Don’t Feed the Trolls: Navigating Online Hate With Wisdom and Grace

By Josh Hatcher

“Religion is a cancer. You people are brainwashed.”

“Keep your imaginary sky-daddy to yourself.”

Welcome to the digital mission field.

I can imagine sitting with my great-grandchildren around a campfire someday. “Tell us about the great social media wars, Grandpa!”

I’ll tell them all about the Flame Wars at the turn of the century when online discussion went from the realm of a few internet nerds into the pockets of every citizen.

I’ll tell them about the days when there used to be human moderators in message groups, and how they were replaced by nearly sentient AI that would attempt to police human speech but had no sense of sarcasm or humor.

I’ll tell them of the war wounds: all of the mean things people used to say on the internet. And with their wide eyes and scratchy voices, they’ll wonder with amazement at the cruel words, witty memes, and shamelessly hurtful insults that their great-grandfather witnessed and endured.

It sounds dramatic when we think of it now — the idea that the digital Wild West of the comment section would take up that kind of space in our cultural consciousness in the future. But if we look at the emotional investment that we as a people have sunk into the internet, we have to admit that it may look silly to generations to come.

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“Jesus didn’t call us to hide from hostility. He called us to be light in dark places.”

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Christianity and the internet are not incompatible. In fact, the digital mission field may be the most exciting time in history for Christians to be able to share their faith. As we have entered the age of the discovery algorithm, a small country church can post a clip of their sermon, shot on a cell phone, and if the algorithm is right, that clip can get served to tens of thousands of people across the globe overnight.

I know several young adults who, while scrolling TikTok or YouTube shorts late at night, found themselves down a rabbit hole of videos presenting the gospel. They gave their heart to Jesus and then stumbled into church for the rest of the story.

These stories galvanize us to boldly present the gospel with our social platforms.

You hit “post” with the right intentions. Maybe it’s a verse that encouraged you, a thought about grace, or an invite to your church. And then it happens. Someone shows up — not to learn, not to connect — but to tear down, mock, or pick a fight.

Hostility online isn’t new. But for believers stepping into this space to share their faith, it can feel deeply personal and discouraging. It’s not just disagreement — it’s venom. And if we’re not prepared, we either lash out or shut down.

Jesus didn’t call us to hide from hostility. He called us to be light in dark places. And that includes comment sections, message boards, and every other noisy corner of the internet.

So how do we show up well in this mission field without getting pulled into every argument or crushed by every insult?

When Evangelism Meets the Comment Section

For many of us, the idea that someone will disagree with us, hate us, or just dislike us is hard to accept, but Jesus warned us that there will be people who just simply don’t like you, and the God you represent. As Jesus sends out His disciples in Matthew 10, He warns them, “You will be hated by everyone because of me.”

The gospel itself is offensive, on its own, without any help from us. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…”

We know that this gospel isn’t foolish. We see what it’s done for us. But to someone who doesn’t have the good news, the good news is scandalous and offensive.

The message of sin, grace, and repentance and the message of love, sacrifice, and surrender flies in the face of human nature, and it offends selfishness, pride, and self-preservation without any of our own opinions or agendas being injected into it

With that in mind, we need to be careful that we don’t dirty the water with our own offenses. Our opinions, politics, and posture can also be offensive, and can also push people away from the gospel before they can even hear it.

If someone is going to push Jesus away and reject Him, I want it to be because of what Jesus said, not because of me.

The Persecution Complex: Seeking Hate for Validation

I hate to classify the mean words of an online troll as persecution, especially when Christians around the world are faced with the threat of death just for believing in Jesus. Especially knowing that in many places of the globe, simply believing in Jesus is illegal.

We need to temper our emotional reaction to the negative comments, and not assume that we are somehow persecuted, simply because someone felt the need to argue with us.

Sometimes I think people hear Jesus’ words — “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11) —  and then they look for opportunities to manufacture that blessing. Some Christians subconsciously seek the conflict in order to validate their faith. “If they hate me, I must be doing something right!”

1 Peter 4 spells out some of the reasons why faith in Christ is offensive. Peter addresses persecution and suffering in the life of believers, and then he says this: “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.”

Let’s make sure that our expressions of free speech online are not falling into the category of “meddling.” Let’s make sure that while we present the gospel, we are prepared that it can bring backlash, but let’s not invite controversy just for controversy’s sake.

Maybe it’s not that we’re being persecuted, but we’re just being jerks.

Don’t Feed the Trolls

The word “troll” has been used since the Usenet forums of the 1980s to describe someone who posts or comments something inflammatory or provocative.

When you share a short-form sermon clip, and it gets a nasty comment, or when someone turns a comment thread south (with a mean-spirited or divisive comment) these are the “trolls.”

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“It’s perfectly acceptable to end an unfruitful discussion. It’s not weakness; it’s wisdom.”

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There are often real people behind the usernames, and sometimes the things they write on the internet reflect how they really feel. Sometimes it’s a misguided cry for attention, or maybe even a misunderstanding that triggered a reaction. Sometimes they say mean things because of a twisted sense of humor.

We may feel a desire to respond, to set the person straight, or maybe even a desire to stay off the internet entirely to avoid such drama.

The solution though is simpler: Don’t feed the trolls.

Because we are in a time when discovery algorithms are showing your content to more people, who may not be connected with you, or your church, it means that your content might show up in front of people who are not interested or who are offended. That means it may attract some unwanted and inappropriate comments.

You don’t need to respond. If the comment is abusive, delete it. If the comment appears to be coming from a place of sincerity, you can answer it. But you do not have to do so.

