When I first returned to Patheos back in November 2020, I wrote a piece about who I am and what you’ll want to keep in mind as you read along. In that entry, I laid out 10 things, ground rules if you will, that you’ll want to know before investing any time here. They were as follows:
- I’m snarky
- I have a sense of humor
- I used to be an Evangelical
- I sound heretical
- I hold beliefs loosely
- I love Jesus
- I will make mistakes
- I am inclusive
- I’m a political amphibian
- I’m sensitive
Based on some of the recent comments from some of y’all, I need to revisit some of this. Because my oh my are some of y’all angry, annoyed, and downright miserable.
Just in the past week, I’ve been called a liar, a heretic, and told that I’m bound for hell (because I don’t believe in it). And look, I can handle it. Even though I can be a sensitive guy, I’ve got skin thicker than a bayou alligator. I just ban, delete, and move on.
That said, I do like it when folks comment. Heck, I even like it when folks disagree. But there is a way to disagree and a way not to disagree on this page. Here’s something to keep in mind:
- Keep it short and sweet. I don’t have time to read your dissertation in the comments section.
- Stay focused. If you have a problem with something I’ve said, address it and stay on topic.
- Refrain from ad hominem.
If you can’t do these things, there is an option for you: Move on. Honestly, you don’t have to lay waste to every blogger who comes along and writes something you disagree with. I don’t want an echo chamber, but at the same time don’t want to deal with a constant barrage of people who think that just because I don’t affirm this or that doctrine that I’m going to spend eternity writhing about in their god’s flames of wrath.
I feel as if these are reasonable requests. Engage, but don’t be an asshole. Disengage if you feel your blood pressure rising as you read along. If you really have a problem with me, perhaps start your own WordPress blog. Or share my stuff on your social media accounts and tell the world (all 17 of your followers) how much you hate me (true story, that happened yesterday).
Honestly, it’s not that hard to treat a stranger like me with some respect. I know, I know, you have to earn respect to get respect. But I don’t think that is a universal claim. We are strangers. I don’t know you. You don’t know me. So there should be a certain level of respect between strangers. I’m not going to head over to your blog or YouTube channel or Twitter account and tell your followers how much I hate you and why. So please don’t think that just because I am the tiniest of public figures that it’s okay to do that to me.
Be kind.
Be respectful.
Stop taking yourself so seriously.
And if you can’t do these things, you’ll get banned. It’s really that simple.
Cheers.
If you wanna get to know me better, please follow me on social media. I’m pretty active on all platforms:
Also, if you’ve been digging my work on here, and want to see me be able to continue writing as close to full-time as humanly possible, please take a look at my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/mjdistefano. Even $1 a month helps bigly!!!
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