Much of what I do in the internet seems to be centered around reactions: to issues, to a blogpost and opinions, to a news item, to some cultural phenomenon that catches my eye. I have some recurring topics that interest me. There are probably a group of bloggers like me, and if I had time on my hands I would likely put together a little set of stereotypical profiles of types of bloggers. Maybe in the future. Right now, I'd like to point to a couple things pertinent to Intellectuelle's topics de la semaine.
I wrote my own 'Church Lady' post, with my own bird's eye perspective; and reposted the "Mommy Wars" one to revisit the world of SAHM's. There is a history there. The purpose for saying something here is due to the fact that I think the more we gather together our experiences while holding them up to the light the more accurately we will form our opinions and see how it all fits together.
Another thing I am reacting to, but haven't written upon yet is on the topic of how we as Christians should interact, especially when we strongly disagree. It has nothing to with the topics here at Intellectuelle, but is something of interest I ran across elsewhere in the blogosphere, and I do think we bump up against it regularly when interacting online.
Want to know what triggered the topic? And what questions arise concerning the subject of Christian engagement of controversies or hot topics? Read on....
Maybe you would prefer to ignore such conflicts as have arisen between Team Pyro, Rick Ianniello, and bob.blog, but to me this is familiar territory, and not only questioning what the rules are for Christian bloggers, but in our dealings with the people in our families and churches. What is your style of dealing with confrontational styles of discussion or dealing with issues and how do you judge its "rightness"? Is it as clearly right or wrong as all that? Or is there maybe alot of misunderstanding of intent and meaning?
From Rick's blog ( which I appreciate, and have for quite awhile) come the situation and the questions:
* Can one be a Christian and still be deceived and sin?
* Can one publicly confront another in a graceful way?
* Under what circumstances?
* Who decides when the confrontation is inappropriate or has gone on long enough?
You could comment here or on his blog.
And earlier he posted this:
Tips For Keeping Peace
* Slow down the action
* Listen well
* Give the other person the benefit of the doubt
* Acknowledge the other person's feelings
* Be strong without being mean
* Try to see a conflict as a problem to be solved
* Set your sights on a "win-win" solution
* If you don't seem to be getting anywhere in solving a conflict, ask for help
* Remember that conflict, handled well, can lead to personal growth and better relationships
* The true heroes and sheroes of today's world are not the Rambos
