Why Josh Harris Quit Facebook
by
Suzanne Hadley
on Aug 24, 2007 at 2:02 PM
Earlier this week, I posted on an interview with Josh Harris about evangelism and the church. Now I'd like to call your attention to his convictions on what is perhaps an even more pressing matter: Facebook.
Harris writes:
Last week, on a whim, I signed up for a Facebook account. I had no friends and no idea what I was doing. So I asked for advice and begged for friends. I got both. A bunch of people — everyone from students at my church, to a very helpful atheist professional blogger, to Christian uber-blogger Tim Challies — took the time to thoughtfully answer my questions. I learned a lot and got a kick out of many of the humorous answers. And if all that weren't enough, many of you "friended" me.
For the past seven days I've really enjoyed Facebook. It is a lot fun and a great way to connect with people. I now understand why it's so incredibly popular. But today I decided to bring my Facebook career to an abrupt end. I'm weird, huh? But here are some of the reasons I'm calling it quits...
I'm no stranger to social networking sites. My little sister got my hooked on one of the main ones two years ago (It's always best to blame someone else when you succumb to a teen fad). And so, when I read Josh Harris' reasons for abandoning Facebook after just one week, I related: wasted time, competition with face-to-face relationships and one more pitiful reason to stare at a computer screen.
But one of his arguments stood out about the rest:
The other reason I feel right about making my time with Facebook just a visit is a little harder to explain. How do I put this? I found that it encouraged me to think about me even more than I already do — which is admittedly already quite a bit. Does that make any sense? Without any help from the Internet I'm inclined to give way too much time to evaluating myself, thinking about myself and wondering what other people think of me. If that egocentrism is a little flame, than Facebook for me is a gasoline IV feeding the fire. I need to grow in self-forgetfulness. I need to worry more about what God is thinking of me. I need to be preoccupied with what he's written in his word, not what somebody just wrote on my "wall."
Ouch.
I love to get "feedback" on myself. And I have to admit that's part of the lure of social networking. "What will someone say about me today?" It can, occasionally feel like a popularity contest. But, like Harris, I need to grow in self-forgetfulness. What about you? Do social networking sites feed your ego or are they simply a place to connect?
Thankfully, my particular social networking site is now out of style (I'm told), so activity there is minimal. And it's comforting to know 117 of my nearest and dearest friends (plus Steven Curtis Chapman, the guy who made my lattes in college and a dozen people I've never met) are only a comment away if I need them.
HT: Justin Taylor
1. John had the following to say on Aug 24 at 2:07 PM:
Thankfully, I outgrew all of those kinds of social networking sites years before they were invented.
2. Tracy had the following to say on Aug 24 at 2:27 PM:
For me personally, facebook is just a way to network and keep up with people, see what they're up to, and a way for them to keep up with me if they choose to do so.
I completely see his point though...networking sites can become pretty addictive and if you start putting too much focus on them then yes, it's definately a problem. I don't think it's necessairly wrong for everyone to be on there, but if someone seriously gets convicted about it and about the amount of time they spend on the site(s) then by all means, do something about it and get off there. If someone realizes that they are finding their self worth and "love" from a social networking site, they need to step back and think about what Josh said. We need to worry about what God thinks of us, and of what his word says -- not about if 'so & so' has written on our wall, 'poked' us or messaged us back.
I think with anything it just requires balance. I have freinds who got rid of their myspace & facebook accounts because of how addictive it became to them...they were on it all the time. As long as we don't idolize those sites and let them get in front of God, and in front of our real flesh and blood relationships (as opposed to online only friends), it shouldn't be too much of a problem. :)
What's everyone else think?
3. kman had the following to say on Aug 24 at 2:33 PM:
A friend of mine asked me if I had a myspace page as he had started one. I don't and don't intend to. It just seems a bit too narcisistic for my taste.
I really don't want to put up a webpage about myself..... but find no problem with sharing my glorious insights with people on this blog.... doh! The irony.
