Wow, I just put up something earlier today, about the March for Life, “for those interested” and added that if anyone wanted to talk about the issue with me I would be glad to do that “privately,” since FB is not the place.

Matthew,

Thank you for these thoughts.  I do use Facebook to evangelize but not in the way you are describing.  It’s a network of prolife Catholics who are connecting to share sources and resources, to encourage, to build each other up.  Stories are shared, links and everyone very much is on the same page.

It is a fantastic tool for doing this, actually. There is vast network of Catholic prolifers. Facebook is more like another catacomb of Church militant.  When people send friend requests, I cruise through their links to look for prolife names and ‘likes’, Divine Mercy, Rosary, etc.  If they are not there, I decline.

Perhaps in the sense that people are saying they are using it to evangelize, they may mean they are connecting into the network that is alive and growing, energetic and supportive.

The key, at least for me, is that I keep in touch with friends via email and telephone, personal visits, rather than facebook. 

God Bless!

Matthew,
I love your articles and I read all of your blog posts, but I disagree with you on this one.  I think Facebook is a very public and open forum.  I don’t see it as a private, relationship building tool at all.  Like you said at the beginning of your post, a lot of people use it to evangelize or simply connect with people they otherwise wouldn’t be connected with.  Most people on Facebook have a few hundred friends on average, so I think this points to the fact that a lot of people aren’t using it strictly for close relationships.  It seems like most people use it to simply share their thoughts and express their opinions to all their “friends”, whether they are close to those friends or not. 

I use Facebook exactly like you say we shouldn’t use it, posting Bible verses, quotes from Saints, pro-life articles, Christian related articles, etc.  I know there are some people who don’t like that kind of stuff and who are put off by it, but I also know a lot of people who like it and don’t mind it at all.  I don’t expect to convert anyone, but I think it’s an opportunity to possibly plant some seeds. You say to “be authentically you”, but if I didn’t act this way on Facebook then I wouldn’t be being authentically me.  I also disagree that it’s like walking into someone’s living room and trying to evangelize them.  None of my “friends” are forced to read my posts or even remain friends with me.

If I’m really going to become true friends with someone I don’t see myself doing it through Facebook.  Facebook might be a good starting point, but in the end I think real friendships are going to be built face to face.

I have to fully agree with Adam Slide on this one.  It’s actually pretty rare that I disagree with Matthew on his posts - not sure I ever have…until now! :o)

Matthew is right. If you don’t connect with Facebook friends on a personal level, your evangelization efforts will be ineffective. If all your posts are impersonal quotations, links to articles and so on, I’m going to hide you. (In fact, I wouldn’t even friend you in the first place if it weren’t for my public work.)
 
I’m not saying don’t post links to articles as part of a larger strategy. But don’t just share the article—share yourself. Offer some personal commentary on the article—why you’re sharing it, what struck you about it, some kind of insight. Above all, interact—that’s what Facebook does so well. Respond to other people’s posts. And know how to share about your life with the Facebook friends who actually know you. Don’t narrate the minutiae of your life (your mood, what you ate for lunch, etc.), but do share incidents of interest. (Hint: If it’s something you would call to tell me if we were friends, or if you can imagine it being an anecdote in Reader’s Digest, share it.)

My thoughts:

One of the best indicators to detect if we have taken the wrong way is to check the number of Facebook friends. It is clear that (not obsession) is a tool to easily maintain (while) the connection with many people, all “friends"contacts or based on personal knowledge, or genuine will to create/deepen real friendship (which consists of listening/talk about everything).

So when I see a profile on Facebook with more than 500, 1000, or more friends, I always remember the popular phrase that says “friends are counted on the fingers of a hand”. If you transfer this calculation to our web presence, we could establish as equivalent to multiply by 10 each of the fingers of both hands, ie, 10 x 10 = 100.

They may be 200 or 300 (depends on each person), but not 500, or 1000 “friends”!, added to our “marker” as if we were in a competition, that’s not the right way, let alone to give to know Christ.

