Commenting on fundie blogs

[Hisey]

I was wondering what the general consensus is on this subject.

In the past, I seem to remember that most people on FJ did not comment on fundie blogs. Is that still true? Do you think commenting is wrong/right/important/harmful?

When you read something really hypocritical or self-serving, are you content to let it rest, or do you feel the need to point it out to the fundie in question? I realize that nothing good ever comes of arguing with a fundie, but I was wondering how many people feel the urge to comment anyway. Are there particular subjects that irk you enough to comment (ex. marital rape, gay rights, the "training" of older daughters, the uselessness of college, etc.)

When I read some of this crazy stuff, I sometimes feel a strong urge to comment, which I try to ignore. Just wondering if anyone else feels that way.

[Maggie Mae]

I was wondering what the general consensus is on this subject.

In the past, I seem to remember that most people on FJ did not comment on fundie blogs. Is that still true? Do you think commenting is wrong/right/important/harmful?

When you read something really hypocritical or self-serving, are you content to let it rest, or do you feel the need to point it out to the fundie in question? I realize that nothing good ever comes of arguing with a fundie, but I was wondering how many people feel the urge to comment anyway. Are there particular subjects that irk you enough to comment (ex. marital rape, gay rights, the "training" of older daughters, the uselessness of college, etc.)

When I read some of this crazy stuff, I sometimes feel a strong urge to comment, which I try to ignore. Just wondering if anyone else feels that way.

I don't know if most people do or don't. I'd rather no one did. It feels too much like doxxing to me. There was one lady a few years ago - I can't remember very much about it - but she had open comments. And I saw some REALLY mean things posted, presumably from FJers, because after a few hours she closed comments and wrote a post about it.

Personally, I'd like FJ to have a policy where people submit SCREENSHOTS of the blog posts they are talking about - with web addresses and other identifying information removed - instead of "breaking links." And to officially discourage people from harassing bloggers.

I know there are also posters here who think they should be harassed until they close up their blogs or go private. I disagree with this concept. Wholeheartedly.

[mango_fandango]

I don't know if most people do or don't. I'd rather no one did. It feels too much like doxxing to me. There was one lady a few years ago - I can't remember very much about it - but she had open comments. And I saw some REALLY mean things posted, presumably from FJers, because after a few hours she closed comments and wrote a post about it.

Personally, I'd like FJ to have a policy where people submit SCREENSHOTS of the blog posts they are talking about - with web addresses and other identifying information removed - instead of "breaking links." And to officially discourage people from harassing bloggers.

I know there are also posters here who think they should be harassed until they close up their blogs or go private. I disagree with this concept. Wholeheartedly.

Sometimes I really, really want to comment on a fundie blog post, but then the blog owner and their leghumpers would jump down my throat and I want to avoid that. I prefer snarking on them privately amongst people who agree, rather than submit myself to the vicious wrath of leghumpers.

[DomWackTroll]

I just think the blogs are better for snarking on if they're left in their "pristine state."

[GenerationCedarchip]

I will sometimes comment on blogs of people that I know, but otherwise I leave them be. I figure I wouldn't want someone who disagrees with me policing my website (if I had one), so I don't feel right doing it to others.

[nokidsmom]

I don't comment on the fundie blogs and generally do not go to them; I get the highlights here. Sometimes if an FJ poster posts about a blog entry that interests me, I will go and read but do not comment.

[Hisey]

Just want to add that when I have commented, I try to keep it polite. I think people hear you better that way. Certainly I've never insulted or cursed, as some do on the internet.

(edited to fix a type)

[Arete]

I don't comment on fundie blogs or open Facebook pages and I don't like the practice. I think it's wrong to friend someone for the purposes of being able to make fun of them. Being a smartass on some patriarch's blog will get you high fives here, but you may be enraging their fragile little egos and you don't know if their families are taking the burnt of your fun.

[Hisey]

I don't comment on fundie blogs or open Facebook pages and I don't like the practice. I think it's wrong to friend someone for the purposes of being able to make fun of them. Being a smartass on some patriarch's blog will get you high fives here, but you may be enraging their fragile little egos and you don't know if their families are taking the burnt of your fun.

