Paula

And I know well the fine line of being the owner or admin of a blog or message board. I had to shut down a board I’d been running for many years, because newer members felt they had the right to bash others but that the admin did not have the right to ban or restrict them. It seems there are many believers who think “turn the other cheek” is for everyone but them. But you’re right, it’s impossible to please everyone. No matter what you do, someone will say you were wrong.

My philosophy on internet communities is this: the owner makes the rules and can do whatever they want; it’s their “home”. They pay the bills, they take out the trash, they guard against hackers, they are responsible for the whole thing. If I don’t like how a board is run, I leave. I don’t stay and stir up opposition, I don’t spread hate about them elsewhere, I don’t tell them what to do in their own house. I just leave.

And it hurts.

But in Christian boards, there is an added element of spiritual responsibility. If the owners are not acting in accordance with basic teachings of the faith and practice, it is the duty of others to warn them. But this warning must be restricted to spiritual issues. If, for example, an admin tells lies, defames people, “stalks” them elsewhere, etc., the others should warn them of these sinful acts. But if the warning is not heeded, the owner cannot be told what to do; it’s their house. However, the ones who warned have every right (and responsibility, IMHO) to make the Christian public aware of the spiritual state of that board.

In this case between CARM and WIM, CARM was openly allowing Cheryl to be defamed and libeled. She was there to try and voice her scriptural opposition to their teachings, but they responded with banning and public lies and threats. She therefore has every right to expose them here, both as a Christian and as a blog owner. They can’t tell her what to do in her own blog, any more than she can order them around in their board.

So it’s very important to recognize the rights of the “homeowner”, but also the responsibilities of all Christians to each other. Keeping those two principles separated isn’t easy, but it’s vital.