As always, I thank Mathew to make us move the “shaker”
Best regards

I am involved with a Catholic ministry that uses “new media” as a tool for intellectual evangelization.  This includes a FB page.
My account has about 400 friends, and growing. Many of them are atheists, secular humanist, etc. (self-identified as such, by the way) who because of the page asked ME to become their FB friend, and usually because I have said something to them personally and they were somehow touched by it.  Many other FB friends are classmates from school, college, or former college students of mine.  My point here is that if we truly have a network of people in our lives, it’s way bigger than 500.  Maybe, truth be known, bigger than the FB limit of 5000.  In this sense, I have to disagree with M.A. Mateos.
I do, however, agree with the spirit of the original blog post.  Shouting at people accomplishes nothing.  If you have a message, start a page that people can “like” if they choose, and use your account to connect with people.  And when you do connect with someone, you need to send them a private message, or even perhaps exchange phone numbers and talk on the phone.
I live 2100 miles away from where I grew up and did undergraduate college work.  I connect with many of those people on facebook frequently, and maybe in some other way once or twice a year.  Before facebook, many of those friendships had faded simply because of distance and lack of a mechanism.  Facebook is a way to make new friends, but I think it’s even better at keeping the old friendships allive and well.
Finally, the concept of the “page” is the way to evangelize.  You attract someone, they choose to “like” or ignore your page, and this is the spirit of “attraction” that Matthew was talking about.

My Facebook page may evangelize, but it is a by-product of the “authentic me”. My activities surround the Church. Since, I have a Master’s degree in Theology, I enjoy posting quotes, etc. Being single, really the Church is the only thing I am interested in and if my friends and family do not want to hear about how I spend my time, I can’t worry about that. To post things about my job or shopping or a movie seems boring. The Church is the MOST EXCITING thing on the face of the earth and soul cries out to share one’s participation in Christ’s Body.

I agree with Adam Slide. Disagree with Matt. I have had to defend faith and life in reponse to the anti-Catholic, anti-life posts rammed into my page. Also, there is such an ignorance about Truth…the Gospel needs to be spread. Post good links. No one HAS to read them. Plant the seeds!

Matthew:
I have to strongly disagree with you. My faith is the most important thing in the world to me, and should be for others as well.  I don’t friend anyone to shove the gospel down their throat. Most of my “friends” are folks who have friended me. When they find out that I am an ardent supporter of Catholicism, they have two choices. Unfriend me quietly and walk away, or read what I have to say or choose not read at all, by hiding my posts.  I agree with you that it is wrong to friend someone just to evangelize, that is cheesy and inauthentic. However, when someone wants to be my friend, I do not hide who I am and what I am all about. When an evangelical from my old life requests to friend me, I first message them and specifically tell them my purpose for facebook(To share the beauty and Truth of Catholicism and its effect on my life), so they know ahead of time what they are getting into. It then becomes their choice, and I can’t be accused of shoving religious platitudes down their throat.
  When I left my former evangelical church after 31 years of protestantism, very few if any former friends asked me why. The silence for the past 6 years has been deafening. Now that I am on facebook, they are friending me and “taking a peek” into what “Russ is up to.”
I post short vignettes about my life, which naturally includes my faith.
This has lead to some very excellent discussions with my old evangelical friends who had no idea what true Catholicism is about. I have been able to gently explain the sacraments , the Church Fathers, why I left protestantism, and I post notes from my blog as well.
  Is that shoving the faith into someone’s face? I don’t think so. I disagree that facebook is only meant for “friendships and relationship building.”  Many people use it for advertising, marketing, information etc.  I have found many great links to Catholic resources and videos from “friends” who aren’t truly my friends, but are in love with Jesus and His Church.  If you find a treasure, why keep it to yourself?

I went 31 years without ever having a Catholic challenge my faith! Now that I know how much grace is available to us through the Catholic faith,
I want to try to share it as often as I can with as many as I can?  If I didn’t, that is equivalent to me lighting a lamp and putting it under a bushel.

The Holy Spirit tells us through the writing of the first pope:
1Pe 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”  When someone friends me, they are asking, so to speak.

St Paul tells us to “preach the gospel in season and out.”
He was extremely radical in presenting the faith. Did he upset his friends and family with his talk about the faith? Yep! Did he wins souls to Christ and help spread the faith like a wildfire through the ancient world?  Yes!!

Matthew, let me ask this question: If St. Peter and Paul had access to a medium of communication such as facebook back then, how would they use it? I hope that the answer to that question may cause you some further reflection on this post you have written. 
  I wish that a Catholic had been more “in my face” all the years I was away from the Church.  I lived for 31 years without the Eucharist.
Why should I continue to let my friends “eat out of a dumpster” when I can show them where the Banquet Table has been set for them .