Yes, I agree. I am even careful about what I write on FJ about minor children. In fact, I have a policy of not commenting negatively on FJ about fundie children, just because you never know if they read here.

If I knew that if my blog was being discussed on FJ, I'd take a peek now and then.

[princessmahina]

I don't think I would personally comment on a fundie blog, but I really enjoy johnhugh's comments on Tits2 :)

[DGayle]

I don't care if someone from here comments, as long as it's pretty civil. If somebody here made a well-thought-out comment, who knows. It might get somebody else reading to rethink things.

I've commented on Zsu's and Lori's blogs a couple times.

[Hisey]

I don't care if someone from here comments, as long as it's pretty civil. If somebody here made a well-thought-out comment, who knows. It might get somebody else reading to rethink things.

I've commented on Zsu's and Lori's blogs a couple times.

Well, that's another thing. When some of these beaten down women write in about how they've tried to submit to their asshole husbands, and Lori or Kelly or ZZ tells them everything is all their fault, I have commented trying to encourage them not to blame themselves. I figure that it might help some of the women reading. These women are so conditioned to blame themselves for everything that I wonder if I can help them by suggesting that they are not to blame if their husband uses drugs or gambles away his paycheck.

Sometimes women commenters say their husband is "too hard" on a child and they have stepped in to protect that child (and consequently failed to submit or honor or show respect to their husband!). Fundie women bloggers are quick to condemn such actions--who cares about the kid? Probably the dad was being fine. That's another situation when I feel like commenting (though I don't think I have), to let the reader know that protecting your kid is OK and it's fine to trust your gut.

[zebra #13]

I don't. They *live* for opposition--its how they KNOW they're right.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I generally don't. Its like when you go to the zoo, you look at them in their habitats, but don't touch or bother them.

[Four is Enough]

I don't comment on fundy blogs. I don't want my name out there, and I don't want them sending ME emails, trying to convert me to their special brand of crazy.

I don't do it on FB, either. Same reasons. I prefer to respond here.

[16strong]

I don't comment on fundie blogs but for a couple of exceptions. I have commented on Tits2 before, because it's always amusing to try to get past their filter. I have also commented on Erika Shupe's Facebook, because she's easy to troll and it's fun. However, I'm always careful to troll her on things that don't cause trouble for her kids.

[sparkles]

I think there's a big difference between commenting on a blog and trolling a blog. The latter means posting double entendres, snarky pop cultural references, and so forth, usually under a similar snarky name, in an effort to see if you can get one over on the blogger. Those types of comments are silly and childish, IMO, and do nothing to further discussion. YMMV, of course. Legitimate dissenting comments are very different, as far as I'm concerned, although most of them are probably deleted. I only follow the Maxwells' blog (snoresville) and have commented on a few occasions. I never expected them to see the light of day, and they never did, but I had something to say and didn't see a problem with saying it. I was always respectful but straightforward with my dissenting opinions and I received a couple of terse responses from Steve, and I'll keep commenting if I have strong feelings about future posts or articles. Whenever I do post to Tits2, I always try to write so that it would be very difficult for Steve to change the intent to suit his purposes.

I also once commented on Lori's blog, just before she had her cyberknife surgery. I've had the same surgery and offered a couple of suggestions that might have made the experience easier for her. I started by comment by saying that although we were pretty much polar opposites on everything, I still hoped that the surgery was successful and that she got through it easily, since it's a very nervewracking process even though it's non-invasive. I never got a response and it was never posted, but that wasn't my point in commenting.

[usmcmom]

It's my understanding that most of us are banned from many of these blogs, anyway :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I've commented on Zsu's blog before but it was in a very polite manner and that was a long time ago. Even if you disagree with Zsu, if you are civil, she will usually publish it. I've left reasonable and polite comments on Lori's blog and they were promptly deleted because they seemed to challenge her authority.

I found Zsu from a hilarious blogger who actually featured her as a "crazy blog I stumbled upon." Still, even after that, Zsu accepted her comments because they were polite and respectful. I specifically remember seeing this other blogger leave comments of condolences when Zsu lost one of her twins.

