Our friend and blogger Wally Fry wrote a piece titled “God’s Garden-Lettuce Be Kind Part 10-Jesus the Only Way You Say? That’s NOT Very Nice” in which he shared about the loving act of evangelizing to the lost. Wally quoted atheist Penn Jillette, of the magician duo, Penn & Teller the following paragraph:
“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me along and keep your religion to yourself—how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?
“I mean, if I believed, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you, and you didn’t believe that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you. And this is moreimportant than that.”
I like the quote and I’ve used this quotation from Penn Jillette several times in the past as a sermon illustration. I’ve asked Wally if he’s seen the actual clip and I just realized the clip I have bookmarked has been taken down by Youtube. So I thought it was worthwhile to make it a post for future reference of where the clip is available.
It seems at this moment on Youtube only a 53 second excerpt of the Video log can be found. Here it is:
If you are on Facebook someone has loaded this clip here:
There’s also a video available on Vimeo:
Powerful clip slimjim
I agree! Have you seen this before?
No I hadnt seen it before. It is very useful for serveral reasons. I will refer back to it.
Penn sensed goodness in this sincere not crazy guy. It was a believer who did it right. I like it
That’s so amazing that he would say that. He was in an interview once where he had or described an encounter with a believer and that was where I first saw him say that quote.
Any Idea why the youtube video was taken down?
Also, big news for our little country church. Today we enter the 21st Century officially, as tonight marks the debut appearance of my pastor, Brother John Marlar live on video. 6 pm tonight be there aloha. We aren’t very polished or professional, but we are who we are LOL.
Wow I’ll have to try to see the video cast from your pastor sometime. I’m actually at a Pastor’s Conference right now. Have you heard of the Shepherd’s Conference?
I don’t know why the video was taken down, I noticed it has happened before in the past and I could never find it from anything official on Penn Jillette’s page or account. Maybe he tooked it down.
Don’t get too excited, as it won’t be grand production LOL. We are just a little country church. But I am hoping and praying that getting it out on social media might generate some interest in what God has going on there.
I’ll ask you again later this week for the link (I’ll forget if I ask for it now =)
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thanks for sharing this post! I found the video very powerful.
Likewise!
[…] Penn Jillette on Evangelism […]
[…] (For more about the meme check out this post) […]
Wow! I’ve never seen this before. Interesting that only 53 seconds of it is left on YouTube, and both FaceBook and Vimeo say it no longer exists. Seems that even if you are an atheist, you can be edited to pieces for not saying what they want to hear.
The censorship is incredible. Even on Youtube these videos keep on getting taken down. I wonder why? It goes against what is politically correct for secular humanism doesn’t it?
Yep! My wife was just telling me this morning about how the hypocrisy infuriates her.
Is it really fair for Penn to label it as hate? He cannot see the heart of every Christian. Some could be indifferent. Some could be fearful and intimidated.
I have a question for Penn. How much hate must you have for God to know this truth and yet remain an atheist? It is not a matter of cannot believe. It is always a matter of will not believe..
Good question turning it back on Penn