“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (Colossians 3:12–14, NASB95)

Treatment of Others

Today’s technology can lead to aberrant behavior from otherwise well meaning individuals. For example, a normally polite, humble, and deferential individual can exhibit rude, prideful, and overbearing behavior while behind the wheel of a car. People that would normally never think of rudely cutting into a line of waiting individuals can be seen in their cars slowly stalking as they advance alongside a line of stopped cars waiting to leave the freeway. The aggressive driver is searching for the slow truck or the inattentive driver to provide an opportunity to strike. A slight pause by one driver and the stalker takes advantage and crowds into the opening, cutting into the line at the expense of everyone they just passed. Some are well practiced at finding the optimum time to better their position, to cut in line, at the expense of others. There are people in those vehicles these cheaters are passing! Perhaps the inattentive driver on their cell phone slow to advance is deserving of such poor-mannered behavior, but not all those behind them in the queue. Moreover, this rudeness often occurs by people displaying a Christian bumper sticker! There is something about technology that can negate normal, rational, and proper thinking — and behavior. The Internet evokes similar breakdowns in standards of behavior. Presumption, rash judgment, personal attacks, straw man arguments, and fallacious reasoning are pitfalls generally avoided by following established and well-understood norms of communication. Courteous behavior while in face-to-face discussions with others is not difficult for most of us. However, those norms can weaken or disappear when insulated by technology.

The Internet is an amazing tool. It provides access to a seeming infinite amount of information — sometimes too much. There is much evil content on the Internet along with some that is good and valuable. There are many sites where one who wishes to guard their heart and mind should not venture. Much of the evil on the Internet is easily recognizable. But it should come as no surprise to the Christian that not all evil comes clearly labeled nor is it always obvious. Many Internet dangers are subtle, disguised or hidden. Sometimes the most destructive evil lies are disguised as good, even as biblical truth. The prince of the power of the air knows how to misapply truth, even the word of God; and even well-intentioned believers can create or repeat reasoning containing error, bluster or muddled theology. Unfortunately, such is often the norm in the virtual regions of our culture. One need not go to the dark net to encounter overt and covert darkness on the internet.

Christians are usually circumspect when dealing with others who hold differing views, opinions, experiences and traditions. Judging others is a subject of detailed discussion in scripture. Accordingly, the Christian normally refrains from presumption when in such waters. Christians are, or should be, always careful about speaking to others about other individuals. In cases where judgments are warranted, application is specifically prescribed, as in cases of church governance. The prescription for judgment requires respect and deference to the offending individual. Scripture prescribes application of judgment be executed with love, and where possible, opportunity for repentance, forgiveness, and restitution. Properly applied these guidelines work to protect the integrity and effectiveness of the Church here on earth.

It is far too easy to find scathing evisceration of Christians on the Internet by otherwise prudent fellow Christians. This is not scriptural. This is not right. One may certainly express opinion on issues, even spirited, graphic, bold and colorful opinions. What happens too often is that, instead of issues, discussion focuses on personal character; on the knowledge, intelligence, spirituality, motives, and even state of salvation of others. Gone is brotherly disagreement. Gone is any sense of “we can agree to disagree.” Perspective is absent as is any form of recognition of common ground or agreement. Unity of the Spirit is nowhere to be found. Where is the love? The scriptures say that the world will know Christians by their love. Given that criteria, the world is on firm ground questioning the credentials of many Christians today. It is common to find hype, overstatement, Ad Hominem attacks, straw man arguments, willful or negligent misrepresentation of opposing views, and wholesale character assassinations in media today. Argument, even if well-intentioned and with merit, is contaminated by erroneous logic. The reasoning is fallacious. Furthermore, the witness for the casual or non-christian viewer is extremely poor. There is no respect nor decorum. Many times there is open disdain on display. Every Christian writer should take every thought captive (both in-going and outgoing); fallacious content should not make it into print.

The Internet is not a place where one may hold a private conversation. The Internet is a public forum. Long before the internet wise counsel was that in regard to written correspondence, even confidential memos, one should never put anything down on paper that could not be published as a headline in the local newspaper. The counsel given to me was personalized and emphasized that one should not write anything down with attribution that one would not like their grandmother to see as a headline in the newspaper.  Newspapers are becoming obsolete and grandparents may be the only people still reading them, but the underlying concept is as important today as in the days of the newspaper.

Differences on issues will occur between Christians. Discussions on differences can be positive and enlightening, to both sides, even if there is not resolution and a clear winner. Differences between Christians are recorded in scripture, they are biblical. Differences among brethren are unavoidable. Christ is God and God is Infinite. Man and man’s mind are created and finite. Even if one’s mind were 100% correct and 100% full with knowledge of Christ it would differ from a mind of a similarly “correct” brother (or sister) in Christ. No two mortal men will have the same understanding of the infinite God. Two Christians, even if identical twins, raised together and who come to Christ on the same day, will have differences in understanding of the infinite God. It is impossible for it to be otherwise. God created each of us unique, He interacts with each of us personally, He is INFINITE, we are not. We will understand the same God, the parts we know, differently. Praise God for His creativity! Think about it — Christianity is about finite man’s personal relationship with the infinite God — how could any two unique individuals ever be in total agreement?

Public personal attacks by Christians are inappropriate and wrong. In instances where scripture instructs us to exercise judgment and take action regarding an issue with individuals we are given guidelines on how to implement such action. Those processes begin with individual to individual discussion. Corporate discipline is likewise specifically prescribed. The bottom line is that worldly tactics such as Ad Hominem attacks on those with opposing views are not scriptural. Such tactics are not philosophically honest, and outside the bounds of proper Christian behavior. This is not a matter of tolerance. It is a matter of respect. The two are very distinct concepts that are misunderstood and misidentified in today’s culture. We are to be tolerant of other individuals but never tolerant in regard to principal. If we can’t bring ourselves to treat our enemies with respect, how are we to love them as scripture instructs? This is a call for obedience. The Christian is called to be respectful, civil, and polite in word, deed, action and even our attitude. What would my grandmother say if she heard me speaking with disdain of others as is common on the Internet?

Personal verbal and written attacks are rampant in our culture; acceptance of such is either by ignorance or justified by flawed rationalization such as the end justifying the means. The Christian should practice sound judgment and thought, not choose flawed and corrupt tactics because they may be expedient. The responsible Christian should hold to high standards, godly standards, not practice gutter tactics.

It would be wonderful if every Christian would refrain from prideful, poor, silly and sinful behavior by conviction of the Holy Spirit. We can pray for that end; it is probably God’s will. However, until Christian writers change, each of us as consumers of Christian “literature” need to be watchful of personal attacks and other deceitful methods of persuasion. We must filter out materials contaminated by fallacy. It won’t be easy. There is a lot out there. Such is the norm in today’s secular culture of advocacy driven media. Filtering out offending internet content greatly reduces the amount of time one might feel is demanded by this medium. One may then be able to spend more time reading God’s word and meditating on proven, known, and perfect truth.