Of motes and beams

I read something today that bothered me a great deal. To begin with, I really dislike ad hominem attacks for many reasons, not the least of which is that such arguments are always logically fallacious. It is perfectly alright, even ideal, to disagree about issues to have honest dialogue, to debate, even to argue. To employ a cliche, we can disagree without being disagreeable. However, we never have the right to question, let alone to judge, another person's intentions or motives. I think it more fruitful, if at times difficult, especially during Lent, to focus on our own character flaws that result in moral and ethical lapses than to thank God we are not like any given tax collector. So, with regards to something I read about "the Clintons" it is not despite, but precisely because he is a sinner like I am that I accept Bill Clinton as a brother in Christ and have no doubt that Hilary Clinton, too, is a person with faith in Christ who obviously has a very Christian view of what it means to be married.

Again, as with my posts on Sen. Obama and the language of hope, this is not an endorsement, nor will there ever be a political endorsement on this blog. I will post honest questions, deal with issues, take issue with various positions that people take, etc. Once again, I look to my readers to hold me accountable, especially for any lapses of charity or civility.

As I never tire of reminding myself, as a Christian how I communicate is as important, if not more important, than what I seek to communicate. I certainly do not communicate Christ by being condemnatory, nothing could be more contradictory to the life of our Lord, especially of those who were made vulnerable and subject to judgment by their obvious moral failings: the tax collector, the Samaritan woman, the woman taken in adultery, the woman who washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, Zacchaeus, the list goes on. It seems that Jesus had little or no patience with those in a hurry to condemn: Go ahead and throw the first rock in the confidence that your skeletons are safely locked away and secure in your closet. Man, I thought I was bad, but did you see what he did!? Perhaps we're better off praying the prayer of the tax collector: "O God, be merciful to me a sinner."