Anonymous
Anonymity affords a dangerous temptation. If we can act or speak anonymously, we may skirt consequences and accountability. If we remain anonymous, we can dodge responsibility, avoid conflict and cop out on our obligations. The anonymous driver may curse, scream, yell, flip off and pound the steering wheel over the slightest offenses of other drivers, and the anonymous driver may even retaliate by cutting someone off, slamming on their brakes or tailgating for pedantic effect. The anonymous caller can ball out a customer service rep in India or hang up on a hapless wrong number, because Who will care if we are rude to strangers? The anonymous business traveler, away from home and hearth, may indulge in porn, or worse, with only his own soul to confront, and that soul may be frail company after so much anonymity.
The anonymous blog commenter can be mean, distracting, personal and vile. The anonymous blog commenter can make ugly statements with impunity, without regard for personal feelings, for truth or facts, for consequences, without concern for accountability. The anonymous commenter may yield to the notion that he may write whatever he likes, without regard to the faith he imagines, because Who will hold him to his words? The anonymous blog commenter can be reckless and sinful and wrestle only with his own conscience, which he may have beaten into submission already.
The anonymous blog commenter is a coward. Without the possibility of confrontation, without the possibility of being held accountable for your words, without the possibility of being embarrassed for your own ugliness, you will write. Let us see what sort of man you are when you are named and cannot skirt the implications of your insult.
Let us also not forget that Jesus is much more concerned our minds and hearts. He teaches that our actions only reflect our own nature, and it is by our hearts that we are judged. Let us be people of the Kingdom who are not cowards, who are bold and who will not skulk about, afraid that our hearts may be revealed. Of course, such confidence can come only when we think, write and act in ways that can withstand scrutiny, criticism, rebuttal, confrontation and judgment. Let us set our hearts and minds on the noble things above and write only in love. Anything less is sin.
Modern life, and no aspect more than the internet, permits our anonymity, and to our great spiritual peril. We may escape detection for a season, but our hearts may rot before the revelation of our names and nature. We will make it Home if we are willing to be named and if we act and write always as if we are not anonymous.
Because of a few caustic abuses, we will not permit future anonymous comments here.
The anonymous blog commenter can be mean, distracting, personal and vile. The anonymous blog commenter can make ugly statements with impunity, without regard for personal feelings, for truth or facts, for consequences, without concern for accountability. The anonymous commenter may yield to the notion that he may write whatever he likes, without regard to the faith he imagines, because Who will hold him to his words? The anonymous blog commenter can be reckless and sinful and wrestle only with his own conscience, which he may have beaten into submission already.
The anonymous blog commenter is a coward. Without the possibility of confrontation, without the possibility of being held accountable for your words, without the possibility of being embarrassed for your own ugliness, you will write. Let us see what sort of man you are when you are named and cannot skirt the implications of your insult.
Let us also not forget that Jesus is much more concerned our minds and hearts. He teaches that our actions only reflect our own nature, and it is by our hearts that we are judged. Let us be people of the Kingdom who are not cowards, who are bold and who will not skulk about, afraid that our hearts may be revealed. Of course, such confidence can come only when we think, write and act in ways that can withstand scrutiny, criticism, rebuttal, confrontation and judgment. Let us set our hearts and minds on the noble things above and write only in love. Anything less is sin.
Modern life, and no aspect more than the internet, permits our anonymity, and to our great spiritual peril. We may escape detection for a season, but our hearts may rot before the revelation of our names and nature. We will make it Home if we are willing to be named and if we act and write always as if we are not anonymous.
Because of a few caustic abuses, we will not permit future anonymous comments here.
posted by JRB at 12:57 PM
3 Comments:
I'm reminded of the employee here who, before he knew too much about e-mail, made a fairly critical remark and signed it "anonymous", then posted it on the "colleagues" forum, not thinking anyone would know who it was from. It really wasn't hateful, and he was just trying to get people to think and discuss, but it went out with his e-mail address neatly printed in the sender space. He was embarassed. We were amused.
What if I really change my name to Anonymous?
Good call.
Gosh, I wish my mom could blog. I could use some of that...
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