An Open "Letter" to the Ruling Elite....whoever they are.

Chapter 1 of Tertullian’s Apology, a paraphrase by Ryan Burt:

"You Ruling Elite, sitting in your lofty position, if you cannot investigate whether the charges made against Christianity are true (from fear or shame); if we cannot defend ourselves before you, surely you would allow Truth to reach you by “the secret pathway of a noiseless book”. This book, who makes no appeals, is friendless and among enemies, has no desire of earthly praise, but only heavenly, and desires only “not to be condemned unknown”. What’s the harm in that? If you condemn her after hearing her, it is much more damning, but unheard judgment is unjust and many will suppose you did so purposely to not hear that which you must accept upon hearing. This is why hating the name Christian is unjust as well. How could it be more unfair to condemn something of which you know nothing, even if it deserves hatred? Hatred cannot be deserved until something is known to deserve it. Where would justice come from in such hatred? Without knowledge of what is hated, it could not be defended. If people hate something unknown, how can they know they don’t actually like it? Thus they are ignorant in hating us, and hate us wrongly as they are ignorant, each causing the other. The proof: those that used to hate Christianity, upon learning the Truth of it, stop hating it. Haters became disciples. They now hate what they had been, and to believe what they had hated, and there are a lot of them. Too many cry against Christians for converting so many, yet they don’t see there might be some good they are missing because they are so caught up in complaining. They want to be ignorant, though others have found the knowledge to be blissful. They don’t want to investigate because they cannot win. If Christianity is good, they must stop hating, and if it is bad, they only can continue their hatred. They argue it cannot be good just because they have converts, for many have been deceived to evil results. Yet even those misled into evil would not argue it is good since shame and fear follow closely with all that is truly evil. Criminals will admit in their hearts maybe that they are evil but are reluctant to proclaim it publicly. And yet Christianity is nothing like this. Christians are not afraid of attention but rejoice in it openly. What sort of insanity is this that a Christian would rejoice in being condemned as such if it was truly evil? You who know nothing of it cannot judge it so."

I read this first chapter again tonight and just couldn't help but wonder, if cleaned up and modernized a bit, could Tertullian speak to any of us today?  So I had to try it.  I think it works, as far as a paraphrase can anyway.  Smart guys this Tertullian.