Facebook's Purpose?

The past couple of days have presented me with a difficult situation to tackle in regards to my postings on Facebook.  Truthfully, the situation has always been there, but I have never been called on it by someone to this degree.

So, what exactly should people be putting on their statuses or in their posts on Facebook?  What is its purpose?  Some will say it is a "social networking" site, so you go there to keep in touch with people.  Agreed.  Others have fan pages and pages for causes, so it is there to provide a platform for people to get their messages out.  Agreed again.  But what about those of us who like to combine those two together and along with all our flowery "staying-in-touch" postings like to make our statements about society at large?  And should our friends have anthing to say about what we put on our pages?

I tend to be a very opinionated person and am not afraid to let folks know what I think.  Do I ruffle feathers sometimes?  You bet I do, occassionally in a way that forces me to apologize.  I use my Facebook page in the manner that I see fit.  I put out my flowery stuff, but I also use it as a platform to be a voice for the unborn, who have no voice.  I also use it to defend my Church, and especially the priesthood when I find it being unfairly attacked.

It is my right to post on my Facebook page whatever I want to.  That being said, I do follow some personal standards.  Quite simply, if I wouldn't want my mother to read it, I don't write it.

The problem I have been faced with is that one of my Facebook friends has threatened to defriend me because they are tired of seeing my anti-abortion and religious posts come across their newsfeed.  My first thought was...don't read them then?  After their explanation of why they said that, I had a bit better understanding of their position.  After thinking about it over night...I have decided that they have no right to make that demand.

Each person's Facebook page is a personal expression of themself.  Some people post all fluff, their kids, their travels, sports, politics...all sorts of variety.  I read some, I ignore most.  The point is, if I don't want to read what they have to say, I don't!  However, I do give validity to things that people put on their page.  As foolish and mundane as I may find some postings, to that person, at that time, it was important.  Therefore, I am selective in what I read.

Bottom line...if a friend does not want to read my rants and raves about politics, religion, and a myriad of other topics and finds it too tedius to ignore them and read something else, then defriend me, but you may miss some of that fluff you were wanting as well.  As long as we can still talk and email and the friendship itself is still good, then go ahead, I will not be offended. 

To date, with all my anti-abortion posts, religous postings, and arguments on topics, I have never been defriended.  We usually agree to disagree and appreciate the debate.

To that Facebook friend out there, I hope you do not defriend me, but I cannot be silent.  I will understand if you do and will not be upset.  I would rather you just ignored those postings that you don't want to read.