Murray Richmond gets it right …

Back in my BP years (before the pastorate) when I was a college English teacher and academic counselor, one of my colleagues approached me and said,

“I know you’re religious and I’m hoping you can help me. I have a student who is trying to convert me in each of her papers. Unfortunately, her grammar and organizational skills are quite weak, and she’s not taking into account any of the rhetorical principles that I’ve been teaching – things like ethos, logos, and pathos, and so on. But whenever I try to point out problems in her paper, she says I’m persecuting her for her religion. I really want to help this girl. I know she’s sincere and I can tell she’s under a lot of pressure to get some converts, so I feel for her. But I also have a job to do that I’m being paid for, so it’s quite tricky … Do you have any advice for me?”

I don’t remember what I said, but I remember we had a great talk. Murray Richmond tells a similar story here: http://www.salon.com/2012/04/08/reformation_of_an_evangelical/