A Useful Idea for Commenters to Consider

When we gather together as Christians, we let our guard down.  We expect that people will be honest about who they are and their motives.  We tend not to stop to consider that someone may be engaging in the discussion in bad faith.  What if, for example, someone was offering comments without the notion of edifying anyone or advancing the conversation, but instead was participating with no other intent than to wound or to present such an unsympathetic view of the faith as to cause others to experience doubt and dismay because of the presence of the participant as a purported Christian?

I would suggest to you that there very likely are such persons engaging in discussion at various Christian blogs and that their intent is for ill rather than good.  In fact, there are some who may consider it their duty to undercut, confuse, and damage the effort at Christian websites like this one because they don’t want to see believers having a good, positive discussion and enjoying intellectual and spiritual fellowship with each other.  Rather, these types of people prefer to throw rocks through stained glass windows and then laugh at the furor it stirs up.  I would suggest to you that one should be watchful for the presence of malevolence even at places like this one, perhaps especially at places like this one, because First Things has been a great blessing to many.

So, carefully consider the comments made.  Individuals will expose themselves, often with a radical lack of grace.