Blogging without authority and the "anti-success" bias

Evangelical Outpost pointed me to a great post by Catez who says:

“Recently I’ve seen posts in which the conclusions drawn are that if more than a certain number of people read a blog, or a blog appears in a certain position on a list of blogs, then this is a popular blog and this is not good. Ive even seen comments saying that these popular bloggers are like Pharisees because they are prominent and therefore are not humble. Well it’s pointless to set about trying to prove one’s humility – proving one’s humilty is a contradiction in terms. So let me push back that wall first. Guess what? I’m not humble enough. I’m not loving enough either. I’ll go the whole hog – I’m woefully imperfect……”

Catez proceeded to pose an interesting question:

“There’s a man who is the author of a book which is a best seller. He is popular with millions of people worldwide and considered an authority on religious matters and Christianity in particular. There is criticism of those who read his book, particularly those who promote it as the book for the times. There’s criticism of people’s motives for following his advice too. You would be right in saying that just as he has numerous people who seem to hang on his every word, he has also amassed a significant number of critics. In fact some people don’t like him purely because he is so popular. Do you know who he is? Does his popularity in itself make him a Pharisee?”

Evangelical Outpost responded:

“The responses she received in the comment section include: Rick Warren, John Piper, Brian McLaren, and Joel Osteen. I would add that it could also fit John McArthur, Bruce Wilkinson, Tim LaHaye, Phillip Yancey, Chuck Colson, Francis Schaeffer, in fact it could fit just about any male Christian author who has written a best-selling book.

Since they don’t all share the same theological views, we can’t blame the reason on issues of doctrine. So what else could it be? I suspect that just as there has been a strain of anti-intellectualism in evangelicalism that there is a similar anti-success element. Success, like intellectualism, is viewed as an obvious and incontrovertible sign of worldliness. Why is this such a recurring theme? Why can’t Christians simply be more discerning rather than making judgments based on popularity? Is it something in the nature of our faith that makes us this way?“

Like Joe, I wont take the punchline away from Catez and will leave you to read the follow up post to find out who this author was.

This issue is exactly what I was trying to get at in my posts about Bill Hybels and learning from others. Joe is absolutely right that certain believers seem eager to tear down anyone who is successful. Without trying to sound bitter, I somehow suspect that Joe may have had personal experience of that at the hands of other bloggers- I know I have. Just because a blog or a person is popular doesnt mean that blog or person is somehow automatically evil and wrong- after all it is said in the bible of Jesus himself that he “ increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52)

Catez puts it brilliantly:

“I am no longer…. going to wear guilt by association or feel some sort of false guilt because a certain number of people come to read what I write. Believe me – I appreciate anyone reading what I write. I have a blog because I would like people to read what I write.

What I would like to say to certain Christian bloggers is that this is not church. As far as I’m concerned bloggers are all just individuals with computers. There is no cyber board of elders and pastors.What I mean is that there is no group of people running and overseeing a cyber church.”

I also loved Evangelical Outpost’s response to this part of the post:

Catez is right. There is no synod, presbytery, diocese, or other ecclesiastical council that oversees Godblogs. Essentially, we are all Baptists. We set up our blogs, either individually or as a group, and begin to express our theological opinions, all without oversight from a higher level polity. We may choose to congregate together (what is the GodBlogCon but the blogging equivalent of the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention?) but our little para-churches are answerable to no higher human authority.

I totally agree with both Catez and Joe here- bloggers do not have authority nor should they have. Blogging can never replace being under the authority of the local church.

I would sound a note of caution here for those who may feel they can blog whatever they like. Bloggers will increasingly in my view be held accountable both on and offline for the things they say. I can imagine a blogging pastor one day loosing his job for some loose words spoken on his blog. But more than that, we are all likely to find ourselves caught by the words of James 3:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him

show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.