The Rights and Responsibilities of Blogging

When I approach something, I usually approach it with a 'what would Jesus do' or 'Christian' attitude. I try anyway. I can say that it doesn't always happen. I have a temper. Things rile me up(those moneychangers riled Jesus up too). But I do try to make the attempt. Now that doesn't mean I still don't make mistakes. I hope I am not sounding self-righteous, that is not my intent. I try to do the same when I am writing, reading, and commenting on blogs.
As a 'blogger', I have come to realize, a lot more people read my blog than I ever thought would. It makes me very happy to know that family and friends around the world could keep up with my adoption journey and are still following my family's life. It makes me even more happy to know that I have picked up fans that are more interested in adopting now that they have read my blog. I hope that what I write encourages and informs, not just about adoption, but about living life.
It is my responsibility as a Christian to 'share the good news'. The internet has given me a new forum to do that. I have posted blogs about my spiritual journey as well as my adoption journey(they are very closely tied). These blogs I hope help more people than my adoption blogs. I ask for comments. I need to know from people who have more experience and different experiences what they have learned. I guess it is the teacher in me also. Thanks to anyone who has left me a comment!! I can honestly say that I have not gotten any that I didn't post just because they didn't agree with me. I know I need correction sometimes. God uses it on His children, just as we should use it on ours. It should always be done in love, even if it is hard to think of it that way when it is happening.
Now that being said, I hope nothing I have ever posted has hurt anyone, be it comment or blog. But I do have a responsibility as a Christian to let someone know if they might be travelling a dangerous path. We are to look out for one another, whether or not it is a fellow Christian or not. I am going to make up a PURELY HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO. I have a friend who blogs. Her husband is in the military. They have lived all over the world, away from family and friends. I know this can be a very difficult life. She starts writing blogs about how her husband has been deployed and she really misses him. I try to support her and leave a comment on her blog that I am praying for her. She says thanks, and everyone is happy. Then I continue to read her blog posts and read that she develops a friendship with a man who's wife is deployed and he is feeling the same loneliness. Their children play sports together and they have started spending time together and she is so grateful for his company. I am happy that she has found someone to spend time with, but I might tell her that I am concerned about this 'friendship' and caution her to please be careful. I am not saying she is no longer a Christian, good mother or good wife. I am not attacking her character, just offering some Bible-based guidance. I would like to do this privately, but I don't have any other way of contacting her, so I leave a comment on her blog. I would do the same for a friend that lives in the same town as I do, why wouldn't I show concern for what a friend has put out for the entire world to see. I know that sometimes when you are in a situation you can't see what might be coming down the road. You are too busy dealing with what you have going on right now. I would hope that she would take the advice and consider what is going on, how it might affect her family and other military families. Now here is the question, Does my friend have the right to call into question my 'Christianity' because I have had the audacity to offer advice on something she has posted very publicly? Do others that read her blog have the right to attack me also? The answer is, that they can. But what is my reaction going to be? As a Christian, I shouldn't lash out. Fighting between Christians makes the devil happy. If he can get us fighting one another, he doesn't have to work so hard. We can do more damage to our witness than he ever could.
Blogging is like speaking. Words, once they are out there, can not be taken back. You have a far larger audience also, unless of course you have your own talk show.
So here is a little more advice from someone who has been there. Be careful what you say. Remember when you read something that you might not be reading it in the tone that it was written. Not everyone is going to agree with you, and if they don't you might want to find out why. You might learn something. I know my opinions of things have changed over the years. If someone doesn't agree with you, it doesn't mean that they are evil, they might actually care about you alot.

PLEASE be careful about what you say and write as a Christian. It does have eternal consequences.