For example, here are two comments posted after an article on words banned from public schools that elides into a discussion of the elimination of the word "sin" from public discourse and even by some pastors. It was not a news article per say, but simply a commentary on the writer's observations as well as a fairly forthright discussion of salvation by grace.
First commenter: This post is an excellent argument for ensuring the word “sin” is purged from our public school curriculum. Sin, salvation, grace and hellfire have absolutely no place in our public schools."
The response: [The person above] is a sinner who is going to hell to suffer eternal seperation from God if he does not accept the salvation that God graciously offers to us all. No amount of denying or changing the words used will change the truths they describe.
I am not saying that what commenter #2 said is not true. Perhaps it is. We cannot know the condition of someone's heart by one comment we disagree with. However, even if we know for certain it is true, is it appropriate at that time to write that comment in that way? Are those words written in that way going to convince the first commenter of his need for a Savior? And to the topic at hand, is it going to convince him to rethink his views about the words used in public schools? If I were the first commenter, that comment would convince me even more about what I had written. That is just me though. Perhaps it might just be what he needs.
I see comments and even whole blogs like this all the time and it drives me nuts! About half of these are written with more harshness, disrespect or even anger and are often written grammatically incorrect and irrationally or unfounded. This drives me crazy! How is this going to draw someone to Christ whose ire is already raised by what was written in the original article or post?
Dont' get me wrong. I do not believe in watering things down to make them sound more tolerable and less offensive with regard to the gospel. However, I believe that there is a time and a place and a way to talk about it that is more likely to draw someone to Christ rather than push them away and make them more convinced of what they already believe.
I've experienced first hand how our response can make a difference to someone hostile to the gospel. One of the professors that I worked under as a GRA while I was in grad school was an atheist and seemed to find pleasure in trying to disprove and bring down all manner of religion, especially Christianity. This was much of the focus of his intro level World History class. I was appalled at how some of the students who professed to be Christians responded! I cringed! Many of them spoke in anger (the prof's words stirred anger in me as well), often shouting completely from emotion, showed they had a weak foundation of understanding and were unable to articulate themselves and their beliefs intelligently (this professor was brilliant). Oftentimes I left the class more frustrated at what the Christians had said than at the professor. I could see him mentally and visibly blowing these students off.
However, he would listen to me. He said he respected me on an intellectual level because I was a grad student (though I felt completely inferior to him intellectually) and I had his ear. But I think also it was because, after seeing his response to the other students, I tried to respond to him respectfully, calmly (though his intelligence greatly intimidated me, and I was boiling inside at times by some of his comments to the class) and rationally instead of with my emotions. (Also extremely difficult. I cried later!) After class I would share my thoughts with him and some crazed student would butt in and shout scripture with a hateful tone and go off on some irrational tangent. Instead, I tried to really think about what the prof had been saying and what I wanted to say in response and have something to back me up whether from the Bible or history or both. He had little respect for the Bible but still appreciated that I at least knew where things were in the Bible that answered what he had been discussing. He would listen to me. Not only that, he shared more deeply with me what he really believed from which I found his atheistic tendencies were more fragile than he portrayed to class. He was sincerely curious about my faith and the mission work I had done. He invited me to have more discussions with him after class about these things. Often times he baffled me to the point that I could not give an answer but he was okay with that as opposed to me trying to save face somehow. Even though sometimes he made me so upset by his comments in class, I grew to appreciate his personality and to respect his intellect. I think this made a difference as well. As I prayed for him and his family, my compassion for him also grew.
I write all this to say that we as followers of Christ need to be bold and courageous and forthright but we need to be wise and speak or write our words in a timely manner, prayerfully, calmly, respectfully, without sarcasm or exaggeration, intelligently, with foundation (if the need for news or historical facts are involved) and with love and grace (even if we are angry). This, I think, will do far more to gain the ear of someone and draw them to Christ. If you are a follower of Christ, let it be known not just by the words you speak or write but also by the way in which you do so. I myself am highly opinionated (in case you didn't know!) and quick-tempered so this is often a challenge for me and requires much prayer! God has been challenging me lately to be more quick to listen and to be much more careful with my words.
"Let you speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to respond to each person." Col 4:6 (Think of the role of salt in food - it makes it more flavorful, enjoyable and palatable.)
" If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all the mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." I Cor. 13:1-2
