Posted by Jim Henderson on: 02.20.2006 /
I find this entire site and discussion very stimulating. On your person blog you asked Christians and atheists alike to offer a one word characterization about the other side. Some of the replies were honest, some were harsh. My question is, have you ever encountered a Christian whose character and manner of engagement with you challenged the preconceived notions you had about followers of Christ? If you have had such an experience I would find it very interesting to know what you learned about them and in what ways they seemed different than you expected. Thanks! Rick
Comment by: skikid
1Yeah~ Actually I met a couple of people who challenged (not activley) my ideas about what christians were. It was kind of like I thought the two choices were A) be athiest and accept all people, live and let live or B) Be Chirstian (or maybe a better word is a person of faith… i dont really know) and be all of those words. So on my own consicience I always choose A. Anyways I met some interesting people :) and over the course of a year or two there was option C. Boy oh boy did they throw a monkey wrnech in the way I thought the worlds works :)
Comment by: Megan
2I have read over this site and have known Hemant for a few years now. What I find the most amazing is the fact that Hemant has taken the time to at least be open to the ideas that God does exists. People for hundreds of years have argued over which faith is the correct one and who is right and who is wrong. To this day we still argue over that very topic. The thing that I give Hemant the most respect for is that when asked what he would do if on judgment day God told him he was going to hell for not believing in him. Hemant’s response was ” I will then have to go to hell for not believing in him.” To me that says he has never thought the idea was not possible just that he doesn’t have the prove he wants. I give him so much credit for that. I think that is the true meaning of being open minded. Something all of us should be more of. To Hemant - You will always have a friend in me for your constant openness and honesty.
Comment by: Rick
3Thanks skikid for the reply. I hope others will reply as well. And I hope Christians will reply to the same question - have you met atheists who surprised you by their engagement with you.
I remember a guy who used to write these letters to me when I was pastoring a church in his area. He would see phrases on our sign and write to criticize them. I always wrote back and thanked him and eventually suggested we grab lunch some time - with a promise of no God talk unless he brought it up. Eventually we had lunch and I found him to be a really nice guy.
I’ve seen similar things on this site - some of the things Hemant and skikid and siamang have written have been considerate and thoughtful and I have really appreciated them.
Rick
Comment by: Judy
4Megan wrote:
>> The thing that I give Hemant the most respect for is that when asked what he would do if on judgment day God told him he was going to hell for not believing in him. Hemant’s response was ” I will then have to go to hell for not believing in him.”
Comment by: Judy
5Respect Megan? What a foolish,ignorant and arrogant statement Hemant is making. I can’t believe the way you people are pussy footing around him. It seems to me that instead of paying some athiest to tell you about what all the churches are doing wrong, you should be on your knees seeking the God’s wisdom about how to recognize and reach those whose hearts are really seeking and open to Him.
Jesus admonished his disciples not to ‘cast your pearls before swine’ You all are tying them around his neck! (IMHO).
Comment by: Josh
6This is an interesting one…no man can save anothers soul…That is God’s job…our job is to lead them to the door, they make the choice whether or not to walk through it. This one thing i know…Hemant WILL get saved…that is all there is too it. Once you get a taste of God, you won’t be able to stop! I like how Chris Tomlin’s new song “indiscribable” describes God, “Indiscribable, uncontainable…all powerful, untameable”
Jesus is Lord!
Comment by: Dean
7Judy,
I know you mean well, but your post makes me cringe. How can anyone “hear” the message if there is no relationship of trust and respect built? From the tone of your post, why would Hemant or any other non-believer ever listen to what you have to say? They will write you off as someone who has lived up to their preconcieved ideas of Christ followers.
We have to get away from the idea of “telling” people what to believe - because I don’t want to be “told” either. How about if we walk alongside people. Respect them. Learn from them and their experiences. Allow our lives to speak through living what Jesus says instead of verbally and intellectually assaulting them.
Hemant’s response is intellectually honest. He does not believe in God and is simply saying that if he is wrong, then on that day, he’ll have to deal with it. Can’t we respect him for being honest?
Comment by: Siamang
8Wow, Judy, don’t sugar-coat it. Tell us what you really think. ;-)
So is it all atheists who are foolish, ignorant and arrogant, or just Hemnant?
