16 Ways to be a better and holier blog commenter (might work for the FR religion forum too)

After profiling the different types of blog commenters recently, I had some requests for advice on how to be the good kinds of commenters, rather than the bad. Here are some dos and don’ts that might help:

1) Be charitable. If you are not making a comment out of love, you have no reason to make it.

2) Do not comment when you’re angry. You’ll probably regret it and won’t be able to undo it. Anything good to say will still be good in a few hours when the anger has worn off a bit.

3) If you quote part of the article or another comment, make it a short quote. Do not copy and paste huge chunks of the article or other comments into new comments. If we need to reread the post or another comment you are referencing, we can scroll up and reread it. Just give us enough of the quote to know what you are referring to.

4) Do not leave really long comments (aka don’t be a Tome-ist). People generally will not read them and they are convo-killers. If you can’t say what you need to say in a paragraph or two (or maybe three), then I would suggest dropping a few of your lesser points for the sake of your better points. Try to be as succinct as possible. This will make your comment more valuable, more appreciated and more likely to be read and responded to.

5) If there is a character limit on a combox form, it’s there for a reason. Please don’t spread your long comment across multiple submissions until you’ve said all you want to say. It’s annoying.

6) Do not feel like you have to have the last word. Say your piece and then rest at peace.

7) Make good points, not lots of points. A lot of blog comment convos start with one point. Then somebody responds with 3 points. Then the other person responds with 6. And with each iteration each person feels the need to respond to each point the previous person made plus a few new ones. Try to reverse that trend. Respond to 6 points with 3. Respond to 3 points with 1. Make your one point just that good.

8) Go with your gut. If you’re gut is telling you that maybe you shouldn’t say something (but you still really want to say it), don’t say it. You’re gut is probably right.

9) If you are sharing links or promoting something, make sure you are contributing to the post topic/conversation. If you are only interested in promoting something else, you will do more harm to your cause than good.

11) Be an informer, not a misinformer. Don’t spread information around unless you are reasonably sure it is true.

12) Read the post (don’t be a Slacker). Responding to something that you haven’t read is just obnoxious and foolish. Just ask Attorney General Eric Holder.

13) Remember that you are a guest on somebody else’s website. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in somebody’s living room if they invited you over for dinner. If it doesn’t pass the living room test, keep it to yourself.

14) Remember that your comment is public. It is not a private conversation between you and somebody else. Far more people will silently read your comment than respond to it.

15) Be Christ. WWJD? Allow Christ to work through you. Don’t say anything Jesus wouldn’t say. Your strongest evangelization weapon in the combox is your love and the way you conduct yourself - not the points you are making.

16) Comment. You don’t have to be really smart, have an awesome point, or something really valuable to contribute. Your opinion is valuable. Saying something encouraging or nice is valuable. And you never know how it will impact the many unknown people who will come across it and read it.

One of the fundamental aspects of giving a soul to the internet is our loving presence. Don’t be shy.

Yes. When He cleansed the temple, He was cleansing His Father's house. That shows love for His Father. He was also doing so for the good of Israel. That, too, was showing love. But the key thing is that this same Christ did a whole lot of other things. He, in fact, had the majority of the Pharisees really, really upset with Him because He offended them (He forgave too much and did good not according to their rules). He did both. And sometimes in surprising fashion. But here's one thing: would a person who felt compelled to harshly critique every violation of his beliefs feel compelled to walk into a house of worship and shout out those beliefs?

Every thing Christ did and said was in LOVE, even to those bedeviled Pharisees that spent their time trying to set a trap for him. Now what sets Christ apart from all other human beings to be born on this earth was He, Christ, was as is Written, Emmanuel, which means God with us. And since He was God with us in a flesh body He knew the hearts and what these bunch of rebels and trouble makers were thinking.

Now even Peter one of the twelve got caught up in the doing things his way when he sliced off the ear of that trouble maker. And Christ in LOVE of and for Peter and those who will partake of the WORD learn not to get in the way and how to do things in the WILL of God.

We in these flesh bodies cannot make something holy, and the closest we can be 'holy' is in our pure love of and for our Heavenly Father that created individually each and every soul.

The worst thing a Christian can possibly do is to be in love with other 'gods' and stop loving the one that owns everything even our very souls.

Now I do not have down, as a fine art to explain in WORDS this idea of what forgiveness literally means. See I do not forgive these liberal lying crooks that are using the devils own handbook to destroy this nation. Yet I know the donkeys of .ell have been let loose to strip us clean bare unless we stay in 'love' of Honor and obedience to the Creator.

I respect each person's 'choice' to believe whatever they choose to believe, and while I personally do not consider buildings 'holy' I would never enter one to clean it out symbolically speaking.

We can all read how the 'world' (majority) treated Christ, and why anyone thinks they IF they are in His Name following the WILL expect to be treated better or differently has not read with comprehension what to anticipate to stand against the majority in this world today.

Quite frankly it gets real old reading the poor pitiful whines from people claiming how other people hate them. Personally speaking I fully expect that to LOVE God, follow Him in His only Begotten Son's name is going to cause these that demand to do things their way and in their own tradition.... because 'everybody is doing it' to need a security blanket.

And personally I don't care if Rush hires a flaming gay pit player, but I won't be spending one more dime on anything that puts a cent into Rush's pockets.... I say this with love of course.

Absolutely! They were stealing from both God and the people, it was Christ's love of both God and his fellow man that compelled him to clean out the Temple of the thieves.

Yes and what Christ had to say to that 'religious bunch' back then in charge of the Temple and hand holding with the political rulers sure fits with what this nation has elected to rule over US these days.

It appears that we in this nation are not swift enough to clean out our 'peoples' house. No we elect people to represent US that select the most RED religious 'woman' to SPEAK for US. We are a free people and WE are a blessed nation because WE as a nation acknowledged what an ignorant world does not know.... We are endowed by our Creator certain unalienable rights, IF!!!!

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