Throwing Stones

I have been really thinking about this subject lately, in fact it was the topic of my rant in the most recent episode of Element: C3, which, if you haven't heard it yet, you should. Its awesome...


Anyway, I've been really struggling with this idea of people who throw stones and run away.

What I mean to say is, these people who are all about dominating you with their belief and wanting nothing to do with what anyone else has to say. I fall victim to their trap all the time, the stone thrower is looking for you to engage him (or her) in conversation so they can continue to play the broken record over and over, trying to convince you that you're wrong.

I really respect Rob Bell's response to criticisms that he's received from various people over his views on Christianity:

"Some people, no matter what you say, have a hardness of heart and aren’t going to change. Please be very, very careful who you engage with. Some people simply have questions, and simply want to discuss. Wonderful. But some people are miserable, and they use religion as a crutch to avoid dealing with their misery and their pain. And what gets masqueraded as Christian faith is not. And we need to be careful spending all sorts of energy engaging with people who don’t have any interest in coming along on the journey with us. I would ask you before you engage - and there’s nothing wrong with engaging - to perhaps ask, “Could I redirect the energy I’m about to spend towards somebody who’s never, ever heard that God loves them?” And let us be the kind of community who engages in the right kinds of discussions, but otherwise we’re too busy loving people with the transforming love of Christ to engage in the mudslinging that goes on. You are too valuable to me, and your time and your energy, you’re too valuable in our community to end up in some sort of theological kung-fu with somebody who ultimately thinks they’re right. There will always be Pharisees. God’s on the lookout for disciples.”

"There will always be Pharisees. God's on the lookout for disciples" I think that's awesome... Am I using religion as a crutch or am I using it as a powerful tool to discover the deeper meaning of life with others and within the teachings of Christ?