A South Carolina man was charged with forgery after he tried to open a bank account with this gospel tract. Living proof that the love of money is the root to all evil.
See related story here.
Christ Alone Wyoming
Proclaiming the Truth of Christ-Centered Theology
Christ Alone Wyoming 
…and living proof that lazy, deceptive witnessing tactics do not work.
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No, I think that this simply demonstrates what the tract (and scripture) claims — that people are lying thieves, among other things — in need of a savior. It also demonstrates that the person attempting to steal by pssing this as real currency has a problem thinking past his own nose.
A tract is only as good as the message on it, and in this case it is a scriptural one including the need for repentance and faith. I’ve passed out tons of these and many times have had people ask for more to hand out….even after they read the message on the back.
They don’t work? I would disagree. Besides, we plant seeds, we don’t do body counts (which don’t prove genuine conversion). We’ll see the results in Heaven. Who knows, this tract may have ended up in a nut’s hand after being used to lead someone to Christ.
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…and of the tons I’ve handed out, not one person said “You’re being deceptive”. They enjoyed the medium, read the message and kept the tract. Pretty good, I’d say.
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Amen, you are right Tim when you say that it just proves that the world is full of lying, thieves and adulterers at heart. Is it lazy to hand these tracts out? I would say absolutely not. We don’t know how it could possibly change someone. Will we see the results of our labors. Not neccesarily. Only God knows for sure. With God all things are possible. Someone tried to hand me a gospel tract back when I was in the mormon faith. My mormon friends snatched the tract out of my hand before I had a chance to read it. Had I seen what it said, it probably would have gotten me out of the mormon religion sooner. Don’t underestimate the power of God’s Word — it will not return void!
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Tim and Brian,
I am all in favor of using literature when witnessing; when it is done properly. Clearly, you guys are the good examples of how to use this tract.
I was talking about the people who leave this on the ground as if it were litter and hope that people will be duped to pick it up. THAT is desceptive and lazy. While you are above that kind of stuff, it is a common use for this particular material. Just read some of the reviews by people who buy the tract on the website:
“When I leave them around for people to pick up, I like to fold them in half so that the back of the bill is visible on both sides. Therefore, it still looks like money (to lure people into picking them up), and it makes sure that they see the Gospel message…”
“Even if one knows off hand it’s a gospel track, not as many will pass it up as you may think.”
“These are great. I like to put one sticking out of the atm at the mall and sit back and watch what happens.”
God’s Word does not return void, but no one will deny that ther are well-meaning Christians damage to souls by misrepresenting the faith through their flawed witness.
All in all, I retract my previous comment. Clearly this man is (a) stupid, (b) a criminal, or (c) mentally unbalanced. I should have just posted this comment instead of trying to be clever.
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It’s all about presenting the message. Would I prefer to be able to speak to everyone about the gospel in detail? Sure. But you don’t always have time. The cashier at Wal-mart and the customers in line behind me probably wouldn’t appreciate my stopping everything for a normal gospel exchange. At least this way the salient points of the Gospel are communicated when they read it during a break.
I’ve heard some say “No one has ever been saved as a result of a tract”. 1) I’d challenge them to explain how they know that and 2) explain away the testimonies of those who say that they have been. To do either implies a person knows the heart as God does.
Again, the message is the message is the message. Sin, Righteousness, Judgment, Repentance and faith. It’s all there. The icing on the cake is people actually enjoy getting these. I’ve never seen one tossed out or torn up…and like one cashier said to me once, “can I have more for my friends?”.
The fact that someone can’t think in a straight line and realize the stupidity of trying to open a bank account with an obvious fake bill doesn’t invalidate the tract as a tool.
wow.
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Mike, I’ve done most all those things you quoted. And often I’ve sat back to see what would happen. Again, open them up, read them, and laugh. Then they keep them. Sometimes, for example, at a large store, I’ll see someone pick one up, and then it draws a few people when they hear the person’s response. They don’t necessarily know I’m the one leaving them. But one thing is consistent…not ONE person ever has said anything negative. And I’ve only heard two people who profess Christ ever say anything about deception…and your comment is the second.
People find them, pick them up, laugh (thereby attracting someone else), read them and keep them.
Is that a problem?
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Again, you are right about this particular story; there is no need to beat a dead horse. I already retracted my statement that connected deceptive witnessing practices and the guy in this story. I have no proof how this guy got the tract or what he was doing with it. I regret ever drawing that parallel.
Maybe I have just had a bad history with this particualr tract. It irks me because I have encountered many copies of it covering the ground in parking lots and parks. I have worked at businesses that became angry with me because people from my faith left it all over their store. I also remember this kind of tract in my high school… it did not reap the purely positive reaction that you have had. In all of the cases where I remember having encountered it, this tract has INCREASED hostility against Christians and God’s Word. I hope that you consider the limited perspective of my anecdotal evidence as valid as the limited perspective of your your anecdotal evidence. Just because you have had good experiences does not mean that that is the norm any more than my negative experiences mean that that is the norm. I think caution and prayerful consideration are important. Agreed?
