Sometimes I think that King Solomon must have been familiar with Facebook. I’ve been reading through Proverbs. Solomon may have written down his wisdom thousands of years ago, but it’s anything but out of date. In fact, some proverbs apply more now than ever before.
Should I Say Something?
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, it’s open season on conservative Christians. Over the past year I’ve “unfollowed” a number of Facebook so-called friends because I got tired of being attacked. I know that none of it was personal, but it still hurt. Deciding that I don’t need this kind of negativity in my life, I stopped exposing myself to it.
But then I started wondering. When is it appropriate to speak up?
Facebook Spirituality
Are you on Facebook? Like a lot of our friends and family, Pete and I have Facebook accounts. I try hard not to spend too much time watching all the “heartrending” videos, checking out everyone else’s grandkids (ours are cuter), and noting that my photographer acquaintances have recently taken incredible photos and I haven’t because I’m home reading about them on Facebook.
Along with all the political statements, sentimental photos, and check-ins, are a growing number of “wise sayings.” Whatever the topic, someone has created a small graphic with some sort of lovely border or faded photo in the background, highlighting the latest in popular philosophy. They’re shared, and shared, and shared, with comments ranging from “Yup” to “That is so true!” I’m sure you’ve seen them too.
Some Fifth Friday Fun: It Must Be True
Oops! This was supposed to post on May 31, which was a Fifth Friday. Somehow I typed 2014 instead of 2013 when scheduling things, and as a result nothing posted that day. Well, I don’t want to deprive you of some fun, so let’s just call it a “First Friday” instead.
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Honey will cure all your ills. Squeezing a metal rod can allow a “practitioner” to diagnose toxicity and disease in your body. Raising your hands over your head can tell a health care worker what you’re allergic to. Those are just three of the “facts” I’ve heard lately from friends—friends who were convinced they knew what they were talking about. Then there’s the perennial parade of Facebook and email warnings… and we all know that if you read it online, it must be true!
What ever happened to critical thinking?
It’s a fifth Friday, and time for some fun. Since I used to be a teacher, I thought a true/false quiz would be in order. I’ve compiled a list of “facts” that may or may not be true. How many can you identify correctly?
Sharing the Perfect Life
I was going to post some thought-provoking, deeply insightful comments about something I noticed in Matthew 26 during my Bible reading this week. Honest I was. Then I made the mistake of cruising through my Facebook feed, and I found this gem, shared by my brother-in-law. It’s just too good to pass up.
Please note that the “blog” featured here isn’t real. LarkNews.com made it up to prove a point… and a good point it is. In fact, the rest of their blog is pretty funny too. I recommend it.
Facebragging
Know anyone like this? Could it be me? Now I feel compelled to go back through my Facebook posts and see if I’m guilty. Yikes!
My original post for today has been rescheduled for next week. See you then.
Raca!
Would you walk up to your friend, criticize their political or religious beliefs, and insult their morals and/or intelligence? How about insulting their friends or their spouse? You wouldn’t have many friends, at least for long!
Xxxx shared Being Liberal‘s photo.
(M) This is great. Make sure to do it (and share it), if you want an anti-gay politician’s head to explode.
Yet, people seem to be doing this all the time in blog comments, on Facebook, and through other social media. They post cartoons or remarks that are just plain nasty—and largely based on untrue stereotypes.
Don’t Get Taken: More Facebook Scams
A friend alerted me to this article on the CBS: Moneywatch website:
Biggest Security Threat: Facebook & You
The author covers a number of current Facebook scams all aimed at getting you to unwittingly provide crooks with enough personal information that they can hack into your financial accounts. Games such as 21 Questions are easy to get sucked into—we all are curious about what question about us was unlocked—but very hard to get out of. Once your private information no longer private, you’re open to all sorts of scams.
I’ve already posted about one of the con games mentioned in the article. See my warning about the “I’m Stuck” scam, and how we avoided being fooled.
If you spend any time on Facebook, and ever click on the various links to applications that want access to your account, you’ll want to read this article. A good dose of paranoia will go a long way to protecting your money.
Why play Facebook games, like Mafia Wars, YoVille, etc.?
Today’s guest post is from Pete, my sweetie for more than 30 years. He originally (about three weeks ago) posted it as a note on Facebook. I think his observations are worth keeping in mind, especially as I hope to soon share some game reviews written by our son-in-law, who knows much more about such things than I do.
Here’s Pete:
I’ve just finished an experiment in a couple of the very popular online multi-user games. I wanted to learn how they work, how fun they are, and what was the opportunity for play that involves interaction with friends old and new.
Let me say up front: I don’t think these games are evil in some way. I have relatives who play other massive online multi-player games with really great interaction, to the point where one guy’s online game-playing team gets together in person at least once a year, traveling from far and wide to spend time together. I think that’s awesome!
How about the games here on Facebook (FB)? Here’s what I found:
Compost 