Discussions with atheists are difficult. At some point you begin to wonder if you are casting your pearls before swine so to speak
Does it ever reach a point when we should stop speaking with an atheist?
“I’ve been in a long conversation, with an avowed atheist. … This person is very hostile toward Christians and he is hostile to the Gospel. He writes a blog that condemns Christianity and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In my naivety, I thought I could talk sense into this person. …
Next, I decided to check commentary from Christian writers I trusted. Here’s what they said:
BibleRef.com To be called a dog or a pig was a great insult in Jesus’ culture. Still, He does not hesitate to compare those who reject Him as Israel’s Messiah to dogs and pigs. Crucially, though, His purpose is not to degrade anyone. The emphasis is not on other people, but on God’s people. This verse is a warning to Christians: don’t waste time or invite harassment from those who are obviously hostile.
GotQuestions.org In His sermon, Jesus uses dogs and pigs as representative of those who would ridicule, reject, and blaspheme the gospel once it is presented to them. We are not to expose the gospel of Jesus Christ to
those who have no other purpose than to trample it and return to their own evil ways. Repeatedly sharing the gospel with someone who continually scoffs and ridicules Christ is like casting pearls before swine.
The command not to cast your pearls before swine does not mean we refrain from preaching the gospel. Jesus Himself ate with and taught sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:10). In essence, the instruction in Matthew 7:6 is the same that Jesus gave to His apostles when He said, ‘If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town‘ (Matthew 10:14). We are to share the gospel, but, when it becomes apparent that the gospel is not welcome, we are to move on. We are responsible to share the good news; we are not responsible for people’s response to the good news. Pigs don’t appreciate pearls, and some people don’t appreciate what Christ has done for them. Our job is not to force conversions or cram the gospel down people’s throats; there’s no sense in preaching the value of pearls to swine. Jesus‘ instruction to His apostles on how to handle rejection was to simple go elsewhere. There are other people who need to hear the gospel, and they are ready to hear it.
John MacArthur: ‘When people not only reject the gospel,
but insist on mocking and reviling it, we are not to waste God’s
holy Word and the precious
pearls of His truth in a futile and frustrating attempt to win them. We are to leave them to the Lord, trusting that somehow His Spirit can penetrate their hearts - as He apparently did with some of those who at first rejected the preaching of Paul and the other apostles - or leaving them to the just judgment of God.’
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It’s not just that you are wasting your time. It is
harmful to you. …
This is exactly what happened. I explained the love of God and the Good News of the Gospel. He denigrated the Bible, slandered Jesus, and called me names. Jesus clearly teaches us how to deal with it. I have cut off discussion with this person and in the future I will not engage with an openly hostile atheist.
If you have been through a similar experience, I hope this look at Matthew 7:6 will help you, as it did me. Have you encountered this in your ministry? What did you do? …”
(Cindy Dawson, “Should We Argue With An Atheist?”)
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