Christian Evangelism-how should it be done? (Mormon, hell, women, churches)

[Miss Blue]

Evangelism should be done with love, patience, kindness, prayer, understanding, respect..Well you know, all the things a christian should be.

[GCSTroop]

I don't really know if this pertains to this post but I believe it's probably the best spot for it. I was in a bookstore today looking for Richard Dawkins' new book "The God Delusion". Yes, he is an atheist, and yes, so am I. Big deal.

So, anyway, I go into my local Barnes and Noble and start looking for it. I go to the religion section because I figure maybe it'd be under there. Nope. Nothing. Then, I go to Philosophy and nope nothing. Anyway, to make a long story short I can't find the book or any written by him. So, I finally ask the assistant. As I'm standing there at the counter I ask her if they carry ANY books by Richard Dawkins. Unbeknownst to me, a woman overheard me and said "Why would you want to read that blasphemy, try reading the Bible!"

Well, I have been known to have a short temper when it comes to situations such as this. I didn't do anything to provoke this woman. I looked for the book for quite a while on my own because I knew, I JUST KNEW, someone would have a problem with it if I said it out loud. And, sure enough someone did. So, I told her to mind her own business and to read her own **** Bible. So, the assistant leads me over to the "Science" section. Ah, yes, the Science section... how could I be so stupid?! I pick up my book and the lady is back at it.

She hands me a little pocket bible of the New Testament and told me she would be praying for me tonight before I went to bed. I told her I didn't want a prayer but an apology for not minding her own business.

If this is what evangelism is about than it is no better than Hitler's, Stalin's, or Pol Pot's ideals. You might as well just single someone out in a crowd and persecute them. I don't want to hear about your "FABULOUS" religion because I don't care. I don't want anything to do with it. It creates more bad than good. Mind your own business.

Anyway, I don't mean to offend anyone but that really chapped my butt today. Sorry for the rant.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by GCSTroop

Anyway, I don't mean to offend anyone but that really chapped my butt today. Sorry for the rant.

I sorry that happened to you. I don't blame you at all for being upset. That was just rude.

Can you imagine if you tried to do that to a Christian? Oy vey.....

[GCSTroop]

Originally Posted by Desdemona123

I sorry that happened to you. I don't blame you at all for being upset. That was just rude.

Can you imagine if you tried to do that to a Christian? Oy vey.....

Yeah I know. I'm one of those people who always think of what I should have said after the fact. LOL. I should have told her to try and read the book I was buying and maybe she'd understand.

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

[quote=GCSTroop;753636]

Unbeknownst to me, a woman overheard me and said "Why would you want to read that blasphemy, try reading the Bible!"

I'm a Christian and I would never say that to a stranger. I would only get into a conversation like that with some I know, and even then I would have not said it like that. I am very sorry you had this happened to you.

[Miss Blue]

GCS I'm not offended..The woman was very rude..She sells books, you asked for a book..She should have told you where to find it. That behavior is embarrassing to me...I would imagine she would have told you the same thing if you had asked for the Koran, or anything she didn't consider her belief. There are millions of believers out here who do not behave that way.

[GCSTroop]

Originally Posted by blue62

GCS I'm not offended..The woman was very rude..She sells books, you asked for a book..She should have told you where to find it. That behavior is embarrassing to me...I would imagine she would have told you the same thing if you had asked for the Koran, or anything she didn't consider her belief. There are millions of believers out here who do not behave that way.

I know that blue. You see I have had this innate ability to attract the craziest of people my entire life. I don't know if it's the way I look or what but I promise I don't do it to attract attention. I can be walking in a crowd of people and I'M, yes ME, the guy who all the homeless people ask for money. I'm the guy who witnesses car accidents and has to be a witness to the police. I'm the guy who is in front of impatient golfers on the golf course who intentionally hit into me even if I'm playing as fast as I can go. I'm the guy who can walk up to a lively craps table and kill the entire good time with just one roll. But, you know what? I love life and I have a good time with it. What are you going to do, right?

[irishmom]

Originally Posted by GCSTroop

I know that blue. You see I have had this innate ability to attract the craziest of people my entire life. I don't know if it's the way I look or what but I promise I don't do it to attract attention. I can be walking in a crowd of people and I'M, yes ME, the guy who all the homeless people ask for money. I'm the guy who witnesses car accidents and has to be a witness to the police. I'm the guy who is in front of impatient golfers on the golf course who intentionally hit into me even if I'm playing as fast as I can go. I'm the guy who can walk up to a lively craps table and kill the entire good time with just one roll. But, you know what? I love life and I have a good time with it. What are you going to do, right?

