The Riddle of Revelation

[cricket]

Sometime this summer, National Geographic will be presenting The Riddle of Revelation in which Pastor Doug Batchelor was interviewed. In light of their most recent presentation of The Book of Judas, and in the way that the Adventist church (and its members) have strongly opposed the material, should the viewer expect any truth to be portrayed in the summer's programming?

What I'm really interested in knowing is how will Adventists go about encouraging people to watch the religious special with Doug Batchelor after they've discouraged people to view the religious special concerning Judas' book?

[Bravus]

Maybe they shouldn't have discouraged people from watching the Judas one? The Judas one was sensationalist nonsense, but we need to get better at letting people look at something and make up their own minds, and at trusting them to do so with some intelligence.

[Nicodema]

Quote:

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we need to get better at letting people look at something and make up their own minds, and at trusting them to do so with some intelligence

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I wholeheartedly agree. We also need to be prepared to engage people dynamically with their questions and ideas instead of dismissively. People may not always agree with what we have to say or to share. They may choose to see things a different way after all is said and done. But one thing is for certain: they will remember for a lifetime how they were treated in the process: whether they were listened to and a sincere attempt to engage in their questions and ideas was offered, or whether they were dismissed with a cavalier attitude, e.g., "Oh that's just a load of bunk, don't even bother with it" or "Pffft, that's a deception of Satan, nothing there to see, move along now." It may be that someone is sincerely drawn in by the apocryphal Judas writing, thinks there's something to it, and through that, may have a new openness to the gospel or just to ideas & stories about Christ in general. But if we "trash" and "trample" something that has their interest, it hits the heart wrong and shuts people down.

We should approach things with a willingness to engage, an ability to admit we don't have all the answers, and then, without needing to cast aspersions or otherwise do "distancing" verbal dances to "prove" we are not "condoning" falsehood, offer a clear focus on gospel truth, instead. Remember, we're not fighting a war to eliminate false ideas from the world. We're fighting for hearts and minds of people -- some of whom are invested in these ideas -- and shattering a mirror never annihilates either vanity or self-loathing; it only gets glass embedded in the eye.

[Pockey]

We have to pray that the editors and producers will be able to show this in the right light, especially regarding Doug Batchelor's interview. I think this has huge potential to reach others out there who are searching and seeking. I'm excited about this program!