Throwing Stones

When I was a young Christian who had never faced many temptations I found it easy to frown on people who fell into temptation. When I learned that someone I had believed to be righteous was guilty of adultry, I was horrified and judgmental. Mother sat me down and said, "No one can honestly say they would not give into the sin someone else gave into until they have really been tempted to do so, and not given into the temptation. It is easy, when you've never lusted, to say you'd never commit a sexual sin, because until you are in love, and hormones are running high, and you want to know the touch of a person you've never been tempted, and you've never had to overcome that temptation. Be careful that you don't judge someone based on what you think you would in that situation." Then she showed me the story of the woman caught in adultry.

I've been thinking about that a lot.

Who among us really think we have the right to throw stones?

 

And just why have you been thinking about that alot??? Is there something more that you are not saying here???

 

Billy Mac,

My, what an interesting leap you make to trying to start rumors and gossip.

The reason I have been thinking about it is the judgmental attitude I see from some people (you for instance) on this board.

I wonder if people like you would be throwing stones that day.

 

TS,

Don't look now, but I think you just threw a few stones yourself.

Joseph Botwinick

 

I say, speak the truth in love. The point would be to assist, not to judge.

 

Peter cut off a man's ear.

Moses, Paul and David killed a man. Jesus siad, "Let him who is without sin . . ."

 

Stefan,

Right On!

Joseph Botwinick

 

My mother taught me not to throw stones when I was a child.

 

WHOAAA! Thanks for your vote of confidence. I have long supported you and emailed my support and now you attack me as if I had some reason for my assumption. I was thinking that someone here might be throwing stones at you. Again you sorely disappoint me. If you have had these concerns in the past why haven't you addressed them to ME??? Why do you bring it all out on the open forums??? Again, thanks for your confidence. I didn't deserve that.

 

Remember folks. . . keep the stones on the ground. . .

 

You know....... it was SKY who spoke of teaching in love wasn't it??? Love me not this way.... thank you very much.

 

Joseph and Stefan,

I agree both your comments - to a point.

I shouldn't have "snapped back."

What I should have done, was rebuke in a loving way.

I gave an honest answer. I just didn't phrase it with love.

So, how DO you correct the kind of thing Billy Mac did in a "loving" manner?

The fact is - there is a very, very high probability that Billy Mac was actually hoping I had some "great sin like adultry" to confess.

At least, that's how his comment came across to me. Not, "Is there something on your mind," or "what prompted this," but an "eagerness" to his phrasing that suggested he was "onto something good."

For the record, BillyMac, nope. No adultry or lust to confess.

The fact is - I consider Billy Mac's post to me to be proof of exactly what I'm talking about.

There are some people on this board who are very, very mean spirited and who really want to tear down instead of build up.

I congratulate you Stephan, for building up.

I wish more people followed your example.

For the record people - Tearing down fellow believers is wrong.

It is always wrong.

It is never correct, never justified.

Christ never endorsed it, encouraged it or approved it.

EVEN correction is supposed to be done in love.

And no Christian should ever, as Billy Mac did, come across as "hoping to catch someone in a sin."

 

P.S.

You might want to look at the poll results.

Apparently, some folks on this board DO think they could and should throw stones.

 

TS,

Here is what works for me:

1. Never assume that your interpretation of someone elses post is always exactly what they meant, especially if it is not explicitly said. This is one reason that you see me ask lots of questions for clarification all the time.

2. I find it important to follow the Biblical instructions of reconciliation: If you apprach a brother / sister in love in private first, the result is more likely to be positive. I also try not to allow my subjective emotions to cloud the objective realities. I sometimes fail at this, but find that when I do follow the Bible, the outcome is more positive.

Joseph Botwinick

 

She has just lost a friend who supported her from the time she came back to the boards to the present day. People have been throwing stones at SKY and I have taken up for her time after time after time. In fact, I took up for her on a thread not long ago that was very similar a charge that she now accuses me of. But she's lost a friend with those harsh words now. Never again SKY. I am deeply offended.

 

All of the threads I have churned up from the deep illustrates my support for SKY. They are:
My own Ninevah, Do you know you are a sermon in shoes?, Gossipers?, Stand Up For Jesus, What would you do if ......., Opinions Please, and finally Throw Stones.

But she refuses to see it that way as evidensed by a PM I just received back from her.

I told her recently that if I could add TexasSky to my Favorites I would. I have encouraged her throughout.

But now I am done with it. I have been falsely accused and she is standing on it regardless of what I say.

Btw, one of those posts of support in one of those theads...... the first one I think..... (My Own Ninevah) speaks to her about how she "read" intent in a post. It's apparent here that she hasn't learned a thing. She is still misinterpreting intent.

 

To BillyMac,

When I read your initial post, I was unsure as to what you meant. TexasSky's interpretation was not obviously out of the realm of possibility. I think the problem was an initial lack of clarity. Many times I've suffered the same problem.

You have clarified your intent, and that solves the issue.

To TexasSky,

I understand how you could have thought BillyMac's post was hostile. Understandably, you felt offended (a natural reaction to the interpretation you saw). Your reaction post seemed like it may have been defensive and hostile in response.

---------
To both,

Each of you were in a situation in which you had normal reactions to percieved hostility. The problem with perception on the internet is that we have no non-verbal cues to substantiate our theories.

Hey, we've all misinterpreted, have been misinterpreted, or have reacted more strongly than we should have. Why not forgive?

 

Thank you Stefan for your intervention. I was hoping someone would try to bring some balance here. I have tried here and via PM to bring reasoning and closure here, but have been rebuffed both places. I have also closed my PM to her. If there is to be any further discourse it will have to be out here in the open.

One more time I will say: TexasSky I am sorry that you interpreted my post the way that you did. It was NOT my intent for you to interpret it that way and I would never accuse you of that as you have explained it. But this too goes deeper than that as you have accused me of things that I don't understand; of being judgmental. I don't understand where unless it was where I was defending you. Until now I have had the deepest respect for you and done all I could to encourage you onward.

 

Message boards are an imperfect medium for communication. It is easy to misinterpret others and read into things that aren't there.

TexasSky, BillyMac meant well.

 

There's a great song by The Griffiths (www.TheGriffiths.org) called "Houses of Glass". The lyrics go something like this:

"When the world's throwing stones,
At a brother who's down,
In Christian love let's restore,
The one on the ground

The Word says we're judged,
With the judgment we've shown,
Even clean hands are soiled,
Digging dirt for a stone.

How can we throw a stone,
From a house made of glass,
When the mirror's reflecting,
The faults of our past,
For if we stood without sin,
We'd throw the first stone that's cast,
So you are forgiven,
For we are all living,
In houses of glass."

I've always heard that people in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. I said that to my little boy once and he said "They also shouldn't walk around in their underwear".