Self-avowed atheist Penn Jillette of the Las Vegas show, Penn & Teller, is well known for his antipathy towards Christianity. But something happened to him just recently in an encounter with a practicing Christian after one of his shows. He had a profound experience that moved him and Mr. Jillette did not hesitate to post this experience on You Tube on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
(Biretta Tip: The Anchoress via Kevin Knight)
Very impressive and touching. Good to see Penn bare his heart like that, and his commentary has some startling insights.
Likewise. It was moving to see Mr. Jillette reveal his thoughts in such an honest way. He does this a lot, but normally we Christians are taking it on the chin in his running commentary during his shows. But he is equally honest in this particular instance and it shows what a little honey can do instead of vinegar when bearing witness to our faith.
And a self-professed atheist gives the strongest argument for spreading the gospel (“I don’t respect believers who don’t proselytize…how much do you have to HATE somebody NOT to tell them about eternal life?”) — imagine that.
And a self-professed atheist gives the strongest argument for spreading the gospel (”I don’t respect believers who don’t proselytize…how much do you have to HATE somebody NOT to tell them about eternal life?”) — imagine that.
That was indeed what struck me, and was pretty jarring, I must say. I have generally taken a live and let live attitude when it comes to dealing with non-believers, but that single line has absolutely got me re-thinking that approach.
And now atheists can blame on of their own if they are now all inundated with obnoxious Christians trying to proselytize. 🙂
I agree that part was impressive, and indeed might indicate an opening. But that gets back to the part of atheism/agnosticism that frustrates me. Penn kept repeating (and truly reflecting on it) the man was good. I don’t get how people can give thought to God, gods, or the absence thereof, and come to the conclusion there is (are) none and proceed to think of things in terms of right and wrong, good, bad, or evil. Not that the absence of God in their mind should necessarily have to be tied to good and evil, right and wrong, but that if the absence of God means the construction of a worldview based on genuine mortality, that our being is just that, a temporary being – a mere part of a play of nature – then good should be of no concern to us. Indeed nothing could be good and nothing bad. We would owe nothing to our brother. By thinking in terms of right and wrong and an absence of something or Someone beyond yourself or mankind you betray your own doctrine.
I think CS Lewis did a good job examining that and presenting it in a way that would seem quite agreeable to someone like Penn. Perhaps, the good man would be just the right person to put Mere Christianity in Penn’s hands.
Very sincere of Mr. Jillette with his feelings and certainty that there is NO God but, one can be sincerely “wrong” as well. Christians reading this, we need to pray for him and all that are unsaved.
God bless!
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you,
which also you received, in which also you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received,
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…