Church of England issues the 'nine Commandments of social media'

The church told its worshipper to use Twitter to spread God’s word and directed them to not tweet in an ungodly way.

17:20 23 January 2014

As social media’s impact to our lives becomes bigger and bigger, the Church of England has issued its own online “nine Commandments” telling its worshippers to use Twitter to spread God’s word and directed them to not tweet in an ungodly way.

The Church’s nine Commandments for social media are:

1. Don’t rush in

2. Remember updates are transient yet permanent

3. You’re an ambassador for the church

4. Don’t hide behind anonymity

5. Think about the blurring of public/private life boundaries

6. Safeguarding: communicating directly online is like meeting someone in private

7. Stay within the legal framework

8. Respect confidentiality

9. Be mindful of your own security

The church asked worshippers to ask some questions before they click. Their instructions say:  ‘Before posting always think: Is this my story to share? Would I want my mum to read this? Would I want God to read this?’

Churchgoers were also urged to ask themselves: Would God like my tweet?  It added: 'Essentially, you should participate online in the same way as you would in any other public forums. Your actions should be consistent with your work and Christian values and you take responsibility for the things you do, say or write.’