Don’t Feed The Trolls

As I have said often before, if someone seems open, teachable, humble, and eager to learn, I am happy to spend a lot of time with them, answer their questions, and deal with any objections or criticisms they might have. But we must have discernment here.

(Bill Muehlenberg) Yes there are folks who love to argue and pick fights. This is how we should deal with them:

Consider this article to be sort of a public service announcement, a bit of free advice, and/or some hopefully wise counsel. It is directed mainly to other Christians, and if you are a regular reader here you will know that I have discussed this issue in the past.

But it seems the need keeps arising to address the issue again and again, since the actual problem keeps rearing its ugly head. I refer to the issue of trolls, and those who exist simply to argue and pick fights with other people. Too many people see it as their sole mission in life to belligerently and arrogantly attack others and launch into extended arguments with them.

We would certainly expect misotheists, Christophobes, and atheists to routinely engage in this sort of activity with believers, but here I want to focus on Christian trolls. Yes they do exist, and they exist in abundance. Anyone who has any sort of public ministry, or utilises the social media, or has an interactive blogsite (and I am involved in all three), knows exactly what I am talking about.

I raise this issue again for at least two reasons: I have just once more had to deal with some annoying, time-wasting and arrogant Christian trolls; and I have just read again in the book of Acts what might be considered similar sorts of situations.  View article →

Research

Discernment