- Always, always, always remember the purpose of this blog, to glorify God by exalting Him and by provoking one another to love and good works
- Submission guidelines
o No submissions over 750 words
§ No submissions over 750 words – this may change over time, and there may be exceptions, but keep it concise
o No comments over 150 words
§ No comments over 150 words – this also may change over time, and there may be exceptions, but keep it concise
o No politics, no sports, no weather, no business or financial, no product reviews
§ No politics, no sports, no weather, no business or financial, no product reviews – there may be instances in which a spiritual discussion falls into application with regard to topics like this, which is all right – but no comments on the latest Bulldogs game or the rain we got last night (except perhaps as an answer to prayer...for the rain, not the Dogs)
o No boasting
§ No boasting – writing can easily become a time of “testimony” that rather is a time of exalting self with the subterfuge of exalting God – Matthew 6 applies here – Christ talks about private prayer, he talks about private fasting, he talks about private alms-giving, and all should remain private and not be trumpeted so others will know about them – let’s keep the corporate things public, let’s keep our private spiritual disciplines and spiritual activities private (so we permit the Lord to reward us in His will, way, and timing rather than making sure to put God’s usage of us out there for the praise of others)
o Limit the reviews of works by living authors
§ Stick primarily with dead authors - we want to avoid falling into the trap of following after the latest and greatest fads, even within spiritual disciplines - most reviews of books or essays or sermons should be those of dead authors, with a few exceptions permitted from time to time - let's focus more on classic works that have stood the test of time rather than the newest ideas being espoused by someone who might have a spiritual flame-out tomorrow that will call into question his credibility
- Response and debate guidelines
o No ad hominem
§ No ad hominem – personal attacks will not be tolerated, against individuals in our church or against other individuals – feel free to tear down someone’s assertions and philosophy, but no attacks on their person or their family
o No solo authority
§ No solo authority – if you make a claim, back it up - if it is a biblical claim, include the reference or at least a quotation (even a loose quotation is all right, as long as it does not claim to be an actual quote and does not change the meaning of the verse or its context)
o No living support
§ No living support - if you support a claim with the thinking or comments of other men, use only comments from men who are no longer alive – additionally, use comments that can be verified
o No straw men
§ No straw men – if you make a comment in opposition to a particular view or particular person’s assertions, activities, or philosophy, then do not create a straw man by pulling one comment out of context and certainly do not create a straw man by completely digesting their philosophy into something that they have never claimed it to be
o No heat without light
§ No heat without light – discussions may from time to time become vigorous around a particular passage or topic – if those discussions devolve into simple “shouting matches,” a discussion will be cut off to prevent a fire from starting
o Always rub some dirt in it and take a lap
§ Always rub some dirt in it and take a lap – don’t take offense – rub some dirt in that wound and take a lap to blow off steam – no quick responses, thoughtful responses instead
o Careful with the sarcasm
§ Limit the sarcasm - sarcasm and satire can be useful tools in exposing a false assertion or false philosophy – but sarcasm and satire can also become hurtful rather easily, particularly to individuals who are not familiar with its usage – be judicious with the use of sarcasm and satire
o Any family disagreements stay in the family and get resolved in the family
§ Should any substantive disagreements develop, inside or outside the blog, among persons in our church family, those disagreements are to be handled within our church family – no allowance for bringing others into the disagreement, apart from perhaps Pastor bringing someone in to address a particular topic or a particular dispute
- Language guidelines
o Editing may occur
§ Editing may occur – editing will occur for questionable content (for instance, words that you may use without compunction with which others may have an issue) as well as for grammar and spelling (part of the purpose here is to encourage proper use of language in communication with one another – therefore, we reserve the right to correct your grammar and spelling, should you not police yourself in that area) and finally for disputatious or dangerous spiritual assertions (perhaps they were unintentionally drifted into, but should someone happen to say something that opens the door to questions regarding the deity of Christ, for instance, we will do our best to either remove it or reword it to assure that no misunderstanding occurs toward that direction)
o No coarse or crass language
o Limit the emoticons
§ Limit the emoticons – sometimes helpful to convey sarcasm, etc., other times just annoying
o No text messaging abbreviations
§ These have come into somewhat common usage, due to the difficulty of writing on a keyboard the size of a soup spoon, but they are not universally understood and they are not helpful at encouraging complete thoughts as well as proper spelling and grammar – don’t use them
o No shouting
§ Don’t use all capital letters to make an emphatic point – rather, use emphatic language
- Always shake hands with everyone before leaving the portico
§ We may disagree on certain interpretations, and those disagreements may become vigorous - we should each be convinced in our own minds about interpretations that are open (Romans 14), but we agree on enough, as evidenced by our joining membership in the same church, that we can disagree, even strongly, on other matters without causing actual schism within our church – whether by a quick comment of love and good will or simply by a conscious thought, give each other a handshake (or a hug) before leaving the site
