I’m forty years old and I’ve experienced a lot of life in those forty years. And yet just when I think I’ve seen or heard it all, I discover (again) that I haven’t. I found something online a few days ago via some links that really took me aback. I had to walk away from the computer and start to process it because I was just so stunned by what I read.
I’m not going to link to what I read because my point in writing this post is not to develop an issue with any particular bloggers. If you know who I am talking about, please keep it to yourself. However, if you know who I am talking about and you think I have mischaracterized their viewpoint, please do indicate that. I am going to try to be as accurate as possible in describing their view for the sake of discussion here. I am intensely curious to know what people think of this.
A few bloggers have decided that they will censor readers’ comments if they feel the comments are not biblically accurate. They believe they will not only be held accountable to God for what they write on their blogs, but what others write as well. So if someone writes something in a comment that they feel is not biblical truth, they not only have the right but the responsibility to censor the comments. They will not edit them and make them say something different (which they say would be dishonest), but they will make it clear they have edited the comments in order to censor anything they feel is biblically inaccurate.
I’ve moved past my stunned disbelief and now would love to discuss this with whoever is interested.
I guess the thought I keep coming back to is that I would expect the world to silence Christians, but Christians silencing other Christians that they don’t agree with is very troubling to me. Am I missing something that would make this not only okay as Americans but required by the Word of God? If the apostle Paul had a blog, would he censor people’s comments to defend God’s truth or would he respond to them via reason and discussion? How would you feel if you left a comment here and I censored it because I felt it was not biblically accurate? (Trust me, I have no intention of starting!)
As I said, I’m intensely curious to hear what people think!
This behavior is not biblical at all. These people cannot defend themselves and this is the best way to keep from being questioned. I have seen this before in my life. The truth is that they are so theologically weak that they can’t answer the questions.
I have decided to avoid all blogs that treat Christians this way. I believe that we are seeing the weak people that they are.
I am not doubting their faith (I like to give all people the benefit of the doubt), but it is very uncharitable and a terrible witness!
God save us all from theological laziness!
BTW, I wouldn’t have a problem if they truly didn’t know the answers and didn’t want to discuss it. I have very little time to debate anything online. I have no problem with people who moderate comments because they want to stop from being harrassed. If you bring up a controversial subject than you should be able to defend it. What these bloggers are doing is exactly what the liberal media does all the time except instead of a humanistic spin, they’ve put a Christian spin on it.
Hi Sallie. I find your blog very interesting. I haven’t come across what you described, but if I had, I would have had the same reaction as you. It just seems so – dare I say it – ‘self-righteous’ to be doing this type of censorship. I have to process the implications of this too. Right now, however, the only thing that pops to mind is Matthew 7:5!!!
I’ve seen people say that, and yes, it stuns me too. The only reason I ever edit or delete comment is for true profanity or spam. I’ve had plenty of biblically inaccurate comments, and I shudder to think the message it would send if I deleted each one.
Honestly, I think Christians who feel the need to do this probably don’t need to be blogging. I understand their motives, but the essence of blogging is the public dialogue, and anyone who can’t stand that heat needs to get out of the kitchen.
No. I could never do that, and I don’t understand why someone would find that necessary.
Even with people with whom I share extremely similar points of view I find things I cannot whole-heartedly agree with. I would not dream of censoring their views.
Where would one draw the line?
Does ANYONE understand everything in the Bible enough to believe they could do that?
I certainly don’t.
My first thought is, What a high-strung blogger!
My second thought is, I’m skeptical of the reason this blogger gives for censoring comments… I really can’t imagine that someone who has spent much time in the “blog-world” would think they would/should be accountable for other people’s comments, to God or to the world. It makes me think there is a more self-righteous or self-justifying reason for deleting comments this blogger deems unbiblical.
I have no idea who you’re talking about, but I *am* familiar with blogs of people who aren’t out there to “discuss” anything, but instead are just interested in spouting out their point of view as aggressively as they need to to feel satisfied with themselves.
One guy who visited my blog and left a comment a long time ago even admitted as much in his comment, something along the lines of, “I’m really not interested in getting to know you, and probably won’t read any responses you leave on your own blog. I’ve visited your blog for the purpose of generating traffic to my site, which I’ve created to advertise my theological beliefs.” He’s the only blogger I’ve ever “blocked” LOL!
