for 24 FEB 07: BLOG THE RIGHT THING?

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find this item humorous, serious, or a little of both - but we offer these thoughts on occasion, as we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.)

Did you hear about the blogger who's just been sentenced to four years in prison? Before you get the wrong idea - no, I was NOT pulled over by a Hurtsboro police officer....

A blogger in Egypt was sentenced to prison this past week, for posting comments against Islam in general and Egypt's President in particular. Among other things, he compared Hosni Mubarak to the ancient pharaohs. If he's ordered by prison guards to turn straw into bricks, I guess we'll know for sure.

"Thankfully, we have freedom of speech in the U.S." you say? "No one would ban blogs here," you say? Well, not so fast. There's one small U.S. church denomination which recently told its members NOT to have blogs. And amazingly, it was NOT because the leaders feared members would mistype a web address and wind up seeing pornography.

The Restored Church of God declared its members (especially teenagers) should not have blogs - mainly because blogs do little more than express a "personal opinion" on an issue. The denomination argues that's mere human vanity, because God's viewpoint matters most. At least this group realizes bloggers are NOT God. Some writers simply come across that way....

(The denomination seems to have added a disclaimer since originally posting the article on blogging last October. It now says it's offering "internal" guidance for church youth -- while claiming "professional" blogs can have good uses. In other words, blogging is OK if you're making money from it.)

I agree with this denomination that God's viewpoint should matter most in our lives. But does that means humans should just shut up, in what they say and write? Does it mean they should simply reprint everything God says verbatim -- and to rephrase a song, you'll know they are Christians by how fast they wear out the ALT-C, ALT-V keys?

This church seems to have forgotten God actually can be persuaded by human opinion. It happened in the Old Testament, when God was ready to wipe out practically the entire nation of Israel. Moses pleaded with Him NOT to do it, and God relented. Maybe this is where the idea of death penalty moratoriums started.

Perhaps this church is overlooking something else - that when its ministers write magazine articles which are posted online, they seem to do the very same thing a blogger does. Are they "duping" everything God says in the Bible, or quoting selected items which fit their doctrinal viewpoint? Jumping over certain verses is what I call the "spiritual high hurdles."

It appears this denomination is concerned about teens creating Myspace accounts - and the horror stories involving Myspace are well-known. But Myspace can be used for good things, and in fact is starting to be used by mainstream companies and musicians. A "friend" online beats not having any off-line.

But I also suspect the denomination may be trying to suppress bloggers who might challenge church leaders, or expose secrets about what really goes on. Ministers years ago warned against such behavior, only it was on the "grapevine" or over the back fence. These days, some of those same ministers are concerned about neighbors NOT knowing each other.

Whether it wants to admit it or not, this denomination is promoting limits on free speech -- but deep down, the leaders might consider freedom of speech a bad thing. That's because they really oppose "freedom of religion," too. If you're not a part of their religion now, you're asking for it -- because Jesus considers them the only right ones. It's pray now, or pay later....

A Bible verse warns you and I will have to account someday for "every idle word" we say. That probably goes for what we write as well. So we truly should be careful, whether blogging online or talking to our friends. Besides, if God doesn't get you, a lawyer with a slander or libel suit might.

But telling church members to stop blogging completely doesn't strike me as a Christian way to do things. Check your Bible and you'll find God struck some people "dumb" a few times - but eventually He let them speak again. The blogger in Egypt can go free in four years. This denomination hasn't posted a time limit yet.

I'm thankful for the opportunity blogging provides, and respectful of the free speech our Bill of Rights guarantees. For instance, that freedom allows us to hear unique voices such as Larry Munson's at Georgia football games - although I'm not sure at his age if he really knows what a blog is.

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