4. Paul had the following to say on Aug 24 at 2:53 PM:
hmm... interesting, I never really thought about facebook that way, but I mostly just use it to keep track of friends and communicate w/people at my school.
it can be a time-wasting lure, though.
5. Carrie had the following to say on Aug 24 at 3:30 PM:
Honestly, I spend more time here than I do on Facebook. This blog is far more of a distraction for me than any social networking website.
6. DannieA had the following to say on Aug 24 at 3:31 PM:
You can make it what you want it to. I find it easier to communicate with some people I haven't seen in oh 5 years then with other conventional ways of communicating....but it can be addicting so people should pay attention to what it does to you.
7. Joel Bain had the following to say on Aug 24 at 3:37 PM:
Why all the hating on Facebook? =( Facebook is great. If someone becomes addicted to it, don't blame the medium. It is self-control issues. I had MySpace, but I don't any more, simply because I was tired of all of the gay males coming onto me and the porn spamming on it. On Facebook, I have had no such problem whatsoever. Facebook has been a wonderful way to reconnect with people of which I never thought I would be able to regain contact with. With those people we are in contact again and it is great. There is nothing wrong with Facebook, just the people who use it, if any.
8. Evan had the following to say on Aug 24 at 4:05 PM:
I have to agree that the medium is not in and of itself a bad thing. It's a really nice tool to be able to keep track of other people -- and to allow them to keep track of you, which is not in and of itself egocentric. Should we stop making friends because if we talk about ourselves to our friends it inherently makes us egocentric? There is a major danger is becoming too worldly and invested in what everyone thinks about you. There is also a major danger in cutting yourself off from the world and becoming a false ascetic. Sometimes the opinions of other people do matter, after all.
9. Peter Kananen had the following to say on Aug 24 at 4:13 PM:
I'm going to create a facebook group called "be a selfless Christian like Josh and quit facebook"
Anyone want to join? :)
10. Lauren had the following to say on Aug 24 at 9:40 PM:
Self-image is definitely a factor in what drives Facebook's popularity. It didn't even occur to me that I am caught up with this myself until I read this blog post. For example, I do get carried away with how many "wall posts" I've got on my wall, versus how many another friend has, and whether or not I'm "cooler" because I have more posts. How lame is that? People do use it as an excuse for maintaining real relationships. It can be a fun way to say hey to people you don't see anymore, but were friends with in highschool. After a while, though, you wonder why you're "friends" with people on there that you don't even talk to anymore. I've recently started deleting people off my friends list if I no longer talk to them. But I appreciate this blog post a lot, because it pointed out to me that I had a mentality about Facebook that I didn't even realize and was wrong!
11. Adam had the following to say on Aug 24 at 10:31 PM:
Facebook is great. I've been on facebook for years and I was able to reconnect with old friends that I otherwise wouldn't have ever been able to connect to again. There is nothing wrong with facebook, all you need is a very tiny amount of self-control and it's a great tool to be thankful for.
And like someone already said, FB is what you make it. I myself have a small profile, I almost never update it, and I have like 10 photos of myself that are a year old. However, there are plenty of things you can do with FB if you decide to make it more personal or fun, especially with all the stuff they have on it now.
Facebook - 10/10 imo
12. Jenny had the following to say on Aug 24 at 10:58 PM:
The useful aspects of facebook are contact information, photos, wall, messaging, etc. These allow you to view a friend's wedding pictures if you could not attend the wedding, for example, or call a friend if you did not have their cell phone number. The down side, however, is that facebook has evolved into a place to show off to one another as well as critique our peers. Who has the most artistic profile picture? Who has the best musical taste? Who can we judge for having particular political views? It becomes a superficial exchange of ideas rather than a complete, thorough assessment of an individual for who they really are. This exacerbates issues such as bragging, surface relationships, and judgmental attitudes that already may exist in "real life."
