The other day I tweeted:
@gayambassador #HICHURCH NB I don't fight with conservative anti-gay christians. Instead of fighting I overcome ignorance and misinformation with truth. ow.ly/iTIfd
Then @OrganicMarriage tweeted a reply
There's often a huge temptation to respond to a message like OrganicMarriage's. How dare they make such outrageous statements. I must defend myself.
@gayambassador #HICHURCH NB I don't fight with conservative anti-gay christians. Instead of fighting I overcome ignorance and misinformation with truth. ow.ly/iTIfd
Then @OrganicMarriage tweeted a reply
OrganicMarriage @gayambassador U belong 2 your father the
devil, He has always hated truth, there is no truth in him bible.cc/john/8-44.htm #truthxchanged
There's often a huge temptation to respond to a message like OrganicMarriage's. How dare they make such outrageous statements. I must defend myself.
BUT....resist the temptation to respond because if you don't you'll find it becomes a toxic vortex, which draws you in, winds you up,
spins you around, stresses you out, drains you and eventually burns you out.
After you have invested time and energy in the back and forth engagement with
the troll you realise that absolutely
nothing has been achieved. All you have done is gone around and around in
circles.
Nothing's changed...certainly not
them.
To respond is to argue. An argument takes at
least two people. If you don’t respond then they are talking to the wall...lost
in space...cyberspace. Leave the truth of your original statement to do its
work on those it was meant to reach.
Use your time more effectively; with people
who want to talk AND listen and have questions you can answer rather than
those whose minds are made up. My experience is that there are more of the
former than the latter. Thank God!
Don't automatically react. Consciously choose
your battles and use your time effectively with people of value.
More lessons here. 15 things I've learnt discussing
homosexuality and Christianity.
Thanks, as always, for your insight, Anthony. I have had to learn this lesson the hard way--by experience. Spent too much time reasoning with the trolls. Such a waste of time and energy...and in the end, it merely gives them the attention they want.
ReplyDeleteyes a lesson many of us have had to learn the hard way.....when we find ourselves angry, frustrated and worn out.
DeleteYeah people like that can suck the life right out of you (as Bill said), if you let them :-(
ReplyDeleteyep.....as I said above
DeleteThanks Anthony for the reminder and saving me from these types of conversations in the past ... you are right ... they a dysfunctional and co-dependant the majority of the time. Paul - London
ReplyDeleteits too easy to get sucked in....their comments trigger us. It takes self control to walk away and leave them in their ignorance, stupidity and bad energy.
Delete