Thebonics?! - D.A. Horton You Cant Be Serious

I wasn't going to upload another video today, but I have to now, I have to. I was working, I was minding my own business, just doing some work, and I was listening to this video from John Harris about this guy, Seth Richardson, who talks about evangelizing using a book by DA Horton, which was what my video was about today, about DA Horton.

Contextualizing the Gospel Without Slang

And so, it's just so amazing how providential this all is. He talks about using thebonics in his evangelism. Look, like, take it from me, okay, I'm a Latino, okay, I've grown up in more urban environments and rural environments, and my family's all from the Bronx, you know, we're Puerto Ricans.

I lived in New York City for eight years. Take it from me, all right? Don't use thebonics. Just don't use thebonics. If you don't know what thebonics is, I didn't know until just now. Thebonics is trying to evangelize urban people, so like, if you see a group of blacks, then you go up to them and you try to talk like them in order to communicate the gospel.

Now, there is something to be said about contextualizing the gospel, but you need to be clear about it, too. You can't just use the slang just to use the slang, and furthermore, even if you could, it probably is not a good idea, because when you're like, when you're like white, when you are white, not like white, when you're white, and you obviously don't talk in an urban kind of way, because everyone has different dialects, there's nothing wrong with this.

You'll see, this guy, he's obviously, you know, a country boy, you know? But when you don't actually talk like that, then don't actually talk like that. People don't respect you when you're trying to be something that you're not.

If you are going up to a bunch of urban people, blacks, Latinos, whatever, just because you see a bunch of Mexicans doesn't mean you gotta go up to them orale, you know what I mean? You don't have to do that, just be yourself, man.

The gospel is enough, you don't have to try these gimmicks, but let me, I, let's just watch this, let's just watch this.

Why “Chop It Up” and Other Slang Sound Forced

Well, what I would have to say to this guy, I mean, I would have to say, what was encouraged would be to say something like, um, hey, why don't we sit down and chop it up next Wednesday? Or you would say, hey, we're gonna rip the roof off this thing on Sunday.

Things of that nature, it's just, um.

Don't do that. Don't do that. And if you don't use the word chop it up in your normal everyday life, then don't use it here unless you're trying to be funny, unless you're trying to be stupid. If you're trying to communicate the gospel, that's the worst thing you can do, to start using slang that you're not even quite sure what they mean, like, I can't even think of a way.

You know, like, uh, I think it's way of the master or, uh, or, uh, or living waters where it's like you do the good person test, right? Like have you ever stolen? Like what if, what if, what if you went up to a couple of black people and you're like, hey man, you have a Debo something?

I don't think it would work. That's a bad idea. Don't do it. They're going to be, they're going to be pissed if you do that. Don't do that. Let's, let's listen. Let's listen to the most obvious thing ever in history.

The Host Reacts to the Interview About “Thebonics”

Just the odd way, I think, yeah, to present. When you would use the bonnet, what was the reaction that you got from those who were trying to engage?

Well, I refuse to use the bonnet. Good for you, Seth. Good for you. Just refuse consent.

I like the cut of this guy's jib. I'll tell you that right now. Just say no, don't do this stupid stuff. It doesn't matter if your pastor's telling you to do this, don't do it, but, but ready for the most obvious reaction ever.

Cause he's about to tell you what happened when one of his elders did this. So he refused to do it because he actually has some spine. Good for you, Seth.

Let's listen to what happens to his elders. Um, but one of the, one of the elders, the one that I spoke of, he did try it and the reaction was actually hostile. Really? Yeah. Really? He was warned by a guy one afternoon, he said, don't, don't talk to him like that.

So it went.

John's like, really? Obviously John knew that the reaction was hostile. He goes, he was warned by a dude. Don't talk to me like that. Obviously that's going to be the response. This is the stupidest idea I've ever heard.

Be Genuine in Evangelism Instead of Using Gimmicks

Thabonics. If you don't talk a certain way, don't pretend to talk a certain way. Be genuine. You don't have to trick people into the kingdom of God. And even if you did, the bonnets would still be a bad idea because it would be such an obvious trick.

You know what I mean? Like if you, imagine if you had to trick, if you're going to try to trick people into the kingdom of God, at least do it in a competent way. Thabonics is not a competent way. That's, that's my advice.

You heard it here first. A .D. Robles said, if you're going to trick people into the kingdom of God, at least do it in a way that's semi-competent. Have a nice weekend.