Mystery Businessman Who Gave Famous Atheist a Bible Discovered
In 2009, well-known magician and outspoken atheist Penn Jillette made a YouTube clip about a businessman who gave him a Bible, praising the man’s evangelistic effort. It was so remarkable that several prominent ministries such as Focus on the Family and Answers in Genesis wrote about it. According to the Baptist Press, on the clip the famous atheist spoke about a man who approached him after a performance:
“He was really kind and nice and sane and looked me in the eyes and talked to me and then gave me this Bible. And I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all,” Jillette said. “If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward…How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” Jillette went on to stress the man’s character: “He cared enough about me to proselytize and give me a Bible…I’ll tell you, he was a very, very, very good man, and that’s really important…that was a really good man who gave me that book.”
For years people have wondered who that businessman was, and what he said that so impressed Penn Jillette—an atheist so hardened against God that he made videos of himself contemptuously throwing and kicking Bibles. Christian filmmaker Ray Comfort now knows the answer.
When he first saw the video, Comfort remarked, “I was so moved by his sentiment that I longed to speak with him and thank him for making that clip. Years later, through a number of unusual circumstances, God worked it out that I got my heart’s desire.”
Then during a recent interview on a Las Vegas radio show, Comfort was surprised to discover that the host was that businessman. “The inside story of his encounter with Penn, and what he actually gave him, was so compelling,” Comfort explained, “that we immediately filmed the man sharing the incredible story and included it in our new movie—which ‘coincidentally’ already mentioned that encounter. It’s amazing how God put all the pieces together.”
The filmmaker added, “In Penn’s video, the heartfelt statements of an atheist have motivated countless Christians to share their faith. In the same way, God used other atheists to get the gospel to millions and even proclaim it themselves. We’re excited to tell these inspiring stories in ‘The Fool: Never Fear Looking Foolish Again.'” (See the trailer here)
A free prescreening of “The Fool” is available to churches across the US, months before its public release later this year. For details of how your church can freely show the film, go to www.TheFoolForChrist.com.
(Source: Christian Newswire)