13. Justice had the following to say on Aug 25 at 11:41 AM:
It sounds like people like Mr. Harris do in fact need to get over themselves and self-righteousness. No one gives a hootif he quit and it sounds only like another reason to draw attention to himself, which is ironic.
I personally am able to stay in contact with the 100 people I met while working for YWAM and it's fun to add picture to your friends profiles and what-not. Boo fake humbleness!
14. Ariana . had the following to say on Aug 25 at 12:38 PM:
I agree with Carrie: This blog is just as much a distraction (if not more) as Facebook is--and that's kind of inherent in the concept. If you want to really participate in the conversation here, you have to check back often. That's not to say that The Line is bad, but to me it actually goes in the same slot as Facebook when I'm categorizing my online activity. But then again, I like Facebook.
As far as narcissism is concerned, I don't think Facebook has to be about you. You don't have to ever update your profile or your status, or even look at it if you don't want to. If you spend your time on your friend's pages rather than on seeing who's made a comment about you, then it's not very ego-centric.
15. Barron had the following to say on Aug 25 at 2:38 PM:
So Josh Harris quits Facebook because it made him focus too much on himself ... then he goes and arranges interviews where he talks all about himself and how he quit Facebook.
I wish I could believe this article was a sly bit of irony skewering Harris' self-righteouness, but, sadly, that doesn't seem to be the case.
16. cn had the following to say on Aug 25 at 5:47 PM:
well there's the ego centric side that social networking can definitely perpetuate, but then there's a great way to send friends (especially those out state or abroad) encouraging messages and share pictures. Also, I've found MySpace to be a great source of finding good worship artists.
It its a stumbling block for any individual then lay it down, but its definitely not intrinsically wrong to be part of such a system. My personal expirience has been really positive. I posted blogs from overseas service for my friend and it was such an easy way to keep in touch while be in a developing country (when I could get to the internet cafe).
Although I really value Harris's wisdom and strong convictions, I been involved in some bodies where his personal convictions were developed into a form of legalism. I don't think that's Harris's intent but it surely happens. Some people seem to miss the heart behind what he's saying. I think the social networking could turn into a similar issue. The heart behind his concern is that we be real relationships with one another and place ourselves in a position of servant hood to our brothers/sisters/neighbors. I just think his delivery doesn't always clarify that well.
17. Suzanne had the following to say on Aug 25 at 5:48 PM:
Barron,
Josh simply offered an explanation for why he quit on his blog. Others related to it, and wrote about it. An unanticipated outcome...and far more shortlived than an ongoing Facebook experience.
18. Adam had the following to say on Aug 25 at 6:48 PM:
I just remembered my only complaint about Facebook. My one complaint is you can end up finding out a lot about someone that you aren't real close friends with or haven't seen in a long time without even talking to them. Seems to kinda cheapen the friendship some when you learn someone's favorite movies or music when you hadn't before, and only learned by their profile.
This does of course equip you for future hilarity when you talk to the person next and say how you know all about them, then continue to bring up all their favorite stuff and whatnot, because some people put A LOT of unnecessary info on their profiles.
19. Vanessa had the following to say on Aug 25 at 8:07 PM:
I live halfway across the country from most of my family and I LOVE being able to share more with my cousins through MySpace. I can watch their children growing up instead of just seeing them once a year. I can send a quick greeting that can lift the day of my cousin who is 6 hours behind me due to her husband's job in the AF (and I don't have to wake her up or stay up to the wee hours of the night to talk on the phone or use IM). I can rekindle relationships with distant cousins that I rarely get to see. By communicating through messages, comments, and blogs, I can be a part of their lives again. For the few times I've been homesick, it has been wonderful to be able to play "remember when" and not feel so alone.
I have a hard and fast rule that I will not approve a friend-request from anyone I have not met face to face. I have a private profile and only use it to keep in contact with current friends and family. My 10-year high school reunion was much more enjoyable because I had been able to chat with over half my (small) senior class prior to the reunion and able to avoid the awkwardness of "oh wow, she's gained weight" or "how many kids does he have again?" It was like being reunited after a few months rather than 10 years.
