Frankly, I would have expected MN to have skewed a bit more toward the "conservative-minded" direction based on what I have seen in the general discussions. So what's going on here?
There are two possibilities that come to mind:
- 1) The results correctly reflect the perspectives of the Anabaptists on MennoNet. Maybe, despite the fact that about 80% of the active posters on MN are Anabaptists, the non-anabaptist folks here lean conservative-minded, and perhaps their perspectives tilt the tone of the board in a more "conservative-minded" direction.
2) In social research there is something called the "social desirability bias," where people tend to answer surveys in a way that they feel is more socially acceptable. I tried to write each poll choice in a non-pejorative way that honored all three perspectives, however, since I am fairly obviously a "third-way" proponent, as are a number of other influential members of the board, a few folks might have felt that option #2 was the more socially acceptable choice, despite fitting better in another slot.
). Distinctions are not always neat and tidy, but of the 40 known Anabaptists in the group, I would consider seven "conservative-minded," 24 "third-way," six "progressive-minded," and three I was not sure about. Try it yourself. Anyway, this seems to confirm for me possibility #1 above - that the results of the poll are an accurate reflection of MN. For what it's worth, I believe the 10 non-anabaptists in the top 50 do clearly move the board in a "conservative-minded" direction - especially when post volume is taken into account. In any case, I continue to appreciate the diversity of opinion here on MN.
