“Me? blog?” Those were the first two words I ever wrote in
the blogging world. I barely knew what a blog was at the time. I almost can’t
remember how many blogs I had read before I decided to partake. I was late on
to the scene, I know that. Probably about ten years late. No surprise there,
fads and trends usually always leave me far behind.
I have noticed on my blog roll, that I am about the last one
that even still bothers to write. Maybe that will change as the colder weather
arrives and people have more time indoors. Or maybe blogging is a thing that has
run its course and it is starting to go by the wayside. I don’t know. I don’t
think this is the end of my blog. I like to write; it relaxes me. I don’t
think it is the end. But I am beginning
to feel all alone out here…at least in my little corner of the world.
There is good and bad to this new fashioned (now apparently
becoming outdated) thing called blogs…where did that word ever come from…who
knows? I don’t. I would guess it is a mashing of the word “bibliography” and “log”
as in” log book” or something like that. Whatever! But it has been a great way to
stay in touch with people and see what they are doing in their lives. It can be
kind of like getting a letter in the mail; albeit a letter that is shared with
who knows how many people. But it has been a good way to see and share photos,
as well as a fun way to connect with people…much as Facebook, I suppose. I actually
did Facebook, before I ever blogged. In fact, I believe that Facebook prepared
my "psyche" for blogging…it enabled me to feel comfortable and convinced me that
somehow it really is ok to share thoughts with people one doesn’t even know. I
suspect that is true for a lot of people. When a norm changes in society, it is
always done gradually. While not meaning to give a
negative example here, the analogy of the frog in the hot water
fits from what I am trying to say. Throw a frog into boiling water, and he will
jump out, put the frog in water of a normal temperature, and turn the heat up
slowly and the frog will be boiled to death. That is how our society changes,
it must change slowly for people to accept the change. But I love blogs! We simply
wouldn’t have found them so acceptable - say in the 40’s or 50’s. That is all I
am trying to state. This does, however, lead me to the downside of the blogging
world.
The downside of blogs is that one can get so much incorrect
information. Now granted the personal blogs are mostly just opinions, and
thoughts and ideas about any number of things. But there are also blogs that
are opinions that are being written as fact. Especially concerning, are the
political blogs, or the ones about faith. Well really, disconcerting is any blog that claims to be a resource about a
particular topic that is in reality only the author’s opinion.
I know there are some people that do not condone blogs
because they can be too egocentric and focused on self. I suppose there can be
some truth to that. But I don’t view any of the blogs I read in that manner.
And really that should be a personal conviction; not a directive from any one
person to another. There is certainly nothing in Scripture that tells us not to
write about our lives.
My pastor has often stated, “Don’t get into that blogging
world.” It is just not healthy. (Not an exact quote, but simply the main idea.)
And he is absolutely right, if one is looking to back up facts, or statistics,
or a belief system from blogs. His concern was that there is too much wrong
information out there influencing people incorrectly. And he could not be more
correct about that. I am certain he wasn’t talking about the personal blogs
that simply share their lives, recipes, and photos of their families. But when
one writes to change an idea, influence opinions, or present ideas as facts, it
is then we need to be concerned.
Honestly, it is my belief that
blogs are an important reason for so much of the distortion in Biblical
teachings, church doctrine and inconsistent dogma permeating the church today.
People that don’t study the Word properly read something on a blog and somehow
it becomes a fact in their lives. They believe it because they found it on the internet, without properly validating sources. This idea seemingly written in innocence
spreads and spreads and pretty soon we have a little sect built out of someone’s
personal idea that may be contrary to Scripture. I am 60 years old, I have been
a Christian a long time and in all those years I have never seen such a myriad
of differences in our faith as we see today. I believe the internet and blogs are partly responsible for that.
I think this is true in the
political world as well. Someone writes incorrectly about something that may
have happened or something someone may have done, and then with an incorrect
spin of facts, careers can be built or destroyed. Values can not only be influenced,
but totally changed, by things that catch fire and run rampant with an
incorrect ideology or statement.
While the internet can be a great
place to get information, it is also a very dangerous place. We all know that. Blogs
have definitely influenced our society. There are just no two ways about that.
I mean it is difficult enough getting accurate information from supposed
trustworthy news sources, but add personal blogs to the mix and it is nearly
impossible to keep facts pure unless one is to do their own research. And even
then, one must be very careful in the sources they choose to use in their
research. Facts must be footnoted and the footnotes must be from a valid,
trustworthy source, or they have no meaning at all.
I have always tried to be very
careful, to check facts from more than one source if I am reading something
that claims to be truth. I make sure
that the sources I check are a site that I trust and know to be accurate. I am
certainly not going to trust a site that makes any kind of blanket claim, if
they have a monetary stake in the game. If they stand to make money off their
claim, then I want to research that even further and deeper.
When I am blogging (or
Facebooking) I try never to link to an author, or post a quote from an author
(for example) that I know is mostly wrong in their beliefs, or agendas. Even if
I happen to like one thing they say,
no way am I going to post something from them that would cause someone else to
go to their works (book, movie or blog) and thereby be misled with the rest of
the person’s ideas that maybe dangerously inaccurate. I take very seriously
that which I share is not something that will mislead someone in
anyway…especially when it comes to the Word of God or something shared in the
political realm. Those two things are very important to me, and in fact I believe should
not be separated from one another, as the trend seems to be these days…but that
is for another post. I am not talking about the separation of church and state
here. That is another example, however, of something that has been totally
misconstrued in these later years of our nation…but like I said…that’s for a whole
other post.
As well, I tried to be very
careful about the books, I kept in my bookstore. I simply did not want to share
anything from any author that held inaccurate beliefs in the way of faith or
religion. It was probably my undoing, but I did not want to be one who was helping to spread all
the incorrect doctrines that are permeating the church today. Those false
beliefs have since become even more rampant.
Anyway, I am getting off track
again. Back to blogs…what a curious thing in our society! Certainly blogs have
been a way to share news, and ideas and hobbies and faith. Just about
everything can be and has been shared in the blogging world. Most of that is
good. I just don't know how careful we have been to keep that which is truth,
strictly truth. For a lover of truth, (which I truly am and always want to be)
my first two words in the blogging world say it all, “Me? blog?”
I only want to be careful, in
what I read and what I write, when I decide to write facts. I hope others are careful as well. I want to enjoy many personal blogs for a long time to come. But more than that, I hope the
blogs that seek to do harm in our society are exposed for what they really are.
Me? blog? I hope, only in and for truth.
Of late, I have been
deeply concerned about the direction some segments of the church are taking. I
have written about it in depth. Not here, as I have wanted to keep this blog for the most part
"non-controversial". My last "controversial" post probably
would have been the "emergent church" series that I wrote.
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