Interview: Luis Palau on 'A Friendly Dialogue Between a Christian and an Atheist'
Friday, Feb. 26, 2008 Posted: 10:25:22PM EST
Secondly, it's one of my favorite verses. It's not just in China. Everywhere in the world, the human soul is searching for eternal life. And in that verse, Jesus gives a triple promise: I give them eternal life; they shall never perish; and the assurance of eternal life. That's why I gave that.
CP: Now, Dr. Palau, if you were to sit down today with Mr. Zhao and have another session – maybe, possibly to add to your future edition of book, which topic would you re-explore or introduce in the conversation between you and Mr. Zhao?
Palau: Well, if it was a private conversation, which I'm trying to find a moment, I would love to do it with an interpreter that's my guy. I would try and be sure that he has given his life to Christ. My sense is he will always say…Today he just said, "I'm a scientist. I think I'm more an agnostic than an atheist." The first time I met him, he said, "I'm an atheist but I've read the Bible." Now, I heard him say – and it's in the tape (chuckles) – "I think I'm more an agnostic searching."
I believe that person, Mr. Zhao, is one inch from the Kingdom of God. I'd like to think that but I have just a sense that the Holy Spirit of God has been speaking to him and that his heart is tender. And last night…Were you at the meeting last night?
CP: No.
Palau: Oh. He told about his mother, that she is dying. I said that I would like to pray for her in public, as a closing of the conference. And I prayed for his mother that God would heal her and give her eternal life and peace with God. And I prayed for him. He had just tears, sniffling, because he was broken.
That's why I put the verse. Because I know the Chinese soul would love to have the assurance of eternal life but China doesn't have that except the believers.
CP: Now, this book was released in China earlier than it was released in the United States.
Palau: Uh-huh. About 18 months ago.
CP: Right. Now, from an American perspective, what can Americans or American Christians benefit from reading this book? And what is one thing you hope for them to take away after reading this book? Rather than just a friendly dialogue and just to become more informed, what is the crucial point that you hope they would take away from it?
Palau: Americans?
CP: Yes.
Palau: Well, I hope they would do this – if it's just one, I've got more than one – that they would treat a person who says they are an atheist with respect. Listen carefully to what they say. They're not the enemy. It's a person created in the image and likeness of God who may not even be able to explain their secret longings, their sense of emptiness, their sense of lostness. Because when you read his answers, even though they are edited in the book, but I was there of course. There is a sense of "I don't know." Sometimes, it's "I don't have an answer." You know? So I hope that Christians who are reading it…Well, there's many things. I hope many reading it will become converted.
But from a Christian point of view, that they will learn to respect an atheist and not treat them like an enemy. He's not there to shoot you down. He's a lonely human being. He's somebody's child. He was born 70 years ago or something and he had a mother just like you and me. And he's a lost soul. How do you treat a person? I think many believers…I did it when I was young. I must admit it. But there are many atheists who throw insulting remarks at Christians. And look at them, they want to insult them right back and say, "Look, you're a fool. The Bible says, 'A fool says in his heart there is no God.' Ah-hahaha!" That isn't going to win anything. You send him away just as insulted as you were. So that would be one great goal.
