Do you have a friend or love one that you really should have that difficult conversation with, but don’t want to offend them or hurt their feelings? ust remember, the greatest way to love the lost, first and foremost, is to show them the way to salvation!
Blessings and enjoy!
Chances are you have friends, co-workers even people in your family that have drifted from the faith. You care deeply about them, and you feel this great sense of responsibility for their fate. That burden mixed with guilt and an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy puts added pressure on the relationship. You are not a trained theology. Where can you find a mission expert when you need one to speak to the heart of that loved one on your behalf? The following modern day parable may be your story.
These two women had been friends since they first met in a sandbox as little girls. They came from two different backgrounds. Teresa’s father was a minister as was his father before him. It was like they came over on the boat from England already converted. Ellen’s family had a different view of God. Due to an incident with Ellen’s grandmother where…
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Truth in Palmyra 
February 3, 2017 at 12:07
Good one, Wally. I’ve found most people aren’t looking for a big theological debate that we would rather avoid also. But they wonder why we have a smile on our face and a sense of hope and being loved in a world that offers the opposite. The Bible says to “always be ready with an answer” and we can also do a lot to stoke the questions.
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February 3, 2017 at 12:33
It was very good, I agree Tom! That is so correct, people truly seeking don’t need or want theology. Heck, good thing, because I sure didn’t have any when I was saved. I am pretty sure my pastor who helped me along talked to me the same way he would have talked to a child; that’s about how much I knew!
I have been somewhat shocked since I became a believer by how many Christian families have members who no other member has ever talked to about Jesus.
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February 3, 2017 at 13:31
The one thing that Christians, especially the ones automatically indoctrinated from a strong religious family background cannot understand is that we do not all fall into this emotive process of basing our beliefs on faith due to expressive or passionate stories because we use a completely different set of standards and principles in our lives as a base for what is reality.
In this story, Ellen knew her friend was religious and if she was at any time interested she obviously would have asked Teresa about it. Teresa did the right thing and similarly she could have asked Ellen if she were wanting to become an atheist. Surely it would have been discussed between them at some time if they were that close, and if it was not, they had an intrinsic respect for each other’s beliefs and understood the benefit of this privacy. Why would you risk damaging a close and real friendship?
Many unbelievers are not happy to be evangelised, especially if they have made their position clear because it means you do not have any respect. True atheists however, feel as confident as any religious leaders and apologetics alike and many often have no tolerance at all for such people, however some atheists like myself welcome the debate.
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February 3, 2017 at 13:52
Hi Steve. No I do not mind your input. I do want to say something right out of the chute that does rather show why talking to you is difficult.
You said
“The one thing that Christians, especially the ones automatically indoctrinated from a strong religious family background cannot understand”
The issue here is two fold. That comes across very much as combative and accusatory immediately. Maybe it’s not…but it comes across as an assault, because it is so commonly hurled. Two, the statement is simply not true. It is false. It is simply not true that most Christian evangelize only because they have been “indoctrinated” from a young age. When you make comments like this it completely denies the reality that some do come to faith through processes other than indoctrination, emotive responses, or lessened cognitive abilities. It makes conversation difficult when that is your overriding premise, because your premise is simply false, yet you keep on…and keep on…and keep on tossing it out there.
Enough of that eh?
Allow me one simple question…and this question is actually in line with the post completely. I implore you to answer it directly and not drag a bunch of unrelated stuff in.
If I believe what I say to be true(and of course I do), and I failed to warn you of it, no matter how it makes you feel…..what would that make me?
I think the post addresses this quite clearly. In fact the non believing friend in this story raised basically the exact question.
Answer that Steve.
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February 3, 2017 at 14:37
The intent is not to be combative and accusatory or as an assault. Maybe you do not like the word such as indoctrinated but it is a bonified word with a clear meaning. Please investigate, however I can use another word such as proselytization if that is ok?
I did not mean because of being indoctrinated at a young age most will evangelise, I was making the point that they do not understand that we are different people with different standards and principles to decide what our beliefs are.
Your question “If I believe what I say to be true(and of course I do), and I failed to warn you of it, no matter how it makes you feel…..what would that make me?”
If someone is cognisant of something but does not act on it because they do not believe it, how could you have failed to warn them and how can it make you guilty of anything? They obviously already know of what you believe because they are a non-believer. And yes, the story says the non-believing friend raised this only after both were dead, but then she already knew about the Christian heaven and hell so it would be so unfair to admonish her Christian friend, but of course this is only a hypothetical situation and not possible in the world atheists live in.
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February 3, 2017 at 14:48
That was not my question
But thanks, Steve
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February 3, 2017 at 13:32
Interesting post Wally, hope you do not mind my input here?
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February 3, 2017 at 22:44
My pleasure Wally, although I did think I had answered your question.
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February 21, 2017 at 13:50
Good one Wally
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February 21, 2017 at 14:01
Thanks Lee
That blog i shared it from is a good one
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