Per Christum points out how blogs are leveling the playing field of religious debate. Here’s a partial list of his main points:

1. Blog-level ecumenism lacks a bureaucracy
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3. Blog-Level ecumenism is generally diverse – Most bloggers are not academics or even ordained (although some are), but folks of diverse backgrounds who attempt to accurately represent their faith through dedication, commitment, and love of knowledge…

4. Blog-Level ecumenism tends to give traditional religious persons a voice
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6. Blogs offer a chance for us to come into contact with hostile individuals

7. Blogs offer a chance to form associations and work on common projects

Most importantly though,

in the blogworld, we get a real chance to actually engage Christians who accurately represent their respective churches…it means you are getting an accurate picture of a particular faith.

With the internet we get to interact with all the John Does of the congregations in a direct way. We’re not just reading a bunch of pastors and professors, but the everyday Christians as well. The individuals that think deeply about their faith, but until now had no real way of testing their ideas.

Do you think open religious discourse on the internet has been a generally positive thing? Any thoughts on how the internet has changed the way you communicate your faith? What about this idea of lack of bureaucracy?

(HT: [lab]oratory)