The Internet: Advancing Disunity in Brand New Ways!

I enjoy getting under peoples' skin. Playing the prophet is something that I get a kick out of. When I get a chance to blow the whistle and expose some sort of Christian cover-up, I go for it. But there is a thin line to walk. When do we cease to be calling people back to God and start calling them to doing what we want them to do?
Let's talk about Michael Moore for a minute. I will not try to include (or necessarily exclude) Mr. Moore in/from the Kingdom of God. Instead, let's talk politics. When Moore jumps into an ice cream truck and drives around the Capitol Building reading the Patriot Act because he believes that most of our legislators have no clue as to what it says, that is funny. Similarly, when he walks up to Senators and tries to get them to sign their sons up to fight in the war they approved, that is humorous. In general, I love Moore, because he tends to never give the guys in control a free pass. He wants to help out the little guy at all costs. We need a fly in the ointment like Moore, especially as more and more media outlets jump in bed with the politicians. However, Moore can be abrasive. I think that he is funny, but many find him disrespectful and rude. Besides, you can only make so many movies attacking the president before you start to look a little self righteous.
Many of us in the church, particularly my restoration heritage folks, could learn a lot from the example of Moore. It seems that a lot of folks have a laundry list of what churches of Christ do wrong. Many of those list are full of really good things. However, when do we cease to prophesy against corruption for the good of the Kingdom, and start sitting on an ideological high horse ridiculing others because they aren't as enlightened us we are. We want respect, but we don't give it out.
I love some of the comments that Scott Adair has made on Romans 14. He suggests that Paul has two messages. Those who are weak should not judge those who are strong. Those who are strong, should not condescend those who are weak. Both must appreciate the views of the other. I feel like we stand up a lot and say, "Don't judge me!" and then we turn around and pat our grandparents on the head and say, "God bless your narrow minded, ridiculous, immature, pea picking heart."
Growing up I got sick when I saw the venom that came from newspapers like "Contending for the Faith" or "Firm Foundation." My grandfather is big into some of that stuff and I don't get it. My image of him and his heart for Christ seem incongruent to stuff like that. I have to realize that in his heart he thinks that he is doing what is best for God's people. That doesn't make him right, but it makes him fallible, just like me. We have a new brand of newspaper in the fellowship. A new place where individuals can unfairly rip on others and treat them like they are idiots and worldly. A new place to rip down the brotherhood instead of build them up. This time, the progressives are doing the mud slinging. These newspapers are called blogs!
Jesus wanted his followers to understand that they should look at the log in their own eye before they start picking at others specks. It seems to me that we are all walking around with logs. I appreciate some of the folks that feel the need to expose balogna that happens in the brotherhood, particularly at Harding. On the other hand, when I read your blog, and I see you ripping everyone else, and there is not a singal confessing post or a post about the goodness of God, I wonder.
My nature leads me to be confrontational. You can scroll through my posts and see different groups, philosiphies, and maybe even people that I have attacked. I just pray that you also see a sinner broken by my own sin and redeemed by Christ. I claim nothing more. I don't get things right all the time, or even most of the time. I am just trying to do what I feel like is right. And as much as I don't understand them, I know that the church paper slanderers and the blogging slanderers are in the same boat. I just hope that we can all be more introspective and humble as we try to please our God.