Musings Upon Online Behavior In Matters Of The Christian Faith

This week, some friends of mine have had some rather unpleasant interactions online when discussing and debating matters of faith.  Rather than simply post links to all the various articles, posts, replies, comments on posts, etc. and rehash the topics on my Facebook page, I prefer to take a moment and write here about the part of this I find most troubling and which causes me the most sadness about the culture in which we Christians live: the vicious tenacity with which some Christians attack other Christians.

To begin, let's just agree there are issues of faith which various denominations within the Christian faith believe differently (massive understatement).  Some of these issues are actually relatively minor, some of them are much more central to the core beliefs of what each denomination considers essential to being a Christian, and part of their particular faith. 

None of us is immune from occasionally thinking one group or another has lost their way, their mind, or both, myself included.  However, the one thing I am absolutely, 100% certain of, and it is this: I don't have all the right answers for everyone to everything.  To my knowledge and belief, there has been only one person, ever, who had all those answers.  He was so remarkable, people wrote about Him even in an era when very few could write.  The tales of His life and His teachings were so profound, it spawned the largest religious movement in all of human history. 

Now, I imagine we Christians can at least agree on referring to the Bible as our source for all our answers.  Of course, then the discussions and debates begin.  Which translation?  Well, assuming we can agree on that one; let's move on to drawing different meanings/teachings/conclusions from the same passage.  This is indeed a very slippery slope, but therein lies our biggest divide (this is where the various Christian denominations come into being). 

We all assume/presume/know we are always right and everyone else is wrong.  And of course, we are.  To which I would add: therefore we aren't.  At least I am not.  My faith has grown over the years.  To quote a favorite lyric from a song I love: "I 'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red, they tell that there's more to life than just what I can see."   If you met your past self in church and listened to them talk about the tenets of their faith, my guess is you would find your younger self woefully ignorant on a great many topics.  If you didn't, you should probably be alarmed at the lack of progress in your spiritual growth. 

Sorry, I digress.  To return to my original point, I have seen some friends of friends and members of the general populace online discussing and debating the particulars of their faith.  To say these debates have been civil would be a outright lie.  If Jesus were actually sitting at a computer reading these posts, it isn't a big reach to say He would do a few facepalms and He might even feel compelled to "unfollow" a few (not Unfriend, keep your hat on) on both sides. 

No doubt, I have just opened a door to criticism from some of my friends for using such a metaphor.  Well, I have heard nearly every single Christian faith's members all wonder aloud: "What would Jesus do?"  I cannot say with absolute certainty, but I am fairly confident He would be ashamed to learn how much UN-Christian behavior so many Christians use online; how easily so many Christians find it to slide into the role of pharisee (note the lower-case) and partake of a piranha-like feeding frenzy in the comments section of various posts. 

I guess my post today is simply this: is it any wonder we are seeing our culture drift further and further from Christ?  If we eat our own, just imagine what we do to outsiders?  I understand the need, the importance of elaborating on the tenets of your faith.  I sincerely hope we can do so without exhausting ourselves by casting virtual stones at everyone who has a different view.  This isn't an online game of King of the Mountain.

I am NOT going to call out any group on this, specifically because I wish to see a "truce" of sorts online.  Rather than kick hordes of other Christians off my bus to heaven, I want to reach out to those who may have never heard of Christ, to those who don't know Him, His story, and His love for them and welcome them.  At least I am sure going to try, because I believe that is the way Jesus wants me to behave. Of course, I am guessing here as I lack a biblical reference to cite for online behavior.   

Now, if you just can't help yourself, if you simply have to enjoy flaming someone's soul online, here is what you can do to be a force for good in the world.  Reach out to any Gator fan you know this football season, and help rescue them from the darkness their soul dwells within.  Help them to see their salvation lies in loving Noles, Bulldogs or really any other team in all of college football.  That is definitely a very productive use of your online time.  :-)