Thursday, April 30, 2015

Facebook Friendly

I wrote yesterday of some of the silliness of Facebook (FB), but it's not all bad! Just as a poker is a fine tool for keeping fires lighted, it's an evil weapon for homicidal maniacs, FB can be used to keep fires lighted or to stoke fires. Yesterday I stoked fires with my criticism of FB, but if it was all bad I would never use it! Today let's look at what FB can do to make your life more pleasant:

  • Some of us are far removed from our children and grandchildren. Without FB we would miss out on even more of our loved ones lives. Before FB I hardly knew what my gandchildren were doing. Now I can rejoice as they have joy and empathize in their sorrow. 
  • FB is a sorrow sensor. When people write things on their "wall" it's often a call for attention. Some people require too much attention, but others long for more. Just think of shut-ins who don't have anyone. FB can give them an avenue to be a part of the world. Furthermore, people don't have to be shut-ins to be lonely. People can be surrounded by others yet be alone. Face it; beautiful and popular people have always been in vogue, yet everyone isn't beautiful and popular. FB let's lonely people be a part of others lives!
  • I use FB to share what I care about. That varies from day to day. It may be about my family one day, friends the next and politics and religion the next. FB is a great forum for sharing when there are few other places to do so. I write many letters-to-the-editor and most are published. However, there's not space for them to print all that goes on in my mind, but FB seems to have ample room for all to share as often as they like.
  • FB is a forum for everybody! Even those who write poorly can publish what they have to say. Some of the best posts are from those with poor spelling and limited vocabulary because love can shine out of darkness! FB can "level the playing field" between classes of people.
  • Joy can be shared wit FB! Sharing good things is contagious. For generous people they delight in others accomplishments and blessings. 
  • Various opinions are shared on FB. Who else would print without censorship the ramblings of this right wing Christian fundamentalist? FB provides a forum for all. When they do make a decision to delete controversial postings, it's easy for all to object and many do. We have a voice in the matter!
  • The printing press made the Bible available to anyone who could read or listen. Christianity's wrong teachings were exposed when people could read what the Bible really said without the need for the priest. Television and radio added greatly to the number of people who hear the gospel. Now with internet and FB the whole world seems to have heard what Jesus did for mankind!
  • In the same light, even those without theological training are as free to write biblical doctrine as are the most studied. Therefore, light from scripture may be undimmed by those who have nothing more than love to share. Doctrine can be made simple by more simple people. FB is their forum.
  • Positive and clever things make people think. Many people encourage others daily by saying and quoting wise teachings and positive attitudes. I'm often blessed by these reminders of what is often taken for granted.
  • Everybody who are "friends" on FB are not real friends, but FB provides the opportunity for relationships to grow and to renew old relationships.
  • FB allows us to explore the world without actually going there. I have FB "friends" from various states and some foreign countries. 
  • I can talk with people from my hometown who otherwise would be long forgotten. I talk with mom's and dad's cousins and share their electronic love. 
  • When we say things verbally, we can't unsay them, but with FB we can let off steam then when we regain our sanity, we can delete or edit what was written. It's sort of like the Congressional Record. It ends up what we wished we'd said rather than what we did say.
  • We can link others to the internet world through FB. We can share our interests with those who care to look without infringing on those who don't want to go where we've been.
  • Lastly, but there is much more, we can share ourselves through pictures, videos or words.
I use FB to spread the gospel message to the world. I write it on google, but link it to FB. FB has limited space for doctrinal rantings, but it can link to google where I can rant as long as I please and people can either go there or not. It's good to have that freedom to read or not to read because spoken communication requires people to either hear or flee. With FB written speech can be ignored and the reader can go on to read what they want to read.

There is a lot of religious stuff on FB. It may be just my caliber of friends who write on my wall, but FB is a sanctuary for me because I can block and hide what offends me. Likewise, if my politics and Christianity offends others they can hide or block what I say. 

You may think of other things, but these are a few which cross my mind. 

We all like to ridicule FB junkies, but perhaps many of us are one in secret! It may not be good, but we all have our reasons. Some people would not even have a life if it wasn't for electronic friendships!

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