Sorry Matt, but you post just got me pretty upset.
Would you please friend me on facebook to see how I do it? It may change your mind.

God bless
Russ Rentler
www.crossedthetiber.com

I have do not have a Facebook account, so this doesn’t apply to me.  It’s hard enough to befriend a stranger in your own community let alone one in cyberspace.

Matthew. ...love your blog and while you raised good points, I think Russ hit the nail on the head. Excllent thoughts, Russ!! Thx for helping us think deeply about our faith life!

Dear Matthew and brothers in Christ:

Actually, I think we all agree, but we express it differently. Even reading your comments, I myself believe that I have not expressed correctly (assuming you have misunderstood this post). And, a few days ago, Mathew wrote here another article titled “I’m Obsessed with the Obsession” and no longer able to relate to this a healthy concern about the “how” (how we use or we can make FB) and by the right intention in what we do (each according to his style and circumstances) we do by and for Christ. At least, I so I understand (Mathew correct me I’m wrong).

It seems commendable testimony I’ve read, the good that can be done using new technologies, and I think in this we all agree.

And we also agree that there is no use our testimony (by example) if we are not ourselves (authenticity) and consistent with our faith ... 24 hours, 365 days, during the years of life may God grant us. And, of course we can not leave anyone!.

I mentioned earlier the number of friends as a level indicator, precisely because I wanted to highlight the importance of “authenticity” of our work and testimony, above the number of contacts in FB. Not because I am against that agregeis 1000, 5000, a million or more! (If possible), if that is the will of Our Lord.

Maybe you should have specified with friends (friendship) of the other contacts (known or not) we can add on our profile. Excuse me if I have not expressed correctly, I am not fluent in Spanish and English (in fact I write with the help of an automatic translator).

Hugs, 
————————-Original (Spanish)————————————-
Estimados Mathew y demás hermanos en Cristo:

En realidad, creo todos estamos deacuerdo, pero lo hemos expresado de forma diferente. Incluso, leyendo vuestros comentarios, yo mismo creo que no me he expresado de forma correcta (suponiendo que haya interpretado bien esta entrada). Y es que, hace unos días, Mathew escribía aquí otro artículo titulado “I’m Obsessed with the Obsession” y que no podido dejar de relacionar con esta otra sana inquietud respecto del “cómo” (del uso que hacemos, o podemos hacer de FB) y si hay rectitud de intención en lo que hacemos (cada uno según su estilo y circunstancias) lo hacemos por y para Cristo. Al menos, yo así lo he entendido (que me corrija Mathew estoy equivocado).

Me parece encomiables los testimonios que he podido leer; del bien que puede hacerse empleando las nuevas tecnologías, Y creo que en esto estamos todos deacuerdo.

Y tambien estamos deacuerdo en que no vale de nada nuestro testimonio (dando ejemplo) si no somos nosotros mismos (autenticidad) y acordes con nuestra fe… 24 horas, 365 días, durante los años de vida que Dios nos conceda. Y, ¡por supuesto que no podemos abandonar a nadie!.

Me refería antes al número de amigos como nivel indicador, precisamente porque quería resaltar lo importante que es la “autenticidad” de nuestras obras y testimonio, por encima del número de contactos en FB. No porque esté en contra de que agregeis ¡a 1000, 5000, un millón, o más! (si fuera posible), si esa es la voluntad de Nuestro Señor.

Quizas debería haber especificado entre amigos (amistad) de los demás contactos (conocidos o no) que podemos agregar en nuestro perfil. Disculpadme si no me he expresado correctamente; soy español y no domino el inglés (de hecho os escribo con la ayuda de un traductor automático).

Un abrazo,

I love this….talking with faith-filled fellow Catholics about what is truly important…our relationship with our Lord and “friend,” Jesus Christ!  I see FB as a way to ‘care-fully’ let old and new friends know who we are as Catholics.  I often post links to awesome sites, like Chesterton.org and American Life League and here & there, I make a comment about a prayer answered but when the Holy Father made his statement, much misunderstood, about condoms, I found out there are anti-catholic “friends of friends” who are just looking for a chance to smear the Church….so we have to always be praying for discernment. I’m happy to add all of you as a ‘friend’ but more, brother and sister, on FB. And just a little bio; I am a veteran “Lifer” for the cause of the vulnerable Unborn and Born alike.  Twice on trial for the ‘crime’ of sidewalk counseling in the 80s. I prayed for 40 Days for Life back then! The Rosary is Our lady’s weapon of choice and one that I’ve seen work miracle after miracle!

