Friday, March 18, 2005

The coming schism?

It was only a matter of time before the purges began.
To be clear, I don't think Jonathan Max Wilson is advocating a crack-down on apostate blogs. (And when I say crack-down, I mean only the fairly benign discouragement of visitors.) Mr. Wilson has even been nice enough to comment on my site, but I do think his argument is a slippery slope.
As further commentators have shown, it's a short jump from asking whether the bloggernacle edifies (Mr. Wilson's original question) to asserting that an unspecified LDS blog "is blocking the Light of Christ just like an umbrella blocks the sun" (from one of the more outrageous comments).
It is my opinion (and it is only an opinion) that some of the more Orthodox Mormon bloggers are experiencing a great deal of tension from the fact that the bloggernacle allows such a free-wheeling discussion of beliefs they find non-negotiable. It is probably only a matter of time before they close ranks and turn their backs on some of the fringes of the bloggernacle.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting observations N. There have been Scisms of the kind you anticipate in the past.

You are right that I am not advocating cracking down on "apostate" blogs. The blogosphere and the open discussion it offers is a wonderful thing.

It will be interesting to see how things develop.

NFlanders said...

I think it's frightening that Times and Seasons is too apostate for some people. That's like suspending your subscription to the New Era.

Geoff J said...

Ha! And this coming from a guy who called my recent foreknowledge post "dangerous"! Slippery slope indeed.

NFlanders said...

Touche, Geoff. I should have chosen my words more carefully. I would like to substitute "rash and dangerous" with "premature." But then, God already knew I would take it back.