Stuff I Wish You’d Quit Saying: Facebook, Hell, and Your Cat’s Safety
Stuff I Wish You’d Quit Saying: Facebook, Hell, and Your Cat’s Safety…. All the stuff you’ve been saying/doing on Facebook
Facebook.
It’s a blessing and It’s a curse.
However, it is not a LITERAL curse friends. If I don’t share your status, I won’t actually be cast into the bowels of hell. And here is the thing, I believe that saying such things makes believers look like, well… backwoods, moronic, chicken sacrificing, bafoons.
You know, back in the day there was quite a bit of dignity attributed to the Christian faith.
Brothers and sisters who have gone before us did things like, choose the Savior over their own well-being. They’d be asked to deny Him and if they refused? They were burned alive, stoned to death, or beheaded. I think at a minimum, to honor them, we could maybe not threaten people with a firey eternity or the death of their cat if they don’t share your “If You Love Jesus” Meme… Just saying.
While we are at it, who sees your status?
Well, you can’t be fully confident. If your Facebook is set up to share only with you, grandma, and 40 of your very best gun totting, chain smoking, clown dressing, confederate friends it might be safe to have a political rant. But why do you need their affirmation, they already agree with you? However, if you are like me, I am blessed with several different categories of friends. People I care about, who are friends with people they care about, who have people they care about. And we are alienating hurting humans, people in need of compassion, integrity, and a message of Good News, with our lofty opinions, never seeing or meeting the real life beings that are impacted by the flippancy of a Facebook post.
Trust me, in August of 2015 69 people read my blog. In September of 2015, 690,000 people read it. If you put a boy rabbit and a girl rabbit in the same cage, you will have plenty of rabbits. The reality is you don’t know how your statements will read in someone else’s feed. Nor, can you promise that normal sane humans will read the entirety of your script before they unleash the hounds of hell on you, or make a lifelong negative association of Believers, based on something you said. Something you put out… for all the world to see.
[clickToTweet tweet=”If I don’t share your status, I won’t actually be cast into the bowels of hell” quote=”If I don’t share your status, I won’t actually be cast into the bowels of hell”]
This I can guarantee:
My children won’t remember a time they couldn’t share a picture of their waffles with the universe. Their unabridged future could be impacted by an upload of them burping the alphabet. Years from now it could be played back at their congressional hearing where they are battling for the salvation of the starving, tortured, and abused peoples of the African Congo.
Transcript: Senator Amerine are we to assume you are fully cognizant of the gravity of the proposal you have brought before us? Because we would like to submit this video of you and your brother playing the National Anthem with your armpits, burbs, and flatulence while feeding each other Cheezits with your feet.
Undone.
Good works.
Best intentions.
Readers my stance on this or that. Accused of being all fluff and no depth. Why won’t I speak out against A or B? I suppose sometimes I might. However, I think if I am going to rant it won’t be against humanity but rather how we appear toward humanity.
The truth is you don’t know what any one individual in your feed is dealing with, you aren’t wholly responsible for how Jesus wants to help them or what He is doing for them that has nothing to do with your beliefs. The tragedy of Christianity and Facebook is the face that is often portrayed to the masses – a face of callousness, tomfoolery, superstition, and arrogance. Furthermore, the chances that your post or meme will change a heart are quite slim. Heart change comes from the Creator of the heart.
As Christians, I think this is most important.
If we are the body of Christ, we needn’t make a mockery of Him.
He is available to all, individually and miraculously. He wasn’t offensive, and no offense comes from the Lord, so if you are offensive – guess who didn’t send you? If your rant quoting scriptures and promising hell fires and the mockery of millennials, sends people packing, who are you preaching to?
These are the things to consider.
While we are at it lets reevaluate a few more things:
Pictures of a positive pregnancy test… yes, we see your pee on a stick, thanks for sharing that.
Adding people to groups without asking. Heads up, I am not that invested in my dog, recycling, or a new baseball field. Oh, and BTW – how can you assume I agree with you?
The half-cooked, salmonella soaked chicken legs you are Bar-B-queuing. If you want to share, share safely and at a healthy 165 degrees.
Stop asking me to share stuff if I hate cancer, drunk drivers, Walmart, and pollution. I do. The thing is, I am a busy woman, let it be understood, I hate those things and the universe isn’t impacted by my shares.
URGENT prayer request for the line at Starbucks to move more quickly. I am praying for the same thing friend… I need coffee, and I have places to be too. But we can do this and keep it between us and God and not look like insensitive blow holes in the process.
For the love, if you cannot MAKE me attend your Tupperware party in person you shouldn’t be allowed to FORCE me to participate virtually. Stop adding people to Facebook parties. Feel free to ask me. Also, understand I have THREE kids at a private Christian University, four young children at home, and I just used quarters to buy a gallon of milk. Truly, I am proud of your business savvy but one more alert about how “time is running out!” on my opportunity to buy a cheese grater and get a free mascara… and we can’t be friends anymore.
