When I was a non-believer, I found it rather easy to defend my point of view in a debate with a Christian about faith. They would lead off with some great argument and go into a long spiel about their best points on Christianity, and nine times out of ten, I had them fully set up to fail with one simple question.
“Where did you get that information?” All Christians will almost always fire right back with “The Bible!” It was at this point that I would secure my victory.
“I don’t believe in your God, so why should I believe that a book written by men that you claim is the word of a God I don’t believe in?” Then their eyes would glaze over and you could see them scrambling!
“But….It is the word of God.” They would no doubt say.
“How do you know that?”
“Because it is.”
“I see. So should I just start flapping now?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” they would no doubt ask.
“You are telling me that simply because you believe it, it makes it true, So if I believe I can fly, I should not worry about traffic on the way home. “ I countered. “Maybe I will like Christianity if I can just believe anything and it comes true!”
“No that is not the point! The bible is the word of God!”
“How do you know that?”
“It just is!”
“Again with the flapping…”
I have had this discussion to almost the exact word. We used to have a daily trivia contest that I ran at the office. On the day of one of the Harry Potter book releases, I asked a Harry Potter question. One co-worker got very upset and started talking about how Harry Potter corrupted today’s youth and that she refused to answer the question because her God gave her specific instructions on not dealing with witchcraft. Now, let me just say that some of the Harry Potter books are favorites to my wife and I, so don’t send me the nasty emails. I am Pro-Potter, even as a Christian. :) But I am getting off my original subject.
OK back on point; she was not so pleasant about her comments and the way she said them. I felt that she was attacking me and accusing me of being a devil worshiper for reading Harry Potter, so like many people who feel attacked I attacked right back. It did not end well and feelings were hurt.
The moral to the story two fold; first if you are going to go on the offensive you need to know how to use your weapons. It is imperative for Christians, in my opinion, to know the answers of the most commonly asked questions about God and Christianity. That way you are ready to give answer to your faith. As Peter puts it:
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
1 Peter 3:15
The second part of the moral is that attacking a non-believer sets you further back than anything else you can do. So how do you approach someone that does not believe in Jesus Christ? Just as Peter said ‘with gentleness and respect,’ You have to approach them with what they will consider sincere care and love. Note that I very specifically said ‘what THEY will consider sincere.’ It was those that stayed with me, held my hand, and showed me that they cared about me that kept me around. We did not always talk about faith or God, we did some, but that was not what their main agenda was with me in my life. They did not see me as the lost puppy, but as a friend. It was these people, David, Sean, Mark, Tim and Becky, that I valued their opinions the most because I knew that the actually cared about me and not just as another soul to God for their galactic scoreboard.
This can take time and patience; for most of my friends it took years. There was just no possible way they were going to dig me out of my anti-Christian foxhole on our first or second meeting. There is no race to faith. It does not matter if you believed first or last, simply that you believe. Just remember that there is a reason that God brought you two together and that He has a plan. There is no way to know if it is a plan for this week, or a plan for next year, or twenty years down the road, but there is a reason you two met. Just have faith in God and pray for guidance. Remember that Jesus never attacked anyone to believe in him and he preached to thousands; why should we be any different.
Love each other in His service,
Hunter
Yeah, it’s hard. I often don’t know what to say. Yet I hate to see people going down the wrong path. I just pray and ask God to give me the words. I know that I’m guilty of not spending enough time in the Word so that I can know how to answer someone…
Welcome Beverly,
I have people in my own life that have decided to go down alternate paths to faith. My first approach is to make sure that they know I am there for them and not to convert them. They are friends, family, co-workers or whatever the relationship and what is important is for them to know I am here for them; even if we do not see eye to eye on the subject of religion.
Begin there and build a relationship of trust and God’s love even if they feel it coming from you instead of Him at this point. It took me years and a good woman to get to the point I was ready to listen. So have faith. There is a reason you have crossed their path. Even if it is just to introduce them to the next person that they are supposed to meet, God put you on their path for a cause. You may need to wait before that opportunity becomes clear.
Becky and I will pray for you to find that reason and for your book!
In His Love,
Hunter