One of the more amazing things about the blogsphere is its ability to self-check. If you say something stupid, you get called out eventually. If you say something that is true, the organic nature of the blogsphere allows that truth to be passed around. If you need an example of the latter process in action, the fall of Dan Rather is a good example of what happens when the blogsphere smells blood and pounces. Those who are skeptical about this idea need to look at the greater blogsphere and the examples that have been shown.

More than anything, however, catechesis has to be the basis of everything. As I mentioned in the comments, catechesis has a lot to be desired and, more than anything, if someone stumbles in here and just reads our opinions without any understanding of where we are coming from, we could be perceived as closed-minded jerks. When we explain why we think this way and why we believe what we believe, they may still think of us a closed-minded jerks but we can also convince someone we are right. We have to explain what doctrines are behind the conclusions we come, and people might come around to our way of thinking. Knowledge can be a very powerful weapon.

I think we should all read this. I've heard many of the big guys (Instapundit, for example) have nothing but good things to say about this book. I just might have to get a copy. It might help me formulate my thoughts into a central thesis about what the potential for a confessional Lutheran blogsphere is.