The Loving Thing

It was difficult to believe, almost impossible. While researching one of my illustration sites in preparation for an upcoming message, I ran across a quote from Penn Jillette, of the popular entertainment team of illusionists known as “Penn and Teller.” As part of the act, Penn does all the talking and Teller silently assists in the illusions, providing much of the comic relief. Penn also does some considerable communicating about his distain for Christianity.

No one would mistake Penn for a Christian, even though he ranks the Bible among his top six books. But it didn’t surprise me when he explained his reason: "If you're considering becoming an atheist, read the Bible from cover to cover,” claiming that “Sometime between when God tells Abraham to kill his son and when Jesus tells everyone to put him before their families, you'll be an atheist.” Not exactly a sympathetic take on biblical teaching.

So you can imagine why I found one particular quote from Penn so unbelievable. This is the one that did surprise me. It was about people of faith, it applied to Christianity, and it was exactly correct. I couldn’t have agreed more and wish more Christians would take seriously what he said. After I read it, a quote taken from a YouTube video, I had to see it for myself. It was quoted accurately. Here it is:

I've always said, you know, that I don't respect people who do not proselytize [evangelize]. I don't respect that at all. If you believe that there's a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that, well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think that people shouldn't proselytize, [saying] “Just leave me alone and keep your religion to yourself”—how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize them? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean, if I believed beyond the shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming to hit you, and you didn't believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there's a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that.

—Penn Jillette, (https://bit.ly/2ICa1n8)   

I’ve tried to communicate that same idea in the past, through this blog and in my sermons. But I must admit, Penn said it much better than I had and in a much more powerful way! Think about it, if when Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6) he was actually telling the truth, then our discomfort level over saying out loud that those apart from Christ go to hell should diminish greatly. If a person on the receiving end of that news wasn’t judging you, but rather seeing you as one honestly sharing a sincerely held belief, then they should thank you for doing the loving thing, even though they might disagree.

When it comes to pointing out a person’s need for Christ, that person doesn’t have to agree with you. But they should at least thank you for reaching past your discomfort to warn them about something eternally important and—as far as you know—true!

Jesus made what would be considered today politically incorrect statements about who is worthy of heaven and who isn’t. In essence, He says you’re either sold out for Him or shut out from Heaven. Hate speech? It’s really just the opposite when you consider that with each person you meet, He is their only hope.

“…to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

─1 Peter 1:4-5