Yes, it can be a big time waster. Yes, you can get weird spam letters. However, shall I ditch my hotmail email address because I get porno spam letters? Not a chance. I just delete them and go on.
People can stick their heads in the sand all they want to, but it just makes them look really stupid to the rest of the world. I want to be different, but not a laughing stock. Don't think of it as a popularity contest. If you choose to use it, use it wisely and safely.
20. Christy had the following to say on Aug 25 at 11:34 PM:
I also joined Facebook for a short time and then left. In part, it was a question of time stewardship. Life is busy. Keeping up with emails is a part time job in itself! I can see how I tended toward self-focus, too, after reading this post. It is wonderful that others avoid that. :)
I am missing out on one major avenue for keeping in touch with friends, but we manage to do okay via lunches, phone, letters, email. . . It's always a highlight of my day to see a friend's handwriting in the mail!
21. Don had the following to say on Aug 26 at 2:38 AM:
My facebook and myspace sites are more or less the basic lay out. I don't put a whole lot of time into making them look cool or anything, I don't care what people think of the page. That said, I just use them to keep up with my friends who are now all over the country; from Hawaii to Alaska to Ohio to Pennsylvania. Those sites are the easiest way to keep in contact.
22. Kevin had the following to say on Aug 26 at 9:37 AM:
I think Facebook can be an extremely good thing if you use it right. I mean think about it, as a Christian, your main focus should be God. If that is true, then God will be all over your Facebook profile. If God is not evident all over your profile, then is he really evident all over you? Think about that one.
I think Facebook is another great opportunity to stand up for Christ (as long as it's not the only way you stand up for him). For a true Christian, God should be in your interests, religious views, and about me sections, as well as Godly taste in your music, movies, etc. Post notes about God, videos about God, I mean this can be another great way to be a strong Christian. Let people see that God has given you the strength to stand up for him through all parts of your life, many of which are outlined in Facebook profiles.
23. Bethany M had the following to say on Aug 26 at 12:32 PM:
I mainly use facebook as a great way to keep in touch with people I haven't seen in years and see what they're up to. People I went to elementary school with, people I played on sports teams with, etc. Especially as society is more mobile and people move around more (I'm moving across the country this week!) I love the ability to stay in touch with all of those people!!
I do, however, agree that it can be addictive and a real time-waster. And it does offer a propensity to think about yourself, which I also think blogging does. But if, like any other pleasure in life, it is managed and not allowed to take control of your life, facebook can be a positive thing that allows people to keep in touch.
24. Laura had the following to say on Aug 26 at 1:52 PM:
An interesting point was brought up...and one that I have found to be true. I am not a fan of these kinds of sites...but I find those same issues with blogging. I understand that the point of the boundless blog is to have a forum where Christians can discuss and think about different topics, hopefully to God's glory, but I know for me personally, I have had to make a decision about the amount of time I will spend here. It is easy to hear peoples opinions, and want to hear more...often...and even to think it's important for MY opinion to be out there. I have had to take a step back, and make sure that I am only "stopping by" this blog occasionally...and only commenting when it is to ad something that God has been teaching me...(as per here!:) Blogging is not bad, just like facebook is not bad, but anything that makes me the focus, rather than Christ, and anything that takes up enough time that Christ is no longer MY focus...isn't right for me, at this time, or place in my life...
For such a time as this, I need discipline!
25. cn had the following to say on Aug 26 at 2:04 PM:
laura
good point about blogging!
26. Loris had the following to say on Aug 26 at 9:45 PM:
Facebook was a wonderful discovery for me. In this world where people are so very disconnected, if I didn't have Facebook or a network like it, I would have no means of finding out where people moved and who people married after college. Of course, this doesn't apply to my best friends whom I actually call, but there are plenty of people I liked and wish to keep track of but were never close friends with. I also don't think it is nearly as narcissistic as sites that are personal blogs. Sure, you can write a new note every day talking about every last thought that flitted through your head and hurried off, but the site doesn't seem oriented that way. I tend to use it like an bulletin board/address book more than anything else.
