This from a young ladies blog,
“I am ashamed that the commenters were so rude and condescending to one another and, if I were an unbeliever, I would not be able to believe in a God whose followers were so mean to each other let alone someone who is not of like faith. I would question what Christians are really about. I would laugh at them. From the outside looking in I would think Christianity was a front for cutting one another down and let’s face it, no one wants to be a part of something like that. I am disappointed in the actions by so many of my followers so on the grounds of testimony I am taking the video down…. No matter what you believe in tattoos (or anything else for that matter) you should not be so exasperated to prove your point that you ruin your testimony.”
I was privy to this discussion and am one of the ones that the young lady in questions is trying to call on the carpet. Unfortunately, being a young lady there are several things that she doesn’t take into consideration.
First, there is a place and a time for direct words to both Wolves and wolves in sheep’s clothing. John Calvin, the great 16th century Reformer hits on this reality when he wrote,
“The pastor ought to have two voices: one for gathering the sheep, and another for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both; for he who is deeply skilled in it will be able both to govern those who are teachable, and to refute the enemies of the truth.
It simply is the case that direct language and even dismissive language has to be used sometimes in the context of polemics. Only an ignorance of both Scripture and Church History would contend otherwise. Often times Christianity is indeed “a front for cutting down one another,” just as St. Paul cut down the Judaizers in the book of Galatians, just as Jesus cut down the Lawyers in the Gospels, just as Elijah cut down the prophets of false Gods on Mt. Carmel. If there are those who do not desire to be part of a belief system that will defend itself from wolves then let them join some other false belief system. If there are those who think that all manly defenses of Christianity are improper then there may be a need for them to re-think their Christianity.
Second, the real problem here is that advocating sporting a tattoo, whether directly or indirectly, is that which provides the real “ruining of one’s testimony.” (See previous series, “God’s Call for Virgin Skin.”) To complain that a direct polemical defense of the faith is a “ruining of one’s testimony” while embracing the “ruining testimony” of advocating for tattoos is like complaining about people who play with matches all the while your hair on fire.
So, while we can appreciate the young lady in question desire for the Christian faith to be promulgated we would say that her efforts are really working to the exact opposite end that she so earnestly desires.