If i understand the recent Holy Fathers,
they have encouraged us to use all means of technology to evangelize..
and as saint Paul says,
“In season, and out of season”

I do use facebook to evangelize, but for first to keep contact with my friends.  I like to share links interesting about the catholic faith, though I know some people won’t be interested with.  Even if I know some would not be interested, I do share it.  I also share words of saints or from the Pope.  This is all part of me and I share it because it comes from the heart and I know many people are happy to see that, though there might be some that are not interested.  But I think that having some people not interested in the faith as your friends on FB is not a good reason to not share those good thoughts and links.  If they don’t want to see that, they just don’t go into the links.  I think we need to not be afraid to be who we are, even though it could “bother” some people.  I understand the point of Matthew Warner, but I feel I need to share catholic things with my catholic friends especially and even to those that are not catholic, I think it could interest them though.  I like to write some messages of the Pope that gives hope, we hear so much in the medias things that are not true about the Pope.  In resume, I’ll take the opportunity to share beautiful things with my friends even though there are a few in my friend list that don’t really care.  I don’t think I should avoid this opportunity.

After all, aren’t we all faithful Catholics supposed to “annoy” Caesar and culture all the time? So, if we use FB to evangelize, not all the time, but with intelligence, aren’t we just doing what we are supposed to do, “in season, and our of season”?

I have gone into blogs of all sorts (music, sports, specifically religious sites, whatever) only to find some flamingly fervent atheists crashing in and pushing their views. When challenged, one said he was not interested in “preaching to the choir” (atheists, I suppose) and wanted to hit all sorts of other sites.  I remember being in YouTube listening to an opera and reading a comment on the absurdity of all religious belief.  Obnoxious twit!

I have yet to see anyone converted through FACEBOOK postings. So, I tend to agree with the author about using FACEBOOK as a means of social connection rather than as a soap box. There are plenty of opportunities daily to witness to the faith, I am wondering why I see so few people witness face to face. They are eager to witness on FACEBOOK but not so eager to witness in the everyday encounters of life. This is a call for getting out from behind the computers, getting out from the pews, and speaking the truth in love to those we meet along the way. Let’s do so. Be not afraid.

I made my first post in a long time on Facebook and it was the first paragraph of a Matt Archbold article pointing out the hypocrisy of using the Arizona shooting of Cong. Giffords as a reason for toning down rhetoric while ignoring the role of planned parenthoods pro choice rhetoric in the Philadelphia mass murder of seven (at least) children born alive. The post was out of place among all the social posts before it so I made a second post giving it context. Neither were meant to convert anyone as I know my friends on facebook for the most part don’t agree with Catholic teaching. It was just a message I thought deserved to be passed on. Life has shown me that we can distract or busy ourselves all the way to hell so while I don’t think a steady diet of this would go over well with friends, it is also part of who I am and it wouldn’t be me posting if they didn’t show up from time to time.  As to being a true friend, friends speak the truth to each other and don’t just play a role as many seem to think is being “Christlike”.  Some seem more like salesmen selling themselves than people who really care. Those kind of friends we can all do without.

This is crazy talk.  Your letter makes no sense. Christians are to use every tool available to them and with videos and songs being so powerful on youtube can cause great inspiration to another.  How about being friends with someone who keeps uploading rap videos.  This is repulsive to me.  Guys rapping about how many girls they have along with all the money.  This is truly repulsive.  You should be writting to those who evangelize for satan. Your not doing this.  I think your just another weakling who watches Jesus get crucified because it would not be polite to go against the majority of society.
With charity and humility,
Dan Haslam

Facebook is full of people proclaiming the source of their joy (or their attempts at joy.)  They’ll tell us about the Football team that they are obsessed with, their recent shopping experience, or their dismay over the recent episode of the Hills.  They’ll tell us if they “soooo drank too much last night.” 

Yet we all know what such pop-centered lifestyles lead to: emptiness and despair.  As the whole world falls asleep around us, do we have the right to not proclaim the source of our greatest joy?  What use is our counter-cultural faith if we do not express it, openly, confidently, and joyfully?

I think facebook is a great way to evangelize.  But for sure with intelligence.

