There was a lot of confusion initially about a Facebook page people have mistakenly associated with this site. For the purpose of clarifying some of that confusion, let me share what I know.

There was a private Facebook group (not a page) started by some of the children of members years ago. As my blog started reaching a wider audience, one of the admins of that group contacted me and invited me into it to share my story. Since I am a Christian (not a Stanton member, but a generic disciple of Jesus Christ), my presence in the group affected the dynamics of the conversation. I don’t think anyone left, but it evolved into a more tame, rational conversation about the Biblical problems with Stanton. I feel a little bad about that, as I have no desire to “take over” their group. I am simply a guest in their house. But I do hope that my posts there have helped bring someone closer to a grace centered Biblical Christianity.

In any case, some of the members of that group wanted a more “raw” forum to express their disgust for Stanton, and created another group, this time public. It is not uncommon for Stanton teachers, preachers, and evangelists to confuse the two. I’ve been accused of starting “the Facebook page,” but that is not true for either of those Facebook groups.

Is Facebook a good forum for discussion?

The question has come up from time to time whether Facebook would be a better discussion forum instead of the comments on this site, which can get lost over time unless you go back and pull up each page of comments. My opinion is no. Facebook makes it impossible to comment anonymously, and very difficult to create a pseudonym. You’d have to make a fake account, lie on the signup forms, not get ratted out by someone who knows you, etc.

So no, I don’t think Facebook is ideal for all the conversation that needs to happen here on the site. I think there is a curve dissenters go through that starts with the need for anonymity so that they feel safe. As they realize they’re not alone, and that they don’t need to fear the threats of withdrawal from mere mortals, people tend to get more comfortable using their real name. But it is a process, and it’s different for every individual. Some have family members that may never change, and to protect their marriage, they have to remain anonymous. Facebook doesn’t really allow for that.

So there you have it. Yes, there is a private Facebook group that I’m a member of, but I’m not an admin. I’m a guest there. And at the moment, I have no intention of starting my own Facebook group or page, because I don’t think that’s the best forum for conversation. For now, I encourage you to engage with the comment section of this blog, and if you need to remain anonymous, come up with a pseudonym for commenting to make your comments more intelligible. (It’s hard to know which Anonymous is posting when there’s 100 of them.)