In response to the recent ousting of the Dover, Penn., school board, whose stance in favor of intelligent design has led what many consider to be a rehash of the Scopes trial of 1925, television evangelist Pat Robertson proclaimed, “I’d like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God. You just rejected him from your city.” Robertson claims to be an evangelical Christian, but as his remarks show, he has a poor grasp of both Christianity and effective evangelism.
To me, Christianity centers around the celebration of a merciful, forgiving God who is so in love with his children to share in our lives and literally live and die as a man, one that never turns away. God both knows our suffering and joy personally and sets the example of how to live-love God and love each other, regardless of error, sin or imperfection. That loving example is the solution to all of our problems. But that, in brief, is what Christianity is to me. There is no reason to expect Robertson to share my views.
However, regardless of theology, Robertson makes a sorry evangelist. He tells a whole city that God does not care about them because of whom they elected to a school board. How does that win converts or save souls? Robertson seems so caught up in a theological diversion-the specifics of creation-that he is forsaking the very people he claims to minister to because they do not share his world view.
Pat Robertson is an all-too-prominent, though somewhat extreme, example of how people evangelize today-be it religious ministry or political outreach. He knows what he believes is the truth, and anyone who does not instantly agree with him is both wrong and evil. Doubters and dissenters are maligned as ignorant, weak in character, extremely evil or, in Christian evangelism, outside the grace of God.
Most evangelists-unlike Robertson-will seek to correct the doubters’ mistaken beliefs, but here things start to go horribly wrong. Evangelists, most notably many Christian evangelists, but also political and social crusaders, will tell the doubters their truth. These truths are clear. Questions and objections are easily handled by referencing the source of truth, Scripture for most evangelical Christians. The doubters’ see their follies and thus come to know the truth. The only problem here is that it does not work. The doubters don’t convert and are often insulted or frustrated by those trying to help them.
Instead of purveyors of truth, evangelists seem condescending, self-righteous and rude. Why shouldn’t they? They’re spreading the light and sharing the truth. They are right, and the doubters are wrong. Shouldn’t the doubters be grateful?
Ultimately, the evangelists are failing largely because their conviction leads them to marginalize other people’s beliefs. They fail to respect their audience. For whatever reason, upbringing, revelation or something else, the truth is clear and obvious-they simply had to be told it. Naturally, they assume that will work for everyone and the evangelists may have little patience for disagreement in the face of obvious to them.
As a result, evangelists are often so busy spreading their word that they neglect that everyone is different. They quote from the Bible to people who do not grant it authority. They condescendingly refer to one man’s beliefs as opinions while claiming their own as faith and truth. They treat adults as ignorant children and fail to gain respect, effectively negating any positive effect they might have had.
Instead, to truly evangelize, one must understand the person on the receiving end. There must be a personal relationship. We all have beliefs we view as certain and special, but to share these beliefs involves finding a common ground first, not assuming one. Common experiences and common beliefs provide the foundations on which persuasive arguments can be based. Without common ground, everyone is effectively speaking different languages.
Quoting the Bible will have no meaning for someone who is not familiar with it or simply does not believe it to be a reliable source of truth, but the topics addressed might have validity to a particular situation. By sharing experiences with their audiences, evangelists build trust and give the people a reason to listen. Without that trust people may hear the noise, but they will not listen to the message.
No one likes a hypocrite. To question others’ beliefs demands questioning one’s own. One of the most difficult parts of dealing with evangelical Christians is their unwillingness to question their own faith as if doing so will cause it to disappear. This has two meanings from the receiver’s standpoint: the evangelist seems hypocritical for challenging someone else’s beliefs and not his or her own, and he or she seems weak and scared, as if asking the right questions will make God disappear.
Pat Robertson represents the antithesis of what a good evangelist should do to actually reach people. Instead of being arbitrary, damning and self-righteous, an effective evangelist needs to discover the background of their target audience, respect them and address the needs that the person has for a new or better belief.