Dark Side Satire and...

... another kind.

I love Scot McKnight and I know what he's saying (see below re. satire).

Here's my take-
There are two kinds of satire- the satire that you do when you genuinely like someone, but see their flaws and foibles and the satire you do when you genuinely dislike them and really don't care much about their feelings at all.

To me, the first is lighthearted, and even though you are poking fun at their foibles, you make a point not to be a tool- yeah, points get made, there's a bit of jabbing... but you don't take the time to show up and roast someone unless you really like them.

The second... that's another story. When you dislike people and what they stand for, and out of that produce satire that mocks them... in my opinion, it's exceedingly easy to cross a line into just ridicule for the sake of ridicule, no matter what high-minded motivations you may try to attach to it. 

Now, all that being said, let me confess to a bit of dissonance here. And no, I don't need your help in sorting it out. I just want to own up to some internal inconsistency here.

I think there are people who by virtue of their over-the-top fleecing of the flock have moved beyond the place where I feel badly about mocking them. Do I think we need to make fun of Benny Hinn's hair? Nah- too easy. But I have no problem with holding shysters like him and many of his TBN pals up to  the light of sarcasm. Of course, it's not like I want to make a career out of it or anything.

It grieves me that the Team Pyro guys see us in the same light, but there you have it. I think ultimately, those who live by satire get consumed by it- so if they want to keep it up (and apparently they do), I'm not going to say anything more about it. I have a feeling, in the long run, giving yourself over to that kind of  satire withers one inside...
It's just like junk food- addictive, habit forming and ultimately it will kill you.

Just some random conflicted thoughts...