I would not presume to judge your methods based solely on your text discription. I will leave it up to you to determine if what you are doing is ethical and clear. I am glad that we both agree that face-to-face conversation is far better than just leaving papers all over the place.
I do think there is a problem when unwarranted deception (especially when it becomes illegal or unethical behavior) is used to deliver the message of Christ. We should not witness by any means neccessary. It is one thing to do something unusual to get someone’s attention. It is quite another to misrepresent yourself trick people into listening to you. I can see how this tract can be used properly. But, like all things, we should exercise caution and make sure that we are not doing more harm than good.
Witnessing is not the same as advertising. It is not ‘anything to get the word out’ at all costs and wait to ‘see what sticks’. Christians should not misrepresent themsleves and God’s Word or lie when they talk about their faith… no matter how slight that lie might be. If you make contact with someone under a false pretense, how can that person trust what you have to say?
I hope that we can both agree that there are some tactics (not neccesarily this one) and methods are unacceptable, unChristian, and do more harm than good.
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Hi Mike,
I agree with you that deceptive practices do absolutely no good in regards to our Christian witness. While I love to hand out tracts, I really prefer the face to face that you talk about. That way, if they have questions, you can answer them. It is my desire to see all Christians get out of the church and out into the streets to proclaim Law and Grace to the lost sinner. I pray that you will give validation to handing out tracts. They do have some very powerful opportunities to change people. Whether we see the changes or not is not even an issue. That is between them and God. We just want to be faithul in the Great Commission! God bless you and your family
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Well, Mike, I guess we’re simply going to have to agree to disagree. Again, the people that have been “fooled” laughed about it, and it opened them up to the message. And then they comment about the question about “have you ever stolen anything” when they’ve just been caught red-handed!
Like Brian, I do prefer face-to-face. I know he does, we have gone out witnessing together. But you don’t always have time or opportunity for that. And I’ve yet to see any of these bills remain where I leave them…I make my “rounds” while I’m shopping.
And if I’m reading you right, I’d have to disagree with you about the method. Yes, it IS about getting the Word out at all costs. The alternative is NOT getting the Word out. All we are quibbling about is where the line is regarding “style”. As far as “seeing what sticks”, that reminds me of the parable of the sower. You spread the seed and sometimes you get to see what “sticks”.
Again, I’d simply say that we’re going to have to disagree agreeably on this. Maybe what succeeds in my neck of the woods doesn’t work where you are. If you are witnessing difficulties with this, it may well be the case. Here in the ‘burg, it’s not like that…people enjoy things like this.
In any case, follow your conscience. If you are out sharing the Gospel of repentance from sin and faith in Christ, great!
With encouragement,
Tim
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Mike:
P.S. Lately, I’ve found that I even prefer handing out the “Gift for you” tracts from Living Waters. The ones you put real money in. At first, I was thinking that a dollar would be a joke to people. To the contrary, I’ve found that it shocks them. People just don’t understand the meaning of the word “gift” is. I’ve gone through a “slump” lately about handing these out but I’ve been getting back into it.
You may like them, I think people appreciate that you gave them something that costs you something, even though you don’t even know them.
If you haven’t looked at them, I think you might want to check them out.
Here
they are
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As a point of clarification, I do not oppose creative witnessing techniques and literature provided that they:
1. Deliver the entire truth of the Gospel without factual or doctrinal error.
2. Are not written or presented in a confusing or questionable way.
3. Do not require that the evangelist commit sin in order to pull them off.
4. Are the most productive and effective way to tell the truth.
Your point is conceeded regarding the parable of the sower. And I am glad that we agree that witnessing strategies are not neccesarily universally advisable in all places and contexts.
I still stand on my statement that “getting the Word out at all costs” is not the proper mindset. While we are to “boldly proclaim the Gospel”, the good ends do not justify false means. I do not advise delivering God’s word without discernment or sensetivity. There is a time and place for everything. Even Scripture speaks of times and places where delivering the Gospel was not appropriate.
Certainly, common sense tells us that there are methods and strategies that are ill-advised or even sinful. I am confident that you will agree with me on this point because I am sure that we both oppose witnessing to people by holding them at gunpoint. My absurd example points out my simple point: Not every act in the name of preaching is justified. Once one conceeds that false evangelism is possible, it is just a matter of determining what constitutes bad practice.
…But we will agree to disagree about this particular method. I am greatful for your dedication to preach the Gospel to those who need to hear it. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for giving me stuff to think about regarding the use of this tract. I will give you the final word.
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Glad to help.
Regarding your statement on discernment, of course I’d agree with you. That was the whole point of my last comment which was “it depends on where you are, not everything is going to be ok everywhere”. We never disagreed on that, or do we?
Tim
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No, Tim, we do not disagree.
I guess my concern over this is: what constitutes lying? How is this thing different than illegal ‘bait n switch’ sales scams. I happen to think that some of the ‘bait n switch’ tricks are clever, but where is the thin line of “bearing false witness” and how do we know when we’ve crossed it? If we are dishonest, what does that do to people on the receiving end of our attempts to reach out to them? We can debate over whether this is an innocent gimmick or a sneaky trick, but I am not so sure that the Gospel should be about either. I have concerns over any witnessing tool that appears to be something else or tries to get people to pay attention through misrepresentation or misdirection. That is really unsteady ground to start a theological discussion on.