Engage with someone who genuinely appears to be seeking the truth. If they appear to be causing trouble, just ignore, delete, or block them. It’s important to be able to recognize the difference between criticism, questioning, and provocation.

Jesus Set Boundaries

Jesus may not have had an Instagram account, but He certainly understood how to handle people who don’t truly want to engage. He gave His disciples some specific instructions for how to handle people who are not at all interested in engaging, but interested in entrapping and provoking.

He told His followers in Matthew 7 not to “cast pearls before swine.” In his instructions to the disciples as they went about preaching the gospel, if they weren’t received, “shake the dust off your feet” (Matthew 10:14).

When He was confronted by accusers, sometimes he responded to their questions, and often his responses didn’t answer them, but disarmed them.

It’s perfectly acceptable to end an unfruitful discussion. It’s not weakness; it’s wisdom.

Healthy Disagreement vs. Toxic Debate

Right now on social media, we’re seeing an interesting rise in apologetics. Wesley Huff is making his rounds on the podcast circuit, and debating well-known content creators about the authority of Scripture. Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle frequently show up on college campuses and have public debates with students and professors, and they skillfully defend the faith. These folks answer hard questions, challenge secular beliefs, and do so with integrity and intelligence.

Apologetics have their place. When folks are willing to listen and talk about their beliefs and opinions with respect, this kind of debate has the power to change minds and heart.

But it’s important to note that you will never argue someone into heaven.

Intellectual debates and theological, historical, and cultural knowledge of the Bible can change people’s minds and lead them to seek out the truth of Christ. But it’s not intellect that saves our souls. It’s a spiritual encounter with Jesus that makes the difference.

So we have to remember that as we engage, the goal isn’t to “win the debate.” The goal isn’t to “be right.”

The goal is to encourage someone to seek Jesus. If we approach a debate or argument with the goal of dominating the other person’s argument, they may miss the fruits of the Spirit. It’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.

Internet conversation makes it very difficult to communicate nuance and care. Comment threads carry no vocal tone, or facial expressions or body language. It’s easy to miss a heart of compassion when you do not have a relationship with a person, just their typed out comments. Sometimes, the hard conversations are best over a cup of coffee.

Curating Your Feed Like Your Life Depends On It

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

It’s up to you to determine what kind of content you allow into your life. As a Christian, many of us are thoughtful and careful about the music, movies, or television shows we consume. We need to take the same approach to our social media.

Social media algorithms are designed to show you more of what you engage with. If you’re constantly arguing with people, clicking on outrage content, or doomscrolling the world’s disasters, guess what your feed will look like?

It’s no wonder so many people walk around spiritually exhausted and emotionally triggered.

You don’t have to consume every opinion. You don’t have to follow every voice. If someone’s content consistently stirs up anger, fear, pride, or bitterness in you, then you should mute them. Unfollow. Take a break.

On some platforms, you can click the content that serves you, and say “Not Interested.” And if you take the time to “like” and comment on posts that you want to see, the algorithms will serve you more of that, and less of the toxic sludge.

Fill your feed with truth, encouragement, and voices that point you back to Jesus. The content you consume will shape the content you create. It will shape your witness. It will shape your heart. So curate your feed like your life — and your mission — depends on it.

Be Salt and Light … Not Gasoline and Fire

There’s a way to be bold and still be kind. A way to speak truth without setting everything around you on fire.

Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Grace first. Then salt.

Too many Christians forget the order. They come in swinging with all salt, no grace — and end up leaving people burned instead of blessed.

Yes, we’re called to speak truth. Yes, we’re called to confront lies. But if the way we deliver that truth doesn’t reflect the heart of Jesus, we’re missing the point.

People aren’t won over by insults. They’re drawn in by compassion. By humility. By love that doesn’t flinch at hard conversations but knows how to navigate them with care.

My mind is drawn to the internet meme, where a man is sitting on his laptop, and his wife asks, “Aren’t you coming to bed?” and the man replies, “Hold on; someone is wrong on the internet.”

It’s incredibly prideful to think that it’s our job to correct and rebuke every piece of content that is wrong. First of all, to assume that our own intelligence and interpretation is superior, and then to take on the burden of “comment police” is arrogant.

Not every argument is meant for you. It’s OK to let people be wrong.

So be salt. Be light. But don’t be gasoline.

The Long Game of Digital Witness

You never know who’s scrolling at 2 a.m., burned out on the world, wondering if there’s any hope left — and your video, your post, your quiet, thoughtful response might be the lifeline they didn’t know they needed.

I believe strongly that the 21st century church is in a unique place where we’ve been given the ability to communicate to the whole world at our fingertips. All of the information and resources we could ever imagine are in our pockets. Access to multiple Bible translations, books, and biblical commentaries is just one Google search away.

We should view this as a great and amazing opportunity to share our faith with the world.

But with this opportunity comes the dark side of the platforms. How we react could affect the very eternity of another. Our politics, opinions, and attitudes can budge in line ahead of the gospel if we are not careful. We can also get discouraged by the internet bullies, and then we stay silent in a platform that is truly primed for evangelism.

We don’t do this for likes or reposts. We don’t do it to win arguments. We don’t do it to be the loudest voice in the thread.

We show up because we believe Jesus still saves, still transforms, still meets people right where they are — yes, even through a phone screen. So don’t give in to the trolls. Don’t give up on the mission.

Keep showing up with grace. Keep pointing people to Jesus. Keep letting the Holy Spirit guide your words — and your silences.

You might not ever see the altar call, the repentant prayer, or the changed life of the person who your online conversations influenced. We’re planting and watering gospel seeds that will someday become a harvest.

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