Paul's Passing Thoughts

“But journeys don’t save; a love for the truth saves (2THESS 2:10). Bennett isn’t looking for truth; she’s looking for more questions. But the greatest disappointment was her excuse for censoring me.”

As PPT readers know, I am on a journey of sorts to determine what I want to do about those of differing beliefs that comment on PPT. I had decided to just censor them, but then I was talked out of that by some folks I respect. Then I was almost talked into reversing my position by others that I also respect, until today. Now I want to think this through more because today I was on the other end of some really nasty censorship.

How do I perceive the person who censored me? Well, we will get to that, but for now, let’s just say it’s not how I want my message to be evaluated; i.e., it can’t withstand a fight in the arena of ideas.

That’s the rub. I put a different value on ideas than I normally would because America is so dumbed down in both secular and religious realms. That is the argument that is winning the day with me right now; folks don’t even know where to start looking for truth much less figuring it out. For certain, the Bible is no longer the authority that it once was, but I find that it produces arguments that are irrefutable.

Why has the blogosphere exploded among Christians? Because censorship is rampant in the church. The Neo-Calvinist movement has majority rule right now, and Calvin’s power of the keys come with it. The comment I hear most from church exiles are: “They don’t take challenges to what they teach well.” Or, “Geez, all I did was ask a question!” Couple that with the fact that Neo-Calvinist teachings produce massive confusion. It’s the eternal long car trip for the young child. This is why I am hesitant to censor PPT comments. It just smacks of tyranny. However, in order to turn challenges into the lemonade of persuasion I would have to be available to moderate most of the day, and that’s a huge problem. Unanswered ideas can reflect agreement.

All of that aside, we will now discuss Joy Bennett. Bennett is a blogger that enjoys widespread success as a writer on the blogosphere. She censored me on her Facebook page with a rude finality. Uh, Joy, I am a blogger too, so that’s not the way it works with me. I will now answer you publically and expose you for the rank hypocrite that you are. And Joy, as a rule when I comment, I do screenshots. You didn’t censor anything; I am going to publish the stream in massive fashion with plenty of tags.

Joy Bennett is married to the rabid New Calvinist Scott Bennett who is also a blogger. Hence, knowing that she was in those circles, I sympathized with her (until today) “journey of doubt.” She is a new breed of shock blogger that emphasizes writing about “real life.” She also postures herself as an advocate for the abused and downtrodden. Her self-aggrandizing “transparency” seems to be a gospel among her types. Apparently, God will smile on the journey of doubt because of sincerity. However, that pesky intruder named “truth” is found unwelcome.

Today, answers seemed to irritate Bennett because she exemplifies a gargantuan problem with the present-day blogosphere: answers are bad for business. The more answers, the shorter the journey. It’s really all about, “Joy in This Journey.” But journeys don’t save; a love for the truth saves (2THESS 2:10). Bennett isn’t looking for truth; she’s looking for more questions. But the greatest disappointment was her excuse for censoring me. I challenged the comments of someone in the stream that both of us used to attend church with. As many know, my 20-year membership there did not end well. Though my initial comments were left posted, she deleted them when I posed a certain argument regarding the subject at hand. Then came the disappointment:

Feud? So disappointing. While Bennett postures herself as an advocate for the downtrodden, she referred to the criminal act committed against me by Clearcreek Chapel as a tiff of some sort. She is indicative of the many in church today who are utterly indifferent to what is right and what is wrong. One of the many reasons for Christ’s return will be to display God’s justice among the nations. Bennett has no such love for justice while calling herself a “bleeding heart liberal.” She will discuss male erections, used tampon sandwiches (not a typo), and other such edgy subjects on her blog, but not my comments regarding the specific post by the former member (which was on topic and said NOTHING of the “feud” at all). So much for the blogger who writes, “naked” according to her.

For the first time, I saw Bennett for what she really is: just another run-of-the-mill New Calvinist tyrant. I don’t like censorship for that reason: it smells like tyranny and the anemic ideas that always come with it. Therefore, debate must be averted by silencing its enemies.

The journey for me continues on this issue, but all of life is not a journey of doubt. And ignorance of the truth is a choice. God is not in the hide and seek business.

paul