Real Spirituality is Not Throwing Rocks

A woman named Marie e-mailed me the other day:

Just skipping around on the net and read some of your messages and the ones others sent you. Good job on keeping your cool with so many people responding in the tones that they did. If one could yell over e-mail, some of them were. It must be a bit discouraging...

Marie is right. Hollywood Jesus does get a lot of flames (hate-filled e-mail comments). Her comment got me to thinking about flames. And it seems to me that some people must measure their spirituality by the rocks that they throw. I checked over the e-mail for the last 5 days and found several examples of rock throwing "spirituality".

Here is one from a Christian:

HOW DARE YOU LET A STUPID WICCA POST A MESSAGE ON YOUR SITE. AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT AS A CHRISTIAN TO STAND UP FOR OUR ETERNAL ENEMIES (wicca, satanists, neo-pagans,ect..... ) IT WOULD BE LIKE A MUSLIM STANDING UP FOR A JEW OR DR DOOM AIDING THE FANTASTIC 4. WHAT MY POINT IS......THE DEVIL IS A LIER AND WOULD DO ANYTHING TO GET YOU TO TRUST IN ONE OF HIS RELIGIONS...NUFF SAID
PS. YOUR SITE IS RETARTED
(editor: No spelling or grammar changes)

And then I get this e-mail message from a Wiccan:

You know I get really p-ssed when people bash my religion. if you haven't, now you know.... to all you 'one god' people calling wiccans, pagens, ect. evil, I have one thing to say to you "bl-w me". people like you give us bad names. If you would just take the time to research tis stuff, you will see that all your little stario-typical belifs are all smashed in to the ground. Go and check your sorces before bashing other religions. If you can actually hold an intellangent conversation on this subject.
(Editor: No spelling or grammar changes)

I am sure neither mature Christians nor Wiccans would consider either letter as a good representation of their belief and practice. Nonetheless, it seems to me that people bashing is becoming more common. And may I say that real spirituality is not throwing rocks at other people who think differently.

Real spirituality is found in "loving one another." Disagreement in respectful discussion is wonderful. "Iron sharpens iron" the scriptures declare. But, disagreement via demeaning and hate filled words is just not cool.

The problem with rock throwing comments is that they tend to be polemic, exaggerated, and therefore untruthful and alienating. Ultimately they come off as foolish and angry. For example, I received this from a Christian named Marilyn in response to Pokemon:

Listen, David Bruce try to be guided by the Holy Spirit. You know the bible says" My people perish for lack of knowledge". Don't be infiltrating the minds of christians with trash. Watch out, for we live under the grace. God has his Holy Spirit ruling right now and it is because of that, that his wrath has not fallen on earth. Be very careful of what your saying and doing. DON'T PLAY WITH GOD YOU"LL REGRET IT. The only thing Disney promotes is PORNOGRAPHY, LESBIANISM. HOMOSEXUALITY AND WITHCRAFT. THAT FACT WILL NEVER CHANGE. IF YOU WOULD TRULY ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT HE WOULD GUIDE YOU AND OPEN YOUR BLIND EYES. (Editor: No spelling or grammar changes)

Exaggerated Flames (hate-filled e-mail comments) can also be racist, and dehumanizing. Here is an example of a misguided Christian who is angry at Hollywood and targets Jewish people.

This site should be called Hollywood Jews since they are the ones who control the movie industry in United States. Names like Eisner, Katzenberg, Speilberg, Geffen, etc. are some of the media moguls of Hollywood...and they are Jewish. What a coincidence ah? Isn't it America the Defender of Democracy, well then why don't you guys make sure that everyone has the right to express themselves. Why is it that one group has to rule what kind of information can be spread and what not? No wonder there's a lack of social sensitivity in your films and an evil portray of racial stereotype. They have the power of information, and nobody can say anything against it.

In terms of rock throwing "spirituality," I like the story of Jesus in John 8:1-11:

...Swarms of people came to (Jesus). He sat down and taught them. The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt. Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?" "No one, Master." "Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."

If "God so loved the world," then so should we!

What are your thoughts on this subject?