How do I deal with someone who makes fun of my beliefs?
Question:
Hello brother,
I hope you're doing well. I have some questions for you, and I wanted to know if you can help me.
I would like to give you a little bit of context first. I was at work and it was almost time to leave, I was here in a conversation with two co-workers. One coworker was complaining about the Christian belief and about God. He thought that it was ridiculous and absurd that God would put us in this world just to judge us at the very end and send us to either heaven or hell for all eternity. He complained that if he died, he didn't care if he was judged by some being who claimed to be above everything. He said that living in this world is not so bad. He has struggles, but it's not that bad living in this world so why would you even want to go to heaven?
He then proceeded to make fun of things he heard from religious leaders, such as heaven having streets of gold, everyone being happy, and it will be better up there. He was putting God in a bad light.
I was close enough to them to overhear and I think he knew it. He knows that I am a Christian and that I preach the word of God.
He's the kind of guy who doesn't care if other people are listening. He just says things and doesn't care what other people think of him. In the past, he was someone who would criticize the Christian religion openly because it was against homosexuality. He claimed that Christians hate homosexuals and yet many homosexuals are Christians who are better than regular Christians.
He plays games at home all the time. He comes to work, does his thing, and goes home. He has a girlfriend who he lives with -- I don't believe they're married.
As he was saying all these things, I didn't say anything. I just stood there pretending to look at my phone. He probably knew that I was listening, but he didn't care. He just kept on going. He knows that I play games so sometimes he has conversations with me about certain games and about other things like politics or other random stuff. But when it comes to religion, he always has something negative to say about it though he usually doesn't say it to my face.
My question to you, brother, is how do you think I should have approached this? Should I have said something? Or should I have just stayed away? I was going through the conversation in my head wondering what I could have said if I said something and how I could have approached it. But nothing came to my head. I felt defeated because I didn't know how to respond. I know God's word but I know that he doesn't believe in the Bible so talking to him about the Bible felt like it would have been a waste of time.
What do you think I should have done, brother? I would like to hear what your opinion is.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my worries.
May God bless you brother and bless the church.
Answer:
Your co-worker would be categorized as a scoffer in the Bible. "Scoffers" or "mockers" refer to people who are arrogant in their own knowledge which leads them to foolishly disrespect the commands of God. "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge" (Proverbs 1:22). Such people are best to be avoided. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful" (Psalms 1:1). The problem is that their standard of authority is themselves and they never stop to think that they might be wrong. There is no way to reason with such people.
"He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning" (Proverbs 9:7-9).
Jesus said, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces" (Matthew 7:6). Some people cannot be rescued and attempting to do so will cause you harm.
Consider his argument that it would be silly for God to put people in this world and then judge their behavior in the end. I could say that it is silly to put children in school and then judge their grades and behavior to decide if you will hire them or not. "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much" (Luke 16:10).
The best thing that you can do is set a good example of what Christianity is really like -- not so much for changing this man's mind, but to reach your other co-workers. They will see the difference between you and him and realize that his view of the world doesn't produce nice people.
Response:
Thank you, brother, this helps a lot. May God bless you and thank you for bringing the word of God once again.
