Is it a Red Herring or a Real Hindrance?

Often when having conversations about faith with people in the street, there will come a time during the discussion when they will raise objections to what is being said. So far, so obvious.

We were speaking to a lady today at the book table in Rochdale for a long time. During the conversation she spoke about karma and reincarnation as something that she loosely believed. Later, when we spoke in depth about Jesus, she suddenly responded sharply with words to the effect of, “Wait a minute, so in order to be a Christian, you have to believe that Jesus was punished for your sin. I don’t believe that. I’d rather pay for my own sin.” It was as if a switch had been flicked, she understood what was being said and didn’t like it. The discussion continued for quite some time afterwards and she ended up taking a Gospel of John from one of our team.

Reflecting on this afterwards, I realised this was a prime example of someone with both a red herring and a real hindrance (not my phrases, but useful here.) The red herring was the lady’s loosely held new age beliefs as they didn’t stand up to scrutiny, and we were relatively easily able to redirect the hearer back to the important matters. The real hindrance was the idea that she could somehow atone for her sin herself. This conviction was more deeply held in her heart, and concerned key elements of the Gospel, so it was necessary to try and remove the hurdle before continuing.

Perhaps you have spoken to people like this and wondered whether to redirect the hearer, effectively ignoring the red herring, or to attempt to remove the hurdle of the real hindrance which is likely to be an ongoing barrier to the person seeking to understand.

It’s an interesting dilemma for Christians and not always as obvious as the example I have given. Furthermore, what may be a red herring for one person, may be a real hindrance for another!

Consider how you would deal with these:

-I believe in Science

-What may be true for you may not be true for me

-I’ve lived a pretty good life

-Sometimes, I think my mum is looking down on me from Heaven.

-I’m a Muslim/Buddhist/Hindu/Catholic

-I can’t change religion at my stage of life

-I would like to believe it but I just can’t

-Christians have never helped me when I’ve needed it

-Do you believe in Noah’s ark then?

-Why didn’t God stop Aberfan?

-Aren’t Catholic and Christian the same thing?

-The cross is cosmic child abuse

-So, you think you’re better than me

-The God of the Old Testament is vengeful and slaughtered loads of innocent people

-It’s not justice for Jesus to be punished in my place

-God seems arrogant, demanding worship for Himself

-I can’t come to church as I’m socially anxious

-Why did God create evil?

-We’re all going to end up in Heaven anyway

-Religion has caused loads of wars. What about the crusades?

-I only trust myself

-I’m a drug addict, God can’t help me as I’ve tried asking Him before

-I want to do things my way

-How can God have a Son?

-We believe in Jesus too. We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints.

-I don’t believe in God, so He can’t judge me.

-Will I have to give all my money to the church?

-Is being gay a sin?

-Why did God create the world if He knew what would happen?

-Nobody has come back to tell us. I can’t believe unless I see.

-Churches are full of hypocrites.

-Is there any sin that can’t be forgiven?

-So, your God died on a cross, couldn’t He have stopped that happening?

-The Bible was written 2000 years ago.

-When you’re dead, you’re dead.

-What are you collecting for?

A lot of the time, the tone of the conversation will tell you whether the person is really struggling with something, or whether they are just mocking the Christian, or attempting to show off to their friends. They might even be deflecting you with a red herring to avoid getting into anything serious.

It’s worth knowing the biblical answers to these questions and statements, to help those who are sincerely seeking God. It’s also good to make sure you know what you believe, (the key elements of the Gospel), so that you can redirect and refocus someone who has thrown you a red herring.

There will also be times when someone asks something that you haven’t thought about before. Don’t be afraid to admit this, and then either ask someone else, or get back to them with an answer.

Nobody has all the answers, and there are some things we just don’t know because God has left them unanswered.

Prayer is key as God is in control and He promises to honour us if we honour Him. He wants us to seek to share the Gospel with others, so even when we think we haven’t done well in a discussion or when we have engaged with a red herring, or failed to address a real hindrance, God can still use our weak efforts for His glory.

Where Will You Spend Eternity?

