It was long ago, but I still can’t get over my frustration at the religious leaders who were on the Larry King show. They let themselves get sucked into the usual argument about how Christians are mean/offensive/whatever because they think that their way is the only way. The Christian perspective was, as usual, weakly defended. I was, as usual, jumping up and down screaming at the TV set.
Oh how I wish I had been on that show….
Larry: But surely you do see why that offends people.
Me: Absolutely not. Consider these two scenarios: [I hold out my right hand, palm up and open it exposing a pill]
A) I offer you this pill and say that if you don’t take it you will die.
B) I offer you this pill and say that if you don’t take it I will shoot you.
Larry, surely you see the difference between these two scenarios. Doctors go through scenario A all the time, and they’re definitely not being mean.
Evangelism is scenario A. I’m not threatening you. I don’t want your money. I simply want you to take the pill. But I am saying, and this is the part that bothers people, that the … other … pills … don’t … work.
You can disagree. You can refuse the pill. You can think I’m a nut. But I’m not being offensive or coercive. I just want you to live.
In fact, the amazing thing about this pill is that if I force you to take it, it doesn’t work. You have to take it of you own free will. If you don’t want it, there’s nothing I can do to help you.
Larry: But you’re telling people that your pill works and theirs doesn’t. Isn’t that rude?
Me: Sorta depends on whether I’m right or not. Doesn’t it?
Larry: But Christians have used threats and force to convert people.
Me: Absolutely! But that just means that they themselves didn’t get it. They didn’t understand the very thing they were trying to convert people to. It’s like they just want to be right, not that they want to help people. What fools! Nice guys too. [shaking my head] Really, some of my favorite people.
An outside voice: Wake up dear! It’s Auntie Em! You’ve been dreaming. My, my, you got a nasty bump on your head. We thought you were going to leave us.
Me: But I did! I did! I was on Larry King!
