I’m sick a lot.
Don’t ask me for my life story. It’s in progress. Go worry about your own.
disturbing influence
in which I am overly honest.
in which I am overly honest.
I’m sick a lot.
Don’t ask me for my life story. It’s in progress. Go worry about your own.
5 comments
Comments feed for this article
October 13, 2008 at 3:59 am
Sue Melin
Why do you hate Jack Chick so much? Don’t you believe that unbelievers need the gospel? The gospel is radical you know…jesus made no inclusions when he said “I am THE way, THE truth and THE life…no one comes to the Father but by me.
And if that’s true (and it is) then we have an obligation to tell others the truth.
Don’t you believe that? How are you going to tell them? By living right (“check”).
If that’s your plan, then what happens if they don’t ask you why you live so righteously?
If others think that you are a good person, how does Christ get the glory, if you don’t tell them WHY you are good? You are not good in and of your own merits.
Anyway, have you ever fully committed your life to Christ?
Do you truly believe that he is the only way?
Do you know a better way to explain the gospel to the masses (short of standing on a soap box?)
(Not a bad approach for your personality type
I know. You blog. But do all of those you touch read your blog?
So how will you tell them?
One on one? What if the opportunity never presents itself?
Is a month long enough to wait? A year? Three years?
How will you make an opening?
How about leaving them a tract –you know, sometimes it is very hard to carve out ten minutes to tell someone you see everyday, the good news.
Like the cashier at 7-11.
Don’t you care?
Do you really think that every one in America has already heard it (check again).
So how will you tell them?
What about your employer?
Are you nervy enough (probably), to drop a point blank salvation message on her in the elevator at 8 am?
Would that be wise?
Would that get you promoted (who cares)
or keep you employed (significant).
Why not slip a tract on their desk.
Wouldn’t hurt.
Might help.
Really could.
And then, your conscience is clear. And they are informed.
And when they are passing it around the break room, there’s your opening.
I just hope that you are reverent when discussing the contents of the tract.
i hope you are lifting up Jesus, and not slamming Jack.
Controversially (and caringly) yours,
Sue Melin
October 13, 2008 at 4:23 am
axisone
First of all, I do not *hate* Jack Chick. I simply have a very strong aversion to his manner of spreading the gospel.
I’m aware the gospel is radical. It’s one of the reasons I love it so much. Jack Chick isn’t radical. His tracts are full of racism, hatred and ignorance. They’re also quite poorly done. When I look at a Chick tract, I do not see the gospel reflected in it. I see one man’s twisted ideology. News flash: The gospel doesn’t need to be ‘adapted’ for black and Jewish audiences; it is for ALL people and all nations. There are going to be Catholics in heaven. Not all Muslims are terrorists, and they do not run prison gangs, either. Abortion is not murder, and giving a woman who has had an abortion a tract labelling her a murderer is not going to win her to Christ.
If a tract makes me want to laugh or vomit, I consider that a good sign that it is not a tract that will be effective in reflecting the gospel. Anyone can pass out a tract and call it ‘spreading the Gospel.’ It takes REAL courage to LIVE the gospel.
October 15, 2008 at 6:41 pm
hawa
When it comes to methods of spreading the gospel, I believe that some people are called in ways that others – even other Christians – may misunderstand and/or criticize. I do my best (which sometimes isn’t enough) to reserve these judgments because I don’t want to ever have to account for speaking against somebody that God actually ordained to the work they were doing.
Face it, even when King Saul went over the edge, God didn’t allow for man to deal with him.
I will say… I have little patience for the brand of Christianity that is really a smokescreen for xenophobia. Far-right Christian conservatives come to mind as some of the most hopeless xenophobes. I can’t imagine that anybody who is racist, or homophobic, classist, or whatever, is practicing true Christianity.
But, human flaws and proclivities represent the reason we need Jesus in the first place. Nobody gets life (or the work of the gospel) quite perfect. Recognizing the splinter in my brother’s eye while ignoring the one in my own doesn’t get either of us anywhere.
Now for the points in your post… I don’t necessarily agree that a funny tract won’t be “effective in reflecting the gospel.” There’s healing in laughter. Humor is a healing emotion – literally. And if this is so, how is “humor” not part of the nature of a good and loving God? And why would that be such an unattractive method of reaching a person for Jesus?
You’ll also find a hard road in convincing some that abortion isn’t murder. And that doesn’t make either side wrong… just variant in their belief about the beginning of human life. Some say the fetus must be viable. Others say a baby exists as early as six weeks (the heartbeat). Still others believe life exists the moment the sperm hits the egg. Either way, we may be surprised to hear the truth about how God sees the whole debate once we leave here.
Then again, He probably finds 99.9% of the issues humans debate beyond silly… even the ones we feel strongly about. LOL
Have a great week!
October 21, 2008 at 3:23 am
axisone
when i said that i didn’t trust a tract that made me laugh, i really meant incredulous, bewildered laughter. Humor’s great. Unintentional humor in a gospel tract isn’t.
June 25, 2009 at 4:59 am
Kate
Just wanted to say keep up the good blogging. It’s nice to hear another feminist voice echoing around the lake-amphitheatre of Cedarville University. By addressing hard issues, we grow as people and as Christians. Thanks for not shying away from unpopular issues.