Crush the Opposition?

Civil dialogue is hard to find these days. Rarely do we see the friendly exchange of ideas. When we disagree, the goal on either side is not to understand but to defeat our opponent. This is especially true when it comes to religion and politics.

More and more, my goal isn't to win arguments. Typically, winning an argument only alienates the winner from the loser. Instead, I want to win hearts. Winning someone's heart requires that I be respectful, listen and ask questions of the one I disagree with.

How not to win someone's heart

The strategy of the new atheists is to be loud and combative, to paint the worst picture of Christianity they can. Never mind the incredible good Christians have done throughout history. Focus on the bad whenever possible. The goal of the new atheists isn't to discover truth about God. Rather, their goal is to discredit Christians and Christianity.

Some (not most) of my fellow Christians can be loud and combative as well. The unfortunate result of this religious bluster is to reinforce the atheists, or worse--turn off those who might be considering the Christian faith.

Most Christians have heard or read the scripture from 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

But we need to read the entire verse, which says, "But in your hearts revere 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...."

That sounds like three good foundational principles for evangelism:

1. Make sure, from the heart, that you revere Christ as Lord.
2. Like a good boy scout, "be prepared" to give the reason(s) that Jesus is your hope.
3. When talking to unbelievers, be gentle and respectful

I must confess that I haven't perfectly applied the above three principles. More and more, I'm revering Christ as Lord. Slowly, I'm relinquishing each part of my life to His Lordship. I've studied and thought about many reasons for the Christian faith, but not my personal reasons for my hope in Christ. I haven't always been gentle and respectful, but I'm getting better as the Holy Spirit gradually transforms my heart and mind.

This blog post went a different direction than I originally intended. But I think that's a good thing. Sometime soon, I'll write a post about my personal reasons for my hope in Christ. Blessings.