Do You Think It's Wrong To Wear Polyester?

It is sometimes amazing that folks who do not follow the Lord will attempt to use His Holy Word to challenge those who do. The headline of today's article, "Do you think it's wrong to wear polyester?" is one such challenge. Let's look at this challenge in today's post.

When sharing the gospel it is common for a non-believer to become uncomfortable as you reveal truth. Darkness does not seek the light, so when the doorway to truth begins to open and light pours in, they seek to escape. Perhaps by moving the conversation in a new direction, the door will pause in its progress, halting the approaching brightness of truth. This type of defense is a non-sequitur, or a topic that does not fit in the logical progression of a conversation. A frequent type of non-sequitur, including tossing out random Biblical verses, is called a red-herring.

A red herring is used to divert attention, or change the course of the conversation. This tells you that the person is uncomfortable, and wants to either put you on the defensive or create a line of discussion that is more to their liking.

Do not allow the conversation to suddenly move off topic. Your reply should immediately lead back to the main point of the gospel. Consider handling it with a simple, "That's an interesting question, let's talk about it after I finish this point." I've heard Ray Comfort deflect red-herrings with the simple statement, "Interesting," before immediately returning to the point he was making. You do not need to get off track, but you do need to understand what is happening: the person feels convicted. Despite their protests and defensive moves, the truth is making a difference. Later, if you have the opportunity, you can address the question.

As for the red-herring that led off this post, "Do you think it's wrong to wear polyester?" this probably comes from reading into the text of Leviticus 19:19, which says (in part): "You shall not... wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together." Atheists and agnostics read this and conclude that Christians should not wear blends of material, such as polyester.

The fact is, Biblical scholars do not know the reason behind this commandment, which was given to the nation of Israel as they wandered in the desert shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. Some scholars believe the reference was to an idolatrous practice of the day, and the Lord was warning the Jews to not allow any appearance of sin.

If you think this might be far fetched, consider a reader in the future, without access to most of the literature of today, who reads the following: "It could be deadly to wear purple and gold in the city." Would they be right to conclude that our society thought that these two colors, when in close proximity, would create some deadly toxin? Would someone in the future mock a historian with, "Gee, do you believe that colors can kill?"

What if they discovered that these colors are the mark of a particular gang in a local city, and that wearing those colors into the territory of another gang could spark gun-fire? Suddenly the warning makes complete sense.

The fact is, we do not have enough information to determine why the Lord gave the command in Lev 19:19, but we do know clearly that someone who dies in their sin, without trusting the one and only Savior, will be eternally in torment.

Be bold, Christian, and do not allow red-herrings to deter the gospel.