Here it's Sunday and you are sinning! At least according to Kevin D. Denee of the Restored Church of God's Ambassador Youth magazine (h/t Cruel Site of the Day). God hates blogs:
In the last five years, a new phenomenon has developed. The Internet has given birth to a world within a world. Now millions around the globe have their own websites, where they detail their lives, interests, opinions, random thoughts, and much more.[snip]
Should teenagers and others in the Church express themselves to the world through blogs? Because of the obvious dangers; the clear biblical principles that apply; the fact that it gives one a voice; that it is almost always idle words; that teens often do not think before they do; that it is acting out of boredom; and it is filled with appearances of evil?blogging is simply not to be done in the Church. It should be clear that it is unnecessary and in fact dangerous on many levels.
Let me emphasize that no one--including adults--should have a blog or personal website (unless it is for legitimate business purposes).
When this policy, now being instituted, was discussed with Mr. Pack and other Headquarters ministers, there was not a shadow of doubt in anyone's mind that blogs are something youth should not be doing in any way.
As has been said before, Jesus Christ and His Church have standards. Those who desire fewer standards should go to the splinters or to the world. (Blogs and God's Youth)
No blogs? Well then what can the young 'uns do safely? Instant Messaging! From the same website:
Like any form of technology, instant messaging (IM) can have good and bad uses. With the right parameters it can be a tool to develop friendships among God?s people from every corner of the earth. However, the anonymity that this medium provides can lead to standards that slip.
[snip]
Instant Messenger Dating?: You may not have considered it, but many of the rules discussed in the book All About DATING and COURTSHIP apply to instant messaging. Remember, the only real difference between a face-to-face group date and group instant messaging is the technology. If we view it from that framework, the dynamics of group and one-on-one messaging become easier to understand.
[snip]
Two teens of opposite gender must exercise extreme caution when IM-ing each other. While occasional chatting is permissible, it is very easy for such to lead into dating-type conversations. Again, you are urged to read or reread All About DATING and COURTSHIP to expand on these points. (From Bradford G. Schleifer, Instant Messaging: Communicating in the 21st Century)
Representative Mark Foley wasn't IM-ing with anyone from the opposite gender and he wasn't blogging. So what's the big deal?
You, on the other hand. You are reading a blog. Shame on you! I'm going to tell Speaker Hastert. Don't let him deny I told him.
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I just followed the breadcrumbs back to the page of origin.
Wow. More American Taliban. Spend a few minutes at their website and be amazed.
I needed brain AND eye bleach after visiting that site, Charles. Yikes!
Mark Foley, that crazy Democrat! (according to Fox News)
I read he is a Scientologist. Anyone know if there's any truth to that?
Organized religion is truly a brain-sucking bane on all of humanity. Except for a few notable exceptions, of course. These include Landover Baptist Church (http://www.landoverbaptist.org/) and Church of the Subgenius (http://www.subgenius.com/).
And the point of this is what? There is some lunatic minister in the world? Wow! Spread the news! If the intent is to imply that this nut is typical or representative of Christian Ministers (after all we never have non-Christians as the central object of the Sunday love fest) then it is suspiciously akin to a straw man argument.
Carl -
Not hardly. This "Restored Church of God" has all the appearance of being a sect with all of about two pastors in its history, period, and their opinion of ALL the other Christian denominations seems to be totally exclusionary. It has all the intellectual stigmata of a nice tight little cult.
But it does trouble me that there seem to be so many of these around these days. Most, like Fred Phelps' lot, are merely intolerable nuisances. Others, like the Moonies and the Scientologists, have their hands on some real power.
Charles - point taken. I would be interested in knowing if there are more of these types 'per capita' so to speak now as opposed to other points in human history. In and amongst the innumerable cults / groups / religious entitites and assorted nut brigades that have characterized our peoples are there greater or lesser numbers at different points in time? What is the geographic dispersion of such entites? Are they associated with with societies with particular social characteristics? What gives rise to such entities, how long do they typically last, do they change over time, how is their demise manifested?
Thanks for this post. This explains why my friend, newly returned from 26 years as a missionary in Manila, gasped when I mentioned there are blogs I read regularly. She is not from some weird cult; she's just your average, run-of-the-mill Born Again, perhaps more liberal (when she's given a chance to be) than most of her peers.
Interesting how biases leap forth when the subject of religion comes up. "Scientologists and Moonies" "cults/groups/religious entities and assorted nut brigades"??? Lumped together, out of hand, without knowing anything about them except they don't think like you do? So, anyone who believes something outside the mainstream thought is a nutcase? Three plus years ago this country started bombing the holy crap out of another country because the belief of the mainstream thought mongers, the Christian coalition, said they were evildoers. Given a choice of mainstream and cult, gimme a moonie or scientologist. Who have they bombed recently?
Aye, Mary, let's ask Lisa McPhearson that question. (www.xenu.net) Or maybe the Scientology office concerned badgering, pestering, and threatening former members and any critics they have? Or maybe their irrational hatred of all mental help that isn't church based?
Sorry, the fact is, as a general rule, we know plenty about them. Most importantly is the fact that they are, in fact, nutcases. Pretty much, we can lump them together because they are, to use the technical term, "absolutely crazy." When your holy texts read like a (really bad) sci-fi novel, I don't blame someone for writing you off.
(Sorry, scientology is one of my pet peeves.)
sorry, halcyOn, but I was in Scientology on staff in San Francisco for 5 years in the 70's. I left of my own free will when my contract was up, and was never "badgered, pestered or threatened..." although for a while I was annoyed by registrars trying to get me to sign up for services I couldn't afford. I agree they are overly aggressive - by policy - in attacking critics, and that some of the writings and theories are pretty far "out there". But again, you blanket absolutely everyone who has studied scientology - myself then included - as "absolutely crazy". And again I say that is bias, and that you are making generalities based on that bias.( I also like the way you use the term "we" to add strength to your position...who is "we"???)
For a slightly larger scale comment on collective insanity, see
"North Korea as a religious state"
http://www.counterpunch.com/leupp10162006.html