Internet Theological Bullies

A sharp young man, Teddy Dee, wrote on Facebook: Growing by leaps and bounds in your theological knowledge , without striving to excel in your practicality will ultimately reduce you to nothing more than an intellectual jackass. God help us all. Teddy said I could quote him.

Not everyone on this blog concurs with an end-times view and other issues, and for the most part the discussions have been productive and civil. There has been freedom here to debate issues. The comments were not moderated as I have been trying to discover theology. Now however I have decided to moderate comments on my blogs.

You see, folks, recently I got bullied on another blog. It was awful. It was judgmental. It upset me so much and the bully would not back down or apologize. In fact I felt stocked as he followed me to a message site and kept at it there. Then his attacks were posted on his own blog. I questioned if his pastor or elders read his numerous attacks on others all posted on his blog and he defended himself that they were aware of his pursuits to attack people outside of his church. 

Some theological bullies seem to just have to impress their viewpoints on us. I think that some theological bullies are just plain bullies about a lot of issues and unfortunately their testimony is compromised with the points they try to make as they devalue others in person, on blogs, on Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. Some perhaps are pharisees and could benefit by reading that book, Accidental Pharisees, that I reviewed earlier on this blog. These individuals can cross the line to a personal attack and they do not acknowledge that they have crossed that line and have become theological bullies.

When I substitute teach, I rap at the end of classes. Several of my raps that will be going on YouTube as MC AC The Rap Lady will hopefully influence students. One of them is my "Bully Rap".  I start out with asking middle school students or high school students who is a bully in the class? The bullies come to the front of the class and in a good natured way I deliver this rap to them:

What he did?

Where you been?

I’m gonna spit it

And you’re gonna get it

Hitting agitating

Spitting aggravating

Take a stand—let’s attack

Rid us of bullies

Always fighting

Gossip behind the back

In person or Internet

Bullies  find excuses

To mess with our weaknesses

As if they have none

And they think this is fun

Just take courage

Report those bullies

Their end is near

Your conscience clear

Let’s get along

Join this song

Let’s be buddies

I’m gonna spit it

And you’re gonna get it

Skip the teasing

Skip the strife

No more hassles

All you bullies

Get a life!

Everyone laughs when I deliver the last line--get a life. The students get the point and I have had students tell me they no longer want to be a bully.  If I know it is a Christian student in the public school who has been bullied or been the bully, I have been able to pray with them after class at times. 

Bullying on the Internet is hard to handle, but I have no choice but to forgive those theological bullies. My pastor or elders handle the situation if it is in our local church, but there is no authority of appeal on the Internet. Instead I have to look to Christ's example. Think how Christ asked His Father, 

Father, forgive them, 
for they know not what they do.
Luke 23:34 

You theological bullies, come to the front of the class and repent of any pharisaic pride you may have. Meditate on this verse:

But this will all men know that you are My disciples, 

if you have love for one another. 
John 13:35

Hey, bullies, you do not need to win those theological Internet battles. Let the church councils and presbyteries do that. The Internet is not the place.