My first reaction would be no, I wouldn’t delete it I would answer to it. But there are things I would delete–hateful comments, vile speech, etc. If someone were twisting and perverting the Word of God to support a notion of theirs, then by leaving it in my comment section wouldn’t I, in a sense, be publishing their lies? Giving them a forum to spread something I am directly opposed to? Even if I answer to it, there is a chance someone else may be persuaded by their propaganda, and I would feel partly responsible, by giving them an audience. I’ve never been in that position, but I have to say that I wouldn’t say “never” on that.
On the flip side, I used to sometimes read a blog where the author edited every single interpretation she disagreed with and I found it arrogant and infuriating. I stopped reading, partly because of that.
My own policy (not that I have ever had to use it) is censorship for vulgarity. And I suppose that I would include outright blasphemy in the vulgarity category.
I do feel responsible for the comments, but this doesn’t mean I censor them. This means that I make sure anything I think is questionable is responded to by me. And usually that means even if someone else also responded with “my” point of view. By remaining silent, I fear I could be interpreted either way.
I suppose that is a long-winded way of saying I try to have the “last” word on a subject on my own blog. 🙂
And it also means I think twice without posting on subjects about which I am not capable of intelligently discussing.
Of course, sometimes I don’t realize how ignorant I am until the comments get rolling or the emails start to come in! Ha! 😀
It’s a fine line.
Obviously, if you are the owner of the blog, you get to do whatever you want : )
BUT, I think bloggers should be careful about how they interact with readers. Overmoderation can also be a drag and bloggers can drive well-intentioned readers away.
Overall, I like blogs where people can disagree with each other or the blogger, but respectfully.
I have never heard of such a thing. I’ve had to delete only a few comments and all of them were inviting readers to their blogs, which were far from Christian.
I don’t have enough time in my day to begin doing something like that. I think I’d question why I was blogging in the first place if I became fearful about comments. Why don’t they just turn the comment section off?
This is an interesting one. When I first started blogging, most people who commented were people I knew. Someone made a comment that showed that they’d completely misunderstood me, they misrepresented my theology, and they did it anonymously. So I deleted it, and I blogged that I was going to require all commenters to register from then on. I wanted to know who was commenting so I would better know how to reply to them. Now that the blog has gotten larger, I don’t know everyone anymore, and I just respond to the comment.
But I have to wonder what I’m supposed to do if I regularly get a commenter that consistently misrepresents my position on something. This particular commenter of mine just never got what I was trying to say. It hasn’t yet, but I’ve seen how it could happen. In that case, what do I do? Do I continue to let them be a thorn in my side, taking my time and energy while I respond? What are the limits on this? I’m not advocating editing their posts. I’m curious about whether or not there would ever me a case in which I would block them for that. It’s a clearer case on blocking someone for ugliness or profanity. I wonder if anyone else has ever had this particular problem…
Ooops, guess I’m digressing. But to answer your question, no, I would not edit someone’s comment to make it what I considered to be theologically accurate. It’s their comment, and no matter how much I might disagree with their way of seeing things, if I edit it, I would then be misrepresenting their idea. Those are their words, and I have no right to edit them.
I’ve never seen what you’ve described, but I’m familiar with those type of “biblically correct” Christian bloggers who require you to follow their faith statement to the “t” before they’ll consider you a real Christian.
I just stay away. Far, far away.
I’ve seen this. It always strikes me wrong.
Yes it’s their blog, but why ask a question if you don’t want people’s answers?
I also feel like it comes across as “my way is the only way” and “I am the only one capable of dispensing Biblical truth”
I recently had a negative comment on my blog. I published it anyway even though it hurt. I decided that it didn’t use vulgarity and it was her opinion so I let it be published. (It wasn’t a Biblical issue though.)
The only comments I edit are my friends in real life that use my real name or identifying info about me;).
Lizzie
If a comment is spam or vulgar, it gets deleted right away. If I had someone that I felt was trying to take over my blog through the comment section, I’d block them. I did have one comment I deleted, simply becuase it made no sense. If I couldn’t figure out what they meant, my readers couldn’t either.
