“Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone – except God.” (Billy Graham) I’ve seen this quote posted on Face Book dozens of times recently and thought about it since then even more often. The idea of not being offensive has a noble and gallant tone and aura. Yet in the real world offensive behavior or words are impossible to avoid. The reasons why are many. As careful as one may try to be we will always encounter others who are looking for reasons to be offended, others depend on the affirmation of those outside themselves which creates a fragile response to outside input while others are so closed minded that any idea other than their own is deemed offensive. To be honest I have been offended many times in my life and in many cases it was well deserved. Those moments when dealt with integrity provided the motivation to elevate my ability to respect others. I am going to repost a site that I put up a few days ago where the atheists illusionists Penn and Teller told of their encounter with a Christian man who witnessed to them. At the end of the piece you will find this quote from Penn. “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. . . . How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” One of the most debilitating effects of muting voices lest someone be offended is that many healthy discussions are taken off the table in order to avoid offenses. If you read closely the accounts of interactions that Jesus had with individuals many of them were deeply offended. It was not his intent to be rude to them rather challenge the world that they had enclosed themselves within. If fact they were so insulted that they were forefront in the campaign to hang him on a cross. Yet his love for them compelled him to still say the things that need said. Lest anyone misunderstand this muse the intent is not license boorish, rude or insensitive attitudes or action rather to make clear to be a difference maker for good sometimes requires the risk of offending others. Here is the promised site. I pray that we all are reminded that we sometimes have to take the risk of being offensive to others in order to do the right thing. https://answersingenesis.org/world-religions/atheism/10-lessons-from-an-atheist/?utm_source=aigsocial09092014tenlessons&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=facebooktwittergooglelinkedin Lord, help me to never be a jerk but always speak the truth in love. Amen
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 14:32:14 +0000