To me, Hemnant is an honest seeker, as are most people I’ve met on this board. Because he hasn’t found what you’ve found, he’s hardly arrogant about it. He actually seems quite humble and honest.
Comment by: skikid
9I feel like this blog is really special. Its the only place that I have seen so much respect and listening between athiests and christians. It can be really hard to read things that I dont agree with and not want to jump back through my computer and just yell. That being said there is a difference between listening to someone and agreeing with them. I want to echo Dean and say that this site has given me both insight (into the “Evangelical Christian” world) and pause for thought. By learning from the people on this blog I am (I hope) a more accepting person and a lot less nervous of this group of people that I didnt undersatnd at all.
Comment by: Rick
10Kewl! Although I spare no words in my praise for the open minded christians, I would like to be conservative in my crique of Judy’s post espcially since I don’t think it would be a good idea to sour the conversation. All I want to say is that Judy’s post reminds me of the Trading Spouses episodes where Marguerite goes into her “Dark Sided” rant.
Search for “dark sided” in google and click the google video’s link that comes up. You’ll know what I mean. Please note, I am not generalizing. And I point it myself that she does not represent christianity.
Comment by: Rick L
11(Note I am adding my last initial to clarify since the post right above is from a “Rick”. I’m Rick L and I asked the Q that began this thread)
Skikid, I agree with you. Dropping in on this blog is becoming a highlight of my day. Thanks Jim for hosting it; Thanks Hemant for kick-starting it with your auction!
Comment by: Winn
12Judy,
You ended your comment (IMHO). Your opinion seems to me to be snide, calculating, mean spirited, foolish, ignorant and arrogant (oops those last three words are your words) along with acerbic, acid, acidic, acrid, astringent, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordacious, mordant, pungent, scathing, sharp, slashing, stinging, trenchant, and truculent. Your post was anything but HUMBLE. This kind of pietistic snobbery is not helpful. Well, that’s my not so HUMBLE opinion.
What’s amazing to me is that God even loves people with “suck attitudes.” Ooops, what was I thinking to write such a thing. I’m probably “casting my pearls before swine.
Comment by: Siamang
13Rick, that Dark Sided rant is amazing!
Just found it on YouTube. She GOES OFF!
Unfortunately I think that responding to Judy in kind, Winn, is just going to escalate her. I can’t imagine that she’ll be chastened by your rebuke.
I like your use of the word truculent, though!
Comment by: Tom in Sacramento
14Two comments.
Judy: Let me suggest that OTM is not aksing Hemant to approve or disapprove any church’s worship style. Instead, think of it as a marketing exercise. Jesus told us to convey His message. The content of that message should not change. But the packaging isn’t sacred. So what Hemant is doing for us is giving expert testimony on how our packaging looks to people unfamiliar with what we believe and why we do what we do. If it is true that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar, then Hemant is telling us how to be sweeter to the very people we want to listen to us.
For Rick L: I am reminded of a fellow I have only known on-line. When we first “met” he was either still a seeking atheist or else had just very recently decided that there might be something to this Christianity stuff. We corresponded at length and in depth. He asked me some of the hardest questions I’ve ever been asked. And as a result he forced me to examine my faith. I am eternally indebted to him for helping me to gain a new and profound appreciation for what God has done in Christ. I know enough people of the “atehistic persuasion” to know that they, like Christians, run the gamut from charming to sour, and from intellectually profound to, ummm, unconcerned about intellectual coherence. But I have found *seeking* atheists to be generally more open and deeper thinking and more intellectually rigorous than most of my Christian friends. I think it is often a more challenging road to walk.
My two bits.
Tom in Sacramento
Comment by: Rick L
15For Tom in Sacramento: Really? Is *that* what you are reminded of? (Hey readers - allow me to introduce my older brother Tom. I introduced him to the OTM site a day or two ago. You’re going to like him. He’s in Sacramento; I am in Houston. Except right now I am visiting our parents near Sac.) Tom, I know exactly who you are thinking of and our mutual friend would make a wonderful addition to the OTM community. I’ll suggest he drop in. -Rick L the Texan