Sarcasm
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I would imagine mixing sarcasm with the good news could be taken as offensive by a non-christian. I think the best way to proclaim the good news is with humility and living a good christian life, loving your neighbor as yourself. Even though the Lord doesn't walk the earth as he did 2,000 years ago, non-believers can see the Lord in us when we follow his commandments.
H
Usually with sarcasm the person understands you mean the opposite of what you say, so you aren't trying to decieve them. That's not really lying. Going up to someone and telling them, "The sky is yellow today." and actually attempting to make them believe the sky is yellow is a lie. When someone looks at you and says, "Wow, the sky is really blue today." and you respond with, "Really, I totally thought it looked sooooo yellow." They know you didn't think it looked yellow, they know it's not yellow, you weren't lying. Your communication is really only as good as the other persons ability to understand.
Sarcasm can be a very effective tool depending upon whom you are talking to.
There are a number of aspects to evangelism and declaring the gospel is only one of them. There is also defending the gospel. When faced with a sarcastic cynic to the gospel or any other aspect of christianity, one of the best ways to deal with it is to "fight sarcasm with sarcasm". Statements such as "you think you're so good don't you that you don't need a saviour?",, "yeah you really look like you're going to heaven"... can be effective, depending upon the person. Rhetorical questions, ridicule and sarcasm can all be useful. These types of methods are used by people in the bible, Jesus used it (I can't remember where , but Im' sure there's one), Elijah used it (he said to the prophets of baal - maybe your god baal is on the toilet!), Paul used it...("those who want to be circumcised may as well castrate themselves" speaking of those putting their trust in works)
There are a number of aspects to evangelism and declaring the gospel is only one of them. There is also defending the gospel. When faced with a sarcastic cynic to the gospel or any other aspect of christianity, one of the best ways to deal with it is to "fight sarcasm with sarcasm". Statements such as "you think you're so good don't you that you don't need a saviour?",, "yeah you really look like you're going to heaven"... can be effective, depending upon the person. Rhetorical questions, ridicule and sarcasm can all be useful. These types of methods are used by people in the bible, Jesus used it (I can't remember where , but Im' sure there's one), Elijah used it (he said to the prophets of baal - maybe your god baal is on the toilet!), Paul used it...("those who want to be circumcised may as well castrate themselves" speaking of those putting their trust in works)
To appreciate the things Jesus said , we need to appreciate sarcasm and puns, deliberate contradictions, paradigm shifts, ironies and these sorts of things. If we think Christ was an always happy smiley faced straight-talker who always tried to avoid offending anyone or avoided making light of any situation, we are completely wrong. Emotionless authoritarianism in churches has caused us to miss or overlook this aspect of Christ's personality and ministry completely. Political correctness and the "tolerance" and "don't judge me" and "don't offend me" modern day movements, have made us afraid to say things as they are , or say things as they aren't, in order to make a point of what is true. You never know, that sudden burst of "get under your skin" sarcasm towards the hardened unbeliever may just be what they need to bring them to their senses.
Forgot to say: Our modern day english versions lose the intended puns and humor in the words and language Jesus chose to use at the time. To first centuary third-world audiences, a lot of what Jesus said might have been humorous, particularly his ridicule of the status-quo elite in their society the pharisees etc etc. Jesus's comments about camels going through eyes of needles - that's particularly funny to the listeners but also incredibly insensitive to the feelings of the rich young ruler. Jesus's comments about them being white washed tombs and the practices of the pharisees etc, straining gnats and swallowing camels, might also be quite funny to those at the time to whom they did not apply , and offensive to those who they applied to.
MahogonySnail,
Tongue-in-cheek is meant to make people laugh. Sarcasm is meant to wound. The Lord told us to love each other. I constantly defend the faith and I am not aware that I ever use sarcasm or insults. If you don’t treat people with respect, how do you expect to win them to Christ? If I say, “MahogonySnail, you are an idiot. Now I want you to believe as I do,” what is the likelihood you will do as I say?
Bob
Tongue-in-cheek is meant to make people laugh. Sarcasm is meant to wound. The Lord told us to love each other. I constantly defend the faith and I am not aware that I ever use sarcasm or insults. If you don’t treat people with respect, how do you expect to win them to Christ? If I say, “MahogonySnail, you are an idiot. Now I want you to believe as I do,” what is the likelihood you will do as I say?
