When Jesus coached his disciples about how to do ministry, he said this:
“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”
Matthew 10:14
He said a lot of other stuff too but this verse gets brought up to me a lot.
I’m often asked, “Why do you waste your time talking to that person? Shake the dust off your feet!”
I talk with people of all theological stripes.
As I have reported here many times – some people are nitwits.
Some people are just trying to cobble together a workable life philosophy (like me).
It is often difficult to tell them apart.
It takes awhile to figure it out.
Eventually, the nitwits reveal themselves.
Proverbs gives clues for how to spot them:
Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them.
Proverbs 26:12
Nitwits always project intellectual superiority.
They ask questions with answers already in mind.
Their answers just create confusion.
Behold:
This shining gem of incoherence came after a loooooong conversation about whether or not John 1:3 is true.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:3 – (Which, quite literally, explains everything.)
The nitwit, brimming with wisdom in his own eyes, finally responded (I’ll translate):
“I don’t presuppose the universe exists without a creator. I simply don’t accept the presupposition that it exists with a creator…”
You can appreciate the fullness of this nitwittery by applying the idea to anything that exists.
I simply don’t accept the presupposition that a house has an architect.
I simply don’t accept the presupposition that a cake has a baker.
I simply don’t accept the presupposition that a baby has a mother.
To make sure that I understood his idiocy, the nitwit illustrated (I’ll translate):
“Likewise, if you were to assert there are an even number of stars in the universe and I don’t accept that claim, that doesn’t mean I’ve taken up the claim that there are an odd number of stars.”
This is when it’s time to shake the dust off my feet.
Any honest person agrees that the total number of stars in the universe MUST BE even or odd.
There is no third option.
Any honest person agrees that the universe was created or it was not.
There is no third option.
When there are only two possible explanations and you reject them both – you’re a fool.
You’ve convinced yourself that irrationality is sophisticated.
That’s what fools always do.
7 Responses
Thank you for translating, John. It’s good to see actual words, instead of the writing typical of an uneducated, inbred, gap-toothed dimwit.
Unfortunately, putting in actual words doesn’t help.
The thinking process is so flawed and illogical I wonder how this person can function. I have a relative in the end stages of Alzheimer’s, and she can speak and reason far more clearly than the person you were corresponding with.
I’m thinking as long as this young man remains in his Mom’s basement, playing video games, and eating Burger King takeout, he’ll be able to continue existing.
What happens when Mom kicks him out, or dies, and he has to fend for himself in a world he can’t make any sense out of?
How can you function as a human without the ability to think logically? It reminds me of Nebuchadnezzar when he lost his mind.
Poor lost soul. His skewed use of “big words” doesn’t cover up the vacuum inside his skull.
I feel sick to my stomach.
This guy claims to have a Ph.D. in literature. That gives a little insight into what’s wrong with him.
A Ph.D. in Literature?!?!
With no respect for the English language or ability to reason?
Let me guess: Harvard?
I suspect his vocabulary is considerably less than 3,000 words.
(If that is true, I’d be terrified if he’s teaching or actually writing.
The downfall of civilization is taking place if he, and others like him, are teaching. )
I remember some wonderful, hilarious rants by Click and Clack (Tom and Ray Magliozzi) on Car Talk about the uselessness of higher education, particularly degrees like PH.D.s in Literature.
Happy Easter, John!
I was thinking of you a couple of days ago. I was listening to Venerable Fulton Sheen. There is a great black and white video of one of his talks uploaded to YouTube: “The Divine Sense of Humor”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGSsPFw52b8
I hope you enjoy😊
—————
I was thinking, the tone of the dimwit’s argument strikes me as someone who has spent his life in unreasoning rebellion. It has the flavor of the type of arguing that a spoiled young child will do while resisting a parent that doesn’t know how to correct nor discipline a child. This one never had to learn how to think, it just relied on being an unreasoning brat to “win” and get its way.
I’ve met a number of these, and you’re right – you just finally have to shake off the dust (while shaking your head). They go off thinking they’ve won, but actually they have lost everything.
I keep hoping there is a way to penetrate obstinate, thick skulls. I always pray for them, since nothing is impossible for God; yet He also lovingly and painfully will not violate His beautiful, and terrible, gift of Free Will to us.
—-
Thank you for your writing, John. I hope your book is coming along, and that you write many more. Our poor world needs your perspective, unique writing, and performances,
“This one never had to learn how to think, it just relied on being an unreasoning brat to “win” and get its way. ”
This is a great insight. My immediate reaction is often bratty. Hope God reminds me to pause and think before I speak or act.
😂 John, you might respond quickly, and want to win, but you have a sharp wit and amazing sense of humor. Yes, we all can be rebellious, but your way of reacting is to parry quickly with intelligence – not by unreasoning brutishness.
By all means, slow down and think if you need to: but please take notes on your first reaction and the words that spring to mind, because I will bet you that 98% of what rapidly springs out of your mind and heart is good.
You learned how to think. I’m wondering how often you used humor to “win” rather than unthinking persistent dullness. People, disarmed by laughter, enjoy conceding much more than those overwhelmed and exhausted by arrogant non-thinkers.
You’re a “brat” in a much different way. You’re more like a Stephen, or Paul or Peter. You use yours in a decent way, tempered with integrity, genuine intelligence and humor.
Your last three sentences pretty much sums it up. Postmodern gobbledygook at its finest. “A fool says in his heart there is no God…but he’s not saying there’s isn’t one.”