How To Preach to Non-Christians

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joasia
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How To Preach to Non-Christians

Post by joasia »

Once in a while, the topic of God comes up, at work. Usually, it's in the kitchen when people chat. I have learnt to keep quiet and listen to what they are saying about what they believe. And mainly, it's that they believe in "God" and it doesn't matter what version. This is where I get stumped. I can point out theological errors to a specific non-Orthodox "Christian" group or even Muslims, but I don't know what I can say to someone who has no theological knowledge. What can I say to get them thinking about Christian teachings?

Yesterday, the topic came up and I didn't want to get into preaching Jesus Christ as the Son of God, from the bat. I wanted to ease into a conversation about what is the truth about God. A Zoroastrian woman was telling a co-worker that she is praying for him. So, I asked, what God are you praying to? Her answer was it's all the same God. Then the man said that we are all gods to each other when we help each other. Then he told the story of the man who fell out of his boat and asked God to save him. God sent three boats which the man refused because he was waiting for God to save him and then he drowned. I let him tell the whole story and when he was done, I told him: You just told an Orthodox Christian story. He told it accurately. I didn't ask him where he heard it. But, I did add that all these other religions are more about philosophies. I was referring to non-Christian, like Hinduism and Buddhism. I don't know what he is, but his name is Vinoh, for short. I don't remember the full spelling. Probably Far Eastern. I also said that there is only one Person who is worshipped as God. He smiled and said that this would be a complicated discussion to get into. He knew who I was talking about. I dropped it at that and went back to work.

I'm looking for that bridge that can connect their disbelief with a true statement which might get them to start thinking about who God really is. And this applies also to people who came from a Christian background but generations later don't care and don't believe. They have the same vague concept of it's all the same.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 50)

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Maria
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Re: How To Preach to Non-Christians

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Several years ago, I was reading a Coptic Christian website dedicated to preaching the truth about Islam and converting Muslims to Christianity. After a careful search of the internet, I can no longer find this site. Apparently, it has disappeared. They had a publishing arm called The Pen and the Sword.

In one article on this website, a former Muslim woman told her story. When she was still in Islam, she was amazed and at the same time angered that Christians truly cared and loved her. She was treated very badly by her fellow Muslims at work and was disturbed how these Muslims would taunt Christians or try to trap them into breaking the law so that these Christians could lose their livelihood or be imprisoned. Furthermore, her fellow Muslims were very competitive and were very suspicious about secret Muslim Christians, so they would constantly ask other Muslims to repeat the Islamic Creed in an attempt to out these secret Christians.

Anyway, she became obsessed with this Christian love that was shown to her, began to become very defensive, and in her confusion, she even retaliated when shown kindness. Christ began to appear to her in visions and instructed her in the Christian life. She realized that she had been worshiping the devil, not God, and that Christ was truly God. She was led by Christ to a Priest who continued her instruction in the faith.

Ultimately, she converted to Christianity through Christian kindness, was baptized, and was forced to leave her native country for the United States of America as her former Islamic government sought to arrest her for abandoning Islam.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

JamesR
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Re: How To Preach to Non-Christians

Post by JamesR »

I've found that strict obedience and a strong work-ethic works well for preaching to non-Christians and Christian heretics. In school, the workplace, or at outings, making yourself the servant and being the cook, helping clean the mess, or working the hardest can cause you to stand out, and bear truth to your faith when questioned about it. I've aroused the interest of many atheists through this example, while shunning the trigger-happy Evangelicals who try to instigate an argument.

"'Blessed are the peacemakers' For those are peacemakers in themselves who, in conquering and subjecting to reason all the motions of their souls and having their carnal desires tamed, have become in themselves a Kingdom of God."-St. Augustine of Hippo (Confessions)

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