It's not easy being the author of the most widely read blog in the world.  At least I imagine it's not easy, since I have no real way of knowing for sure.

Although I have long been an advocate of personal responsibility and that all actions have consequences, I am now officially throwing in the towel.  That's right.  If I can't beat 'em, I might as well join 'em.  Effective immediately I am no longer responsible for anything you see here.  I am still writing it, I just don't accept any responsibility for it. 

Even though I am now drug free (I've always been drug free, but saying that you are now has boosted so many careers, I thought I'd give it a whirl), I am not responsible for anything.  The culprit is really the "Reply" button on my computer.  It is trying to kill me.  In fact, I believe it is conspiring with the "Reply to All" button too.  Let me explain.

People write to me all the time.  Sometimes they tell me they like my stuff; others hate it.  One guy challenged me to a duel; another time someone wrote that I was responsible for killing more children than Planned Parenthood.  In my semi-professional life as a lawyer, my clients seem to delight in my ability to fire off quick responses that are known to leave people - figuratively speaking, of course - lying in a pool of their own blood.  It's tremendous fun - and hard to believe that I actually (or sometimes anyway) get paid to do it.

But this unique gift has its downsides.  To illustrate, I suggest that you do try something at the dinner table tonight.  When your wife says something - and it doesn't really matter what it is - you respond with a question that begins with "Isn't it true that . . . "  Don't worry about what you were going to say after that, you will be dodging some projectile.

The "Reply" button is just so darn accessible.  And when someone takes me to task, it's all I can do to suppress some witty, caustic, or sarcastic response that if uttered a couple of thousand years ago would be destined for inclusion in sacred Scripture.  I mean, it's just not fair to expect me to keep these scalding responses all bottled up inside.  So why try!

When I realized that I was not really responsible for the things I write, it was downright liberating.  Since I am prolife - without exception and without apology - I often write glibly about an an abortionist who is killed, I mean, subjected to a post-partum termination; or the demise of someone whose life's work was causing the demise of the innocent. 

One day last week, one good friend whose opinion I value highly asked me if we should be rejoicing in the death of the wicked since God doesn't.  I thought it a good point.  But my "Reply" button actually took control of my body - or at least my fingers and I countered with the examples of Deborah and Jael celebrating the death Sisera (Judges 5).  If you don't know that story, Jael really nailed him.  I also referenced the Israelites rejoicing over the Egyptians being killed em masse in the Red Sea.  About the same time another good friend wrote me and told me to keep being - and she meant this in the most complimentary way - abrasive.  My "Reply" button took all the credit and thanked her for her erudition.

So let me know what you think.  I'm sure one of us will get back to you.

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