Sunday, September 4, 2011

Breast Cancer and Facebook...

This is an unusual post for the blog today. If you aren't a facebook user you will most likely have no idea what I'm writing about, but for those who are, hear me out and if you are a woman of faith, please give this prayerful consideration.

Breast cancer is evil. I HATE it! I hate it for so many reasons. Like the fact that you do not have to have ANY family history of the disease to become a victim. And the fact that it can sometimes spread before it's detected. And what about how it seems to have escalated in frequency during our lifetimes and we all know MORE THAN ONE person who has had it or has it now. TERRIBLE. AWFUL. NO GOOD. HEINOUS!


Breast cancer robbed me (and many people I love) of one of the best women I have ever known. In her honor and memory, I would love for awareness to be raised and for people to be generous contributors to the cause of finding a cure and supporting those who are currently valiantly fighting the disease.
BUT, I cannot participate in a facebook campaign that requests something to the effect of writing a status that includes your shoe size followed by the word " inches" and then how long it takes you to do your hair. The innuendo is just too obvious and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the mental images this will conjure to anyone who doesn't know why someone is posting this information or what it refers to in reality.

To me, breast cancer is far more serious than this, and I cannot fathom how something like a titillating facebook status that is suggestive of anything other than breast cancer support succeeds at raising awareness or benevolence--but maybe I'm just naive. What I'm not, however, is a person who will intentionally use social media or any other platform to arouse thoughts that may be impure in anyone who might read it. For me--as a believer that all of God's Word is true--I just can't reconcile it.

I know, I know...I'm old. I'm old fashioned. I'm dark ages. I'm also a person who doesn't like to offend anyone by stating controversial opinions about things that don't matter for eternity, which this note has probably done--big time--especially if you have already written a status like the one I'm writing this note about. But I assure you that I am writing this before seeing anybody I know participate and I felt compelled to do this so that my friends who share my convictions might give this some thought and come up with a better, more transparent way to honor those we love and care about who are battling breast cancer.

That's all. I love you--even if you choose (or have chosen) to go along with "the game".

Philippians 4:8
... sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.



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3 comments:

ash said...

You have stated your opinion respectfully and in love. We should all question things we come across in life (especially things that happen on Facebook! :)). As for this issue, I too am more than a little baffled at such a campaign...I simply don't understand it. Thank you for writing this!

alli said...

i agree with you 100%! i'm no longer on fb, but remember a similar campaign last year. as usual, you & i are exact same page b/c as i was reading i had phil. 4:8 in my head and was going to write it in the comments...funny that i got to the end and you had beat me to it! if anything, that verse sums up our responsibility as a Christian. and (even if i wasn't a Christian) why would i want someone else thinking about me in the way that kind of post portrays?

and if you are old & dark ages...then i am too!

Heather said...

SO AGREE!! So agree!!