Posted by Mike O on: 02.15.2007 /
I met a very interesting man this week. Ivan is a refugee from Liberia. He lives in town here with most of his family (his wife and one child are still in the refugee camp in Liberia, awaiting their chance to come to America.) His is a Christian. He was very outspoken about his faith, but there was something about it … a sincerity … that made him very appealing.
The whole time we were talking, I was thinking about what atheists would think about him if they were sitting in my spot instead of me. And I really think you would have liked him. I could be wrong, but somehow I didn’t find him offensive at all. He used tons of Christianese. He was very passionate about his beliefs. But he was still somehow not off-putting about it.
It could be that I wouldn’t know the difference, seeing as how we’re likeminded individuals. But there was a sincerity and a grace about him that I’m having trouble putting my finger on.
Part of it could be that his foreign-ness made him interesting. It could be that his background made his views understandable. But one thing I noticed was that regardless of how passionately he believed what he was saying, he didn’t seem to care if people believed him. He definitely wanted to tell people about Jesus, and does. But I think he gives people the room to disagree without pushing himself on them. He definitely wasn’t lukewarm about his faith, but at the same time he had a graciousness about him.
I’m curious as to how an atheist would respond to a man like Ivan. I really liked him.
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Comment by: Ir (Helen)
1 02/15/07 11:49 AM | Comment Link |Mike, I find people from other countries interesting because of their different life experiences.
It wouldn’t put me off talking with someone like Ivan, that he is a Christian with a strong faith, who talks in Christianese, unless he began to push me about not sharing his faith.
It would be interesting if you were present when Ivan talked to an atheist, to see how it went. Because I don’t think your conversation with Ivan would necessarily show you how he’d interact with an atheist, since you aren’t one.
Comment by: Mike O
2 02/15/07 5:34 PM | Comment Link |I was thinking the same thing.
Comment by: David S
3 02/15/07 6:07 PM | Comment Link |I don’t know about Ivan but sometimes when I’m with someone very associated with their faith, I don’t feel like I’m with the actual person. This is probably awful to say but it’s can be sort of like invasion of the body snatchers or the Borg or something… it’s like the person conforms in so many ways to some external ideal that I know I won’t be meeting the human that lies beneath.
This effect is stronger with some religions (e.g. Mormons) than others.
Comment by: Karen
4 02/15/07 6:37 PM | Comment Link |I’ve had the same feeling. Particularly when there’s a lot of religious jargon (”Christian-ese”) involved.
Comment by: Siamang
5 02/15/07 7:05 PM | Comment Link |You know, it doesn’t even have to be religion. I’ve had it happen when discussing politics. If you can predict the exact things someone’s going to say even though you’ve never talked to them before… man it’s scary!
You just wanna knock on their forehead and say “hey, is there a person in there?!?!”
Comment by: Latoque
6 02/16/07 5:22 AM | Comment Link |I should think a reaction would depend soley on the particular atheist in question. Some don’t care what religion other people are or whether they talk about it much. Others will quickly tire of the Christo-speak and change the subject or just walk away.