27. Anastasia had the following to say on Aug 26 at 10:37 PM:
Considering that many of my friends have moved either overseas or out of state, and my sons is going back to Iraq, i don't understand the ego thing about keeping in touch with these people and their lives and having the opportunity to share what's happening in my life. It's not about wanting people to love me - they already do. It's just having a tool to keep up with people who already love each other.
Maybe people who have this problem really do need to "get a life".
28. Leah had the following to say on Aug 27 at 1:52 AM:
I think what Kevin said really sums up networking profiles and blogs (NP&Bs):
"I think (NP&Bs) can be an extremely good thing if you use it right. I mean think about it, as a Christian, your main focus should be God. If that is true, then God will be all over your (NP&B) profile. If God is not evident all over your profile, then is he really evident all over you? Think about that one."
I think social networking websites are fine. I think blogs are fine. (The two often cross over). What isn't amoral is the amount of time you spend on them, the amount they distract you from God, and the witness they give about you.
I don't have a Facebook account, primarily because I am already a member of two networking websites (MySpace and Bebo) and think Facebook will become another unnecessary distraction. Bebo was my first networking website and I determinedly avoided MySpace- but then caved and got an account simply so I could comment on friends' pages. I have since prettified my page and added music and photos etc etc and do spend a bit of time on other people's MySpaces, but not an awful lot on my own. I also don't spend much time on my Bebo account (which I actually ignored for a few years). However, I do spend too much time reading friends' blogs (especially Boundless line!) I am aiming to render my Bebo and MySpace webpages unused by creating a Blogspot blog- I chose Blogspot because non-blogspot members can post comments, unlike MSN Spaces (which I used to have), MySpace, Bebo, etc etc etc. So eventually I hope to have only one "presence" on the internet (Bebo and MySpace will still be there, just basically unused). I am hoping this will cut down on the amount of time I spend updating those things but will still keep me in touch with my friends. I also need to be careful that my blog is not just a forum to disparage people whose views I disagree with, or to create debates- ie. posts simply to state my opinion on an issue (political election issues aside- I think when it comes to election issues or hot political topics, bringing our opinions to the surface is important because education is key when it comes to elections).
Many people have brought up the point that blogging or networking sites make one think about oneself. I see how this is a valid point, and while I do think these sites cause me to think about myself, I think they more cause me to think about my beliefs and opinions. Which I think is a good thing.
Justice and Barron- I think you are being too scathing of Josh Harris. You do not know the context in which he made the statement of why he quit facebook. Maybe he simply has a blog in which he relates what he's been doing- as most of us with blogs do- and the main thing that happened in one particular week was that he joined Facebook then quit because it made him think about himself too much. Or perhaps someone asked him why he quit facebook and he answered, and now people are blogging about that. The point is, we do not know what it was that caused Joshua to make this comment, or in what context it was, therefore we cannot dictate what his intentions or motivations were.
Joel- I don't think anyone is hating on Facebook. They're just pointing out it isn't all good and can be used selfishly. Which is ok. It's ok to point out that something can be used badly. It's a warning. Doesn't mean the thing itself is hated! :)
kman- I think it's ok to put up a webpage about yourself. So long as you are not being ego-centric about it. (Eg. you might just be looking for new friends, or looking to stay in touch with old friends, etc).
29. Melissa Dittrich had the following to say on Aug 27 at 10:43 AM:
After all of my anti-conformist rants against these types of sites, I actually caved to pressure and joined Facebook three weeks ago -- for the sole reason that a close friend was moving away, and I thought perhaps it might help us keep in touch. Although it has been novel see what my elementary school pals are up to, I have found that Facebook has become more of an annoyance and a nuisance than anything (endless invitations to join groups, causes, install applications, etc.).
