Christianity? vs. Intolerance?

I'm going to post a rather long piece tonight. Most of you know that I am a Christian. My life goal is to spread the Gospel of Christ to whomever I come in contact with. I prefer to establish some sort of relationship with the person before sharing that Gospel.

One of my friends, who reads this blog, wrote what I thought to be an interesting piece on Christianity, Atheism, Worldviews, and Intolerance. I will post it here, then post my reply, then her reply to my reply. Everything is verbatim, with the slight exception of some sensitive material which she asked me not to post, and is reproduced with her explicit permission.

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A friend sent this to me. Watch it, then I'd like to say a few words. I welcome your thoughts and opinions. But please, hear me out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piuoGb-Nhfw&feature=related.

I received an amusing anecdote this evening. The plot was obvious and I knew the punchline, but I laughed nonetheless. My gut reaction was 'What was the professor's name? The student's name? Sorry, but this is only a witnessing tool, not a true event.' But that's all right, a thing like this doesn't have to be true, it doesn't even have to be just a witnessing tool.

The video says it's intended to make you think. It did make me think. Think about how people don't stand up against views they feel are wrong. Which inevitably lead to me thinking about why a person feels their view is the “right” view. And about people who feel their view is the ONLY “right” view.

Stubborn judging of right and wrong is what creates tragic malice between men. It manifests in prejudice, hate crimes and wars. It's bigger than religion and non-religion, it is everything man can have an opinion about. Race, sexuality, creed, philosophy, which was the better Enterprise captain on Star Trek. It is an inability to imagine the Other, an inflexibility of the heart and mind. It is easy to cling to what you know, to shout it until you believe it, but that won't enhance your heart. What is infinitely harder, and truly character building is to sacrifice just one of your views; even for a moment, to imagine the other side of an argument.

Seemingly Irrelevant Example:
I love Picard, I would follow him to the edge of the time and space. But there are merits to Kirk, though it's hard to imagine what they are most days, and harder to begin admit them. But there are merits, and it's that small gesture of trying that makes the difference. To prove this example isn't the shot in the foot it feels like.... Kirk was a better independent thinker than Picard. Picard let his crew do a lot of the problem solving, but Kirk would come up with a tenacious plan on his own and go at it gung-ho. Resisting the urge to delete that last line.... this doesn't mean I'm a traitor, just...accepting...Picard likes open mindedness!..... okay, I can live with this. Moving on.

Weak people, like the professor, feel vindicated and "right" and faithful, because they were loudest. (I would argue the professor's atheism is equally a faith because he must convince himself of his views and beliefs just as diligently as someone who worships a god. But the intollerance of this particular video is a discussion for a later time.) Whereas people like the student who take a quiet, but sure stand are the most convincing and most touching. Insecure people shout. Strong people act.

Sadly, the student in the story botched that profound and rare moment of quiet faith by becoming the professor. By pushing Jesus on his fellow students just as the professor had pushed Atheism on them.

So, no one in the story grew for the events that happened. No one tried to imagine the other side of the argument. The twenty years worth of students were too cowardly to go against what is being shouted at them. The professor didn't learn, because when faced with opposition he ran instead of being open to growth. And the stubborn student learned nothing because he became the professor. Sad yes, but remember, it's a witnessing tool. You aren't supposed to notice the hypocrisy. The good news is we can learn from these fictional character's mistakes and do our best to grow.

I want to thank the person that sent me this video, and all the other witnessing e-mails she has sent me in the past. It has sparked many a wonderful evening of thought for me. There is so much more to read in them than Jesus or Satan. Faithful and Unfaithful. Right and Wrong.

So to wrap up, you now have three options, though really there are only two.
1 - Pretend you never read this.
2 - Shout at me.
3 - Or Think.

Next time you feel inclined to fall back on shouting to prove your point, try your hardest to imagine the other point of view. It doesn't make you weak or unfaithful, it makes you thoughtful and wise.

-------------------------INTERLUDE, FOLLOWED BY MY RESPONSE-----------------------
Good post...

I totally agree with some of what you have said. For all the times I have talked to you and sat text to you, I have never once "witnessed" to you. I have only tried to live my life different then the lives you may see at other places. Whether or not I have succeeded only God knows.

I do try my best to imagine the other person's view when talking to them about matters of this sort. My post on the Bhuddist fellow I talked to would exemplify this the best....It is hard, but I think necessary. When you come across as being rude and arrogant, it turns people off. Most definitely it does. I know, cause it's happened to me. I always try my best to be humble...but in the midst of all that...I happen to be absolutely positively sure that I know the Truth. Some people say you can't know Truth. Truth is relative. But I beg to differ. In Science, how does one reason through arguments to come to a theory, law, etc?

He looks at what he sees, and he finds the best explanation or answer for it.

So....I look at my life. I look at Creation. I look at what God has done for me, personally, in my life. I look at what God has done for others. Then I look at what "no god" has not done. That is, I look for evidence that there is no God. I look for things that show God isn't. I try to answer all of Life's problems in light of no eternity.

My conclusion? I see Creation, and it screams a Designer. I see my Life, and it shouts out that there is a Master Planner. I see the World, its pains, suffering, and evil...and I still see a God who Loves Mankind, who wants to give them every possible chance to come to Him...I don't see how any problem in the world, like pain, suffering, evil, etc...could be answered without God. So...having decided there is a God...I must decide whether to be for or against Him.

Personally, I don't like the thought of going up against the Creator of the Universe singlehandedly. That would be like trying to defeat the Borg by yourself. It ain't gonna happen. Then I look at the lovingkindness of this God, and realize all that He's done for me, including the sending of His Son to die for all my faults so that I can spend an eternity in Heaven with Him. I decide that if God loves me that much, then the least I can do is Love Him back...and if He has given His life for me, then the least I can do is give my life to Him...

Having decided this wonderful news is true, I long to tell it with the World. I long to shout out what an Amazing God I serve. I try not to be inconsiderate of other people's views when I do this. I realize they may not be appreciative of my thoughts. But I cannot help but share them. The Greatest thing in the world has happened to me...the only thing my overwhelmed heart can do is scream from the mountain top that GOD LOVES ME! and that GOD LOVES YOU.

Now, once I get off the mountain top, I won't scream in your face. But I'll try to live my life as a service to God, telling others of His awesome power, majesty, love, forgiveness and mercy....which is why I'm typing this now. :)


--------------------------INTERLUDE, THEN HER RESPONSE-------------------------------
Very true, you have never once witnessed to me, which I appreciate beyond words. Your behavior speaks of your good character and faith. I greaty respect a person who ponders their faith and lives by it.

I hear you on wanting to share your faith and opinions. We wouldn't be human if we didn't. Heck, I wouldn't have written this note if I didn't want to share my thoughts. I love what you say about arrogance turning people off. That's exactly right, and if a person is turned off they're certainly not going to listen to you, and in all likelihood they're going to turn a deaf ear on a similar message in the future.

I feel the best way to handle yourself when conveying your message is with a "love your neighbor" attitude. It's when people lose that respect that all hope is lost. One of the worst things someone could do would be to criticize everything I do, slander me and my beliefs, and then tell me they said it because they Love me. That wasn't love, to call that love is to blaspheme love.

My biggest issue isn't with what people believe. It's the differences that make us strong. But it's intolerance of letting that person believe. And it breaks my heart.

I think looking at the video and only focusing on the Christian vs. Atheist side of it, while important, is too small and too polarized for a philosophical discussion.


-----------------------THAT IS THE END OF THE RESPONSES.--------------------------

Any feedback and responses to our discussion is welcomed.