Well first of all take the sign that says "Crazy people come to me" off your back..

It was extremely rude to make the first remark and the second one would have probably landed my coffee (because I always get one at the book store) accidently on purpose on her person (really not Christian, but totally in line with and Irish temper ) for being so pushy with me. That is not what I consider to be evangelism, nor are those blow hard television preachers. I think what was indeed meant was to spread the word when you are given the opportunity to not by force. If someone asks a question or is in need of comfort share what you believe in a nice way. By telling of blessings in your life and being grateful to God, and sharing that with others. Then allow them to share what they believe...and have a conversation.

[kawgpz550]

Originally Posted by kaykay

Maybe this is Part 2 to my thread the other day about Christian activism. I guess it's just some things I'm thinking about in this season. Our pastor now is preaching about evangelism. So that, coupled with some of the things that have been expressed here on CD forum, are causing me to think about it right now. In your personal life...how do you feel you go about sharing your faith...or do you? I think a lot of us, myself included, feel guilty when the subject is brought up because we feel we should be doing more. But ... as many non believers have expressed on this forum, often they don' t want to be approached with the gospel. So we fear offending people. What do some of you guys think? How do you approach this on a personal basis in your own life?

I'm with you on this Kaykay. I too have been convicted when the pastor starts talking about witnessing to people . There have been a couple of times where I have felt that I "should have", but didn't. I'm scared to death of turning someone away. Maybe I'm just afraid I might run into GCSTroop or someone like him Just kidding
Seriously, here is a website that has been very useful in our church. Some people see it as somewhat "unconventional" but it has worked.
www.wayofthemaster.com
Do you know who Kirk Cameron is? The one from Growing Pains? This is his website. He gave up all of his fame (but is using it for GOOD now) and the world according to Hollywood once he became saved. e has a pretty intresting testimony...he caused great strife though on the tv set once he became saved because he refused to do some of the things they wanted him to and, ultimately, it more or less caused the end of the show (amongst other problems). Now, every Saturday, he goes out on the streets around southern California and evangelizes in some of the WORST neighborhoods in areas where there are gangs and such playing basketball or whatever they may be doing.
Our church had a booth at a local event that was held here in our town. We had a bunch of these questionaires. Our volunteers simply asked people to take the "test" and they received a gift for doing so. There were several people that asked questions at the end and expressed great intrest (which hey...the seed was planted ), and there were 3 people that did pray and gave their life to Jesus.
Basically, the test just opens the door for you to start witnessing. It's meant to be FUN and cut the tention so to speak. It isn't designed so you can say "see what a bad person you are"?

Here is part of it:
Have you EVER lied?
Have you EVER stolen anything?
Have you EVER looked at a woman/man with lust?

But obviously, it's HOW YOU handle it from there. We KNOW that just about EVERYONE is guilty of at least one (or more) of these things. And we just use that to point out that ALL HAVE SINNED...but there is a way to be forgiven and that Jesus LOVES US!
Anyway, it's just a suggestion for you.

[JerZ]

Not to get snotty about that Kirk Cameron site but if you take the "test," you'll notice you can't possibly pass. (What was that about ever having felt lust? The commandment was to be fruitful and multiply--I'm not sure how that's accomplished without at least a little bit of lust--I mean really.)

I hate to be this way about it but Hollywood people are very often weird. I mean weird-weird. They see so much dirt that eventually they change drastically, one way or another. This is how Kirk Cameron changed. He turned into a zealot with a snazzy website. It's kind of cheap and sad to watch this thing.

Basically it's set up like one of those commercials that say, "Have you ever suffered from one of the following: sleeplessness, sleepiness, restlessness during the day or at night time, a tired or hyped-up feeling, two colds within the space of four months OR one cold that lasted for more than three days, tooth decay, loss of creativity for more than 24 hours, an achy feeling in any muscle, chronic fatigue syndrome, elevated LDL or gout?" I mean guaranteed, 99.9% of the population is going to say, "Yes! I HAVE suffered from one of these! This person must have read my mind!"