To block everything that doesn’t agree with your intrepretation would be cutting off a lot of readers, I’d imagine.
Why don’t they just put a header in their blog that says “If you don’t agree with me 100%, your comment will be deleted,” which is what they really mean anyway.
I guess my answer would be — it depends on what the issue was and what the comment was. It’s hard to judge what the bloggers you mentioned do without knowing those two things. I am not at all suggesting you link to them, I understand why you’re not — I’m just saying we can’t really judge their motives when we don’t really know what the conversation was about.
I think usually I would just answer a comment that disagreed with me or represented a a different viewpoint within the comments. If it is something peripheral, like Bible versions or pants on women or exactly how to discipline children, where there is room for Christians to disagree, that’s one thing. If someone were attacking the Deity of Christ or the veracity of the Bible — again, I think I’d just answer them in the comment section, but as Jeana said, I’m not obligated to give anyone a platform for their own propaganda, especially if they’re not interested in discussing whatever the post was about but just rather spouting off. I’m speaking in generalities here — I didn’t see til the end of your post that you were talking about Christians censoring other Christians. Even with that, though — within blogland there is a wider definition of Christian than what it truly Biblical. I’ve noticed at different times when different bloggers have called for testimonies, there are people who call themselves Christians but who are trusting in something other than Christ for salvation. All of that to say, just because someone calls themselves a Christian doesn’t mean I give them open access to say anything on my blog they want to.
But correcting or deleting every little phrase or comment that doesn’t match up with my view of things — no, that’s going overboard.
The only thing I can remember for sure that I have ever deleted besides spam was a recent comment on a post about having devotions: the commenter asserted that the Bible was a myth and I was a moron for believing it, then said something like “You can believe it if you want to, but leave me out of it” — strange, I thought, when he was the one who came to my blog and if he wanted to be left out of it he didn’t have to come and read. The e-mail address he left was bogus and everything about his comment indicated it was a drive-by thing rather than an honest interest in dialogue, so I deleted it.
One thing I have wrestled with, though: on one weekly meme I used to participate in, there was another participant who was an active and open and avowed witch. Her comments on my posts weren’t antagonistic and didn’t reflect her beliefs, but I did wrestle with not wanting someone to click on something from my site that would lead them to a witch’s site, so I disabled the link she left.
Sorry to have been so long-winded there. 🙂
I agree with Barbara… it’s hard to say 100% what I would or wouldn’t do.
I don’t delete comments for unbiblicality, although I too would struggle if someone consistently misrepresented the words of Christ to mean something completely the opposite. Sure, readers can make up their own minds, but do I really want to lend a microphone to someone who is speaking untruth?
I do delete comments that are personal attacks or inflammatory (designed merely to incite emotional responses). I have also come down to deleting anonymous comments as well. Recently, I had to delete a comment that was inflammatory because of where I live (I live overseas in a Muslim country and had a commenter making increasingly emotional and factless remarks about Islam.
So, I have had to be selective in specific situations about comment moderation.
Interesting question. I hadn’t considered this kind of thing before- moderating for biblicality.
I wonder if this blogger has a theology statement on her blog? Can you say? Like does she say, “Only Reformed, 5-point Calvinistic comments will be allowed to remain on this blog”? Or some such thing? I don’t know how you could effectively do comment moderation in this way without having a very explicit statement about what your theological perspective was.
Jess @ Making Home
I’ve left comments on quite a few blogs in the nearly three years that I’ve been blogging and the only comments I have had deleted are from a very narrow group of Christian bloggers and it has only been recently too.
In one case, I contacted the blogger about the deletion wondering if there was a biblical inaccuracy and he never replied. And I was recently told that one blogger changed their comment policy because of my comment, although I don’t know for sure. A comment was not allowed, but no one ever contacted me about biblical inaccuracy so this may be a different case.
My comments basically encouraged us to all to be Bereans in all that we are taught because the only one who is infallible is Christ alone. Truth will withstand the toughest scrutiny. We are all susceptible to error and that is why careful examination is necessary. It is when we grow comfortable and forget to search out the Truth that error slips into what is taught, without even a sideways glance from those that should be watching. I basically said that it is not out of suspicion that I search the Scriptures and discuss the matter with others, but to make sure that what the teacher has taught is true before I act in a way that is detrimental to my spiritual health. (I can post the whole comment if would like Sallie.) If that’s “unbiblical” then call me a heretic!
