Religion matters...


Doesn't it?


I mean, where your spending eternity, who your spending it with, and HOW your spending it matter alot right??


but...
How about them hats?


Or the color red?


Or (as in a recent "discussion") whether or not the peace sign is a satanic symbol??


And is ignorance of the biblical viewpoint on these matters an excuse for the extreme amount of hostility we see in the church today??


Where do we draw the line between being a loving corrector, a jugdemental self-righteousness hypocrite, and a spiritual doormat for our peers?


it's a question I've been pondering as I study the character of our (my?) saviour-


Why did he spare the Adulteress - yet condemn the Pharisees?


we all know the scenario-


Hypocritical judge mentors vs. Innocent(wait a minit) defenseless housewife


8:1 Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.


(note this it seems important)


 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.


(Okay TIRED joke, but it bears repeating- where was the guy?? These people aren't interested in this woman's soul and they aren't hurting for her husband either.
Whatever, this woman is guilty and everybody knows it)


 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?


(Theres the pitch!!)


 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.


(This is almost as if Jesus needed a slight break to himself,
or this whole thing was so ridiculous he reverted to a state of child-likeness for a moment)


 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.


(Nag nag nag nag NAG, these people were starting to mess up his sand drawing!! still, its a good quote, and "cast the first stone" calls up about 262,000 results  on Google compared to the 123,000 that comes up when you search that overused Beam/splinter quote)


 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.


(Cue the Jepordy music!)


 9 And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.


(Ok, now that we've dealt with all those people who really had no business being involved in the first place we can get down to the judgement!!)


 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord.(duh) And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.


WAIT!!! so NOONE got stoned?? 
obviously, the only one in a position to punish her was Jesus,
AND she was guilty
AND He's the God of judgement
AND nowhere does it say she apologizes to her husband!!
I dont think the worthiness of her accusers changed her crime in Jesus's eyes...
Yet somehow, I do??
one thing I know is she deserved to be stoned-- but she wasn't.
and what sort of precedent should we take from this if any??


(I'm asking way more questions than I'm answering here and I think thats ok, because I don't know and how I decide these answers for myself will determine how I deal with gross immorality in my day to day.)


I know, I know! another open-ended post lol, but this time I at least got you a second opinion!!
(or Technically first, QUIT NAGGING ME!!)

I believe it is because:


1. He is the one forgives sin when one is repentant.


2. At that point she was at His mercy and He caused those who were going to kill her to leave. 
At that point she was beholden to Him for He had saved her life. 
He told her either you straighten up or you will pay
(Go and sin no more).


As far as I can tell Jesus will condemn those He never knew to outer darkness (even those who claim to do might works in His name but are as ravening wolves. aka many mainstream tv evangelists)


I think we get the false impression that Jesus was this happy go lucky guy that loved everyone.


I personally believe He would have said to the adulteress not to sin anymore in a commanding tone. 
Granted He did say He forgave her, but that was because there was nobody accusing her. 
The evil men had seen their own unworthiness to accuse her because they themselves were not washed by the blood (or a sacrifice at this point for the law was not gone yet).


btw, it is also could also be slightly possible someone lured her into that situation just to trap Jesus.