Not on facebook Club

     This day and age, there must be a disclaimer for everything. So here it is for this post: 

1. The internet, including facebook, can be used for good or ill. See my upcoming post on the dangers of the internet, especially for young people. 

2. If you are on facebook once in a while, and use it to reach out to lonely people, or in a ministry, free from self-absorbed, self-centered, self-promotional poser motivations, great. This post is not for you. 

3. The marriage mentoring I am involved with tells a dark story of facebook. I’m not talking about porn sites here, I’m talking about facebook and its sad impact on relationships, marriages and the family. Facebook is not a person: However, your spouse, best friend, children, grandchildren, parents, etc. and yes, even politicians, are people—real human beings! Facebook is not a license to take liberties with the lives of others, whether you know them or not, and does not give license to spend time on facebook in lieu of time with one's spouse or children.

With that, I will begin...

Welcome to the Not on facebook Club. This will be a monthly, or perhaps even one-time newsletter to keep members posted on what they are not doing, and where one cannot see copious amounts of photos of children, grandchildren, puppies, iguanas, prom dates, inaccurate political diatribe and links to indie bands. 

Members of this organization do not concern themselves with what they, or others, eat for breakfast, where they grocery shop, or details of their daily workout. They do not say things like “LOL late for work again...,” or “OMG what is up with Robert and his wife in apartment 2B, OMG?!” 
       Club members do not “like” (thumbs up) or “dislike” (thumbs down) comments, paraphrases, quotes taken out of context, or character assassinations of politicians, rock stars, United Nations members and mother-in-laws.

            Not on facebook Club members raise children, work hard, volunteer, mind their own business, cook dinner, pull weeds, attend to dentist and oil change appointments all without public broadcast and fanfare. Many club members still utilize conveniences such as landlines, rolodexes, postage and paper, along with the human foot and voice, to stay in touch with others.

            Members of Not on facebook need support! We are written off by anyone under the age of 35 and admonished by women in their 50’s and 60’s who brag endlessly about how they are their kids BFF’s on facebook. Sadly, being on facebook = “in crowd.” Not on facebook = “out.” We need to stick together!

Not on facebook Bylaws:

1. We will continue to read primary sources and research political candidates instead of adopting sound bites from late night comedians and then accepting them as if they are legit political commentary and worthy of repeating.

2. We will never cross the boundary of privacy by posting a picture of anyone, anywhere, “learning to potty,” getting a bad haircut or giving birth.

3. We promise to let other people’s news be their news, and wait to hear things “from the horses mouth.” If you do not know what that means, you better make sure you are not already on facebook.

4. We will spend time with our children instead of time on facebook writing falsified accounts of how great they are, or lamenting constantly (and again, most likely unrealistically) about how frustrating they are.

5. We will never ever discuss anything about our marriage that we would not discuss with our spouse. In fact, we will prioritize the boundary of privacy in our marriage by never discussing our spouse or marriage in a public, cavalier manner.

6. We will not maintain running commentaries on the dating and personal lives of our children. We will let their news be their news, not ours. We will let them grow up out of the internet spotlight. We will let them decide, when they are all grown up, whether or not they want their life broadcast on facebook, and then, if they sadly so choose, we will let them do the broadcasting, not us.

7. When having a bad day we will take it to the Lord in prayer (and share personally with a trusted confident, in person, if the need is great).

8. When having a good day, we will take it to the Lord in praise.

9. We will not have too high a regard for ourselves, and will remember that, just as we may be traveling to enchanting places, going to the latest restaurants, hearing the latest music, serving in the latest ministry, seeing the latest movie, doing the latest thing, rebelling in the latest fashion, having a baby, getting married, going to a party, going on a journey, running a marathon, painting a picture or taking a photograph.....so are a million other people.

10. We will not let facebook become another person living in our homes, and will continue, in fact, to be

Not on facebook.