Post intelligent and civil comments. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the NLM
I understand you'll not be blogging during Lent. Yours is a religious blog. But how about Journalists? I guess it's a second job for me. Part of my work, a good part, is made online, so I guess there's no rest for me :(
Will you post if a motu proprio comes out? :-)
Oh I've never understood this "no blogging during Lent" thing. Few bloggers are paid for their time -- certainly none here are -- so it's not as if a person is giving up remunerative labor. Properly conceived, blogging is a service, a form of sacrifice, a gift to others, just the same as visiting the sick or putting more money in the poorbox. It is a generous, other-directed activity. This is all the more true for religious blogs, which are attempting to enliven the faith and spread imaginative and truthful ideas - it is a form of evangelization. As regards Catholic venues for spreading ideas, such as blogs, it strikes me that there should be even MORE blogging during Lent.
I saw the Oriens article months ago and utterly disagree with it. Would a restoration even be hinted on the wind without the Internet? I think not.
I respect Michael's decision, but I hope Shawn decides to sacrifice something a little more traditional, like bad words or beer ;^)
Blogging has freed the Catholic in the pew from the clutches of the diocesan bureaucracies. Finally, we are able to see for ourselves the abuse. Think of a clown mass or Barney in California. We would have heard rumours but without blogs and Youtube we would never see for ourselves the truth.
I agree with Jon above; the bloggers are leading the charge for a the restoration.
I agree with most of what this article is saying, and I came to the same conclusions myself a while ago. That's why I only visit sites that aren't full of amateur apologetics and vitriolic discussion; blogs like this one, for example :-)
I'm not necessarily commentign on this piece specifically, but what I've often found funny about the "Catholics shouldn't blog" movement is that it tends to come from in-print media sources.
I wonder if there isn't a conflict of interest there? ;)
I'd like people to be clear, the NLM is going to still be blogging. Remember the NLM is made up of multiple bloggers. This is Michael Lawrence's decision as one blogger on the NLM.
As for myself, I will be blogging because blogging in my view is a form of apostolate and evangelization. One can indeed chalk it up as one of the spiritual works of mercy, if approached correctly.
I really don't buy the idea that Catholics shouldn't blog -- obviously! I imagine Fulton J. Sheen, Mother Angelica and many other pioneers in finding various means for evangelization using new technology were asked the same questions, and some would have come up with negative answers.
We are to be pioneers of the Faith, crying it from the rooftops. Blogs have proven themselves to be a very effective means of evangelization.
I was pleased to read that others share my concerns about blogging. Who among us has not winced at our own misspellings or garbled syntax? And how can you not wonder about those who comment daily at various sites? Don't they have jobs and responsibilities? And would they not be more cautious and thoughtful if they used their actual names? More importantly, can we realistically guage the strength of a movement from the responses of the relatively few people who engage in special interest blogs?
That having been said, I do enjoy reading blogs and learn a great deal from contributors blessed with lucid minds and helpful information. One learns to separate rather quickly the wheat from the chaff. It is also therapeutic knowing there are others who share my interests and concerns.
In time, after the technogical novelty has worn thin, perhaps the dangers of blogging will diminish because we will be more conscious of them. That is my hope.
Randolph,
"And how can you not wonder about those who comment daily at various sites? Don't they have jobs and responsibilities?"
To answer your nagging question, I, for one, do have a job and responsibilities. I also have a wife, kids, and a mortgage. I'm blessed to work out of the house, and I often find it more productive to log onto NLM and hammer out a comment than to listen vapidly to Elton John muzak and drum my fingers while on hold for a customer.
No need to wonder further.
Jon
Not to mention "lunch" at one's desk.
Again with the "shoulds." I think individuals can make up their own minds about any particular activity and have any number of reasons why they do or do not do something. Casting a "should not" blanket over everyone is a bit childish.
I don't see how one can be a good Catholic and not utterly despise the Catholic clergy; the Church has a very venerable tradition of anti-clericalism, most of it justly deserved.
The reason that many people use pen names on the Internet is to have a standard identity that is incapable of being spammed. I started out in discussion boards over a decade ago and discovered this the hard way. I still post on those two boards with my real name for continuity's sake, but fortunately they do not require an email address for posting. Otherwise, I learned the hard way that I had to use a pen name to avoid spamming. I am hardly alone in this.
