policing blogs...freedom is always a threat

( image via Phillip Retuta, Graphic Designer )

Bill Millar shares a concern that is starting to percolate within the United Church of Canada, ethical standards and standards of practice for ministry personel who blog...

WHEREAS The United Church of Canada has established Ethical Standards and Standards of Practice for Ministry Personnel; and

WHEREAS maintaining a Blog, or online journal, is becoming a common practice for ministry personnel; and

WHEREAS the established Ethical Standards and Standards of Practice for Ministry Personnel are silent on the practice of Blogging, and other online journaling; and

WHEREAS the practice of many employers is to set guidelines regarding Blogs and other online journals;

THEREFORE we propose that the Executive of General Council direct the appropriate body to include guidelines for maintaining a Blog,or other online  contributions, within the Ethical Standards and Standards of Practice for Ministry Personnel.

One has to believe it was only a matter of time before some kind of policing had to take place in the blogospehere. Every church/denomination has some form of fundamentalism attaching itself to the community...these are the sacred stone tablets we gather around to protect at all costs, sometimes even more sacred than scripture itself. 

I know in my own journey of blogging for 5 years I have dared from time to time to pull these tablets out and poked and prodded questioning their content. In doing so I have been called into line, I have been asked to remove some posts.I have been treated with suspicion, seen as a threat to leadership and to the community. Even writing disclaimers does not seem to ease the tension.

Freedom is always a threat.

Is it really necessary to police blogs? Should there be freedom to write about anything? What are the sacred tablets that should not be poked, prodded and questioned?

My experience is that the blogosphere does a good job of monitoring itself. Comments are a great tool to challenge the writer, opening up conversation and dialog around different issues of faith.

Freedom is always a threat...and threats need to be controlled.

 

Comments

[A from Minnesota]

"Freedom is always a threat...and threats need to be controlled."

True that, sadly. I am saddned but not the least bit surprised by this turn of events. What else is there to say except:

Stay free (Galatians) and keep fighting the fight.

[Bill Kinnon]

'Tis all about control. And control is no longer possible in the world of the ubiquitous interweb.

As Don Henley is wont to sing "you can't put the genie back in the bottle".

[James Kingsley]

innnnnteresting. but seriously: where'd you find the image to go with this? it's rad?!

[ron cole]

Hey James, the dudes name is Phillip Retuta, and does alot of very cool stuff. In fact it reminds me alot of your work. Anyways, here is link...

http://www.phillipretuta.com/

[jim]

Bring on the censors, Ron. I have some at both the old church and the "new" who have read my posts on occasion. It's too late to worry if rumors have spread to the upper levels...

[HennHouse (Karin)]

Seriously? Without freedom to write and question with honest vulnerability, how do we grow and learn?