I don't bother anymore with any of them that we snark on here. I reserve my comments for FJ since most of them check in here anyway.

Edited to fix clunky sentences. Pre coffee-post :shock:

[Brittany15]

My general rule of thumb is that if I comment I need to be honest ( I don't pretend I am a fundie or someone I am not), polite (I don't believe you should talk to someone online how you wouldn't talk to them in real life), and incognito (I don't want my personal facebook or email published on a fundie blog). If all these things are taken care of I see nothing agaisnt posting, although I could probably count the amount of times I have actually posted on one hand.

[RosyDaisy]

I wait for them to come to my turf so that later I can say "Why the hell are you even posting here?"

ETA: I was tempted to go trolling on Kelly Crawford's blog just to piss her off, but for entirely personal reasons.

[Coldwinterskies]

My general rule of thumb is that if I comment I need to be honest ( I don't pretend I am a fundie or someone I am not), polite (I don't believe you should talk to someone online how you wouldn't talk to them in real life), and incognito (I don't want my personal facebook or email published on a fundie blog). If all these things are taken care of I see nothing agaisnt posting, although I could probably count the amount of times I have actually posted on one hand.

I could have written this comment. If someone is putting their writings out on the Internet, then I think it is fair game to comment on it - but not in a trollish, insulting or unkind way.

Many of these fundies have been raised in an environment where they were never even exposed to different points of view. First impressions mean a lot. If you give them the idea that people out in the world are mean and angry, you may be reinforcing the indoctrination. If you show them that people in the world are nothing to be afraid of, you might possibly help someone out of this restrictive lifestyle.

Remember: A lot of times, the people that we encounter on fundie blogs really did not have much of a choice in their beliefs - especially the second generation fundies who were brainwashed from birth, and especially the women who may be trapped in an arranged marriage with a ton of kids. I don't really consider it their fault that they don't know any better and some of them may be clinging to these beliefs because they don't know how to escape. There's no sense in lashing out at them.

[littlemommy]

I've commented on Lori's blog. So don't worry about at least one of those ridiculous women, because it's just me. ;)

I commented once, rather innocuously I thought, on "Mama D's" blog, and she jumped down my throat. Angry fundy is angry.

[DaisyD]

I have only ever commented on the LAF Facebook page in the aftermath of the SCOTUS ruling. I was as gentle as I could be and was still called a troll (the first time ever! :D ). Some of my posts were liked, and as far as I know, not deleted. For me, I just want there to be some voice of reason mixed in so that other people see it and know that not everyone thinks this way.

[Rescinded and Mended]

I never post on fundie blogs, and prefer to post about them here instead. I think if anyone does choose to post, thoughtful and constructive is the way to go. Even if the post never sees the light of day, the fundie is less likely to pack it in and go private.

On the other hand, if the fundie turns up here, makes an account, and interacts with the community at large to the effect of, "Oh woe is me, please stop persecuting me, evil feminists," then all bets are off. *cough, Cabinetman and Ken Alexander, cough*

[ADoyle90815]

I could have written this comment. If someone is putting their writings out on the Internet, then I think it is fair game to comment on it - but not in a trollish, insulting or unkind way.

Many of these fundies have been raised in an environment where they were never even exposed to different points of view. First impressions mean a lot. If you give them the idea that people out in the world are mean and angry, you may be reinforcing the indoctrination. If you show them that people in the world are nothing to be afraid of, you might possibly help someone out of this restrictive lifestyle.

Remember: A lot of times, the people that we encounter on fundie blogs really did not have much of a choice in their beliefs - especially the second generation fundies who were brainwashed from birth, and especially the women who may be trapped in an arranged marriage with a ton of kids. I don't really consider it their fault that they don't know any better and some of them may be clinging to these beliefs because they don't know how to escape. There's no sense in lashing out at them.

This. I don't comment on fundie blogs, since I realize that they generally don't have much of a choice in their beliefs due to being raised that way, or feeling trapped in a controlling marriage with a lot of kids. If they got a lot of comments that weren't from fundies, they might feel the need to make their blog private, or in some cases, the husband might order her to do that or quit blogging altogether.