What are the ethics when it comes to evangelizing (All Denominations)

[JohnB445]

How should evangelizing be approached that would be considered ethical.

 

[AlexB23]

How should evangelizing be approached that would be considered ethical.

Dang, this is a hard question man. People really do not like being evangelized in this dark world man. Can I plug this into the AI for you? It is connected to Christianity documents.

My personal take is this: Evangelize using respect, understanding the other person, and being sensitive, as some people have been harmed by the church or other Christians at a young age (sexually, mentally, physically). One of my coworkers told me that she no longer goes to church, or follows Christianity, cos her grandmother kidnapped her when she was little, in the motive to force her to go to church. Now, I did not evangelize her, but I brought up religion as she told me her favorite DreamWorks movie is The Prince of Egypt (1998) a few weeks ago, based upon the Christian book of Exodus.

Prince of Egypt info:

The Prince of Egypt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[HarleyER]

How should evangelizing be approached that would be considered ethical.

I remember Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 30 gave a passover in Judah after refurbishing the temple. He was so excited that he sent messagers throughout pagan Israel to come and celebrate the passover. Was it ethical for Hezekiah to send messagers into someone else's land that didn't worship God? Probably not. Many people in Israel laugh at Hezekiah and his messagers. However, there were a few people from some tribes that decided to attend.

Don't look for what is ethical because you won't find it. I think our problem is that we're too sensitive (myself included) to what other people think. I just wish I was more bold to sensitive proclaim the gospel.

 

[NewLifeInChristJesus]

How should evangelizing be approached that would be considered ethical.

Actually, I don't understand what would be unethical about sharing the gospel with someone.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

The question would be more about effectiveness than ethics.

But we should also be asking ourselves if we are trying to evangelize someone to Christ or to our own theology.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Some thoughts on Evangelization:

"The Church, who is nourished continually by God’s Word in her liturgy, knows that evangelization is her “grace and mission…, her deepest identity.”46 For her, who receives and contemplates the Word, the content of evangelization is clear. In prayer and proclamation, and in the lives of each of her members, she must communicate the beauty and the holiness – in other words, the love – of God made manifest in Jesus Christ.

"He shows us what we are meant to be: people who have been loved definitively and who therefore can love with God’s infinite love. Jesus reveals God, who is a communion of Love. In doing so, he reveals man, who is made for this Love.

"Our response to God, which consists in listening, contemplating, and adoring, is at the heart of all evangelization: “The risen Lord enters into our midst. And then we can do no other than say, with Saint Thomas: my Lord and my God!

"Love must be embodied and communicated, with words of course, but above all with one’s whole life. Evangelization is witness borne by the total existence of the one who proclaims.

"The first condition of all evangelization: Offering one’s person “to Christ for the salvation of men, is the fundamental condition of…true commitment for the Gospel…. [E]vangelizing is not merely a way of speaking, but a form of living.”

"God offered himself completely in love, and man cannot testify credibly to this love unless he, too, offers himself completely. In this way, evangelization is a form of wit- 32 ness that is one’s whole life, and a life that radiates love. A witness, like a true lover, does not look out for himself; he offers himself, pointing with his entire existence to what he has seen."

http://kofc1078.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cis401.pdf

 

[AlexB23]

Here is what the artificial intelligence had to say, @JohnB445 . It said the same things that I said about being patient with others, and demonstrate Christ thru our actions. The sources include the Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry, and a book about the Orthodox church.

Response below:

 

[zippy2006]

How should evangelizing be approached that would be considered ethical.

A nice article that speaks to this question is, "Toward a Rhetorical Crisis in the Catholic Church."

The first question I would suggest you ask yourself is, "What are the unethical dangers of evangelization?"

 

[Aaron112]

How should evangelizing be approached that would be considered ethical.

Did the messengers of God ever evangelize ? Or is that a social / religious experience not found in Scripture ?

Did Jesus and His disciples ever save someone from sin ?

 

[JohnB445]

Did the messengers of God ever evangelize ? Or is that a social / religious experience not found in Scripture ?

Did Jesus and His disciples ever save someone from sin ?

after coming back to this thread, I think it was misunderstood by some, it is a question about what is an ethical approach to evangelizing.

For example what methods are a good approach to evangelizing

 

[zippy2006]

after coming back to this thread, I think it was misunderstood by some, it is a question about what is an ethical approach to evangelizing.

For example what methods are a good approach to evangelizing

An ethical approach to evangelizing and a good approach to evangelizing are two different things. An approach is ethical if it is not unethical or immoral, and an approach is good if it is effective in spreading the Gospel and making converts.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

after coming back to this thread, I think it was misunderstood by some, it is a question about what is an ethical approach to evangelizing.

For example what methods are a good approach to evangelizing

Whose "ethic" are you wanting us to consider as the criterion for evangelism? That of various Secularists, or that of Jesus and His Apostles?

If we took the ethic of today's Secularists, we'd probably say the proper form of evangelism is one that "does no harm" and "doesn't land you in jail." However, from all that we see in the New Testament, surely a Secularist Ethic can't be correct, especially since so many Secularists today---especially ex-Christians---gripe about how the Gospel has done them "harm" and they wouldn't mind much if some Christians, reminiscent of the 1st centuries, end up in jail.

............. so we need to look at what Jesus and His earliest Apostles and disciples considered to be the correct set of ethical criteria.

 

[HarleyER]

An ethical approach to evangelizing and a good approach to evangelizing are two different things. An approach is ethical if it is not unethical or immoral, and an approach is good if it is effective in spreading the Gospel and making converts.

Just an observation to an approach is "good" if it is effective in "spreding the Gospel and making converts".

There have been many examples throughout the Scriptures and history of where just the opposite is true. Isaiah, for example, was sent to harden the people's heart. And one certainly wouldn't measure Jeremiah's effectiveness with Judah based on his results.

God only calls us to be faithful in presenting His gospel. It is He that works through us imperfect beings. Sometimes that faithfulness might result in 3,000 souls being saved. Sometimes it might be that we have the shake the dust off our feet and walk away.

While there is something to be said about always being ready to give a good reason for the hope that is within us, it is also a dangerous thing to try to measure our "effectiveness" by how well we can present the gospel.

Remember, it was a little slave girl that told Naaman to go see Elisha. Now that was effectiveness.

 

[Stephen3141]

You need to be more specific, in your question.

 

[com7fy8]

How should evangelizing be approached that would be considered ethical.

Well, I understand that being ethical has to do with rules about what is right and what is wrong.

1. Make sure I am ministering for the person to trust in Jesus for salvation; therefore I am not trying to get the person to trust and join a certain group, and only copy-cat things a certain group says to do.

2. And make sure it is clear the person is not to only or mainly depend on me. Advise the person that we in Jesus are God's family, with different people who God will use to help this person who becomes a Christian.

3. If I invite the person to a church, I need to advise the person of any problems in that church, and advise the person to test prayerfully about who is good for the person or not.

4. And, like this, advise the person not to trust me blindly, but become able to trust God to guide the person about if and how he or she trusts me. And I point out things that are wrong with me, so the person can know better than to make an idol out of me.

 

[truthpls]

How should evangelizing be approached that would be considered ethical.

God considers it ethical to get people saved. What else matters?