Using science to spread the gospel?

[Deamiter]

My friends and I talk about a ton of things including science and religion. I can have a 2-hour conversation spanning everything I can think of, and in there we discuss science and we discuss God (and often churches and pastors as many of my friends tentatively floated away from Christianity due to some bad experiences in the Church).

I agree with Mallon -- science isn't a tool to be used to witness any more than a bike repair manual. In today's culture, demonstrating that I can reason and won't throw out common public misconceptions about evolution tends to make people rather interested in how I can still be a Christian as creationists have done a great job of telling everybody that Christianity is anti-evolution.

So science is an interesting subject that often leads to a discussion of creationism which I can then turn to a discussion of the real basis of Christianity (not just a C&E issues people have made so public in courts recently). If you want to hear about my personal witnessing, that's fair enough, but it's really got very little to do with science beyond science being a common interest with most people I'm in contact with these days.

 

[jds1977]

good post Deamiter, thank you

 

[LewisWildermuth]

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Peter 3:15 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:

We are commanded to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world and to be ready to defend our faith. This forum is full of debate among the Christian brethren, and I thought it would be nice for a change of atmosphere. No doubt, there are a lot of intelligent people here. I'm curious to know how everyone here is able to use this knowledge for witnessing and spreading the gospel, and if you have been, maybe a testimony or two. How will God use you ( or how do you hope God will use you?)​

Okay, because of science, I can reach out to people across the world from my living room. Biology and evolution are allowing people to live longer by providing cures for diseases and hints on how to extend life through many means, giving me more time to reach people. If God were to call me to go to, say, China to talk with someone, because of science I can make it in hours not years and I won’t die of some disease because science provides inoculations.

Now what has creation science given us to help spread the word?

 

[jds1977]

This is exactly why I think it's a bad idea to use science to attest to Christ.

I never asked for your thoughts on my witnessing techniques, I just wanted to hear yours of which I have yet to see.

If you ever hung around outside my lab door, and one of my lab mates popped out, they'd school you before you ever got the chance to even mention Christ!

Funny...I've witnessed to athiests, bikers, businessmen, etc...and they never "school" me...the reason being is I don't walk up to a person and say "hey, evolution is a lie! wanna hear about Jesus?" The key as I mentioned before is love and compassion for lost souls. I only revert to creation if the situation calls for it just to speak to their intellect, then go for the conscience.
As far as the rest of your post, you obviously need to go back and read the original thread and a few following...THIS IS NOT A PLACE TO DEBATE EVOLUTION OR CREATION BEING TRUE OR FALSE...just witnessing techniques and testimony...please be considerate of that...again, if you have nothing positive to say...don't post. If you don't think you should use science, say it and move on...of which you've said once before.

 

[jds1977]

Thanks for your response randomguy,

And what if they die in the few seconds before you even talk to them? Should I scare them using Hell right away? We can play the what if game all we want, but it's pointless because they wouldn't convert if I shoved it straight down their throat.

I don't think anyone here is advocating shoving the gospel...the point being, no one is promised a tomorrow and if you had only one chance to witness, what would you do?

Here in lies the problem. According to YECists, the Bible says evolution is false. This causes the atheists to falsely believe you either have to accept the Bible or science, but not both. That's why I am against Creationism. It causes educated people (especially in the scientific areas) to reject Christianity.

How do you witness to an athiest from a TE perspective?

 

[jds1977]

Mallon, are your lab mates Christians? if not, how do you witness to them?

 

[random_guy]

Thanks for your response randomguy,I don't think anyone here is advocating shoving the gospel...the point being, no one is promised a tomorrow and if you had only one chance to witness, what would you do?

But that's an absurd scenerio because no one knows when someone will die. The problem with straight up witnessing is that my friends will reject it outright. I've seen this happen to them with by other sects. Something like conversion requires time, and one talk from me won't do it. That's why I try to preach through examples, by showing my love for others and for God. When we talk about religion, they seem to be more appreciative because of my actions, rather than my words.

How do you witness to an athiest from a TE perspective?

Again, mostly through actions rather than words. Most atheist I know are very much against religion because they used to be religious. People in their group turn them off from religion. For example, one of my friend is an ex-LDS member, and he's also a homosexual. It was the intolerant views and actions of his fellow members that made him lose his faith. Just by being his friend, I show to him that not all religious people hates homosexuals, and not all of them are intolerant bigots. While he is no longer religious, I pray that through my actions and our talks that he keeps an open mind, and so that some day, he will come into the fold.

EDIT: Another reason why I'm against using science (especially Creation science) to spread the gospel. Today's headline news:
God and Darwin clash again in Kansas

It sets up God vs. Science, which shouldn't be the case.

 

[jds1977]

Good thoughts randomguy

 

[Mallon]

Funny...I've witnessed to athiests, bikers, businessmen, etc...and they never "school" me...

Were any of them grad students in evolutionary science, who have spent 6+ years honing their craft?

As far as the rest of your post, you obviously need to go back and read the original thread and a few following...THIS IS NOT A PLACE TO DEBATE EVOLUTION OR CREATION BEING TRUE OR FALSE...

I'm not debating the veracity of evolution. I'm doing exactly as you asked -- discussing the use of science as a witnessing technique. I simply think it's a bad idea for all the reasons mentioned here. I've never seen someone convert to Christianity because someone else convinced them that the Lewis overthrust was deposited by the Flood.

Mallon, are your lab mates Christians? if not, how do you witness to them?

None that I know are Christian, though I've only just joined the lab a half-year ago.
I've certainly had conversations with one of my lab-mates, and close friend, about science and religion. He and his wife were a little surprised that I didn't subscribe to YECism and took it for granted that I did at first, simply because I am Christian. It seems a big reason why they rejected Christianity was because they felt it forced converts to close their eyes to the evidence. I've spent the last few months planting and slowly sowing the seed, telling them this isn't the case.

 

[JohnR7]

6+ years honing their craft? .

I have studied to learn the Bible for over 20 years now. In Bible school they teach us that we can use science to help people learn the truth that we find in our Bible. We use science as a teaching method at all grade levels. In fact we start the kids in sunday school when they are old enough to sing and march.

Before Darwin there was no seperation between science and the Bible. You could not learn one without learning the other. The geological ages were determined by christian scientiests using the Bible. The OEC theory of creation was developed by christian science that had the Bible in mind and they made use of what was known at that time from science. Archeology as a science was developed over 200 years ago to show that the Bible was true. People use to get excited when they would find scientific evidence that showed the word of God to be accurate and true.

We have the same challange today to find the truth in and though science and the Bible. We can not eliminate one or the other, they go hand in hand. They give us a testimony and a witnesses for God.

The divorce between science and the Bible should not have taken place and darwin is to blame for that. Although there were plenty of people who were quick to jump on his band wagon because atheism and darwins brand of evolution seem to go hand in hand.

 

[Assyrian]

The divorce between science and the Bible should not have taken place and darwin is to blame for that.

Surely Bishop Samuel 'soapy Sam' Wilberforce

_______

________

is to blame for religion rejecting science?

 

[Mallon]

The divorce between science and the Bible should not have taken place and darwin is to blame for that.

The divorce of science from the Bible came long before Darwin, my friend. Luther's scathing comments about Copernicus and his lack of respect for what the Scriptures "plainly say" is a testament to that.