I read a post the other day called “Why I Don’t Blog About Religion.” I found it after the blogger started following me on Twitter and I had hopped over to her site to read her profile and find out more about her.
I’m like the curious cat but one who is pretty sure my curiosity won’t get me into too much trouble. *grin*
I was intrigued by the post. She was so honest and upfront about where she stands on religion and blogging.
You see, I started blogging so I could post recipes of all the crazy desserts I like to make. I even had a “first” Facebook page where they were shared. I was up to 35 followers, mostly Facebook friends but some not. After a couple of months I realized that having a dessert recipe to post every day was hard. So, I branched out into entrees and then into journaling my thoughts, which is when I began to incorporate my faith into my posts.
Then I became afraid that people would un-follow me because the posts were getting “religious.”
So, I deleted the page and created a new one. Now I let people follow me on their own accord (I did not share it with everyone on my FB friend list), knowing what I write about, rather than having followed my page thinking it was all food related and then realizing it was not all about food.
Should I have deleted and started over? In my own mind I say “no” because I am who I am and I believe what I believe. People follow and un-follow others every day. As a believer, I know I shouldn’t be afraid of what people think of my posts any more than someone who posts about non-religious stuff. Even my husband said that I shouldn’t worry what others think and whether they like the faith based posts or not. However, I am human, so my fear gets the better of me sometimes.
My blog is a place to share my thoughts; my recipes; my joys; my sorrows; my life. It has become my daily, public journal. And, it is awesome to connect with others online that do the same.
What about Twitter and the blogger who followed you? Isn’t that why I am writing this post? Partially, yes.
People follow me on Twitter, either automatically through some program or because they like one of my posts. Then some un-follow me as soon as they see I blog about my relationship with Christ.
And, I will follow others, whether they are believers or not, if I like what I see and want to know more. It is about connecting with others. No one person ever completely agrees with another. I have friends and family I love wholeheartedly, but we don’t always see eye-to-eye.
So, when I read her post about not blogging about religion I really stopped to think. Is that what I really do?
The answer is Yes and No.
I blog about my thoughts, and my thoughts include my faith in God. I even pray about what to post sometimes because my brain gets block or cluttered and I need ideas. Also, I have taken many directions in my life without using His guidance, and a lot of those directions fell flat. As it is, I don’t even know if I will be blogging a year from now, a month from now, or even tomorrow. I take it day by day.
My thoughts also cover many other things. That means I will occasionally blog about topics that some believers could see as blasphemous — such as wine, beer, rock and country music concerts, and Las Vegas (because my husband and I love Vegas and having a drink by the pool in 100+ degree weather!).
I do not blog to convert anyone. I blog because I enjoy writing. I blog because it is my voice, for now. One of my posts may help someone some day or just “speak to them”, whether it is a food post or faith post or just a crazy day post. There is also the possibility that may never happen. The online world of blogging and sharing is vast and unpredictable.
So, kudos to the blogger for putting her thoughts out there and not being afraid to do so. It doesn’t matter if I agree or disagree. She was brave enough to write it and put it online for all to see.
It takes courage to blog, or not blog, about just about anything. Either way, you get the comments and feedback, both good and bad.
And, if you ask, did I follow her on Twitter? Yes, because I like what she writes and she is brave to share it with the world.
Like with any communication medium online, one can choose to follow, un-follow, mute, block, and un-friend anyone at any time.
And, that is life — you embrace whatever works for you and move on if it does not.
For me, writing and incorporating my faith into the writing works. That is my life and my blog. I am not lukewarm about my faith and I will share it when I get the sense it is the right time. I am not a debater, I really dislike confrontation, and I lean towards the “praying in the closet” method versus standing on the street corner saying “Look at me!” or “You are doomed!” I will rarely talk about subjects that tend to lean really far left or right because that is who I am. (I even refrain from putting stuff like that on my Facebook status because I just don’t think it needs to be there.) Most who know me really well know where I stand on those topics anyway.
Writing allows me to “put it out there” and let blog readers decide for themselves what to read or not read.
