Monday, January 09, 2006
Blessings
WorldNetDaily is usually too inflammatory for my taste, and often too spin heavy, but this piece there seemed sufficiently substantiated to read more than he first few sentences.
One thing is certain, it will not be through arguement. There is no apologetic, there is no sermon that can reach him for he is too bigoted. All that is spoken by proponents of Christianity will be automatically discarded. In fact, it is unlikely a person known to be Christian can ever get very close to such as Dawkins.
But he is not above the gospel, it can reach him. It will reach him in humility - perhaps in the form of a servant, someone he knows not - that demonstrates without speaking the glory that results from following Christ. In that moment his heart will be softened just enough for the Holy Spirit to gain a foothold and begin to do what He does so well. I pray for such moments, do you?
Controversial scientist and evolutionist Richard Dawkins, dubbed "Darwin's Rottweiler," calls religion a "virus" and faith-based education "child abuse" in a two-part series he wrote and appears in that begins airing on the UK's Channel 4, beginning tomorrow evening.Such descriptions casued a rise in temperature and, cartoon-like, a bit of steam started to flow out of my ears, but then this flashed through my mind.
Rom 12:14-21 - Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NAS)I thought of how much pain, how much hurt, there must be in Dawkins for him to be so vitriolic concerning faith and religion. How can such as Dawkins come to know the gospel?
One thing is certain, it will not be through arguement. There is no apologetic, there is no sermon that can reach him for he is too bigoted. All that is spoken by proponents of Christianity will be automatically discarded. In fact, it is unlikely a person known to be Christian can ever get very close to such as Dawkins.
But he is not above the gospel, it can reach him. It will reach him in humility - perhaps in the form of a servant, someone he knows not - that demonstrates without speaking the glory that results from following Christ. In that moment his heart will be softened just enough for the Holy Spirit to gain a foothold and begin to do what He does so well. I pray for such moments, do you?