In the end, it is the blogger that loses their credibility. Simply because a blogger says that they will edit comments that are not biblically accurate does not mean that the comments actually were biblically inaccurate. Claiming biblical inaccuracy is an easy cover because it sounds noble, but how do we verify that the comments were actually biblically inaccurate unless we have read them, otherwise we are taking that bloggers word that this is true and the comment false. It all rests with the bloggers credibility. And in my opninion, when they edit comments or delete someone who challenges their thoughts, it is their credibility that is lost.
In the end, a blog can be operated whatever way the host blogger wants but credibility is the currency of the blogosphere. Without it why would anyone read what you wrote or take your thoughts seriously?
Truly biblically inaccurate comments can be left up with another comment stating that the above is not accurate and why, but deleting them or editing them so as not to promote error tells me that the blogger is more interested in just having their own thoughts known and no one else’s matter because their right on all things. And that’s fine, just turn off comments and tell the whole world what you think. But those that delete or edit comments simply because they don’t agree are, in my opinion, no longer trustworthy, credible, or worth reading.
Sallie,
Here is my comment that was not allowed. (Note: I chose not to include the blogger’s name as I did in the original but if you would like me to put it in, in order to verify the statement, then I will provide it.)
———————–
*** said “Any authority may be misused, misunderstood, or misapplied.”
Exactly! And because that is true, it is not out of “suspicion” that I examine those who exercise authority or those who teach about it, but because that is what Scripture in Acts said the Bereans did with the teachers of their day. They received the word with readiness and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. They were not criticized as being “suspicious” of authority or the teacher, but called more noble than those in Thessalonicas. Examining what is taught by fallible men, is noble not wrong.
Scripture requires us to do to ALL teachers no matter what they teach about. I do not single out one teacher and ignore all others, but examine all teachers including my own pastor to see if what they teach is true. We are all susceptible to error and that is why careful examination is necessary. It is when we grow comfortable and forget to search out the Truth that error slips into what is taught, without even a sideways glance from those that should be watching.
*** you also asked, “Do we reconsider whether we really ought to have parents, police, pastors, judges, and doctors because some might not use their authority properly?”
The fact that I am encouraging believers to examine those that teach on patriarchy, in no way means we ought to reconsider whether or not to have pastors or teachers. Not at all!
I am merely saying that as fallible men, their teachings must be examined. If I had a serious illness and a doctor gave me his recommendation for treatment, I would get a second opinion from another authority on the matter. This is NOT because I am susupicious of the first doctor, but to confirm whether what he says is true before I act in a way that could be detrimental to my health and do more damage than the illness I currently have. That’s what I hope most would do.
So it is similar with a teacher of God’s Word, it is not out of suspcicion that I search the Scriptures and discuss the matter with others, but to make sure that what the teacher has taught is true before I act in a way that is detrimental to my spiritual health.
If, when I tell a doctor that I am seeking a second opinion, and he criticizes me or gets upset with that decision, then I am more eager than ever to talk to another doctor. The doctor’s reaction to challenging questions or discussion of what others think, tells me whether he values being right more than valuing a right diagnosis or course of treatment. One who values a right diagnosis does not fear scrutiny by another doctor but in my experience welcomes it.
So it is the same with those that teach the Scriptures, one who is at ease with close examination and believers that ask hard questions is a humble man, who obviously values accountability and Truth and a man worth listening to.
A teacher of Truth does not have to fear accountability, for if what he says is indeed true, then it will stand up to the toughest scrutiny.
————————–
That’s the comment that was not allowed. If there is any biblical inaccuracy in what I have said, I welcome the chance to correct it.
Just a quick response before breakfast…
I completely agree with deleting profanity, spam and trolls. Of course the idea of a troll is even relative because I’ve discovered that some Christians consider people trolls if they leave a comment that indicates they don’t agree with the blogger, even if done nicely.
