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| Reasons to Delete Posts |
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 Some posts offer legitimate discussion or even spirited debate in an uplifting or positive manner, but others ought to be deleted. Here are a few reasons why I feel a post ought to be deleted. Please add your own reasons.
1. Heresy -- if a post introduces just outright heresy, such as is taught by fringe groups I will delete it. We are called to truth.
2. Rude and offensive posts -- if a post is just not written in a sense of grace and may not be uplifting in spirit, I will delete it. We do not need more destructive negativity in our lives. We are called to grace.
3. Defamatory posts -- if a post plays the accuser of the brethren directly or through inference I will delete it. We are called to love.
4. An argumentative spirit -- if a post seems to have a contrarian spirit, always taking the opposite view just to create an argument that was not intended, I will delete it. We are called to peace.
5. Division -- I actually enjoy legitimate debate over theology, but not when it is done to divide or in a spirit that causes hatred between denominations. We are called to unity.
6. A dissenter -- some people need to be deleted just because of who they are, divisive and offensive. I won't give them free air time on my posts. We are called to note those who cause divisions and offenses in opposition to sound doctrine and avoid them.
As with all such things, it is a judgment call and I will not always make the right decision. However, these I believe are legitimate reasons to delete any post and encourage others to do the same.
PS: I am not perfect either. If I post something that is wrong or offensive, please feel free to delete it. In fact I have deleted my own comments from time to time, after having thought it over. :) |
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| To add a comment to "Reasons to Delete Posts" |
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| June 09, 2008 |
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Grant, I love this post! I would also like to add that it is each members responsibility and right to manage their own blog. So if someone does delete your comment, please don't get all bent out of shape. It is the right of each member to do so as they see fit. The delete button is there for a reason...USE it as you feel it is appropriate. I think it is important for people who are viewing the site to see a positive image on MyChurch. Leaving inappropriate comments on your blog will only leave a bad impression on the site.
Thanks Grant for this fabulous post! |
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| June 09, 2008 |
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| Grant, I can't say that I agree with you on this though I appreciate where you come from. Doesn't "Big Brother" censor? If you have or anyone for that matter has the freedom to post a thought, shouldn't that same consideration be given to another? Where does it end? Shall we only post stuff that people applaud and agree with what we say? |
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| June 09, 2008 |
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Grant,
Glad you're back on. I read where you said you dropped off for a bit.
You and I, as have many others, encountered people with a very rough, demeaning tone. I think that there are absolutely times when the appropriate thing to do is to Delete. I don't know how much success correction / admonishment / requesting appologies have worked. My guess is those are probably not very effective.
I think that's because at the root of it all there's an underlying anger, resentment, or fear that the person is deeply anchored in. We of course can do nothing to cut out that root. We know instead that Christ is the one (and the only one) who can do that. But the person has to be willing to follow Christ. They have to be willing to be transformed. They have to be willing to change.
Toward that end I have think that prayer is the first button we need to press, for the offender as well as the offended. For the offender, that they will come to know the real saving power of Jesus. For the offended, that they will experience the healing, the peace, and patience they need if they are called to continue to work with that person, and that they will have the presence of mind to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in formulating their response. Often, that's us.
When I was a very deep period of my own Bible study trying to sort out who was giving me the straight scope, I saught out scriptural passages to be used as tests for what was of God and what was not. One of those tests was fruit of the spirit.........in my words, attitude. When I encountered somebody with hateful attitudes, I largely wrote off their comments. If it seemed to belong to someone in a leadership position, that kind of made it easy to figure out which churches I would avoid.
So sometimes there may be value in retaining a few offensive posts - they can sometimes be instructive as well.
So I guess it's a matter of praying about how best to respond, and doing so in peace and not in anger.
Thank you for your blog, and thank you for your participation in this church community. And I support any prayerful decision you make to press delete.
Gene
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| June 09, 2008 |
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Sue, thank you! Todd, I believe in censorship, and I believe that heretics ought to be barred from the pulpit. However, a polite and friendly disagreement can be healthy. Annette, thank you and I agree. Juan, I agree with you on the diversity issue. Disagreements can be put in a polite and brotherly manner. Gene, well thought out and well said.
Guys, I remember hearing of a Methodist associate pastor in West Virginia who got up into the pulpit to preach the lectionary. He disagreed with the Methodist Church on this particular passage of the day and yet was brotherly about it. He simply said something like, Why is it that I am scheduled to cover this doctrine this day, when that is an awkward thing for me to preach! His pastor laughed, the congregation laughed, because they all knew his feelings and he gave his sermon. It is a sign of a mature congregation when they can agree to disagree openly, yet politely about it. I pray that we can do so here on MyChurch too. The key being good-humored grace. |
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| June 10, 2008 |
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Grant, this really is a good post. These could almost become official guidelines....except for the subjectivity of them. Censorship? A good thing when the community is rid of clear racism, hatefulness, arrogance, deception, condescension, etc. I always give people the right to disagree w/my blogs, but as soon as they get abusive, their post(s) go bye-bye. Todd, the only dissenter here at the moment, makes a good point, but I would be willing to bet that if specific examples were given, all would generally agree if deletion was best. |
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| June 10, 2008 |
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| I try not to delete any comments, because like Mike said, people have the right to disagree. But if they get offensive or start cutting down someone else, I will step in. |
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| June 10, 2008 |
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| Grant, I love this post!!!!! |
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| June 11, 2008 |
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| Hi Grant. I think it's a very serious thing to assume that you know the spirit or motivation behind some posts. I have posted what might be considered "divisive" blogs ("why I am no longer Catholic"). The editor's comment "we love everyone and are in unity with all that believe the Niocean creed" was well intentioned, but misplaced. I did not post something to be divisive. Having been Catholic and knowing that it is a religion of works with false doctrine that considers Mary the "Mediatrix" between God & man is damnable heresy. Though Catholic "theologians" soft push their true doctrine and reword their beliefs to be more palatable to the general Christian audience, it nonethe less is error. The kind of error that will send the adherent to hell. I hope that you do not exclude my blog posts because of your own misunderstanding about spiritual matters. Ann |
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| June 11, 2008 |
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Anne, I agree. It is wrong to claim to know the motive unless God reveals that to you directly as he did with Paul discerning Simon Magus' motive. I also agree that much of Catholic teaching is error-filled rules made up by men, but would you agree that Protestant doctrine is also in error in many areas? I believe it is. The important thing is, do we believe in Christ and can Christ save us despite our errors? I think he can and does.
I would not consider a thoughtful and polite blog on why you are no longer Catholic to be inherently divisive. We need to be open about our differences, but gracious, and not vitriolic. |
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| June 14, 2008 |
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Good Blog Grant, and I believe with good intentions.
I believe the Bible has teachings to keep a person from the left hand ditch, or the right hand ditch. 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 10:36 And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Now this goes agenst your #4's summation, ( I agree we can argue/debate without being hatefull) but just because I am not looking at the word that keeps me from the left-hand ditch, will you, if your comfortabvly in the right-hand ditch,going to call me a heritic? |
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| June 14, 2008 |
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Tom, that will always be a judgment call, and none of us is infallible in our judgments. Yet, responsible leadership is required to make such judgments against heretics. 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
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