hellfire and blogstone

Recently Elaine has gotten some hate mail, (or in Christian circles should it be judgment mail, or you're-going-to-hell mail). I got one of those earlier in the month. I guess we have both arrived as bloggers now.

I have found it difficult to practice the principle of not resisting evil. When I was dealing with a guy who misinterpreted my intentions and beliefs and assumed he knew me, I refrained from engaging him, but I secretly relished the posts that came to my defense.

When Elaine is told she is going to hell for being a minister, something God has called her to do, I was restless until I put some thoughts down in the form of a comment. (Literally restless. I was trying to take a nap - no go.)

I said:

I am afraid not, you have done what is required by the Koran, not the Bible. The Koran declares that we are so responsible for our brothers that we must censure them for their incorrect beliefs and behavior, this can range from reproof to insult, to the radical islamist’s suicide bomb. The New Testament gives quite a different requirement. The law of love.
Jesus commanded us not to judge, for we are then in danger of being judged with the same measure. He also says that we cannot try to remove a speck from our brother’s eye and ignore the plank hanging out of our own eye. I am afraid that sjonss has allowed a black and white fundamentalism to become a 2X4 hanging from her eye. She’s become blind to the law of love and decided to take the roll of the Holy Spirit upon herself.
It is the Holy Spirit who has the responsibility to convict of sin. We are forbidden to take his job from him. And there’s good reason. God’s ways are higher than ours, his thoughts are greater. As much as it comforts fundamentalists to think they understand God and his ways, they cannot. For man sees the outside of a man, but God judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Her detractor replied,

Chris,
wait! If I cannot judge, then neither can you! I’m judging redhead, but you are judging me. Are you being a hypocrite? Yes, I think you are.

Ok fair enough. With the measure I judged, I have been judged. Am I a hypocrite? Sometimes. Am I a sinner? Yup, saved by a pretty powerful grace.

It is so hard to sit back and let evil attack, especially when it is in the name of the God I adore. These arguments with black-and-white fundamentalists make me sick. I don't know why I get drawn into them. Is it pride? Is it a sense of trying to correct those who would correct me?

Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen