Understanding Jesus Haters

[Dr. Shane]

Recently I shared this in a thread:

Quote:

When my faith is under attack, there are multiple ways that I respond. Typically I will pray for guidance. I have a gay friend that a couple of years ago told me that he hates my F***ing Jesus. I responded by telling him that if I had the same history as he did, I may well feel the same way. I have been very kind to this person and he has become a friend. This past week he shared with me that he visited a Seventh-day Adventist church which is only 1 1/2 blocks from his house. My response to his attack on my faith seems to have caused him to re-question his previous conclusions. Different circumstances require different reactions.

This friend of mine I know from a recovery group I attend. A few weeks ago, prior to him telling me he visited an Adventist church, he told fellow member of the group (in front of me) that he loved me. I haven't spent much one-on-one time with him - just giving him a ride home on occasion. If he sees something in me that he loves, it is either from what I share at meetings or what he sees on my Facebook.

I do not believe I am responsible for the change that is happening in him. He is actively attending the recovery group and working on issues in his own life. I do not believe there is anything *we* as believers can do or say to cause Jesus haters to change their minds. I think it is a false notion that if we only understand them and feel their frustration that we will somehow be able to reach them and convert them. I think the best we can do is not make ourselves a stumbling block for them. As God continues to try and reach them, we should never give the Jesus hater more reason to hate Jesus. We need to be compassionate as much as we can. Some Jesus haters would actually like to prevent us from worshiping Jesus so there does have to be a line somewhere.

One thing I do believe. We need to understand that many people who do not know Jesus act the way they do because they do not know Jesus. Many of those same people have a warped idea of who Jesus is. Most Americans that believe in God believe God is an angry God. Then there is a large group that believe God is a distant God. A USA Today poll a few years back showed that only about 23% of Americans believe God is a loving God. And many of those cannot explain such things as why bad things happen to good people.

When I was a college student on a state university campus I hung out with students in Campus Crusade for Christ and Varsity Christian Fellowship. I was always eager to show them how much Adventists had in common with mainstream Christianity. Now, as I have grown older and work with many unchurched people and many from abusive "Christian" homes, I find myself wanting to highlight the differences between Adventists and those *other* denominations. I think that is one of the tactics Adventist missionaries working with Muslims use too.

Ultimately, if a Jesus hater is going to change, it is because he or she decides that what they believe isn't working for them. The best we can do is let them know that we offer something different than what they experienced in the past. Of course, there are some ex-Adventist Jesus haters out there but my experience with them is that they come from Adventist homes that were very rigid and legalistic. So while they have an "Adventist" background, they really don't have an *Adventist* background. I find I must be *very* careful about how I go about letting them know Adventism is something different. The maxim "First, do no harm" is applicable. Sometimes it is like being a doctor in an ER. "Given an existing problem, it may be better not to do something, or even to do nothing, than to risk causing more harm than good."

[phkrause]

Excellent post Shane. I believe walking your talk is very important.

[Gail]

Thanks for the witness, Shane! I hope that your friend can continue to seek Jesus for peace and blessing in his life!