Monday morning I was doing some work around the church, and noticed a man sitting on some nearby steps. I immediately recognised him as someone who loves to make controversial statements about Christianity.
In recent months he has told me:
- Jesus never rose from the dead
- Jesus was just a man
- Men wrote the Bible, not God
- And there’s no heaven or hell
After a few minutes, he called me over and we started talking. And of course he began saying incredibly blasphemous things just trying to get me angry.
But I didn’t respond…….
It wasn’t because I didn’t want to, but I knew from experience this man had no interest in understanding Gods truth. He just wanted to start an argument.
So instead of arguing with him, I changed the flow of the conversation itself.
As he listed sin after sin every Christian commits (among them racism, oppression, and brainwashing) I calmly turned and asked him, “am I a racist?” He immediately responded “no not you John,” and then continued explaining how every Christian takes part in these sins.
The flaw in his logic is painfully clear, if ALL CHRISTIANS are racist, then obviously I would have to be! Yet he knew FOR A FACT that I wasn’t.
Two more times he started in on his blasphemous talk…..and two more times I pointed out how foolish it was since I didn’t do the things he was listing.
Normally I don’t mind getting in conversations like this, but I don’t with him because he refuses to listen. He just wants to start an argument and yell about the sins of Christians.
Walking up a hill yesterday a man began to very loudly shout how religion is the source of all violence and slavery. Interestingly, he decided to shout this while walking beside me 🙂
Again I walked silently beside him listening as he went on and on about the blasphemous acts of Christians. After a while, I turned and calmly asked if I had any slaves. “Yes!” He told me, “because you enslave the people of the church”! I smiled, told him they all came on their own free will, and asked if he’d ever come to the church.
Of course he hadn’t.
There is nothing wrong with apologetics. But when someone with a hardened heart just wants to argue, the wisest thing we can do is keep walking.
Johnhwilburn.org 