I have been mulling this problem over for a few weeks now, and I feel I should simply lay it out for discussion. A few weeks ago, Mark Cahill graciously visited the Silicon Valley and gave many of us a jump start and great vigor for our quest to seek the lost. He was, however, in the area for a particular reason and we got to share the fruits. He had been asked to speak at Valley Christian High School of San Jose.
I found out that he had made comments that could be considered derogatory to a Catholic, and was therefore "disinvited" for the rest of the week. The Superintendent the following day gave a speech about inclusion and acceptance to the school, but a nagging question has remained in my brain and I wonder, was Valley Christian right in dismissing Mr. Cahill? I have been in touch with a few students that I am acquainted with that are at the school who are reliable, and they have told me that what Mr. Cahill, spoke was truth about the Catholic Church, such things as Mary is not equal to Jesus and simply because you call yourself a Catholic and are a member of that Church does not mean you are saved. I have not heard anything that says that Mr. Cahill said anything but truth.
My nagging question is more of should we leave someone comfortable or should we wish to give them truth. In this particular case, it would seem that since it is a Christian school the truth should be more important than keeping people comfortable. I also recognize that there are ways in which we speak that can be soothing or innocent, but that can send the truth directly at a sinner’s heart. Now this question seems two fold, there seems that there are two important groups that must be dealt with when we ask this question. The first are those that call themselves saved and then there are those who do not. Now, within those groups there are different types of people, but personally I would like to think a lot better of the people calling themselves Christian than those that are not and more often than not at first want nothing to do with Christianity.
It seems a simple thing to say that with a non-Christian your goal would not be to merely confront them, get in there face, and pound away until they confess, this tactic almost never works and it gives us a bad name. We need to as Mr. Cahill, Mr. Kirk Cameron, and Mr. Ray Comfort have said, we need to "circumvent their intellect and get at their conscience" or where they are vulnerable and where the need is to see the light.
This should be different for a believer. I personally, see that believers should keep a keen mind, one ready to acknowledge when it is wrong, but also eager to set its brothers and sisters right again on the good path. Is this not how it should be? Is it good to keep your brother in darkness, when he has already seen light? No! We should be gracious and talk over our differences. We need to be experts at true debate, where both sides are argued and when a side realizes its wrong there is acknowledgment and we move on. None of this yelling so that no points can be made and useless, empty talking, that we see in many debates today.
I would make one more point before I close, I have asked whether we should leave people in comfort at the expense of truth. James speaks of this and says
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James tells us that we should consider trials or times of DIScomfort joy, because God is using those times to grow in us the person he wants us to be. God did not place us on this planet to have paradise and have a perfect life without problems, we are here to be shaped by the divine potter into what He deems best, so do not be swayed by simply not offending someone.
Go in peace, knowing God's hand is guiding you,
Ye be as wise as serpents, but as innocent as doves.
In Christ,
A Fellow Soldier
