facebook icon that religious guy
Recently, a facebook friend sent me a funny blog post, Needing Some Closure, about a contest for the “holiest” email closing. Rather than ending with a secular “Sincerely,” they use In Him or Because of His Grace or one novel notation used In His Grip. The post cracked me up; in part because I get annoyed by these public service announcements. But another part of me laughed because, back when I was pretty green-under-the-collar, I really used to worry about how I should sign my notes! I didn’t want to come across as overly pious but I also didn’t want to offend the overly pious by not being very pious. And then there was the whole plus sign problem. Sometimes I saw it in front of people’s names, sometimes, after. I wonder how many times I did it wrong before it was pointed out to me that Bishops put the + in front of their names and the rest of us clergy add our addition at the end. Anyway, to make a very short story long, all this is to lead up to my point (and I’m sure you’ve all followed my logical train of thought that led me here): there should be rules for the religious on Facebook. I couldn’t find a list on Google, so I decided to create my own. Feel free to add, amend or delete as you see fit.
- Script Your Scripture: Don’t post random, stand-alone scripture verses as status updates. If you have a personal response to a scripture verse, then by all means, share it. If its true what they say that “Content is King” in social media, then “Content in Context is King of Kings,” brothers and sisters!
- Shade Your Sonshine: Gratitude is great; but too much of it, all the time, just comes across as fake and disingenuous. Some of you might want to pepper your updates with a “Golly gee, I’m sure struggling to find an attitude of gratitude after I was mugged and abducted by aliens.”
- Lay Off the Lament: Don’t go to the other extreme and be a Whiny Baby either. I love Eeyore, but I don’t want him as my facebook friend.
- Police Your Piece: If you’re going to represent the Supreme Representer, you might want to consider being political correct. I know a lot of people think they are Truth-Telling when they bash the concept of p.c., but really, its a matter of being sensitive to others’ feelings, not ignoring reality.
- Mute the Mic: Speaking of politics; there’s a lot of it on Facebook. Sometimes I’d like my very political friends to get off their soapboxes just long enough to tell me something else that’s going on in their life. The same can be said for my religious friends. Every once in a while, post something sordidly secular.
- Fav Your Flock: If you’re clergy, don’t post that you don’t have time for Facebook. Because that’s the same as saying you don’t have time for the people in your church that are on Facebook. Besides, you sound like you’re way more important than we know you to be.
- Halt the Haughty: You don’t have to spend a lot of time on Facebook and no one expects you to read everyone’s updates. But its nice, its polite, and it just may be the exercise in humility that you need, to comment every so often on someone else’s posts. Listening can be your friend.
- Cheer Your Child: Do LOL. I’m not saying you have to LMAO (or LYAO) or other extreme bursts of humor. But many religious folk tend to take themselves way too seriously. Lighten up! Enjoy a bit of silly and playful and Will Ferrell.
- Face Your Facts: Use a real picture of yourself. Fill out a full profile, favorite books, movies, and all. Share yourself! That’s the point.
- Hug the Humanity: Just be yourself. Accept your human condition. And don’t worry so much what others will think of you. It’s not like there’s anyone’s passing judgment and creating a set of rules!
What have I missed? What annoys you about the really religious on Facebook? Have you got any good examples of over-the-top status updates? No names, please, let’s protect the innocent (those in their faith community!).
On the Wings of He Who Soars Above and Takes Me Along For the Ride,
Sarah(plus)
p.s. Please don’t assume that my general criticism of others is, in any way, shape, or form, an invitation to criticize my own, delightful and charming status updates.
Sarah Bennett is an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Texas. She is an avid evangelist of social media and honest, authentic conversations of the spiritual journey. I’m an Episcopal priest in Austin, TX. I am working to develop a new ministry strategy that deepens community bonds, stimulates theological conversations, and reaches out to others through social networking. I have been energized by Clay Shirky’s book, Here Comes Everybody, and am fascinated by the power, good and bad, of novel collaborative efforts now made possible by the internet. Read more from this author
Or better yet, why the need to publically display one’s religion at all (sites intended for religious dialog excepted)? Seems to me the more overt the display the more likely there is a deep dark secret.
Nothing annoys me more than someone deciding to drop a Jesus bomb on a discussion that has nothing to do with religion. In fact it causes me to dismiss that person as socially retarded for not knowing how/when to express their personal beliefs.
Cheers,
Trey
(Your favorite secular humanist)
You’re one of my favorite humans, period! I don’t have any problem with publicly displaying one’s religion anymore than one’s politics. I think it’s an essential part of who you are. I assume that when someone ‘dropped a Jesus bomb” in a non-religious discussion it was a) to shut the conversation down or b) to give a perspective of their moral grounding. Either way, it doesn’t excuse rudeness or being socially ‘challenged.’ I wonder also about the “Out! Out! Damn Spot – ness” of overt displays.
Thanks for relieving my religious gal guilt! Too much cheery praises and constant religious references from certain people, resulting in my sheepishly skipping their posts all together. I prefer my oversees missionary friend’s approach….she posts the mundane about what she can get to grow in her garden and her efforts of scrapping together the ingredients to take a Tex-Mex dish to a neighborhood dinner. Now her posts…I always read.
WAAAAH! I wanna be your favorite secular humanist!!!
Did you hear about the bishop who installed a coin-operated laundry next to the church? He wanted to make sure that cleanliness was next to godliness.
I bet A LOT of people get both weary and ‘guilty’ around some of our “TooPerkyPrayerers.” But how awkward to suggest they bring it down a notch. We need an annonymous “PerkyPrayerersPolice” or something.
Oh, I forgot to tell you: You’re my Favorite Secular Humanist; the one in caps!
Figure 8 shows a repre’ sentative scatter plot. ,