Moderating comments does take a level of discernment. And blogging does rest on credibility as Spunky said. I’ve been thinking a great deal about the credibility issue in recent weeks as I’ve witnessed some things that have really stunned me.
I guess what it boils down to is control. Yes, all bloggers need to have a certain level of control over their blogs and it is within their rights to control what appears there. But to take an overzealous control to the point of shutting down honest and sincere biblical discussion sends up red warning flags all over the place. When Christians suppress honest dialog with other believers who disagree with them on secondary issues, it makes me sincerely wonder what else they are not being honest about.
Spunky – Feel free to post your other comment here if you like. I am happy to promote Berean-ness around here! 🙂
Hi Spunky!
If you’re getting edited I don’t know what the blog world is coming too;)
(insert tongue in cheek silly)
Spunky,
It’s comments like what you shared in #19, and the one that you provided to another blog where you were also deleted that obviously scare the living daylights out of certain camps. I can’t forget the point on that other blog I’m refering to where a person said, “I’m concerned, we need to hear what [prominent teacher] has to say about this.” And you said basically that they need to look for themselves, saying the same thing about the Bereans being commended for checking the leaders for accuracy And you were deleted for that. That shows where their hearts are in seeking truth.
Who could refute what you said? No one. It’s so obvious that we should check the scriptures for ourselves and reason it out. Just because someone in authority has read and read and preached and preached, and sold thousands of books doesn’t make them right. The sobering thing is that the Pharisees were very studied in Scriptures, yet they missed the whole point.
Pure and simple: they don’t want free discussion because it threatens what they’ve been told is true.
I said to Sallie last night, “these people are building bigger walls around themselves and hiding everyone in.” And those of us who are trying to have a discussion are (hopefully in all cases) trying to help them be free. We’re walking up and down outside their wall trying to help them.
It’s just sad. They just might be sieging themselves to death.
~Is it not outrageous, controlling, unthinking, *religious zealots* that our country’s brave men and women are fighting on the other side of the world?
The ignorance that breeds that kind of contempt for thoughtful discussion needs to be fought with diligence by every free man or woman every day.
Thank you Sallie, for allowing all voices to be heard. It is a tribute to Good Education and knowing the One who has made us free in Christ.
“Is it not outrageous, controlling, unthinking, *religious zealots* that our country’s brave men and women are fighting on the other side of the world?”
Good point Carolyne!
When we understand the theology that governs the behavior of people we better able to understand the behavior itself. That is true of people on the other side of the world or the other side of our monitors.
The theology behind many who seek to control information in the discussions I have been involved on patriarchy are led by a theology known as “Reconstructionism.” In Reconstructionist theology ALL people are to be subjected to the Mosaic Law as interpreted by THEM. A reconstructionist believes he has been given a “mandate” by God in Genesis 1:27 to rule and take dominion in the earth.
However, to a Reconstructionist this mandate to take dominion and rule went beyond that which “creepeth upon the earth” as Gen. 1 outlines and they added in things which don’t “move about the earth” like education, politics, media, arts, entertainment, and I guess even the internet would have to be included. That means that the Mosaic law would apply to what a woman on the internet is permitted to talk about. And theology isn’t one of those areas so they feel it is totally Scriptural to take dominion and “silence” women who attempt to talk about areas where they do not have “jurisdiction.”
My guess (and it’s only a guess) is that my comment was deleted not for its content but because I went beyond my jurisdiction as a woman, in that I suggested that it was permissable and even biblically called “noble” for me to examine and discuss the teachings of a pastor or another in a position of authority. In saying so, I am going outside my jurisdiction of the home and breaking the hierarchical chain of command. And that to a “biblical” patriarch is a big no-no.
It’s easy to delete a woman on the internet who seeks to be a Berean, but I truly do wonder what they do in their churches to a woman who dares question the teaching as a Berean to see if what is taught is indeed true?
Sallie-
My thought is that this particular blogger is missing out on the opportunity to teach people about God’s Word. While I would support the deleting of mean-spirited or derogatory comments, deleting every thought contrary to God’s Word makes me wonder what this individual blogs for.
Erin
I very rarely delete comments, and most of them have been the “weird” comments…someone most likely hopping from blog to blog typing comments in order to get blog traffic.