It Needed To Be Said

Social media has become a hotbed for adult cyber-bullying. Except we politely call it "mom-shaming" instead. There are militants in every camp pushing their way of doing things on everyone else as if it is the only way, and definitely the right way. The rest of us who don't conform to the right way are called out. You know what I'm talking about because you've done it, you've "liked" it, and you've been victim of it:

     If you don't breastfeed, you're robbing your kids. If you flop your breastfeeding tools out in public, you're a menace. If you don't send your children to a Christian school, you're setting them up for disaster. If you do send them to a Christian school, you are narrow-minded and snooty. If you don't home school, you must not care to spend time with your kids. If you do home school, you're keeping your kids in a bubble and not letting them thrive. Don't even get me started on the child abuse of NOT eating organic!
I could keep going, but you get it-there is an infinite list of things that we are all doing wrong, and our friends are the ones pointing it out to us.

If you're thinking I'm on my high horse telling all-a-y'all what you're doing wrong, please understand, I'm the worst offender of all. I've done it, and someone called me on it. My response was, "well it needed to be said." The truth is, no, it didn't need to be said. Neither do any of our commentaries about why workout clothes are offensive outside of the gym or why the way we choose to educate our kids is the best way. God didn't make us all to be his hands or his feet, and He sure enough didn't make us all to be the eyes and mouths!

Before you go all First Amendment on me and claim you have the right to say whatever you want, let me add that just because you can, doesn't mean you should, and if you wouldn't say it to someone's face, why do you (and I) think it's okay to say it online in front of everyone?

When did we start deciding we have the right to shame each other? Maybe we've always had the thoughts, and now thanks to the Internet, we feel emboldened to put them out there for everyone. No longer do we adults hold to the adage "if you wouldn't say it to their face, don't say it behind their back."  Now we just think it's our job to share it with the world.  And yet we are uber-quick to defend our kids from online attacks.

James 3:8 says "no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of poison." Verse 10 says, "Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing." Well, friends, whatever poison has inflicted our mouths has traveled to our hands and possessed the fingers as well. Again I ask you, if you wouldn't dare say it to someone's face, what right do you have to post it to the masses?