Commenting and Discourse
Rules for Commenting:
1) SPAM is not allowed and will be reported.
2) Constructive criticism is very much welcome; taking potshots from a keyboard, not so much. If you're truly concerned about what I say, or if you have questions in general, feel free to email me personally.
3) Keep things civil and respectful of everyone - not just me, but other commenters and other people in general.
4) I reserve the right to delete any comments or disable commenting ability for any post. This is not for the purposes of information control (I'm no propagandist), but anything that gets too offensive, inappropriate, heated, or vitriolic runs counter to respectful discourse and has no place here.
Discourse:
I firmly believe that nothing is ever gained from shouting matches and heated debates. All sides usually walk away angry and bitter, with nobody's minds or hearts really changed. In fact, in most online debates a lot is revealed about the true heart and nature of those who spew venom while trying to 'win'.
Likewise, among those who follow Jesus, I take very seriously what Jesus says regarding confronting these matters among one another:
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or more witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. - Matthew 18:15-17 (emphasis mine)To put it plainly, if you claim to follow Jesus and yet you decide to openly confront something written on this site, whether by me or anyone else, without first having followed Jesus' instructions on these matters - in my case, by contacting and conversing with me - your unwillingness to follow Jesus on this matter reveals a lot more about your own heart. As such, it makes anything you say suspect and most likely will not be taken seriously.
Plain and simple, if you have a problem with what I write, talk to me personally about it. I'm not offended by challenges and questions in the least, and I welcome genuine concerns and questions, just present them privately first with respect and love.
To sum it up, I totally reject the online culture of venon-sniping in comments, and I refuse to allow it on my site.
Disclaimers
Site Content Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of my employer, my church, my family, my friends, my acquaintances, my enemies, my dog, my internal digestive flora, nor my towel.
Secondary Disclaimer
Anything I write or say on this site that is quoted outside of its proper context and misrepresented in any way in an unfairly negative or derogatory light will be considered libel.
I detest this practice in today's media, commentators, bloggers, and from behind far too many pulpits, as it obscures truth and often makes false claims against others which are totally unjustified. Just because it's a popular form of communication - or more appropriately, miscommunication - today doesn't make it right.
Of course, I should consider myself blessed if this does happen, according to Jesus (Matthew 5:11), but I still want to discourage this abhorrent practice, especially among those who also follow Jesus. It makes us all look bad when we start taking potshots at each other like that.
