1 - The Ex-Evolution Professor
The Testimony: "I was lecturing my class on the foolishness of believing in God when one handsome student stood up and proved my every argument wrong with different quotes from the book of Genesis! My Ph.D. in Biology was useless against his rhetoric - I joined the church choir the following Sunday.
Why you never hear it: It's not true. It never happened. And it's not going to happen. No one ever became a Christian because they were publicly humiliated by a Believer. The world of biology is laughing at the ludicrous claims made by creationists, and shoving those tired apologetic fallacies down people's throats is just going to get you laughed at.
See? Jesus rode on a T-Rex! Now you have to be a Christian!
2 - The Internet Victim
The Testimony: I was on 4Chan making fun of Twilight and Justin Beiber when suddenly another anonymous user began to ask me if I was a Christian. I told him I didn't believe in God, but then he said, "The Bible says 'the fool has said in his heart there is no God.'" I went to the church right away and joined their softball team.
Why you never hear it: You must be really out of touch if you think that griping at people will convert them to anything. I know people who gripe at me because I don't like bagels, but every time they yell at me for walking past Einstein Bros. I just get more resolved not to go in (let it go, people - I'd rather eat donuts!). Arguments are not won by griping, and important decisions about religion are not made for people in this way.
3 - The Shame Cycle
The Testimony: It was no big deal at first. My Christian neighbors told me I was living in sin a few times and I just ignored it. But it kept happening. Eventually, I began to feel guilty about my long hair and my heavy metal music. I tried to ignore it, but I felt a twinge of guilt every time they told me that Metallica makes God cry. After a few years of their judgmental and condescending emails I realized that they were right and have only listened to Bill Gaither ever since.
Why you never hear it: There are people who have gotten it into their heads that the best way to show someone God's love is to hate them and treat them badly. This is supposed to help, but it doesn't resemble Jesus' ministry and it does no good. You can't shame someone into a conversion. It's never happened.
Unless you're a fan of the Spanish Inquisition...
Did you come to your religious convictions through someone's rude attitude? Most convictions come through life experiences that are very personal - and you can't force that by arguments and hatred. You must respect a person's own search for Truth while seeing to your own devotion. Supposedly, Native Americans were once forced at gunpoint to walk through rivers in order to be "baptized," and that's what we resemble if we get pushy over our faith. We must be better than that.
6 comments:
We must be eating the same thing for breakfast. I was considering a post on ethnocentrism in our culture.
Of course, it would have touched on this idea but been a little more general. I must agree with your post completely.
I would also note that attempting to prove people's beliefs/disbeliefs wrong through fuzzy logic will never work either, unless the subject is extremely stupid.
4. The Christian Mocker
The Testimony: I love making fun of Christians; they're such idiots! One day, I met another Christian who made fun of Christians, too. Then, I realized that making fun of stupid Christians is what smart Christians do, so I must already be a Christian! From that day forward, I've been a Christian!
Why you never hear it: Believers are called to love each other. This doesn't mean that criticism is unacceptable, but it does mean that self-righteousness, even if it is from the more tolerant left is incompatible with love for Christ's bride. And that witness wins no one.
Such a beautiful post Adam...especially the idea of "hating" people into the Kingdom...what craziness is in some people's head to try and win converts that way!
obclhorn,
Unless I'm wrong, your comment takes issue with my approach. I wish to correct poor evangelical approaches and I do it with a sense of humor. Although, I'm not really sure what your post is saying.
Do you think I'm part of the Christian left? As in, you think I'm a Democrat? I'm a strong Libertarian, for the record.
Not your approach, since for me to do so in the way I did would amount to the height of hypocrisy, as you would no doubt agree.
Now, perhaps I read my own biases into your post, or more accurately read your post against my biases, but I think that there's a tendency for those on the left end of Christianity, which is not the same as the political left but rather simply the term that I use to refer to the more... hip, if you will, segment of Christianity which tends to critique the evangelical, to look down our noses at the evangelical, big-box Christians.
While I think the criticism is merited, I think we should be more careful in the way that we do it, so that those criticized would perceive it as longing.
And I think the middle paragraph is the longest "sentence" I have ever written.
Actually, those forms are worse than you mention. I left Christianity for a 10 year romp of 'I can do it myself' because of method 3. I briefly dated a high and mighty type in college who accused me of not doing what God wanted by allocating my time to a social club and my studies rather than a full Young Life counselor. I was so hacked by his thinking he knew best that I decided to go it alone, spiritually speaking.
Great blog, btw.
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