Getting it wrong: “You are hopelessly lost. Now you must die.” — A letter to Gwyneth Paltrow from a Christian.
Getting it right: “Be ready to defend your faith in gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow testified in a Los Angeles court that she feared for her safety after receiving more than 70 letters from Dante Soui. She told the court the letters ranged from religious to pornographic to threatening.
Soui wrote, “You are hopelessly lost. Now you must die…so that Christ can have preeminence.” Soui was convicted of stalking Paltrow in 2001, spent three years in a mental health facility, and was later released. Soui’s attorney said he is harmless and that his behavior is constitutionally protected. His letters were biblical in nature and meant to be religious messages to her. The judge disagreed. Mr. Soui could face up to three years in prison.
Do you think Mr. Soui’s approach to Ms. Paltrow for Christ had a favorable impact? In a letter to early Christians, the disciple Peter wrote, “If someone asks you about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way.”