I just read today that “Father Jake Stops the World” is going off-line. Here are two reasons he mentioned for his reason to give up the blog:

1. I believe that a constant exposure to some of the toxic rhetoric found on the net has had a negative impact on my spiritual health. I find it more difficult to discern the glory of God. Most likely this is because I’ve become too preoccupied with the depravity of man. I need to take care of myself.
2. I’m no longer sure that our conversations here are helpful to the Episcopal Church. We have become as polarized in our responses as those with whom we disagree. The reality is that we are all children of God. There is no “us” and “them.” There is only “we.” I honestly believe that. Continuing to focus on our divisions deepens them, and provides a poor witness to the hope that is in us.

I really can’t help but agree with him. I know I have to step back from engaging people on the more political Church blogs. It does bring me down. I suspect it can be a downward spiraling endeavor, too.
I’ve witnessed a number of amateur bloggers hang-up-their-hats over the last several years. For whatever reason, the individuals have decided that this medium no longer suits them or meets a greater need – perhaps their individual need for blogging has ended.
More often than not in these extremist and polarizing times, “conversations” are maintained in the blogsphere because of anger and angst, bitterness and bile, and it all feeds upon itself. It is not, as it is currently construed, healthy or ultimately helpful.
I think about why people stop blogging. I guess it depends on why they blogged in the first place or the use they saw for their blogs. For me, I suppose, and as I mention in my disclaimer concerning grammar and spelling, I really do use this “web space” as a place to put things I want to keep track of. Since I am a person who wrestles with stuff by thinking “out loud,” it provides me a place to put down thoughts.
I don’t intend for all this to be “public,” but the medium provides me the best way to keep track of life and of necessity it is public. I appreciate the few who do add comments. I appreciate people who challenge what I write – it helps in my “out loud” process of consideration concerning whatever I’m wrestling with at the time. But, I don’t do any of this to elicit comments. I don’t post to advance an agenda. I just do it for myself. I don’t care how many hits or page-views I get in a day.
Perhaps that’s why after eight years of on-line journaling and then blogging, I don’t feel any need or want to stop at this point. I feel as if to stop would be the same as no longer writing in my paper journal – where I write my more personal stuff.
I think it is kind of sad when a blogger who gathers a regular group of people stops. I perfectly well understand why someone would stop, but it feels like a person who in the tactile world just drops off the face of the earth. I will remove the link in my sidebar for “Father Jakes Stops the World.” The blog was part of the Anglican perspective.