“…the Christian Church … Breeds Hate and Intolerance and Fear”

Telling everyday people that I am a Christian—much less a pastor—ranks as one of the top ten worst things to say at a party. It is a conversation stopper. I might as well say I do animal testing for a cosmetic company.

I understand why the conversation shuts down. I was briefly a Catholic altar boy who did not meet Jesus until I was a nineteen-year-old college student. I once had a long list of my own problems with Christianity, and I would have felt uncomfortable discussing them with a pastor. So, I am not surprised that non-Christians who do speak up often pull their punches in an effort to be polite in person. While I appreciate that consideration, I would prefer to get their thoughts about Christianity unedited.

Loving our neighbors includes sticking around to hear their honest impressions and questions. As soon as you are out as a Christian, people hide what they really think about your faith. Sure, rare people start a discussion. A few want to let us have it on the spot. But, the average person wants to talk about Christianity about as badly as they want to ride on an elevator packed with chain smoking bikers. I needed to find a safe way for real folks to have real conversations about what they really feel about Christianity.