Mixing religious and legal blogging - not for me

This afternoon I heard from a friend and former law-firm colleague who has hung out a shingle and is building a Web site for his new practice. He said he was going to follow the lead of Rice University professor Jim Turner Jim Tour and include a statement of his faith on his professional site.

I had previously toyed with the idea of having one, consolidated blog. But I concluded that I wouldn't be comfortable mixing my religious- and professional writing.  Few of my religious readers would be interested in my legal writing, and on my legal blog (100 Feet Up), I figure I owe it to those readers to keep my religious opinions to myself; if they’re interested in my religious views, they’ll find their way here via cross-reference links, as my friend did

It's like a restaurant chef whose guests do him the honor of visiting his place of business (as opposed, say, to being his house guests). We expect the chef at work to offer opinions about cuisine; that's part of why we came. But unless the chef is aiming to establish a cult of personality, my guess is that most diners would probably prefer that he do them the courtesy of remaining silent on sensitive non-cuisine subjects like religion.  (Unless asked, of course.) 

I'm uncomfortable with mixing religious- and professional writing for another reason.  Religious beliefs are unavoidably conjectural and non-verifiable. It therefore seems just a bit detrimental to a pluralistic society for the host of a professional-type Web site, who holds himself out as an authority on "factual" matters like science and law, to post a personal faith statement on the site.  The better practice, I would submit, would be not to do so.

This is just my personal opinion; reasonable minds can surely differ on this point.

Comments

[Topaz]

I agree with you. I would prefer that people keep their statements of faith separate from their professional life. Now that I've read Dr. Turner's statement, it affects how I view him as a scientist.

[Walter L]

Dave Ramsey is a great example of successfully mixing religion and his business. I agree a short line at the bottom of a professional website does not bring people to the Lord.

Mixing religion into your overall marketing and operational procedures does.

Yes some will be offended but really in this time of politically correctness, whom is isn't anymore.

My clients know me and my religious beliefs. I gain clients because of them and I also equally lose clients because of them. In the end though I have a great customer base that doesn't care that I mix the two, they actually prefer it.

I think a professional starting a business should either keep them completely separate or completely join them. Either on or off, no middle ground on this one.