Bloggers and Blogs

I've been thinking a lot about blogs lately, since I am trying to "Blog 365" and because I have found so many knitters lately. First I have to apologize. I am a bad "commenter". I just don't make as many comments on other people's blogs as I should. Sometimes I'm a week late and feel weird posting. Sometimes I just feel like anything I would say would sound lame. But mainly, I just don't take the time, and I apologize for that.

Second I've been thinking about the relationship between bloggers and their readers, and the similarities and differences to friends and acquaintances in "real life". For instance, I love The Pioneer Woman - her sense of humor, her photography and the fact that she pokes fun at herself. I am a vegetarian, and her family raises cattle. No problem, I thought. Virtually none of my friends are vegetarians, I'm allowing my son to eat meat, I occasionally purchase meat for my husband. People can agree to disagree.

I've changed my mind, though. She used to be a vegetarian, but she didn't really have a reason for it. I guess if I felt she could understand why people choose to be vegetarian that would be one thing. But somehow I feel she is dismissing vegetarians. I could be totally wrong. But, it just doesn't feel right anymore to read about branding and castrating calves. I know it's only part of her life and blog, but the treatment of animals is one of the reasons I'm a vegetarian.

Another issue that comes up is religion. I kind of approach it like my vegetarianism. It's a choice I have made. If asked I will explain the reasons why I don't eat meat. I don't try to convert or make people think they are wrong, but I would me happy to support someone in eating less meat. Similarly I can tolerate different religious views as long as people don't say their way is the only way and everyone else is going to hell.

I know that several of the blogs I enjoy are written by people much more conservative than I am. Just as with some of my friends and relatives in real life, there are things we don't agree on. My Grandma Buike said you don't have to be Christian to be a good Christian. We should strive to be the best we can be to each other, regardless of who we think God is.

There are a couple blogs I waffled about, religion-wise. I knew their beliefs were much more fundamental than mine, but I thought that was okay. But this is not real life. In real life I am willing to put up with certain things to preserve the peace. But blogs, I don't have to read them. I can no longer read the blogs of people who think that gays are sinners. I strongly believe that some people are gay, and are born that way. They are not making a choice. They are not sinners any more than the rest of us are. And we all are. This is a big issue in the Lutheran Church right now.

It's too bad, I have really enjoyed these blogs, and appreciate people who put themselves out there and share themselves, their time, and their families. But I don't want anyone I know to think that I approve of their views. And I won't keep reading "to keep track of what 'those people' think". That's disrespectful, in my opinion.