Being a good withness in General Apologetics

The Midge · #1 3rd December 2003, 08:41 AM

Now the non Christians are not around to stoke flames how can we respond to this?

This expose is presented as a starting place to give Christians who are trying to figure out how reach non-Christians some in site into what some of us respond to. No way does this cover everything.

In watching the Christians enter these area’s where non-Christians hang out, I have learned a lot on how “I” respond to the various styles as attempt to reach us non-Christians are made. Some attempts are clearly more futile than others. The "why" that is, is what I'm hoping to point to. Please forgive my generalizations. I do hope that they are not too broad. Any other non-Christians who want to add to this, please join in.

Though I am not a Christian, I am still very much a lover of my Beloved God. And something I’ve learned as a lover of God is the transforming power of love in that what one becomes depends upon what one loves.

So my baseline is to watch the Christians as they enter and see if their heart and soul has been transformed by Christ. Some I sense have been transformed, and some I sense have not. Those who have been transformed, the spirit and attitude of their post is much different than those who have not been transformed. Also, those who have not been transformed by love are easy to sniff out as their message has a way of coming across as hypocritical and arrogant, even though the writer may not think so. These are the people who become easy targets in these forums.

A non-Christian’s image of a true lover of Christ, (rather they believe in the historical Jesus or not) is that the lover, if they are truly authentic, has been transformed by Love and as a result will take great care not to cause distress to others. That doesn’t mean that even though one has been transformed by love that one should not engage others. But the question is, is in how the engaging of others is done.

In that vain, here is what I look for in what I consider a true teacher of God as told in a parable of a householder who is responsible for an estate that includes children, servants, dogs, pigs and cattle. The householder, who feeds each one the diet appropriate to its kind, is an image of the “disciple of God,” who perceived the conditions of each person’s soul, and speaks to each one accordingly, recognizing that each has different needs and stands at a different level of spiritual maturity.

Here the disciple of God, having been transformed by Love, takes the appropriate care and is aware that we have different level's of spiritual maturity and needs.

It's more inviting for non-Christians when we are approached in that manor by Christians attempting to reach us.

And this…

Quote:

What you are suggesting is that people role play? Tell you what you want to hear? I don't buy that.

As a person who is not a Christian, I think I'm looking at a couple of things.

1st and foremost, I'm asking Christians to look at themselves and how they minister to people who are not Christians. If they want to be heard, there really is a needed sensitivity towards those whom they are directing their witnessing towards. But that's only IF Christians truly wanted to be heard. For the most part, IMO, a sensitivity towards the level of another person's spiritual maturity needs to happen for spiritual communication to take place. Otherwise, we are just talking past each other, spiritually speaking.

2nd - Rightly or not, when someone comes at me proclaiming that they know Truth, immediately red warning flags pop up, and I scrutinize their words differently. One of the things I start looking for is to see what they have become, because I see that pointing towards what they love. If I sense a truly loving and compassionate being, I'll tend to listen a lot closer than I would to someone who came across as arrogant or who seemed hypercritical. People who have been transformed by Love become the loving and compassionate being who draw people in and people my nature want to be around them. This is how a person who is not Christian really does expect a person who has truly and honestly been transformed by Christ or Love, would behave. That's where the bar is set with in the non-Christian's spiritual guage as they listen to Christians who tell us they have Truth and we don't.

admtaylor · #2 3rd December 2003, 08:51 AM

I think he's or she's on to how true witnessing should occur. We shouldn't bash we should love. I also think this person may be close enough to the Truth to bring to the truth.

The Midge · #3 3rd December 2003, 01:33 PM

The credits for the posts go to dlamberth. That is exactly what I think.

It is a pitty that the comments it has drawn have been the opposite. The last time I looked on the thread it had descended into another evolution debate. :rolleyes:

seebs · #4 3rd December 2003, 01:42 PM

I think we can respond to it by reading I Peter 3:15, and considering whether we might, if we followed the instructions in the Bible on witnessing, perhaps be doing exactly what this helpful person has told us he'd like.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

What a good way to witness!

Erwin · #5 3rd December 2003, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by seebs

I think we can respond to it by reading I Peter 3:15, and considering whether we might, if we followed the instructions in the Bible on witnessing, perhaps be doing exactly what this helpful person has told us he'd like.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

What a good way to witness!

Amen to that seebs.

Carico · #6 4th December 2003, 12:25 PM

But what is genuine love? Jesus had to tell the truth knowing it would cause anger, hate, and the desire to kill Him. He did not praise the beliefs of the Pharisees or sinners. he understood that they couldn't help themselves but nevertheless, had to tell them the truth about repentence, damnation, and forgiveness. On the non-Christian forums i have posted repeatedly about the love of God. I even iniated a thred about how would people feel if everything they have ever done wrong could be wiped clean? I told them repeatedly about Christ's love and forgiveness. But I also could not endorse the fallacy of worshipping false gods. To do so, would be to saction the perpetuation of such beliefs. There is a reason Jesus said "you will be persecuted because of me." He did not say to try to win their love, only to pass along the good news. If they like me, it's because i stand for what they stand for. I believe the ones who are the most convicted will respond in the most abrasive manner.

Debi1967 · #7 4th December 2003, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by The Midge

The credits for the posts go to dlamberth. That is exactly what I think.

It is a pitty that the comments it has drawn have been the opposite. The last time I looked on the thread it had descended into another evolution debate. :rolleyes:

I have to take credit, unfortunately, for turning it into that. I took the tactic that sometimes with atheists, if you disprove a theory, they may be open to another way of thinking. Unforunately again, all I got for that was all of them becoming very defensive. Looking back I wish I had never done that. I was taught many different techniques, only I have used them only when dealing with one or two people at a time. Sorry guys.

As far as the OP I take a slightly different opinion on this. I do believe that you cannot change anybody with high handed tactics and that you need to take care and use Love. But on the other hand, we also have to show no weakness. In my experience sometimes the tamer you are, the weaker they percieve you to be. It's a funny balance.
Debiwebi

Carico · #8 4th December 2003, 10:22 PM

Conviction is a horrible thing. The posts that i got the most anger from were the ones where I posted what the love of God can do for people. When I posted my testimony I got snide remarks. The problem is that we can be as loving as possible, but the bottom line is that in order to convert to Christianity, one has to humble himself enough to know he needs it. As once unbelievers, we all know that we do not want to do that without putting up a fight. I don't see any way around being persecuted for standing up for Christ.

seebs · #9 5th December 2003, 12:52 AM

I don't think the tactics normally used to try to convince people that they're worthless are even remotely related to convincing them that they need salvation; indeed, I think such tactics consistently provide a barrier to salvation.

Debi1967 · #10 5th December 2003, 02:30 AM

christi are you really here