Friday, August 06, 2004

And now for something completely different...

Ok stop.
Stop what you are doing. Stop blogging. Its turning into a fiasco. Its like slow chatting. Email is easier and less publically humiliating. By publically humiliating I mean, less likely to embarrass yourself one year from now if you reread what you wrote today. I mean less likely to sound like a cross between Jerry Falwell and Gomer Pyle. Less likely to sound like a spokesperson for the Hillsboro Family Camp. Less likely to sound like a whiney assed fired minister (me- imagine that- fired. Usuallyy ministers only get fired for sins like cheating or molesting, or ineffective work. I was fired because I was lousy at my job.) I like blogging for the same reason i like chatting and email. It gives you courage to say the things in public you normally would have the balls to say to someone's face. It makes the judgmental more judgmental. It makes the liberal more liberal. It makes the incoherent even more unchoherincibileness. It makes Tom look like a genius. It makes me want to know Regen, Ben, Bob, and Russell Better. No matter how flippin weird you all sound sometimes. It makes me want to give the real church the benefit of the doubt. I now believe that the treatment i received, albeit common among many, need not be the final litmus for all church experiences. I realize that for many the church has been a haven of hope and rest and community. Just because I havent seen it, doesnt mean it doesnt exist, no matter how many ignorant fools try to convince me otherwise by writing preachy blogs to other christians in the false name of exhortation. Its not exhortation. Its argument. Its not encouragement. Its belittlement. Its not Biblical or loving or even correct. Sometimes I assume people know better. I can't assume that everyone had the same education that I did. Something I do know. Passion and conviction mean nothing when your information is incorrect. Truth is truth. Not necessarily the truth you believe is the truth. Sometimes the truth is more true than the truth you believe to be true. Usually it is. Being fallen (that would be all of us), casting judgments on a brother for making an exhortation (serve others...feeed my sheep, etc.) is among the most stupid things I can possibly think of. Now. That is judgment. IF anyone knows how to judge, its me. I am the best damn judge in this blog sport. I can point out stupid anywhere. Do not argue with me. That is stupid. There is another judgment. Do not use scripture to refute me. It will do you no good. Gods Word when used incorrectly cannot harm me, even if it is Gods word. You use it incorrectly, and it has no power. Doy. or no doy. that is the question.

If i offended you that's ok. You'll get over it. God loves you and the words I say cannot harm you. You have a Spiritual Hedge of Protection (God likes to use firey shrubbery in defensive issues, its more Mosaic).

3 comments:

Brandon Caroland said...

Ben i didnt say that i didnt know you. I said I wanted to know you better. I know you. just like i know the other guys. blogging intrigues me. and starting fires is my business. it burns down the rubble we build. people take almost everything that they say way too seriously. I want to see the foundation. Burn down the house made of straw and mud.

Regan Clem said...

If I'm this crazy in person, do I have permission to continue blogging?

Brandon Caroland said...

Permission granted soldier.