Before I joined, I was bemoaning the fact that the few close friendships I once enjoyed had dissolved because nobody seems to have time to answer snail mail, e-mail, or phone calls anymore -- everyone had joined the networking site revolution. Ironically, since my entrance into the Facebook world, I have not enjoyed better contact with any of those close friends...everything that has been communicated has been superficial. So, I too, am contemplating saying adios to this pseudo-world. In addition to Josh Harris' very astute observations on the prevalence of ego-centrism on these types of sites, I also find it sad that we are living in such an important hour in history and grown adults are throwing electronic pies at eachother over the internet.
*sigh* I guess I'll continue to write my snail mail, even if nobody answers. At least I'll have time for such pursuits if I ditch Facebook! :-)
30. KJ had the following to say on Aug 27 at 11:56 AM:
I know a lot of this has already been said...just summarizing it up.
My understanding runs in the line of personal convictions. Josh Harris gave up his facebook account, does that mean all of us should?
Not necessarily.
Bigger picture: Relationship with God is not about a religion with God. It's not a set of rules. Saying we should all quit facebook sort of (or rather totally) implies that we need to follow the cut and dry rules of being a "Christian."
Still, what I've grasped from this article is A) HAVING facebook is not a sin B) Still, be cautious about it.
We all know how addictive online communities can be. So, rather than just deleting an account because a popular and wise Christian writer did, take a look at the WHY he did what he did, not the What.
I have a few friends who have ended up getting saved because they've been contacted through a Christian on facebook and then involved in a Christian group.
Basically, look at the balance. And do all things for Christ. Having facebook isn't a sin, just make sure it doesn't become a personal roadblock : )
31. Lindsey had the following to say on Aug 27 at 1:01 PM:
Wow - convicting. I think Facebook has given us a sort of mentality that every unique like and dislike we have is worthy of documentation. For instance, I am in a group declaring my love for orange tic tacs. Who cares???! If we seek to honor God with our thoughts and time - I believe we can have a healthy relationship with social networking sights...but - hey, if our eye causes us to stumble...I think we know what we need to do.
32. Jessica had the following to say on Aug 27 at 1:53 PM:
There are good things about social networking sites. I use them, instead of for making new social connections, primarily for maintaining old ones. I have an online journal where I post opinions, what's going on in my life, etc., and keep many of the private things private, but if I didn't have that online journal, I'd be writing it down in a hand-written one... that's just how I am. There's nothing wrong with introspection, as long as it leads to self-improvement and does not overshadow the vastly important practice of reaching out to other people and loving those around, without focusing on YOU. This is possible. As for social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, etc., I use them primarily to keep up with people who I would otherwise lose touch with - in an age where we all seem to live busy lives, and people rarely find time to sit down and make a phone call in the midst of everything going on, it's nice to be able to jump on Facebook and send a message to my future sister-in-law or my best friend in Florida saying, "I miss you. How are things going?" With Facebook and MySpace, you can do that, but you can easily contact more than one person at once and also see new pictures and descriptions of what's going on in their life. The problem is if these networking sites totally replace NORMAL social communications. I still call my best friend or send her a REAL email weekly... because reading her Facebook profile isn't enough. It satisfies my curiousity, but it doesn't let me hear HER talk about what's going on so I can get a full picture, offer advice and encouragement and get the same myself. In this information age, we can't let the easy connections overcome the old fashioned way of just being a friend.
33. Bessie had the following to say on Aug 27 at 3:00 PM:
I think, like other things, Facebook can be used as a helpful tool if used wisely. You have to examine your heart---what is your purpose? How much time are you investing in your Myspace and/or Facebook account, or purusing other's accounts? Are you working outside of the internet to develope healthy relationships? Are you living your life to the max away from the computer, or are you wasting away the hours in front of it? There is a healthy medium.
