We are open to far more criticisms than that, but a "left-wing or right-wing slant" is an inherently subjective judgment call that's always subject to personal perceptions. In my view, trying to avoid such perceptions is a fool's errand, because it makes something ephemeral—the local political fads of the moment—into a benchmark of righteousness.appleman2006 wrote:So just a couple of points to add. I would be interested in how you police partisan politics. My own experience has been that when someone holds a view different than what you hold that the term "partisan politics" is often used as a way of discrediting said person. I certainly would not want to be in charge of policing such a policy. Perhaps all you do is not allow parties to be named as such. If so that is great but I think it still leaves you open to criticism to saying that you could have or allow a leftist slant for example over a right wing slant.
Everyone I know who demonstrates a clear allegiance to Jesus as King holds a combination of moral positions that make them unwelcome either on the American political Left or Right, and thus I and many of my friends, including some of you in this forum, are well-accustomed to being labeled as right-wing patriarchal traditionalists by leftists and as Marxist-sympathizing progressives by right-wingers. That's the kind of myopia partisan politics creates in an otherwise healthy human mind, and I suspect the resulting perpetual political outsider status is part of what it means to be a stranger and pilgrim in the world as now constituted.
Anyway, while the policing of such a concept is unavoidably subjective, what I suggest we look for when gauging whether one's political allegiance is with Jesus or a party is quite simple: What is that person's benchmark for right and—just as important—wrong? If you present me with a thoughtful scriptural interpretation I disagree with, and instead of countering your claim on its own merits I accuse you of being a Trumpist and a protofascist, I'm using partisan politics as a benchmark and demonstrating that my moral framework is shaped more by worldly culture war propaganda than by Jesus.
One has to be humble and tentative about such judgments, of course, but I don't think that's a reason to abandon the attempt. How well we do it at DKCM is for others to judge, and judge they have, with a wide variation in conclusions. We have members who lean well to the right and left of the admins in their opinions, and they are welcome until they establish a pattern of framing ethical and moral issues in terms of partisan talking points rather than Scriptural and apostolic teaching.
I take comfort in knowing that we ultimately stand or fall to our Master's measure, not that of the peanut gallery, and that eternity, not human opinion, will illuminate which of our works were gold, which precious stones, which wood, hay, and stubble.
Indeed, so am I. What I have observed is that this experiment has produced some positive and unexpected fruit I have rarely seen in any community online or off, and I'm interested in why, and how to encourage more such results.appleman2006 wrote:As far as to the stated mission of the site. I still am unsure as to whether it is a really effective way of doing what it might be intended to do.
I've observed that if someone isn't open to changing their beliefs, few if any interventions can help. On the other hand, once the mind is open and some degree of relationship is built, many approaches have promise and different ones work better with different people. One reason DKCM went private is that we felt much of the content is more useful within the context of a community who are there by choice than broadcast across the internet to be stumbled on by people who lack the context to feel the spirit behind it.appleman2006 wrote:Anyone that knows me well knows I have a fairly good sense of humour. I even have a personal liking for satire and have been known to dish it out as well as be on the receiving end.
Added to that, anyone that has followed me on here for any length of time knows that I am quite capable of critiquing what I see as some of the weaknesses of conservative Mennonites. But ultimately I try very hard to do it out of respect and love because of how much I care for the community as well as that I find it really is the only way change will ever happen. Trying to change someone else's deeply held beliefs through mockery even if you include yourself along with the intended recipients almost never works.
For example, it is really easy for me to mock anti vaxers, or anti GMO people or the whole pro organic industry. I find them to be extremely easy targets but it really does not work as far as effectively changing people's minds. Nor is it a very effective way for bitter people to get rid of their bitterness. And yes, you do have a few bitter people on your site. Not nearly everyone of course but a few.
As for bitter (I might say hurt and grieving) people, we know we have them, and while we get weary of hearing some of them sound the same note over and over, many of them have testified that this is the first community where thy have been able to discuss some of these hurts without either being coddled and encouraged to nurse their grievances, or being told to just shut up, get saved, and get over it. To be a nurturing space for troubled and hurt people to safely expand and grow forward seems like a win to me, not something to fear.
The effectiveness of the site is regularly debated among the admins and moderators, so feel free to debate it here. As an experiment, it has been one of the more interesting and heartening projects I have been involved in, has provided new insights about my own culture and how it interacts with that of other believers, and has created possibilities for Kingdom advance that I did not envision before.appleman2006 wrote:And so for me the effectiveness of the site is still open for debate IMO. Personally I get a kick out of some of it. I find some of it to be illogical and occasionally I am too stupid to get one of them but that is OK. I shall try and keep an open mind.