On Monday I wrote about the latest problems of Mel Gibson. The piece received a fair amount of response. Most, I think it’s fair to say, was positive as readers agreed with my basic contention that the controversial actor/director is in need of prayers and compassion and not condemnation (though his words and behavior have been atrocious).

I did receive some criticism though for a particular line in the post. Mark Mallet may have articulated the criticism best when he wrote:

Mr. Kennedy wrote:

“…religious conservatives are often hypocrites and just plain
nasty characters. That’s true enough — and not a point I would really
dispute.”

It’s kind of ironic that Mr. Kennedy takes the time to point out Mr.
Gibson’s racist rants… while at the same time making an equally
harmful and discriminatory statement of “religious conservatives.”

And what is a religious conservative? Someone who stands by what
they believe without wavering? Who does not compromise when the rest of
the world’s morality drifts like a log on the ocean? Is this conviction
what he means by “legalistic dogma” — beliefs that are based in moral
absolutes?

I, then, am a “religious conservative”. I commend Mr. Kennedy’s
sense of compassion and approach to Mel Gibson who, he rightly points
out, has fallen tragically off the rails. But all the “compassion” and
“love” in the world cannot put out the flame of truth. Love and truth
are like two lungs, or the left and right side of a brain. Something
suffers terribly when one or the other is missing. Unfortunately, it
seems Mr. Kennedy’s good heart has mistaken some truths to simply be
“legalistic dogma” or downright “nasty.”

But truth is always loving, even when it’s hard. Some religious
conservatives are indeed nasty. But many, like John Paul II or Mother
Teresa, are beautiful souls that bring light into the darkness. I think
it is better to throw labels away and simply recognize that the problem
today is not religion, but individual hearts who commit evil while
carrying the banner of religion

Let’s not cut down the whole tree when it’s one or two or branches that need to be pruned.

Back to me now.

Actually, I agree with Mark. But I don’t retract my comment. I’d simply like to clarify it. When I wrote that “Gibson is well-known as a more conservative than the Pope Catholic
and his most recent outburst was cited as evidence that religious
conservatives are often hypocrites and just plain nasty characters” I chose to concede the point rather than challenge it because I was on my way to larger ones, specifically that it isn’t fair to judge all believers (conservatives or not) by the actions of a few and that when one stumbles (as Gibson has) compassion and understanding is a more productive response than condemnation.

I would note that the same could be said of liberal Christians, leaders of other faiths and secular icons as well. Every one of these groups contains the normal mix of true idealists, sanctimonious phonies, lunatics and those who really want to good but stumble along the way. All of them (us) fall under the broader category which is humanity.

We come to this world and develop differing perspectives. I kind of think that’s how God intends it. If we can avoid judging each other and start listening to each other, we may just be able to (with His help) balance those perspectives and figure a way through of some of the daunting issues that face us.

That’s how the media can serve the society (as opposed to the egos of those privileged to be given a voice in it).

While I totally believe in freedom of speech (including nasty, vile speech), it is not the best use of that freedom to use the media as a launching pad to hurl epithets at those with the audacity to hold views different from our own.  And those stones are hurled from the right and the left, from the religious and from the secular.

Basically, my point is that I am sick and tired of nastiness in general — no matter who it’s coming from.  I’m tired of every individual public fall being used as an excuse by people with one agenda or another to pile on and link that fall to everyone with whom they disagree.  I could come up with a very lengthy list of such examples from both sides of the liberal/conservative divide but it would be both time consuming and counter-productive.

And, for the record, I’m not a moral relativist. I do believe in an objective right and wrong that comes from God.  But the key to doing God’s will is love — not religious legalism.  I think that was Jesus’ point when He told the Parable of the Good Samaritan:

Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he
fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat
him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going
down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other
side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed
by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the
man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and
bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on
his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day
he took out two silver coins [Greek: two denarii]
and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I
return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell
into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who
had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

 Luke 10:30-37, New International Version

If my previous post inadvertantly seemed to tag conservatives as being
meaner than other people, that was not my intention. It’s not, in my
view, the case. They’re not necessarily nicer than other people either.
They’re just people who are, for the most part, just trying to find
their way and do the right thing. The same can be said for liberals and
everyone in between.

So, I thank those who wrote called my attention to a possible miscommunication on my part.  But the thrust of what I had to say holds.  Can’t we all just be kinder to each other?