A Question On My Mind
I do not have the answer for this, I am just letting some thoughts out.
How wise is it to criticize people in your own denomination, fellowship or circle on a blog if you have not talked with them or someone close to them about your criticism first? For instance, I plan on being a pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. In that context people have recourse if I offend them by a belief I hold, something I say, etc. They can come to me. If I refuse them, they can go to the elders I serve with at a local church. If they still do not have satisfaction, then they can go to the Presbytery I am a member of and take their grievance to them.
Now suppose, none of this takes place and people begin talking about me on their blogs or on messageboards and I am unaware of this. Then after a time, I discover that people think I am something, or hold to something, that does not match who I really am. How do I clear my name? How do I prove I am not what people say I am?
How wise is it to criticize people in your own denomination, fellowship or circle on a blog if you have not talked with them or someone close to them about your criticism first? For instance, I plan on being a pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America. In that context people have recourse if I offend them by a belief I hold, something I say, etc. They can come to me. If I refuse them, they can go to the elders I serve with at a local church. If they still do not have satisfaction, then they can go to the Presbytery I am a member of and take their grievance to them.
Now suppose, none of this takes place and people begin talking about me on their blogs or on messageboards and I am unaware of this. Then after a time, I discover that people think I am something, or hold to something, that does not match who I really am. How do I clear my name? How do I prove I am not what people say I am?
posted by Bobby's blog at 11:34 AM
3 Comments:
Writing a blog definitely opens you up to being misunderstood. I'm worried about it myself. My job prospects could already be worsened based on what I've written on my blog!
I don't need to remind you that if you criticize someone, it should be done with a loving spirit and in language appropriate to the topic and the public nature of a blog. I think you can feel free to criticize a viewpoint as long as it is done in that spirit and with a brotherly tone. It might also be helpful to qualify your interpretation ("If I understanding Mr. so-and-so correctly," or "So-and-so seems to be saying that x, y, and z"). Citations and quotations could help too. You might also be able to use the other person's viewpoint as the introduction to your own essay and let the readers draw the contrast and implied criticism themselves ("So-and-so says this: [quote]. Let me tell you what I think about it.").
What kind of criticisms are you talking about? Haircut? Music? Millennial view?
(Congratulations on graduating!)
I think I am more or less feeling this was because of blogs I occasionally read that are extremely critical of pastors or Christian leaders. The extent of the criticism is at such a level that it seems like the person critiqued doesn't even confess Christ, though in reality they do.
It just bothers me. And to think that in a couple of years, someone could take what I say in a lecture or sermon, take it out of context, and publish it to the world without ever letting me know they were offended. Sheesh!
I think that often the best way to deal with people who criticize you that harshly is simply to ignore them. I guess if you thought there was a real chance that they'd listen, you could try to approach them privately. But a muckracker just wants to rack muck. They don't really care if they get the details right.
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