How would you evangelize people who have had profound spiritual experiences in other religions?

[Mark Quayle]

hermetically sealed bubble of ignorance

Hahaha! I like that!

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Spiritual experiences can play a very important role in shaping an individual's worldview and religious convictions. Just a single profound mystical experience can dramatically change a person's entire view on life and be the turning point that leads them to embrace an entirely new religious path. Without going too far, the best example in my opinion can be found in Christianity itself, in the conversion of the Apostle Paul, who went from persecuting the Church to becoming the greatest Apostle of all time, all because he had a dramatic "Road to Damascus" encounter (Acts 9).

But spiritual experiences are not exclusive to Christianity. People have reported profound spiritual experiences in all sorts of religions. And people who have had these experiences usually interpret them as evidence and confirmation of the truthfulness of the religion they follow. Of course, whether this interpretative leap is justified or not is a whole different question, but the fact remains that many anchor their religious beliefs in profound experiences they've had throughout their spiritual walks.

And this brings me to the question in the title: How should Christians approach the evangelization of a person who has deep convictions about a different religion because of profound spiritual experiences they've had while following said religion? How to argue against a strong conviction that comes from a profound spiritual experience someone has had in another religion?

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Appendix: examples of spiritual experiences in other religions

1) Hinduism, Buddhism and Eastern Spirituality in general

• Kundalini awakening
• Samadhi
• Siddhis

2) New Age spirituality

• Astral projection
• Reiki
• Communication with spirit guides and other entities
• Manifesting their own reality (Law of Attraction)
• Mystical experiences through the consumption of psychedelic drugs: ayahuasca, DMT, mushrooms, etc.

3) Witchcraft & the Occult

• Magic: spell casting, etc.

4) Mormonism

• Inner witness of the Holy Spirit authenticating the Book of Mormon

The bible tells us that in the last day God will allow the whole earth to be impacted by false miracles and the reason? Is to blind those who refuse the love of the truth.

2Th 2:9-12 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

I believe we are all given a measure of the knowledge of God in our lifetime, if we reject God's drawing (to live rightly) with our lives, God eventually gives us over to a lie, we will believe a lie rather than the truth.

God is not unjust to give every person this chance, but how the person responds will determine their destiny. If they refuse the truth God will allow them to be blinded.

Our job is to share the truth with people, some will never believe, but God can and does reach all people even those impacted by false signs.

Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

It pays to note Luke above, the word is powerful enough, if people don't believe the word, they will also not believe in signs greater than the ones they have already seen.