sports" would violate "thought, word and deed" because the topic is something we ought cease from pursuing on the Lord's Day. Nothing wrong with sports, but pursuing our interest in that ought cease on the sabbath so we prioritize the worship of God all day.

Now understanding baptism, for example, would seem quite different.

Using the Lord's Day to better understand that by reading and studying (and even posting) would seem to be quite appropriate as one would be focusing on God's Word to understand. That's not a perfect application- topics can stray, but probably only incidental to understanding God better through His Word.

And understanding God better through His Word is always acceptable, even as a "means of grace" on the Lord's Day.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

N. B. The moderators will close a theological thread down for the Lord's day at their discretion if it has proven controversial and had some heat already.

 

[Edward]

The money threads are the ones that I wonder about. Some of those strike me as diaconal in nature.