I have to agree with most of those who have posted before me. Now I am another FB user who uses it to tell everyone I am friends with about God because I really can’t keep it to myself. I am well aware that I might come across as a bible basher, although I would hope not, but I can’t stand the thought of my non-Christian friends going to Hell, so of course I do use it to talk to them about God. Nevertheless, I do try to balance the ledger by talking about other things, such as what I have been up to. I also post links to Youtube videos that I find amusing.

There’s a difference between trying to jam down their throats Christianity.

It’s a hard line, one that we must continue to discern.  Is it okay to post links about the Church, Pope Benedict, and more?  Yes, and I do frequently.  However, my faith life is not all I post.  I also discuss both in my status updates and links funny stores, and other things that happen to me.

I think friend counts are hard, depending on the people.  I’ve been on Facebook for six years now, and have 400-500 friends.  Many of these people I don’t talk to on a regular basis, but every once in awhile, someone will post on my page.  Every six months or so, I go through my friend list to make sure I still know and should be friends with everyone on my friends list.

On Facebook, be authentically Catholic.  Don’t be JUST Catholic.  As St. Benedict says, “All things in moderation.”  This includes Catholic posts on Facebook as well.

I completely agree with Matt Warner. Be who you are, and your light will shine through. Some people seem to be on pretty high pedestals, thinking they have the answers. I don’t hide who I am, but I surely don’t think I am above others. The person I admire most is a person who is secure enough in their faith not to be rattled by challenges and is a loving example of the teachings of Jesus. One thing I have learned is that you do not change what people believe, all you can hope to do is widen their thoughts. Think you have changed a person’s belief? Talk to them a little while later and see where they go. They will go right back to what they thought in the first place.

Agree that you should not evangelize in a pushy, in your face manner, but disagree that one cannot use FB to evangelize.

Also, I echo comments about expressing your true self.  My life is immersed in the Faith, so it would be dishonest (and boring) not to share it.

Facebook is a social networking tool. The most important tip on the “what to do on fb” is… be genuine. Your friends are yours, your site is yours, so ” to thine ownself be true”.  It is the one place where the social rules “don’t talk politics, finances and religion” can be broken. I love it!  Aside from being genuine, the typical social rules of “be polite, be kind, etc. apply. If you set your motive high “why I’m on Fb?” everything will fall into place. Some people want to evangelize, so what? I can defriend them, block them or ignore them. I think how you relay your messages are much more important. Expression without tone of voice can be an obstacle… but lots of Lol, : ), hehe, and haha’s help. I say have fun, enjoy and don’t get wrapped up in a lot of binding “rules”. Just me!

I think Facebook and any interaction with friends is an opportunity to evangelize. That means I am a Christian woman, in all my interactions. I try to set a good example. It doesn’t mean that I befriend strangers in order to tell them about Jesus, but that when I do befriend someone, I never hide Him. I have a variety of friends on FB. If they are not interested in what I have to say, they can ignore me or block me. That must not stop me from being the Christian I am (or hope to be). I agree with ELMAESO: “My life is immersed in the Faith, so it would be dishonest (and boring) not to share it.”

I definitely dont use facebook as a social networking tool to build personal “relationships”. Rather, I find it to be an awesome Catholic connection web tool. I wouldnt call it “Evangelizing”...because Evangelizing cant really happen unless you are in a personal deep discussion with someone, and it comes out natural whereas it is driven by the Holy Spirit. I guess it could be an evangelizing tool, depending on how it comes across to some people, but for the most part sharing information is vital and such a wonderful thing to do. As long the majoity of your buddies on Facebook are within that sharing community.  There are excellent blogs and Catholic news sights also to connect with, but I truly log in to see my friends’ newsfeed when I log in, and if I didnt, I would be connected to half the awesome stuff out there to read because I homeschool most of the day and have 3 kids to manage at home.

The best tool I find to connect w/ friends is dropshots and email since its private. 

I def see the “typical” Facebook-er using it as a place to just jump in, find out unnecessary info about others…see what others are up to, look at pictures, find out personal info, make funny or nice comments, express sometimes things that seem to be a waste of time, and uninspiring really. I mean, thats okay I guess, but I truly wuld never use FB for those reasons. In fact, the “only” reason I am on FB regularly is to see the newsfeeds of my Catholic friends and share that which i find well worth the read as well.