The craziness of Christmas is over and we are already into a new year. Was Christmas everything you hoped it would be? Were the celebrations as exciting as you wanted? Did you enjoy the time with family and friends, and was it peaceful? How about the food, are you suffering still from the over-indulgence, or was it as good as you were expecting? Did the children’s wishes come true? What about the gifts, did you get everything you asked for? Did the presents satisfy you?

Do you feel tired as you head back to work? How will you make next Christmas better than the one before? Do you feel exhausted just thinking about it?

My Christmas was disrupted by a stark reminder of the frailty of human life; a member of my extended family was rushed to hospital where she remains in critical condition. Our plans for Christmas were swiftly changed as the lady’s direct family rushed to her bedside.

Suddenly, things were in perspective; a husband could lose his wife, a son his mother and small children their “Granny.” The material celebrations were pushed to one side as everyone rallied round. We made our way to church praying for God’s will but hoping for a miracle. Phones were constantly being checked and the bleep of a text message took on new significance.

This week, in the UK, we have seen news reports of an eighteen year old, with her whole life ahead of her, struck down and killed by the flu virus. Reports in The Daily Mail suggest that flu deaths have soared by 77% in a week.

The inquest into another eighteen year old girl’s death is also being reported. This young lady died after suffering a fatal reaction to a burger. She had known allergies and had told the waiter about them. The response from the restaurant to this investigation was interesting. When asked what ‘lessons they had learned’ and what they would be doing differently in future. They basically said that everything was already in place to prevent this type of tragedy and they didn’t plan to change anything…

I’m sure the restaurant will end up with findings against them and they likely have been negligent. However, the point to note is that regardless of the lessons learned or things that are put in place, needless and preventable deaths will continue to occur. The restaurant staff have just responded in a way that doesn’t sit comfortably with those who believe we should be able to make the UK 100% safe, by some unspecified date in the future.

Assuming that were even a vague possibility, what about the person who dies every 3 minutes from heart disease, the 5 people killed in road accidents every day, or the total of 1,500 people who die each day, in the UK alone? Can anyone legislate to prevent this or do anything else to stop it?

I’ve made the point before that it’s almost possible to overlook these morbid statistics until reality bites when someone we know is taken from us. Have you noticed how shell-shocked people seem when a violent crime or fire kills people in their village, or even their street? 

It’s the wake up call that it could happen to any one of us at any time. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. Even if we take all of the precautions possible; never venture outside, never have contact with anyone else and live like a hermit. Death still comes eventually, and no one returns from the grave. The Bible tells us that: 

“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement,” (Hebrews 9 vs 27.)

Why am I offering you this gloomy reminder at a time of year usually reserved for renewed hope as the resolutions are sincerely made? 

Our church leaflet for the year has a three word headline:

STOP AND THINK!

We live in a world corrupted by our sin and under God’s curse. The earth is slowly dying and we see the evidence all around us in people’s suffering. We cannot prevent every accident. We cannot predict or vaccinate people against every disease. We cannot really control anything about our lives, and our claims to be able to do so are out of touch with the reality. God maintains and controls everything and we are entirely dependent on His grace and mercy to us.

I’ve just finished a book, Heaven and Hell by Edward Donnelly. It is a terrifying reminder of the reality of hell for non-believers, but offers hope (certainty) of heaven for all who will put their trust in Jesus:

“Imprinted on human consciences is the uneasy awareness that beyond this life is a place of punishment for those who do wrong. It is so often denied not because it is unreasonable but because it is extremely unwelcome….Suppose the Bible had told us nothing about hell, not a single word about future judgement and condemnation. Would that make it a more loving book? Is concealing unpleasant reality an evidence of true caring? Not at all, just the opposite. People complain about God’s warnings when they should fall down on their knees and give thanks for them. It is in love and mercy that he warns us about hell, so that we may be delivered from it.

The most foolish aspect of all is that your everlasting damnation is unnecessary. For the Lord Jesus is pleading with you at this very moment. He is calling you to himself, commanding you to turn from the sin that brings only destruction. He is infinitely kind and gracious. If you ask him to be your saviour, he will receive and forgive you. He will wash you clean and make you safe forever, and you will be holy and happy, looking forward to an eternity of joy and glory in heaven. 

                                                                                                    ‘Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’ (Hebrews 4 vs 7.)”