Defacing Facebook

As a district superintendent, it is a rare occasion that calls me to address specific concerns of the church.  Yet, social networking, namely Facebook, has ballooned to such a huge phenomenon that it cannot be ignored.  Irresponsible conversation, damaging comments, unfair characterizations, breaches of confidentiality, racy pictures, vicious gossip, wild rumors and every sordid type of communication gets pumped into cyberspace hour by hour through this medium.  The fact that it can also be used for positive purposes compounds the problem.  The evil side of man seems to always find ways to deface the good.

Don’t use Facebook?  Not interested?  You ought to be.  Chances are great that your name has already been mentioned on someone’s page.  Your picture may even be orbiting in cyberspace.  From Facebook’s own statistics log, there are more than 400 million active users, 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day, the average user has 130 friends, and people spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook!  What is the significance of this?  People form opinions about pictures they see, or about people, events and things they read of on social networking sites.  You have little or no control over this information, regardless of how personal you consider it to be.  It is a wild, wooly, barely regulated and volatile realm where almost anything goes. 

It is ironic that the non-religious sectors of society rather than the church first noted the dangers of Facebook.  From a computer security standpoint, a major news source (CBS) says that Facebook information is being shared with third parties, that privacy settings revert to a less safe default mode after each redesign, that Facebook ads may contain malware, that real friends unknowingly make you vulnerable, and that scammers are creating fake profiles.

Admittedly, these are big problems, but it gets worse.  Employees have lost jobs, students have been kicked out of school, friendships have been ruined, marriages have ended in divorce, leaders have lost credibility and homes have been burglarized because of information on Facebook.  Numbers of people have been stabbed, shot or murdered over Facebook postings.  Relentless harassment, name-calling, stalking, intimidation, and threatened physical abuse, all on Facebook over multiple months, reportedly caused one teen girl to commit suicide and the same is suspected in other cases as well.  In a worst case scenario, a seventeen year old girl was raped and murdered by a 33-year-old man she met on Facebook who was posing as a teenager.  Law enforcement agencies have stepped up warnings about Facebook, and many colleges and high schools caution students about its use.  Employers now routinely ask for a prospective worker’s Facebook account as part of the hiring process. 

In church circles, I am increasingly hearing stories about questionable entries on Facebook pages of church members and ministers alike.  Most use it for good, or at least for harmless banter and discussion.  A minority, however, post statements rooted in sarcasm, disrespect, a desire to foment division or to broadcast personal opinions that contradict the position of a church, a pastor or an organization.  Some comments may simply be unwise or thoughtless mental musings.  Others may not be so innocent. 

Whatever the motive, it is time for the church to address the problem.  While we have no illusions about ending or even curbing the use of social networking, we can make sure that people understand its potential for disaster.  Most users know about common caveats:  “Once you post, it’s permanent,” “unknown posters may be imposters,” “all pictures are public property on Facebook,” and, “there are no secrets on Facebook.”  But, for those in the church, more subtle guidelines come into play.  Here are a few:

1. Gossip and innuendo is always bad, but on Facebook, it multiplies by the power of ten. 
2. Questioning or criticizing spiritual authority on Facebook equals rebellion.
3. Faith-undermining and conviction-bashing are transparently wrong.
4. Soliciting membership to another congregation via Facebook is still sheep-stealing.
5. Don’t play with people by mocking or provoking them into dangerous discussions.
6. Playing the devil’s advocate through “what if” scenarios nearly always backfires.
7. Pastoring is largely private.  Ministers should not pastor over Facebook pages.
8. Barbed statements and/or sharing embarrassing stories can crush people.
9. It is always wrong to malign someone’s character, spread rumors or tell lies.
10. Confessions on Facebook lead to derision, not forgiveness.
11. Murphy’s Law applies:  Anything that can be taken wrong will be taken wrong. 
12. When in doubt, leave it out.

You can probably come up with even more examples of abusive and dangerous ways that Facebook can be used.  The point is that Facebook is a stage, not a closet.  The intimate interaction between a person and his or her computer has global publication potential.  Some organizations, the Washington Post for example, simply say:  “If you don’t want it online, don’t put it there.” 

For Christians, social networking does not exist outside the parameters of scripture, as though people can get away with things on Facebook that would be anathema in any other venue.  Evil communication still corrupts good manners.  Proverbs 18:8 says “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”  Facebook is never the proper place to rant, vent or share sensitive information.  If you want to use Facebook, weigh your words carefully, post wholesome and helpful thoughts, exemplify Christ in everything you say, and use it to promote unity and strength.  It is your solemn obligation to the body of Christ.

Comments

[Wanda Fielder]

Great article, Mark, and I whole heartedly agree!

[Beth Kelly]

Pastor, after reading this I immediately remembered an old Sunday School song: "Oh be careful little eyes what you see"..."Oh be careful little mouth what you say"....

Thanks again!!!

[Tracy Gimpel]

Thank you, Bro. Jordan. I've felt the pains of Facebook and known others who have also. I have seen churches torn asunder and feelings hurt beyond repair because of slander on Facebook and words taken out of context. May God help us to truly be pleasing in His sight in every area of our lives.

[defacefacebook.wordpress.com]

defacefacebook.wordpress.com

[eric]

I have been misunderstood and hacked so many times I have considered deleting my account. People are so obsessed with facebook they would rather tell everyone their problems instead of praying. I can tell someone something in REAL life and they post stuff on facebook about it instead of praying about what I told them and taking it to Jesus