Isaiah 55:11 is a good verse to quote here. It is true that, “[God’s] Word does not return empty.” … but that is not the whole passage:
“(v10) For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, (v11) so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
I think that alot of Christians gloss over the part about God’s Word proceeding from His mouth and being sent to accomplish His purposes. It is not just us wielding the Word willy nilly by any means neccesary. When we preach the Gospel, we are speaking with a great deal of responsibility. We have a duty to the truth and to the hearer. When we speak as Christians about eternal salvation, it is not a practical joke or a game. I am all for ice breakers, being friendly, and being likeable, but where do we draw the line between good practice and bad practice? When does the initial hook turn into a bad precident?
I think those are important things to consider and I am not sure that there are really easy, clear answers.
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Mike:
First, I appreciate you taking the time to respond. My desire is not to turn this into a debate of sorts even though I have bents in that direction. It can be a good tool but takes discipline to use rightly.
Secondly, (and I do give you credit for retracting this) I’m sure you understand that your first comment in this thread was emotionally charged, especially to those of us who use those tracts and have seen them at work. Add to that the disconnect between “This was used wrong” and this being a “Lazy, deceptive witnessing tactic”. Those are very charged words which implies motive that you cannot assign. But again, I do give you credit for retracting that. I bring it up only to help you understand what was going on here on my end of the net.
Third, I think what has been confusing me, rightly or wrongly, is a perception that you were trying to say something like “it is sinful for you to drop the tracts like that”. Or maybe even use tracts like this at all. That is where we would part company. I sometimes will write “www.needgod.com” on post-it notes and stick them on monitors or men’s room stall doors as if I were leaving a note to myself. Hopefully, someone sees it, wonders what they are “missing out on” and goes to the site. Is that “bearing false witness”? If I put a stack of million dollar bills in my shirt pocket, and people can see them and ask what I’m doing with all that money in my pocket, is that lying? You can think yourself into paralysis about things like this. So…
4. If you really don’t care for using million dollar bill tracts (or things like that) then follow your conscience. Don’t violate it. I’m not trying to get you to use them. And, as I’ve said, lately I’ve really liked handing out “Gift For You” tracts. I discussed this with Brian a few weeks ago.
5. You mentioned that the gospel is not a practical joke or a game. I agree. However, I don’t think that it is improper to use humor to help lower a person’s defenses for the truth. That is what the million dollar bill tracts do. I’ve already mentioned that there is something that impacts the conscience when the person reads “Have you ever stolen anything” on a money tract that they have just “stolen”. It enhances conviction!
Mike, I can tell you are very sincere and interested in sharing the Gospel. From what you are writing, I take it your style is more “formal” than mine. You are concerned about the listener taking the message seriously and I appreciate that. I can’t answer your questions about all the “lines”. All I can do is say “listen to your conscience”. If you and I were here face to face, and you shared that conviction with me, I’d say “you get what you want to use and let’s go!”. I don’t think you’re a “weaker brother” because you are not in “danger” of using these tracts because your conscience bothers you. You’ve seen things (however bad or not) that turn you off to this. I haven’t had nor seen anything but good experiences with them. Again, no one has ever said anything about “deception” when they find these or get one (or a bunch) from me.
You’re right, there is a fine line and that is true with a lot of things. Again, it becomes a matter of your own conscience, and only you can draw that line in your own heart. So I leave it with you.
I’ll end my posting here. However, please don’t take it as a brush-off. As one who runs a blog, this isn’t the place, really, for this type of discussion. If you’d like, you can contact me via email. My email address is at my blog, which is http://reformedgadfly.blogspot.com. Look in my profile.
Thanks,
Tim
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To further clarify your confusion regarding your third point, I think that it would only be sinful to drop a tract like that in a situation where it is illegal to do so [i.e. a location where littering is legally prohibited]. We are to submit to the governing authority provided that those laws to do not lead us to sin… that includes “minor” laws like littering and speeding.
We can debate over whether specific tactics are useful or not all day and never get anywhere, and that isn’t what either of us wants. We both agree that there is no sin in the proper use of this literature. You have made some very good points and I think that we are debating different ends of the same point to a great extent: presenting the Gospel is not something that should ever be undertaken lightly [even if the mood and theme is light =P].
Again, I apologize if what I first said was emotionally charged. We all have fits of hubris. I think my gut reaction reflected some of the response that I have personally seen surrounding this particular tract. I did not give it a fair shake. None of us are perfect. Intellectually honesty is all about admitting when you’ve been on the wrong side of a particular issue.
Morbid curiousity wonders what you think of the “Clowning for Jesus” thread on this blog…
I will leave the remainder of your comments unanswered to give you the final word… for real this time. I consider this matter pretty much settled. There was no brush off.
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Mike:
Again, I’m glad we could pursue this discussion. Feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss anything or just visit. You’re welcome any time.
Tim Brown
tjbrown527@insightbb.com
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