Imagine you are standing in an open space and two people are walking toward you.
One is running, an angry look on his face, his arms up and ready to attack. The other is walking, a calm look on his face, his arms open and ready to embrace.
Which do you think you'd go to?
Those that have read my blog at all have probably figured out by now that I am a practicing Catholic. I don't hide it. Most of you also probably know I keep a more personal blog that also shows my faith.
I moderate the comments on my personal blog (because it's personal), and today I received an email about a comment awaiting moderation. When I read the comment, I was shocked. It was quite long, and I won't post any of it here (or the source), but the post essentially accused me of being "of the world" instead of being of Christ, and the comment explicitly said that woman is the root of the evils in the world and that I am commanded to be silent, according to the Scriptures.
I deleted the comment and asked the blogger (nicely) not to post comments like that on my blog again. He emailed me and continued his rant, accusing me of being a member of a pagan religion and informing me he'll pray that I "see the light."
I was surprised that, in today's society, people can still be so closed minded that their attempts to bring people to their cause ends up sounding like hate-speak.
I was angry that people think comments like that actually work. Instead of trying to reason with me and share his faith, he attacked my faith and called me evil (not only me, but all women).
When people are attacked like that, they stop listening. And instead of me being interested in what he has to say, I have blocked his email address on my email account, and am completely turned off to his faith. Instead of "winning my soul," he drove me away.
I will pray that he'll realize that instead of sharing a faith of love and forgiveness, he's fostering hate and exclusion.
And I hope you will be the person with arms open for discussion, not raised to attack.
If he was spouting anything but hardcore, extreme right-wing Xianity, he'd be considered severely mentally ill.
ReplyDeletePeople like him are why I have a hard time standing with my arms open. After being run down and left a bruised pulp for eight bloody years, all the flower-power drained away and the stand-and-fight-back mentality came roaring up. My arms are still open - but there's a Smack-o-Matic in one hand, and it's spoiled for choice of targets.
You handled him with grace and compassion, which I'm afraid is far more than I could ever have managed. I admire you.