I found that, personally, having a Myspace account was rather addictive. It also, as Josh Harris pointed out, drew my attention way too much to myself. I also notice, in general, how extensive public profiles and "All about me" type pages can really cheapen friendship---they rob you of the joy of really getting to know someone. If you're not careful, they can also rob you of your time, which is precious!
Like I said, it all comes down to your heart & purpose. I think what we need to be the most careful about is not letting social networking sites take the place of real relationships and real life-living, if you know what I mean. ;)
As a side note, I would not be so fast to accuse Mr. Harris of "false humility". I am sure he did not go out and schedule an interview with the purpose of lifting himself up in mind. He is a good man, with a heart for young men and women, and was simply sharing his convictions.
~Bessie
34. Suzanne had the following to say on Aug 27 at 3:12 PM:
The ironic thing is that I hear there is an "I Love Boundless" Facebook group. ;)
35. Leah had the following to say on Aug 27 at 7:29 PM:
I have to laugh at how email is now being referred to as "real" communication over networking websites, when not so long ago people were bemoaning the shift from letter-writing and phone calls to the cheap, impersonal, quick and easy "way out" of emails. What is happening to the world where "the cheap, impersonal, quick and easy "way out" of emails" is considered a real, more personal way of communicating? :P
36. Bethany had the following to say on Aug 28 at 5:37 AM:
You all just keep re-hashing the same things over and over again. Sort of humorous, sort of monotonous. :)
Out of curiosity, what is the average length of time spent daily on the internet?
Including email in my estimate, it would be about 2 hrs.
37. Loris had the following to say on Aug 28 at 6:38 AM:
I have no doubts of Joshua Harris' sincerity and I respect the fact that he seems to think things through and follow his convictions, but a lot of teenagers of my acquaintance take his word very seriously and follow him uncritically and to the letter.
Is anyone else...how do I put this? Is anyone else tired of Harris ruining potentially good things for the Christian community? First dating and now something so trivial as Facebook? Every time this man opens his mouth, it seems, conservative Christendom reverberates with the impact.
38. Leah Williams had the following to say on Aug 28 at 9:19 AM:
yeah--it does make me think more about myself. I'm ashamed to say, but there have been many times I ponder on what are my favorite movies? what music do I like? what do I like to do? Spending hours of my time thinking about this, just for the sake of putting that info on my facebook. Wow, facebook IS feeding my already selfish tendencies.
39. Justice had the following to say on Aug 28 at 11:54 AM:
Loris,
You are a hero!
40. Katie had the following to say on Aug 28 at 8:09 PM:
Loris, I don't agree that everything Joshua Harris says has been bad...his writings have actually helped me a lot, especially in matters of the heart. And I think he makes a good point about Facebook/Myspace. On the other hand, like most people posting, I have used Facebook as a means to connect with people, and have tried to make it as Christ-centered as possible. I'm not afraid to put hard quotes and Bible verses on my profile, or to join groups that tell about the Gospel. I always hope it is a witness to my non-Christian friends (of whom I have many), who visit my site.
41. Fred had the following to say on Aug 28 at 10:11 PM:
Loris,
If the Christian community is too lazy to think things through themselves and make their own decisions it's not Harris' fault. Furthermore, teenagers could do alot worse than listening to Harris.
42. BeccaM had the following to say on Aug 29 at 9:36 AM:
Just to put a different spin on this...I work with a youth group at church and using facebook has been a great way to keep up with the kids. When you're working with youth and want to connect with them, I like using facebook. It definately helps me understand them better and know more about them.
But also, I know we all say how great it is that you can reconnect with friends from your past but is that always such a great thing?
43. Loris had the following to say on Aug 29 at 4:30 PM:
I think the bottom line is that with anything a person might get into too much, motives need to be examined. Hobbies can be a fun relaxation, but can also be a form of escapism. Networking sites can keep you in touch and can also provide a platform for the rest of the world to learn how shallow you are. I think the point is, everything in moderation, including Joshua Harris advice.