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The Filibuster



5/2/13                    Ramone                    25
 
How can a relatively quiet person like myself share gospel truths with someone who overwhelms me with their "gift of gab"?

One defensive mechanism some people use against the Gospel when I am sharing it on the street is the “filibuster”. To filibuster is to talk at such length as to prevent someone with a different opinion from getting a word in edgewise.

That’s what a man named Ramone did when I started a conversation with him about his spiritual beliefs. Ramone told me about his atheistic beliefs and with his “gift of gab” he went on and on about the various religious people who have argued for their own beliefs, especially during his philosophy class at Purdue University, which usually turned bitter.

Ramone said he can’t stand people who try to force their beliefs on others, and claimed to be happy to just allow others to believe what they want. When I did get a chance to begin to question him about some inconsistencies in his beliefs, he would change the subject before I could put together a logical line of thought.

The Gospel is not designed to be shared in sound bites; there are some basic premises one must accept or at least begin to understand before they can understand any more abstract concepts of faith. People like Ramone often complain that the Bible is hard to understand, yet they don’t give the time to try to understand it.

I listened as he went on and on for 20 or 30 minutes, displaying a level of knowledge about various religions that showed me it is a subject he simply cannot leave alone. He had some misconceptions about the biblical Gospel, but his filibuster prevented me from correcting them. What could I do? How could I share the Gospel without “pushing my beliefs” on him?

First, I took the time to listen. The Bible gives much advice about not being the most talkative person in a conversation. James tells us "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak..." In Proverbs we read "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent" and "He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit”.

By my own responsive listening, I knew Ramone wouldn't have much patience to listen to anything preachy, so instead I began to explain my own perspective as a Christian who truly believes there is a God whom we have rebelled against and that we are condemned not primarily for “not believing the right thing”, but for breaking God’s basic moral laws. I explained that if I truly believe there is a way to avoid the punishment of hell, then I would be a horrible person for keeping it from others.

I told Ramone that if I truly believe what Christians believe, then it is only right that I try to share that knowledge with others, right? Especially after I had spent so much time patiently listening to him, Ramone really couldn’t argue against this logic. He appreciated my willingness to listen, but also for sharing my Christian faith without the bitter arguing he was used to.

I carry a “witnessing backpack” that has a variety of written materials, and he gladly took what I gave him. With his interest in religion despite his atheism, I really believe – and pray – that he will read it. Please pray he does!

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