Also, stop telling me “Christians don’t talk like ….” Yes, they do. I am a Christian, I just did.
Indeed, I know I have left a few mentions out of this public service announcement. I know you won’t disappoint me… I wait for your comments below.
Feel free to share this, you might just win the lottery. (Also, if you want to win the lottery you’ll need to buy a ticket.)
May your floors be sticky and your Facebook a happy place. Love, JamiProud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them Proverbs 14:3
Proud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them Proverbs 14:3
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Where is the bible verse you put at the end of your blog? Missed those these past couple of days!
Hugs to you!
You’re right! We’ve been sick. I’ll look for one and add it now!
I LOATHE the facebook posts that have the picture of very sick baby and then it has the words, ” you are heartless if you don’t say amen” well first of all what does my saying amen have to do with it? I. Can’t. Even.
I think those are the worst for me. First of all my heart is broken to see any child so very sick. But when you just have the words on there that says to say amen, I am not sure what we are “amen-ing” Sometimes it says you are heartless if you scroll past. I have to scroll past…..it is too heartwrenching to see.
ps…..I hope you are feeling much better
Thank you I am!
Yes. Yes to allll of this.
After a debate preceding the last election, I made an observational comment on Facebook that Ann Romney appeared to have “crazy eyes” when she joined her husband on the stage. And she did. They were popped-wide-open, caught in the headlights crazy eyes. No political party alignment. No candidate-bashing. Nothing except “crazy eyes.” It was just an observation, and I caught so much hell, you’d think I accused her of a highly immoral crime. Lesson learned. (P.S. — The phrase “insensitive blow hole” is now one of my favorites!)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for saying what we are all afraid to say on Facebook! You are the voice of many. Keep on blogging. I need your encouragement each and every day to keep going forward. I struggle daily with whether or not to stay connected to Facebook. So many people favor it over other forms of communication, but I’m tired of subjecting myself to all of these ridiculous posts. Especially when they come from my own family!
Yeah. Hard to unfriendly family.
You may not be able to unfriend but you can unfollow/hide post/see less. This helps.
You forgot all the ones with a handicapped child and a quote “My mother says no one will like me because of…..” The WORST
Oh my gosh those are so awful
It’s true! People I wouldn’t have over for dinner or write letters to, and I’m reading their opinions? Why?
While I absolutely agree with the post, I want to point out that man of the “if you don’t share or post amen” type posts are not in it for the religion. The images are often stolen. See the article below for what is actually happening.:
http://www.courtneywestlake.com/why-you-shouldnt-share-posts-of-sick-children/
*many not man
I needed this, this morning….thank you! I try to watch what I post but sometimes I agree with the first 9/10ths of the meme, and miss that last line…..
Very glad to hear that you are doing better! God bless you and yours!
Thank you, Jami! I have felt the same way for a long time!
The posts that upset me are those clearly aimed at one particular group of believers that the poster doesn’t agree with–usually based on theological difference.
I now ignore anything that opens with “Why I no longer…” and includes a picture of a comtemporary worship band (implying that it’s not really worship, just entertainment) or a noted Bible teacher. A very snippy side of me comes out when I see such things. Whether I agree or not, I want to comment, “Then don’t. No one is going to show up at your door and force you to attend. But please don’t cause others to doubt their salvation because they get something meaningful out of it.” I feel the same way about lists of books/authors that no good Christian should read because the authors claim to be Christians but are only wolves in sheep’s clothing. “Really? God told you that? In person? Wow! The last time I asked Him for access to the Lambs Book of Life He said no. You must be a very special person!”
All this does is give the world one more reason to see us as arrogant. It makes me so sad.
That made me lol!
“The last time I asked Him for access to the Lambs Book of Life, He said no.” I LOVE that!
WE should not be offensive…but the WORD is an offense to those who are perishing…so give the “GOOD NEWS” with grace, love and humility…but not
Facebook….or forwards…
You are so spot on. I chuckle, read repeatedly, and often forward to the young moms in my Bible Study. Please keep it coming…you’re a bright spot in my otherwise already bright day!
Ohmygosh yes yes YES to ALL of this!! *Off to go opt out of all the FB groups I’ve been added to…
THANK YOU for once again, saying ALL the things I am thinking.
Favorite line: “He is available to all, individually and miraculously. He wasn’t offensive, and no offense comes from the Lord, so if you are offensive – guess who didn’t send you?” < Amen.
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I’d give you a thumbs up, but my lap top doesn’t have emoji!!! 🙂 thank you for the laughs…… very valid points! Love reading your blogs. 🙂
Thank you!!!
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