Bob
Is this Scripture at all related to what we are talking about:
[1] If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
[2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1Cor.13:1-2 RSV
[1] If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
[2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1Cor.13:1-2 RSV
The sayings of Jesus had double effect. Humor to those to whom they did not apply, and hurt to those who they did. Looking at the method Jesus used, it was not an avoidance of insult at any cost. Jesus did not always respect those who were opposed to Him. In fact a number of times he down right insulted them:
Mat 13:57 And they were offended in Him.
Mat 15:12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?
Joh 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doththisoffendyou?
Joh 6:65 And he said, ThereforesaidIuntoyou,thatno mancancomeuntome,exceptitweregivenuntohimofmyFather.
Even the apostle Paul offended people when he said they'd go to hell unless they repented.
The scriptures you quote about love are true but unfortunately this kind of love that you take it to mean, does not mean bending over backwards to avoid insults according to the standards of our over-zealously politically correct , tolerant and "over-sensitive to feelings" culture. It is a false kind of respect you speak of. How can we respect someone who insults God? We must not respect them otherwise we are part in their evil ways. To respect implies to give some kind of excellence, honor, or worth. There is no honor or excellence in a person who insults Christ and calls your mother a whore. Too many people today worry too much about offending others. Jesus wasn't so worried. He said his teachings would divide families, he came to bring a sword. If we preach the same teachings Jesus did, it will have the same effect. It will offend people, it will divide families, it will be like a 'sword', even when you don't intend it. But then you must not turn around and say whoopsie, I offended this person with the Gospel, "I'm sooo sorry for hurting your feelings". No, that's not the way Jesus did it at all.
If we don't treat people with respect, how do we win them to Christ? Quite simply, it is not us winning them to Christ, it is not merely our words that brings people to repentance but God's power. Too many people are worried about saying that one little word that's going to turn off a person from Christ for life. That is rediculous. The way Jesus showed us as our example, is to tell things how they are. Not using sarcasm or insults when certain situations may call for it, is like trying to fight a dragon with a feather duster. They're just another tool you can add to your tool-kit as an evangelist. To a wordly person, saying "you've just insulted me but Jesus and I love you anyway, kissy kissy" may be more offensive to them and turn them off Christianity as easily as calling them a "white washed wall".
Mat 13:57 And they were offended in Him.
Mat 15:12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?
Joh 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doththisoffendyou?
Joh 6:65 And he said, ThereforesaidIuntoyou,thatno mancancomeuntome,exceptitweregivenuntohimofmyFather.
Even the apostle Paul offended people when he said they'd go to hell unless they repented.
The scriptures you quote about love are true but unfortunately this kind of love that you take it to mean, does not mean bending over backwards to avoid insults according to the standards of our over-zealously politically correct , tolerant and "over-sensitive to feelings" culture. It is a false kind of respect you speak of. How can we respect someone who insults God? We must not respect them otherwise we are part in their evil ways. To respect implies to give some kind of excellence, honor, or worth. There is no honor or excellence in a person who insults Christ and calls your mother a whore. Too many people today worry too much about offending others. Jesus wasn't so worried. He said his teachings would divide families, he came to bring a sword. If we preach the same teachings Jesus did, it will have the same effect. It will offend people, it will divide families, it will be like a 'sword', even when you don't intend it. But then you must not turn around and say whoopsie, I offended this person with the Gospel, "I'm sooo sorry for hurting your feelings". No, that's not the way Jesus did it at all.
If we don't treat people with respect, how do we win them to Christ? Quite simply, it is not us winning them to Christ, it is not merely our words that brings people to repentance but God's power. Too many people are worried about saying that one little word that's going to turn off a person from Christ for life. That is rediculous. The way Jesus showed us as our example, is to tell things how they are. Not using sarcasm or insults when certain situations may call for it, is like trying to fight a dragon with a feather duster. They're just another tool you can add to your tool-kit as an evangelist. To a wordly person, saying "you've just insulted me but Jesus and I love you anyway, kissy kissy" may be more offensive to them and turn them off Christianity as easily as calling them a "white washed wall".
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We are to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves. That is the first order of business. If we do these two things, we will be setting an example for others to follow. Before people take us seriously as teachers, we must be obeying these two commandments. We do a disservice to the Lord if we teach Christianity by driving would-be converts away with our nasty tempers. It doesn’t matter to me if I offend a person while trying to do the Lord’s will, but if I drive a person away because I have a nasty temper, then I have done the Lord a disservice, right?
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