"Boundless" Stupidity!
Captain Sensible writes: Not going to rant too much about this, but really, what is going on in the minds of the Boundless editorial team?
We've had comment interventions and postings recently on the wearing of flip-flops, polka dots and bows; the merits of vinyl versus CDs; albums by The Beatles; and the spelling of the word "camaraderie" (or "comradery", apparently).
Yet comments that spread false teaching on something so important to the entire Body of Christ as singleness and marriage (not even just the singles that the blog is supposed to "bring focus" to!), is not deemed worthy of any guidance or correction!
I well remember a comment posting along the lines of "Jesus agreed with the disciples that it is better not to marry" that was just left sitting there, poisoning the minds of impressionable young Christians. Oh, but watch Ted Slater jump right in there if it is something to do with a John Lennon song!
I just can't get over their collective stupidity and complete irresponsibility.
Debbie Maken had it right when she changed her comments policy as she realised that posting all comments, without addressing them, "feels like I am helping publish faulty assumptions and faulty conclusions."
Blogging is a new medium, and we are all in the process of working how best it can be utilised for the common good.
But gradually, bloggers are realising that they may be doing more harm than good, if they give a public platform to the spreading of wrong teaching, without taking the trouble to correct it.
What is it that Boundless doesn't understand about this? (Although obviously Ted Slater does understand this -- he just doesn't think comments such as Jesus agreeing with the disciples that it is better not to marry, are as worthy of correction as whether a particular song was by John Lennon or The Beatles, apparently!)
All of which leaves me in somewhat of a dilemma...
Having raised this issue with them several times, and each time either been ignored, directed to their inconsistent comments policy, or told that comments are "a different category" and therefore apparently nothing to do with them (a very responsible attitude, I must say, Candice Watters!), I don't feel there is anything more I can now do.
So I have a choice: Do I continue to check the site, and respond to the comments like the one cited above, which are so serious that I don't think I could sleep at night if I didn't at least attempt to address them! (However, the wrong teaching on singleness is so prevalent that I think it would be a full-time job to try and do this to every damaging comment that Boundless chooses to post and then abandon to the ether!)
Or do I, as I have said before, simply wash my hands of them? Or at least, pray for God to change their hearts, but take no further action? However, even then I think my conscience would trouble me, as I think about all the impressionable young readers that are being misinformed about the Bible and God's will for their lives, that are beating themselves up trying to be content with a state that God Himself said was "not good", that are feeling sinful about making an idol out of the desires that God placed in almost all of us for the fulfilling of His plans and purposes, and that are squandering their most fertile years "waiting on the Lord" when we ourselves are to blame for the mess we have got ourselves into!
I just can't get my head around how Boundless can think that providing a platform to spread wrong teaching isn't a serious matter.
Or at least, a little bit more serious than discussing whether or not polka dots make for suitable business attire!
Seems to me like almost the entire Christian world has gone, ahem, dotty...
We've had comment interventions and postings recently on the wearing of flip-flops, polka dots and bows; the merits of vinyl versus CDs; albums by The Beatles; and the spelling of the word "camaraderie" (or "comradery", apparently).
Yet comments that spread false teaching on something so important to the entire Body of Christ as singleness and marriage (not even just the singles that the blog is supposed to "bring focus" to!), is not deemed worthy of any guidance or correction!
I well remember a comment posting along the lines of "Jesus agreed with the disciples that it is better not to marry" that was just left sitting there, poisoning the minds of impressionable young Christians. Oh, but watch Ted Slater jump right in there if it is something to do with a John Lennon song!
I just can't get over their collective stupidity and complete irresponsibility.
Debbie Maken had it right when she changed her comments policy as she realised that posting all comments, without addressing them, "feels like I am helping publish faulty assumptions and faulty conclusions."
Blogging is a new medium, and we are all in the process of working how best it can be utilised for the common good.
But gradually, bloggers are realising that they may be doing more harm than good, if they give a public platform to the spreading of wrong teaching, without taking the trouble to correct it.
What is it that Boundless doesn't understand about this? (Although obviously Ted Slater does understand this -- he just doesn't think comments such as Jesus agreeing with the disciples that it is better not to marry, are as worthy of correction as whether a particular song was by John Lennon or The Beatles, apparently!)
All of which leaves me in somewhat of a dilemma...
Having raised this issue with them several times, and each time either been ignored, directed to their inconsistent comments policy, or told that comments are "a different category" and therefore apparently nothing to do with them (a very responsible attitude, I must say, Candice Watters!), I don't feel there is anything more I can now do.
So I have a choice: Do I continue to check the site, and respond to the comments like the one cited above, which are so serious that I don't think I could sleep at night if I didn't at least attempt to address them! (However, the wrong teaching on singleness is so prevalent that I think it would be a full-time job to try and do this to every damaging comment that Boundless chooses to post and then abandon to the ether!)
Or do I, as I have said before, simply wash my hands of them? Or at least, pray for God to change their hearts, but take no further action? However, even then I think my conscience would trouble me, as I think about all the impressionable young readers that are being misinformed about the Bible and God's will for their lives, that are beating themselves up trying to be content with a state that God Himself said was "not good", that are feeling sinful about making an idol out of the desires that God placed in almost all of us for the fulfilling of His plans and purposes, and that are squandering their most fertile years "waiting on the Lord" when we ourselves are to blame for the mess we have got ourselves into!
I just can't get my head around how Boundless can think that providing a platform to spread wrong teaching isn't a serious matter.
Or at least, a little bit more serious than discussing whether or not polka dots make for suitable business attire!
Seems to me like almost the entire Christian world has gone, ahem, dotty...
posted by Captain Sensible at 12:39 AM
3 Comments:
I am the "Anonymous" poster who last week stated that I would no longer view the Boundless Web site. I've been true to my word, and I feel that I am all the better for it. Reading articles and comments that contain false teaching, not to mention a high level of rudeness facilitated by internet anonymity (there should be no confusion amongst Christians when it comes to biblical teaching on kindness!), is not at all constructive for me. On a few occasions, I, too, posted comments in order to challenge the unbiblical reasoning of others, but I did so only in what I considered to be the most egregious of instances. The Boundless comments policy does allow a lot of false teaching to occur, and I agree with you, Captain Sensible -- correcting all the erroneous things that are written would be a full-time job! Am I correct in remembering that Ted Slater didn't get married until he was 36 and that as such he doesn't challenge anyone who believes in the Gift of Singleness? I hope that Mr. Slater, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Watters, realize the damage they allow and get tougher on some of the Boundless commenters and/or change the comments policy. Captain Sensible, whatever you decide to do about Boundless, I commend you for voicing your concerns.
Oh the irony of their post about blogs! Carolyn McCulley talking about having "wisdom on our tongues" and "Am I being accurate?"!
And the comment from Justin Taylor is the point I have been trying to make all along: "...the more people read your blog — the more responsibility you have." This is exactly my point, but the crucial thing is, it doesn't just extend to actual postings, but comments too.
Honestly, how can it possibly not? It is giving a public platform to views that would really be best not spread around the world, but gently corrected in their church/home environment. Instead of that, they are given a wide public viewing, spreading and reinforcing the errors, and still left uncorrected!
Complete and utter madness!
I have noticed lately that just about every other COMMENT is now posted by a certain "Ted Slater".
Let's see what he does next time someone writes a comment like the "Jesus said its better not to marry" one.
That will be interesting!
;)
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