I wanted to add too that to use facebook as that intended “social networking tool” is actually (in my opinion) creating a most false personal relationship because truthfully, relationships are forged through physically being together. I was just out w/ friends and fam @ an Irish pub the other day, listening to a great live artist playing his harmonica and guitar, watching people dance talk, laugh, smile, getting into great conversations and stories…...... this experience makes me look at the using Facebook as a friend-building social tool seem like the Twilight Zone, or a world of plastic playbmobil toys, in other words, it just seems very superficial.

No but seriously…..sharing excellent info authentic-Catholic-based, on such an incredible platform such as FB…is truly an great blessing for our times.

Thanks for this dear..truly enlightening..I was one of those guys you spoke about in the article…thnx indeed and God bless you

I agree with Matthew.  It is much easier to push people away than to draw them in.

Thanks for the article. In our zeal to evangelize it’s easy to come on too strong. Better to build friendship and trust first.

“I agree with Matthew.  It is much easier to push people away than to draw them in.”

You can’t even attempt to draw them in, if you don’t attempt to, at the very least, present the truth to them. Facebook is a great platform in which to do this because they can take a look or move on by, hide your posts, or unfriend, or block you.
Again, to friend people just to evangelize is a misuse. However, 90% of the friends (I have >800), are folks who must have been interested in me, my music or my Catholic faith and they friended me. I talk about my faith, my Lord, my Church and whatever seems appropriate.
  I have had some very positive discussions with Protestant friends who never asked me in person why I converted to Catholicism. Most recently a Protestant friend said, “I don’t agree with everything you post, but I can see you are passionate about your faith and it has challenged me.  THAT IS HOW TO USE FACEBOOK IN MY OPINION.

@Matt Warner,  You carry a lot of weight as a Catholic media person and I believe it would be important to hear your thoughts after seeing the comments on your post. Thanks and God bless!

I appreciate all of the great comments. However, I’m a bit perplexed as to how some of them claim to disagree with the post but then go on to agree with it.

I never said not to be yourself. In fact, I specifically said to be your authentic self.

I also never said to not use Facebook to evangelize. I just said that trying to evangelize without sharing of yourself first by building meaningful relationships is not the best way to evangelize. I also said to be like Jesus. Let the Light shine through so much that people are DRAWN to you. Don’t focus so much on forcefully inserting your opinion into others’ lives.

If that last line irks you, it may be because deep down you know you are guilty of this. I know, bc I used to be one such person. And it would have irked me…but I couldn’t resist the temptation to still go ahead and post that link or article I REALLY wanted my friends who totally disagree with me to see. Just so they knew how wrong they were.

And let me clarify again. I’m not saying NEVER to do that. Or to NEVER share the things you are passionate about because you think it may offend somebody. I’m not saying that at all! I’m just saying to do it within the context of sharing yourself in an authentic way and with love while building relationships with the people you care about.

I think Steven Greydanus had the best advice in his comment above: Don’t just share an article or quote or verse - share yourself. Share how it’s impacted your life. That’s much more powerful.

I see too many people burn the entire field down to catch a few mice. Sure. It works. And you can pat yourself on the back when you’re done because you caught a few mice (made a difference). But I also see them do a lot of damage in the process that goes silently unseen. And they didn’t have to. There are more effective ways to get the job done. We have to remember that ultimately it’s not about us being right and them being wrong. It’s a battle for the heart and mind of every individual. And don’t forget that even though we have the fullness of truth, none of us are perfect.

Another test is to ask yourself if somebody read your posts, would they think you’re a humble person? If the answer is no, then your approach may be off a bit.

If you are living your life as an authentic Christian and reaching out to people because you truly love and care about them and what’s going on in their life, the Holy Spirit will do some powerful things through your faithfulness. And you’ll get plenty of opportunities to present the beautiful truth of our faith in a powerful and effective way. Be a saint. People are very attracted to that. Don’t give in to the temptation to overly force yourself (or the truth) into people’s lives (even if they need to hear it). Reach out to them. Truly care about THEM first. Not from afar, but in a personal and real way. Ask them about what is going on in THEIR LIFE. That’s a much better start. You’ve got to prepare them to hear it first, then lay it on them.

And yes, Facebook is a great place to also network with like-minded people and to share great resources about our faith and our common passions and causes. But that kind of stuff is best done (and designed to be done) through things like groups and fan pages. Your personal page is made to connect with friends/family or people you know. Not saying you can’t use it however you want. Just pointing out that that is how it is designed and therefore how it is most effective.

