John Blanchard has recently brought out a new evangelistic booklet. He talked to EN about the cross in the run-up to Easter.
EN: You have a new booklet out entitled Why the Cross? What would you say is the great attraction of the cross for needy sinners?
JB: From one angle it is no attraction at all. The cross is hateful to unbelievers as it strikes an unacceptable blow at their pride, making all their supposed goodness — even their religious ideas and practices — worthless, while they fondly imagine that these will prepare them for eternity. One of my golfing partners was a humanist (with a small ‘h’) and at his funeral service the word ‘God’ was never used, yet ironically another member of our golf club assured the congregation that Fred (not his real name) was now safely in heaven. Any suggestion to the contrary would have caused offence.
