It's so hard

[godsupergirl]

Why do I find it so hard to talk to people at my college about God when I'm alone? It's easy when I have a christian sister or brother by my side but when I'm in a group of non christians I just panic and don't know what to say. For example, I was with 3 guy friends the other day (they're not christians) and they started to ask me questions about the kind of music I like, hobbies, etc. So of course I told them about church and helping orphans across the border on my free time. They went off immediately making me a target for their jokes. This makes me shy away and not tell them more about God. I hate that feeling.

 

[shadistarr]

That can be hard. You opened a door to them though. Let them know that their teasing actually bothers you, and hopefully they'll stop, but when it comes down to it, they'll probably start asking you questions about it, that's when you have the opportunity to talk about your faith.

 

[eugeneandbobo]

"where 2 or more are gathered..."

not that difficult to understand, i know how you feel. we have this thing through the campus ministry im involved with. we go out for 2 hours a week to the main thorough fare. we ask people if we can pray for people.

there's a real presence there. maybe yall should try starting something up like that. its a great way to spread Christ on campus, and help out your fellow students

 

[arunma]

Why do I find it so hard to talk to people at my college about God when I'm alone? It's easy when I have a christian sister or brother by my side but when I'm in a group of non christians I just panic and don't know what to say. For example, I was with 3 guy friends the other day (they're not christians) and they started to ask me questions about the kind of music I like, hobbies, etc. So of course I told them about church and helping orphans across the border on my free time. They went off immediately making me a target for their jokes. This makes me shy away and not tell them more about God. I hate that feeling.

Heh, I get a similar response. If it makes you feel any better, back when I was an undergrad I was the only Christian in the physics club. What's worse is that one of my fellow students in that club was an angry apostate evangelical, and another was an apostate Mormon who still liked Mormonism. Things got...well, interesting. Look at it this way: they might make you the target of their jokes for awhile, but if they're really your friends, they aren't going to continue to insult you for very long.

And I hesitate to even compare this to persecution (since there are places in the world where you can get your head chopped off for confessing Jesus), but the Bible does say that you are blessed when others hate you for his name's sake.

 

[HannahBanana]

Not everyone is going to respect you or your beliefs. That's life. I understand this might seem harsh to you, but it's the truth. There are jerks in the world, and you've got to learn to ignore them as best you can. Good luck, and God bless.

 

[godsupergirl]

"where 2 or more are gathered..."

not that difficult to understand, i know how you feel. we have this thing through the campus ministry im involved with. we go out for 2 hours a week to the main thorough fare. we ask people if we can pray for people.

there's a real presence there. maybe yall should try starting something up like that. its a great way to spread Christ on campus, and help out your fellow students

A professor and I tried, but it was very unsuccessful. People are just concentrating on getting out of there (community college). Sometimes we'll pass out tracts though, to those rushing by. lol.

 

[emmzee]

Try using Greg Koukl's technique: Ask questions.

Ex:

Skeptic: "You believe in the Bible? It's just a book full of myths."
A: Oh, what kind of myths?
or
A: Oh, how did you come to that conclusion?

Skeptic: "God doesn't exist."
A: Oh, when you say 'God', what do you mean?

Skeptic: "The Bible isn't reliable, it's been changed over the years."
A: Oh, in what way has it been changed?

Skeptic: "Miracles are impossible."
A: Oh, why do you say that miracles are impossible?

The idea is to keep a dialogue going; plus you're making them do the work (explain why they believe) and you're showing them that you're really interested in what they have to say.

Koukl calls this the "Columbo Tactic", named after an old TV detective that you may or may not remember. There's a short article here:
http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6879

But better training is available via the "Tactics" series, available on CD, DVD or downloadable mp3 from the STR store, ex:
https://secure2.convio.net/str/site...EW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=4164&store_id=1161

or their ABC training series is also excellent and includes this as well as other stuff, but it's more expensive.

Basically, try to ask questions to probe why people believe certain things. Sometimes they may not know why they believe; at least you'll buy some time to think, and also gain an understanding of why they believe like they do, so that later you can discuss things more with them.

 

[eugeneandbobo]

A professor and I tried, but it was very unsuccessful. People are just concentrating on getting out of there (community college). Sometimes we'll pass out tracts though, to those rushing by. lol.

try wrapping it up in like a Subway coupon or something. every student i know will take a food coupon. they handed those out at the community college i went to, and i didn't care what group or anything...i wanted discounted to free food...

 

[eugeneandbobo]

you could call your thing espionage for God or something to that effect...
(im an idea person )

 

[HannahBanana]

A professor and I tried, but it was very unsuccessful. People are just concentrating on getting out of there (community college). Sometimes we'll pass out tracts though, to those rushing by. lol.

Tracts? Really? No wonder others are disrespecting your religion: you're doing the exact same thing to them by handing out tracts (read one of those tracts sometime and see how tolerant it is of non-Christian religions). Face it, Christianity is not "the ultimate truth" (since it's based on faith, rather than fact, and facts are what comprise "truth") so you shouldn't be pressing it on others as if it is. Sure, you have the right to think it's the truth, but that doesn't actually make it so, especially in the eyes of non-Christians who are more than happy with their current beliefs. Learn to appreciate other religions, and others will, in turn, learn to appreciate yours. You know, the whole "do unto others as you want them to do unto you" verse (Matthew 7:12)?

