broken eikon

I have found facebook fairly useful. However, there is one thing that is causing me some confusion. I have friends that I have had for a long time. People I love very very dearly, that are now on Facebook. What I notice is that many of these people post purposefully inflammatory stuff, via status updates, links, videos, polls, etc… I am wondering what people are asking for when they post these things. Do they want those who agree to say so? Do they want dissenters to bring it up? Perhaps this is overly generous, but perhaps they want to invite public discussion? Given that when I see people who dissagree post, it seems to always end poorly, I can’t see discussion really being wanted.

When I post, I desire people to think. I try to not say “believe this”, or “X person is stone cold stupid”. I would like for people to get their hands on dirty, subversive little things called facts, wrestle with them in public forums, and see how things end up for them.  My problem is also thus, however: When i see someone make a comment, or insinuate something I consider erroneous or misleading, I feel the need to correct it, since these people posting as my friends makes me feel like I give passive assent to their comments by my own inaction.

I just get tired of picking on the same friends for posting the same agendized, non-helpful pot-stirring stuff. And actually, I just don’t like it when Christians do it. My other friends I actually don’t care. But Christ followers should know better.

And before you ask, Scott, I am not talking about you. I think you are funny in your passion. Plus, I agree a lot. But not always. But you are still funny then.

I am biased against killing. I don’t think killing a fellow human is ever appropriate.

Unfortunately, I think I am biased against female teachers. I didn’t notice for a long time, but I found myself choosing male teachers over female ones if given the choice. This was not conscious,  just an observation.

I believe I am still just a little bit racist. I perhaps try to compensate for it in my theology, but I generally feel more comfortable around people that seem more like me. Of course, the friends I have from different ethnicities don’t seem to count, because I know them.

I am biased against abortion. I just can’t condone in any way shape or form the end result  of such a procedure. Not when there are valid alternatives.

I am biased in favor of Jesus. This may be one of my true a priori assumptions. I simply think that Jesus has the right answers to the deepest questions I have. No matter what I go through, I always come back to Jesus as the starting point for where I go from there.

I am biased in favor of logic over emotion. Having said that, I don’t always act like it.

I like passionate, culturally relevant music better than organs and traditional arrangements. I also appreciate movement during songs of praise, rather than forced stillness.

I am biased towards a mix of Narrative/Neo-orthodox/and Liberation theological categories.

I am biased towards auditory learning.

I am biased against authority. Shocking, I know.

I am biased against war.

I am biased in a strange way toward military personnel. While I find their commitment staggering and their willingness to lay down their lives very Christlike, our military is really just about one thing. War. See previous entry. My bias is that I get strangely uncomfortable around military folk. This could be because many of the military folk I have talked with seem a little too gung-ho. About America, about guns, about military spending, and many times about war. Of course, I know many military (especially ex-military) that do not fit this mold at all, but again, as is the case with many biases, it is not entirely logical.

I am biased in favor of skateboards over rollerblades.

I am skeptical of the supernatural in today’s world. I hope for it. I believe in it. But when it is claimed, I am the first skeptic.

I am biased towards liking Obama because he is black. There. I said it.

I am biased against people with piercings and tattoos. Therefore I am going to get a tattoo soon.

I am biased towards seeing the good in people, not their junk. heh.

I am biased in favor of Jewish stuff. Cause of Jesus.

I am biased in favor of using really wine in communion instead of grape juice.

Of course, all of these can and are overcome as my life goes on, but these are the things that kind of go on behind the rational part of my brain at any given moment.  Hope I don’t get judged too harshly.