Monday, August 29, 2011

Promo for "Catholics in the Combox" Series

Here's a great promo vid for my upcoming series: Catholics in the Combox  (which is not just for comboxers, but anyone using new media and social media too).  While it is a humorous way to look at how comboxes sometimes develop, we will use some challenging rules and guidelines to prevent this from  happening in the comment box for the series. 

I mean... there are a number of combox personalities in this clip, no?


I had promised in my introductory post to the series that I would probably have the first post out this weekend. But, I am responsible for print material for an archdiocesan-wide capital campaign at my parish and didn't realize one of my deadlines is approaching next week. That is a priority. In fact, I've burned a vacation day today to get caught up. It is a beautiful day to be on vacation anyway.

In the meanwhile, I just wanted to share that classic Three Stooges clip which I believe captures so well how some online conversations descend into chaos and nastiness.  Moe even cites a Scripture passage at one point. See if you can catch it.


We are going to experiment with this series and see if we can:

  • Draw Catholics into the combox who would normally be at each other's throats.

  • Get them to talk about the topic at hand (first one is forthcoming soon) without any hot button issues.

I keep using the word contributing because I am not looking for opinions.  I am looking to learn about what the Church teaches on some specific topics related to how we treat one another.  We are so busy dropping concepts and passages out there, that we rarely go beneath the surface to understand something deeper.  I am often so impressed by the awesome and thought-provoking quotes many of you find, whether it is from Sacred Scripture, the CCC, or the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, or  Popes and Saints.  I'm often amazed at what I learn from Church documents I had no idea existed.  

Of course, we must take care not to isolate quotes to suit our belief. We must read all quotes in context in order to complete the learning process. When we stop at one quote, that partial understanding often turns into a perverted or tainted understanding. What I am hoping to see, is for participants to spot those contextual things and offer the missing parts that give the quote proper context, and in a gentle and charitable way.  

I am hoping that priests reading will consider getting involved because of: A) what they bring to the table from their years of study and reflection , and B) what they can offer based on their experience in the confessional with some of these topics.  I have no doubts that this series will serve as a collective examination of conscience for anyone participating or reading.

Since I want to accumulate serious references to each topic I introduce for discussion, I am hoping you will encourage your readers to offer their comments in the respective blogposts too.


There is no way that I can find all of these things, so I am leaning on you for my learning and I hope you will learn from others too. 

I'm looking foward to this series, but duty calls me to work on the capital campaign material, so your patience is appreciated.  I leave you with this new twist on an old classic (watch to the end - LOL).


[I had to clean my screen of coffee spray after seeing that unexpected ending - ROFL]



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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
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