Thursday, 16 October 2008
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Should I De-Tag My Questionable Facebook Pictures?
I have nearly 1,300 pictures of myself tagged on Facebook. The vast majority of them are very tasteful - pasta dinners with my college crew, chilling during a church retreat, treacherously handling my uncle's python - but I'm not gonna lie, if you go back a couple of pages, you'll see a few shots of me out clubbing with the girls (and the token male friend there to protect us from sketchy clubber boys.) None of the pictures are horribly embarrassing or super super trashy, as I don't drink much or grind with random dudes during a regular girls' night out, but now that I've become more involved with my church, I'm wondering if the clubbing pictures serve as a bad example for my younger brothers and sisters in the church.
I haven't de-tagged any of them because I don't like being dishonest. Like I said, it's not as if I'm doing the beer funnel or flopped all over a cluster of shirtless males - it's just pretty obvious I'm at a club. If someone at church decides to bring up that I go clubbing, I'll be honest with that person, and that person can judge me all he/she wants. I hate being judged as much as anyone else, but I also know it's a consequence of my going out.
Clubs aren't really my scene - nowadays, I rarely go, as I rarely drink a lot - but the past is the past. I'm not going to pretend things didn't happen, and in a way, I think it'd be encouraging for younger brothers and sisters remember that the people they may look up to don't lead perfect lives free of struggle....and that one can have exposure to the secular world and still turn out okay. That you DON'T need to be in the "Christian bubble" 24/7 to lead a holy life that glorifies God.
Most of the time, I live in the world. I can't help that my college crew is primarily composed of non-Christians, and I don't expect any of them to hold the same values that the church and my Christian friends do. Therefore, when they hold birthday parties at clubs, I go, because I'm personally not that convicted about clubs, and I want to show my friends that I appreciate spending nights out with them.
Really, the Facebook pictures bother me because I'm afraid of being a stumbling block. While I don't want those younger than me to be afraid of secular culture, I don't want to encourage them enter environments with a lot of tempting things that they themselves migh be convicted about.
Are there parts of your life that you hide from your Christian friends/younger brothers and sisters in the church? Where do you draw the line between being protective and being dishonest?
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Comments (31)
I also like going out and enjoying myself..whether or not it seems questionable to fellow church members. I became a bit more realized of this when children I worked with while getting my teaching certificate tried adding me. I've done it out so that I don't add students until they have graduated high school.
But last week my pastors added me on facebook. They're new to their job, so when they last saw me before they started the ministry at the church, I was the poster child for youth group. I'm not necessarily embarassed by how I've changed, but I don't necessarily feel comfortable because they are in close relation to my grandparents, etc.
So I have everyone who might be uncomfortable with my pictures and any thing else, on that limited profile. Everyone on my limited profile cannot view pictures of me or some of my photo albums.
Why do you care what people think? You were at a club .. big whoop. Was there a commandment I missed, thou shall not attend a place with friends and listen to loud music .. Come on, live a little.
the only pics i untag are the ones where i look HORRIBLE. i have a few pics of me smoking a hookah (even though i dont anymore), a table full of irish car bombs, me taking shots, me with a red cup (gasp!).
im a youth leader at a local church and the pastor is my friend on facebook. my cousin is the pastor at another campus of the church and hasnt said one thing. people drink. people go out and have a good time. it doesnt mean youre getting plastered. you have a picture to remember the night. thats it.
i also have a myspace. i use that to network with church people.
i got facebook when it was solely a college network so its really only used to stay in touch with friends.
if you really feel bad and like youre in a compromising position, untag them and make a private photo album with the pics so youll have them (if you want them for the memories). otherwise, who cares?
Bail out of the lame boring sick christian shitt and live your life and do what you want......
What! No! I will NEVER UNTAGGED MY PICS OF ME either looking weird from drinking or anything someone may feel questionable about!! It has been an awesome part of my evangelism! I love having my photo albums of me then, and me now of how I changed. People always tell me "Man, I can't see you blah, blah, blah"...I like how people can see my growth, and feel encouraged that we are ALL HUMAN (no ones perfect, even after coming into the faith, but CHANGE WILL DEFINITELY occur if you are serious about submission-it's inevitable) and transformation can undergo in a person. I am not ashamed of my life, and what I've done b/c it all-I mean everything- has made, and molded me to the person I am today. I am CONFIDENT that everything I have been through or done will help to bring a testament to somebody else who's going through, and God has used me to help people make a better decision than I, b/c I know there is something greater. Our whole life is our Testimony. Nothing was or is hidden from the eyes of God, and he knew all the mistakes we were going to make so no matter what people seen or not. That was me then, and this is me now. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!
Hope this helps ;]
This is crazy b/c today at school I was just looking at my fb albums from 2005-2006, and was crying laughing at myself, and friends, and how we looked back then. Be confident that God will use you regardless.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (New International Version)26Brothers,
think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise
by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble
birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him.
what @Liera@xanga said was wrong. It is a sin to go into a club. your putting yourself in sinful situations and allowing Satan room to invade. your are supporting a place that serves alcohol in a setting that causes numerous sins. I personally DO NOT go to resturants that serve alcohol but im not saying thats something everyone should do unless your convicted like i was. I choose to go to places that dont serve it and there is more out there than you'd think! god bless you guys