I recommend, if you do like sharing a lot of things some of your friends may not be as interested in, start a group or fan page for yourself. Invite your friends who ARE interested to follow there. Promote THAT to your friends and on your personal wall.

If you are Catholic, you are a representative of all of us and our Church, not just yourself. We need to be setting a good example to others for how to use these powerful tools.

God bless you all and your efforts!

Matthew Warner, I agree completely that being a caring person and living an authentic life will draw people.  What you don’t mention though is that with the culture war we have going on now it only takes one person to put a negative spin on something to totally change the perception of what has occurred.  This is happening to more and more people who don’t find “political correctness” to be truly Christian. It seems to be a form of political trashing.

Wow, I never knew Catholics used it that way on FB (Evangelize but NO Friendship, please!). :-)  I use it for Catholic Community and enjoy it.  Interesting read, thanks.

Pam - I also never said anything about having to be politically correct, either, when you do it. Jesus was often politically incorrect.

Okay, I have just read the article again, and it looks like I misinterpreted it, therefore I owe Mr. Warner an apology. Having read it more carefully I guess I have to agree with Matthew. In fact, for every post of mine that is about God, there might be five that are about more worldly matters.

Matthew Warner, Sorry if there is a misunderstanding. I wasn’t saying you did say we had to be politically correct. What I was trying to say is any communication right now is liable to be misconstrued if the listener is not open to the message because there are alot of people who don’t want Christ to be part of any conversation. Sometimes the burning is happening because of the desire to suppress Christianity or evangelization.

Matthew, THANK YOU for this post, and for the one that preceded it about unfriending and having more intimate relationships on facebook. It’s something I, too, have been working towards, and I am so affirmed in knowing that you have taken steps to live more authentically online.

I deleted nearly 300 “friends” the other day, and have yet to accept a few requests that I never would have thought twice about before. I feel like I totally know where you are coming from - if I want to be actively present in the lives of people I know, then I absolutely must consider that as God’s will for my life. And it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep up with or be present to as many people as we typically connect with online or on facebook. It’s a platform that deserves much credit for creating community, but not if we continue to perpetuate a false sense of community by maintaining shallow and false relationships.

Personally, I had kept too many connections just from the desire to creep on people later… and yes, I say that honestly and truthfully because anyone from my generation knows that’s exactly what it’s about. It’s the same issue as emotional chastity - why do I need to be stalking people’s pages and recreating in my mind who they are based on a few paragraphs and some pictures? It’s not fair to them, or where they’re at. And if they’re reciprocating that to me, it’s not fair to me! It’s a false friendship.

That being said, this post has people focusing far too much on evangelization vs. relationships, when I understand that really, it’s about living and presenting yourself authentically. Us millenials have a hard time with that, because everything has been about creating profiles and describing yourself in 140 characters or less. It SHOULD be about living, sharing, posting, and being present to others in the most real way possible. Consistently, authentically, and joyfully. And there’s not enough of that on facebook.

SO, I applaud you for this post and the previous, and am so sincerely grateful that you share my view. I’ve been trying to articulate it for a while now, and this has helped tremendously. Thank you!

carol mckinley ... You are talking more about fellowship and mutual support than about evangelizing. Fellowship is simply spiritual friendship, which may be built around an evangelization/public education effort. So you are using Facebook as it works best, just as this article suggests. Those questioning Pro-Choice beliefs may well be drawn to your site, so maybe you should figure out how to allow for “those on a spiritual/moral quest” to join.

Matthew our first obligation is to God and our Families.  In this busy society, we must make certain we have time for silent prayer, teach our children and grandchildren the true Faith, and continuing our own education about God and the Church, etc. Our continuing education demands (this is not an option) that we read the Bible and the “Catechism of the Church, Second Edition”; our prayer life should include the Rosary; and therefore, we don’t have hours to develop “cyber friendships”.  Be all must be careful not to become addicted to computers, ipods, etc.  Don’t criticize those who have less time than you do, nor discourage them for less participation than those who sit in front of computers for hours.  There are many Catholics who have never read the “CCC 2nd Ed” in its entirety, and need to do so before evangelizing.