I know some people will be annoyed with me because I was so harsh in this reply, but I did not say anything disrespectful (or at least nothing that the average person would find disrespectful), so I will not apologize for (or edit) anything I have said above.

 

[Rowan]

I agree with HippieForChrist, but for a different reason -- those tracts are, frankly, annoying, and are very likely to end up in the trash than read. It's a waste of paper and your time. I've had people try to annoy me to Christ that way and I didn't convert -- I was just annoyed.

I do agree about the Golden Rule HFC brought up. I wouldn't wanna be handed anti-Christian tracts either (just as annoying).

 

[TrueImpossibility]

Tracts aren't for everyone, but I do think they work or at least help some people. It also depends on the type of tracts you are using. I like the optical illusion ones or the ones that give interesting facts or statistics. Of course I prefer using tracts to get started in a conversation rather than just handing them out, but there are times when you just can't convince a person to slow down long enough to talk to you.

I don't disagree with anyone not being a fan of them, like I said they aren't for everyone. But there have been times when a tract was able to make a difference in someone's life. If one of a million or more is all that helped, it's still worth it for that one soul.

 

[HannahBanana]

But there have been times when a tract was able to make a difference in someone's life.

"Make a difference" how, though? Making people think that their current beliefs are wrong, even though there is no way to prove that they are? Making people feel guilt when there is no need for them to feel it? I see absolutely nothing positive about tracts or about witnessing, and those are my least favorite parts of modern-day Christianity.

 

[Rowan]

Tracts aren't for everyone, but I do think they work or at least help some people. It also depends on the type of tracts you are using. I like the optical illusion ones or the ones that give interesting facts or statistics. Of course I prefer using tracts to get started in a conversation rather than just handing them out, but there are times when you just can't convince a person to slow down long enough to talk to you.

I don't disagree with anyone not being a fan of them, like I said they aren't for everyone. But there have been times when a tract was able to make a difference in someone's life. If one of a million or more is all that helped, it's still worth it for that one soul.

I can see what you mean, but I've found that people are more willing to engage in a thoughtful discussion minus the tract. Expressing the faith in your own words seems more genuine to me than having people read about it first.

 

[godsupergirl]

Tracts? Really? No wonder others are disrespecting your religion: you're doing the exact same thing to them by handing out tracts (read one of those tracts sometime and see how tolerant it is of non-Christian religions). Face it, Christianity is not "the ultimate truth" (since it's based on faith, rather than fact, and facts are what comprise "truth") so you shouldn't be pressing it on others as if it is. Sure, you have the right to think it's the truth, but that doesn't actually make it so, especially in the eyes of non-Christians who are more than happy with their current beliefs. Learn to appreciate other religions, and others will, in turn, learn to appreciate yours. You know, the whole "do unto others as you want them to do unto you" verse (Matthew 7:12)?

I know some people will be annoyed with me because I was so harsh in this reply, but I did not say anything disrespectful (or at least nothing that the average person would find disrespectful), so I will not apologize for (or edit) anything I have said above.

What kind of tracts have you read? The ones that we've handed out just have the plan of salvation on them. They're not bashing anyone, but showing the Love that Christ has for them. Nothing else.

 

[TrueImpossibility]

Yeah, definitely depends on the tracts. If you saw some goods ones, you would know what I mean. If you've only seen the "religious" ones, then yeah, I can see why you would hate them. There will be people in Heaven who are only there because someone handed them a tract and that started something in their lives.

 

[HannahBanana]

What kind of tracts have you read? The ones that we've handed out just have the plan of salvation on them. They're not bashing anyone, but showing the Love that Christ has for them. Nothing else.

So you would be okay with Buddhists, Wiccans, and Taoists handing out pamphlets containing their religion's "plan for salvation" then? After all, there is no "one true religion," since truth, by definition, requires scientific proof.

 

[HannahBanana]

Yeah, definitely depends on the tracts. If you saw some goods ones, you would know what I mean. If you've only seen the "religious" ones, then yeah, I can see why you would hate them. There will be people in Heaven who are only there because someone handed them a tract and that started something in their lives.

Who says that there is a Heaven, though? There's an equally good chance of the Summerlands, the Elysian fields, or Nirvana existing as there is of Heaven existing, so I don't see why all human beings should have to believe in Heaven.

 

[Rowan]

Yeah, definitely depends on the tracts. If you saw some goods ones, you would know what I mean. If you've only seen the "religious" ones, then yeah, I can see why you would hate them. There will be people in Heaven who are only there because someone handed them a tract and that started something in their lives.

There probably are exceptions...just no Jack Chick please...

(Being cheeky, if ya' can't tell )

 

[godsupergirl]

So you would be okay with Buddhists, Wiccans, and Taoists handing out pamphlets containing their religion's "plan for salvation" then? After all, there is no "one true religion," since truth, by definition, requires scientific proof.

I'm sorry, but I believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Afterall that's what Christian means (follower of Christ), and in His word He says to go out and preach announcing the good news. I accept all of this truth by faith Hebrews 11:1.