As for "utterly despis[ing] the Catholic clergy," I have a hard time understanding how that squares with the Gospel.
Anyway, the author of the article linked (1) has a clear conflict of interest, and (2) a bad case of overgeneralization.
I also have participated in Lenten abstinence from blog/discussion forum participation. It can be a helpful gauge of the time and energy spent on a habit, to evaluate how healthy or unhealthy it is.
I don't understand why, if one fasts from blogging during Lent, the issuance of a motu proprio would cause one to reconsider it. Rather, it would seem to be all the more reason to hold one's tongue/fingers.
There are tonnes of things we can do that are more fruitful for the Church, like starting choirs, teaching catechism, helping the poor, etc. These would help the Church more in the long run. He doesn't mention this, for some reason.
Blog or no blog, the move towards traditional liturgy would be nowhere without the internet.
One year I gave up music for Lent, and the music director at my parish though I was being irresponsible, etc. Gifts are for using.
No. Gifts are for offering. There is a difference. One of the ways to offer gifts is by their sacrifice, as ought to be acknowledged first and foremost by traditional Catholics.
Good for you, Michael.
No one is criticizing Michael's personal decision, of course.
The point of critique is simply on the part of those who might suggest it as an absolute principle.
...let's hope Diogenes never decides to quit blogging. That is one blog the Catholic world needs.
I haven't read what everyone else has written, so I may be repeating something, but...
The idea of making sacrifice during Lent is to serve as a means of self-discipline and self-mortification, in anticipation of the feast that lasts through Easter (and you'll notice we don't dwell nearly as much on the latter). Withdrawing from a genuine apostolate does not necessarily fit that description, particularly with a group endeavor. That is, unless the lot of you go on retreat together for the duration of the Fast.
On the contrary, your work, and the penitential nature of the Lenten season, may be all the more reason to continue your work.
Bottom line: ask yourself, what is the purpose of "giving up" something?
Down with pseudonymy and sloganeering!
Bottom line: ask yourself, what is the purpose of "giving up" something?
To offer it to the Lord.
My giving up blogging is not about giving up service. The point of my giving up blogging is to put aside this exercise and focus on more essential spiritual things. It's also to allow me to get back to some things that I've been shamelessly neglecting--like practicing the organ. I am, after all, responsible for cultivating all of the gifts I've been given. The decision has nothing to do with the article linked to; it's not that I think that blogging is "bad." I would like to thank those who've made it clear that they respect or even commend my decision.
Shawn, sorry about the confusion. I think the first commenter really threw things for a loop. Not his fault. I suppose I shouldn't have assumed that everyone was aware that I am only one of many contributors. I hope your traffic doesn't decrease:)
I must say that the article's fear of pseudonymy is, to an extent, overwrought. I'm very cautious about what I blog on (usually) because I know that any belief that I can hide behind a pseudonym disappear with the flick of a court order or an inappropriately identifying comment. Thus, since the pseudonym is nothing more than a usually well-known nickname (which, as Liam, I've had for years) I assume anyone who cares who I am will easily figure it out. One simply has to look to the recent and not-so-recent stories of people being turned down for jobs because of the contents of their MySpace pages to know anonymity is a figment.
All that said, Michael, I applaud your decision, although hopefully we'll see you back here. Any time one is cognizant of a need to step back and re-organize and actually does so is a good thing in my book.
Peter,
You will indeed see me back here.
I should probably make a sacrifice of spending less oveall time on the internet. It is adictive. But it can also be very constructive, especially blogs like this.
I am somewhat between full-time jobs right now, working at a number of part-time jobs. This includes my work with the seekly Traditional Latin Mass. I have submitted for eventual timely printing all 11x17 tri-fold worship aid through Palm Sunday. And I will be working on my chanting/accompanying skills by chanting the Introits as preludes (no instrumental music during Lent!) and the Communion Antiphons.
Michael
At any rate have a blessed and spirit filled Lent, practise much, and see you back here after Easter!
I would like to support the good work of this blog and suggest that more of us make a special Lenten effort to contribute to the Reform of the Reform.
I am going to pray especially fervently that all of Eric Giunta's sons become Catholic priests of the Latin Rite, and that all of his daughters become Carmelite nuns who pray for priests.
Have a happy Lent!
*{]:-)>+
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