These are really wise words! Thanks you for sharing them! I personally rarely use my Facebook account.  I am wary of “cyber-relationships” - I am afraid they will take away from my real relating to people.  But I have toyed with the idea of using to it to Evangelize.  Thanks for putting that idea into in perspective!

I disagree about pushing religion down my FB friends’ throat. As they are free to share their Lady Gaga, MTV clones videos with me, how is it any different when I post links to my favourite Christian videos? It’s important to keep a balance online. If I were to stop from posting my beliefs online, only devil’s work will be present in all the status updates: comments based on anger, lust, gluttony, sloth, laziness, busyness etc.

As the Pope said, to make our presence felt in the online world. of course, it’s in moderation. I mostly post my favourite Christian songs.

Thanks, Matthew, you brought me an interesting topic to reflect on! Yes.. as a FB heavy user personally.. I HATE commercial brands “adding” me as friend… just for posting Commercials!! Unlike!! Un-friend!!! Delete!!! -__- However, I’d actively “LIKE” some pages/ persons, in order to get updates from them! For example: the “Catholic Church” page, “Ask a Catholic Nun” page… also some pages to promote Saints/ Faith. Maybe the question is not only how to use Facebook.. also.. “How to BE LIKED in Facebook”! Haha! It is the work of the Holy Spirit, indeed!! :) Lets keep praying for New Evangelization!

I have to disagree. I am a Catholic it is not just a religion to me it is who I am. Jesus is within me and therefore the posts and News and links that I choose to like do get posted on my page. I am not going to hide those from anyone friend or foe. I go to the Catholic Church and read their daily mass and go to the video portion and they have a video of James Powel portraying Jesus on the Mount teaching the people to pray. I am filled with the spirit and press share and state what a great way to start my day. People can choose to watch it too or not. But that is who I am and makes me happy to share. I do not nor ever have thought that what I was doing was evangelizing but on the contrary I just shared something that made me feel good and start my day on a bright note. It is my FB friends choice to share that joy or not. I feel if those who are offended of what is my joy are not my friends are they. I have seen things that have offended me greatly posted on FB but I have not deleted them nor have I chose to say anything but I will pray that they see the light. I feel very blessed that I have been baptized in the true faith but I do not feel I should hide that from anyone I am proud of it. Neither do I feel liking or sharing is pushing my faith on anyone because it is their choice to read it and perhaps understand what has made me so very happy. I hope you understand. Thank you and God Bless.

Laureen, your post reinforces the validity of what this article has to say. You say your posting of very Catholic topics is self-expression, focused on you, not evangelization, which is best if focused on the needs and concerns of those outside the fold whom the evangelizer is trying to get to listen. As St. Thomas says, you teach from “the well known to the less well known.” If your purpose were evangelization you would be more concerned with your audience. Since evangelization is not your goal you need not be.

Let us not deceive ourselves,  the article said not to use facebook to evangelise. Any action of sharing our faith with anybody is evangelisation, including posting religious videos like Lauren does. On feast days, I wish all my friends whether they are catholic or not to receive the blessings.My profile picture is of St Joseph, And like Lauren whenever I see an article on faith that I want to share with my FB friends I do..nobody has ever complained. And frequently I hail my Lord and Saviour on my wall..I post Jesus is Lord. Or Hail mary or Jesus Mary Joseph I love you and most people like it..isnt that evangelising…? 
p/s i cant understand what Jack Mack means by self-expression tho..once your faith is expressed to othersshared, it is evangelisation…are we then saying that all the catholic sites are not evangelising , but rather self-expressing?

I agree that facebook does not only serve as a medium for expanding our circle of friends and communicate with our loved ones. It is also considered by many as the best way to advertise their business. Facebook is driving consumers to drink the labels of liquor it markets, says a survey commissioned by world alcohol giant Diageo. Smirnoff and Baileys are 2 labels that encountered substantial sales once Facebook ads for the products showed up. Source for this article: Facebook drives you to drink

Has completado unos buenos puntos en www.ncregister.com. Hice una búsqueda sobre el tema y encontró la mayoría de las personas que tienen la misma opinión con su blog.

Obrigado pela crítica sensata sobre www.ncregister.com. Me & meu vizinho estavam apenas se preparando para fazer alguma pesquisa sobre isso. Temos um pegar um livro da nossa biblioteca local, mas eu acho que aprendi mais com este post. Estou muito contente de ver informações tão grande que está sendo compartilhado livremente lá fora.