Refocusing the Better Bibles Blog

Blame it on the flu I've just had. Or blame it on my "J" personality type. But I have felt the need for quite some time to refocus this blog on its primary mission. And this morning I want to do something about it. As a F-eeler, I do not enjoy making unilateral decisions, but I have decided to create a "spillover" sister blog to this one. It is titled Complegalitarian. It will be the place to take discussions from BBB that no longer focus on making better Bibles. The most common topic on BBB which is not directly about bettering Bibles has to do with various aspects of the complementarian-egalitarian debate. I happen to be very interested in this debate, as well, but I have felt for some time that either we need to change the name of the BBB so that its name will better fit all topics discussed on, or else ... And I have not known what the "or else" should be. I woke up early this morning with this concern still on my heart. Several ideas rambled ("rattled" sounds more pejorative than I would like right now!) around in my head and I came up with the idea of a sister blog.

So what I am asking is that we all refocus our writing on BBB so that it stays as close to the promise of the BBB masthead as possible. When discussions move away from that focus to issues of how complementarianism and egalitarianism works or is worked out, I request that they be moved to the sister blog. (Discussion of how to translate biblical passages which are of concern to egalitarians and complementarians are still welcome on the BBB, just not non-translation aspects of the discussion.)

During my early morning ramblings I remembered that Blogger has service by which comments for individual posts can be disabled. I have checked, and comments already on a post will not be deleted or hidden when I disable comments on a post. I will use this service as one way to keep BBB more focused on its primary topic. To try out that Blogger service I will disable comments to this post. If any of you feel that you really want to comment about this post, please do so privately to me: wayne-leman at netzero.com.

OK, now I'll go create the sister blog. Volunteers to be co-bloggers and administrators there would be most welcome. I will probably comment there sometimes but because I have to refocus my own life periodically so I keep my own life's mission on track, the majority of my blogging time will be spent here.

Oh, besides the fun I have of playing with words, the blended neologism of the title Complegalitarian is intended to convey the idea that all points of view on the complementarian and egalitarian issues are welcome at the new blog. My hope is that everyone from all sides of this issue will feel like they are equal partners there and that there is no hierarchy. Hmm! :-)

There are complementarian discussion lists and blogs where egalitarians are in the minority. Similarly, there are egalitarian blogs where complementarians are in the minority. Sometimes various forms of censorship take place on forums devoted to one side of the debate or the other. Those in the minority often are treated as minority voices. It is part of human nature and part of believing so strongly in something that we often come across to those with whom we disagree in ways that they may not wish to keep discussing. I hope that even though discussions will be intense on Complegalitarian, no one will feel like they are being rejected as a person for believing as they do.

And to try to promote more of that same atmosphere of better partnership in discussion on the BBB, I would invite you, our blog visitors, to volunteer to guest blog when you have something you wish to say which you feel is important and believe you can say it in a way that can educate and help others. Just privately email me with a topic you wish to blog about. We can discuss what you wish to say and the tone you will take. And then you can compose the post and email it to me for posting.