nebula Posted September 15, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.75 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.94 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Seven Common Comments Non-Christians Make About Christians By Thom S. Rainer , Christian Post Guest Columnist September 15, 2012|4:35 pm Over the past several years, my research teams and I have interviewed thousands of unchurched non-Christians. Among the more interesting insights I gleaned were those where the interviewees shared with me their perspectives of Christians. In this article, I group the seven most common types of comments in order of frequency. I then follow that representative statement with a direct quote from a non-Christian. Read these comments and see if you learn some of the lessons I learned. Read them here ~~~ Interested in hearing thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Interesting article. My experience has been somewhat different in interacting with non-believers. Some of that is because I'm older, and work at a liberal university where the younger folks are indoctrinated against Christianity or are otherwise openly antagonistic. The other extreme seems to be varying degrees of indifference. Maybe some of that is the late teen tendency to rebel against everything, I don't really know on that. I do know that I've gotten vastly different reactions than the ones they talked about in the article. Those exist, but in my area they seem to be rare. Maybe its just a tough environment, because in my area people seem to avoid talking to one another on the street or on mass transit -- and if anyone tries they are greeted with open hostility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LadyC Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 well... the number one comment was about how christians seem to always be mad at the world and at each other. really want my thoughts? my thoughts are that the ones who responded with that had probably visited some christian message boards. but the fact that so many really were open to interaction with christians was an eye opener! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldust59 Posted September 15, 2012 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 108 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 989 Content Per Day: 0.20 Reputation: 124 Days Won: 6 Joined: 01/08/2011 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/13/1959 Share Posted September 15, 2012 That is an interesting article. I have met some of the type in the article and also the type Walla mentioned in his post. Just moved back to East Tn and I have to say that more people here (at least so far) are open to at least listen and ask questions than when I was in Florida. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOVE SONGS Posted September 16, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 131 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 2,188 Content Per Day: 0.50 Reputation: 135 Days Won: 8 Joined: 04/10/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted September 16, 2012 aweee...some of that ...the world is still talking through them . I am not guilty of some of those things . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgedrw81 Posted September 16, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,823 Content Per Day: 0.33 Reputation: 36 Days Won: 2 Joined: 04/10/2009 Status: Offline Share Posted September 16, 2012 Interesting article. My experience has been somewhat different in interacting with non-believers. Some of that is because I'm older, and work at a liberal university where the younger folks are indoctrinated against Christianity or are otherwise openly antagonistic. The other extreme seems to be varying degrees of indifference. Maybe some of that is the late teen tendency to rebel against everything, I don't really know on that. I do know that I've gotten vastly different reactions than the ones they talked about in the article. Those exist, but in my area they seem to be rare. Same in my case but they do speak to me on their own initiative. Blessings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocarroll711 Posted September 16, 2012 Group: Members Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 11 Content Per Day: 0.00 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/10/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted September 16, 2012 Hi, I'm brand new here, but this topic caught my attention. For the past eight years, I've worked in children/youth ministry in NYC and now in Pennsylvania. It's interesting (and sad) to see how many young people are exhibiting indifference and hostility towards Christianity. We have a bus ministry that brings in kids from un-churched homes, and while some are very interested in learning about Jesus, many of them scorn or dismiss every truth we try to teach them. You can tell what they're learning at home. It's very frustrating. It also makes me wonder about the future or our country and the church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOVE SONGS Posted September 16, 2012 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 131 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 2,188 Content Per Day: 0.50 Reputation: 135 Days Won: 8 Joined: 04/10/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted September 16, 2012 Seven Common Comments Non-Christians Make About Christians By Thom S. Rainer , Christian Post Guest Columnist September 15, 2012|4:35 pm Over the past several years, my research teams and I have interviewed thousands of unchurched non-Christians. Among the more interesting insights I gleaned were those where the interviewees shared with me their perspectives of Christians. In this article, I group the seven most common types of comments in order of frequency. I then follow that representative statement with a direct quote from a non-Christian. Read these comments and see if you learn some of the lessons I learned. Read them here ~~~ Interested in hearing thoughts. I'm glad that you posted this article. When Christians start behaving and treating unbelievers as though they are already condemned to Hell, the unbelievers can easily pick this up. As Christians, we are supposed to reach out to them, not avoid them by thinking they are already condemned to Hell. Christ said to go to everyone and preach the Gospel. Preaching with love is more effective than preaching with fire and brimstone. The reason we take the gospel to them is because they are condemned to hell. We are trying to pull them out of the fire, by telling them that Jesus died for them on the cross, and that through faith in him, they can be saved. The hope of the sinner is salvation through faith in Christ. I believe in fire and brimstone preaching, because it is true. There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. I don't take the Gospel to them using fire and brimstone because that will only turn them off. I tell them of God's love and mercy for all of us because that is the main reason He came to earth to save all of us. I speak of God's love and mercy for all of us. I speak of His death and resurrection and how He conquered death so that we all can have eternal life with Him in Heaven. I become like one of them in order to gain them to my side so that they would also come to know Christ and believe in Him. In all honesty, I am no better than the unbelivers who are sinners because I am also a sinner. 1 Corinthians 9:20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. It didn't turn me off. I accepted Jesus as a result of fire and brimstone messages about the return of the Lord. I was 17 at the time. There is no one size fits all method of reaching people. One is to love God with their whole heart, soul, and strength.....not to fear Him. Our message is one of love. There is a time to preach fire and brimestone. I remember the time that the Pope ever preached fire and brimstone...it was mainly to the Mafia who gunned down priests and civilians who went against them. He told them that there is a Hell. That is a message for them to change their ways. One wins more converts using love. Jesus didn't preach fire and brimstone to sinners. We are to follow as what Jesus did. Matthew 9: 11-13 11-And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners ?" 12-When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13-"But go and learn what this means : "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." "For I did not come to call the righteous , but sinners, to repentance." I agree with you Selene ...for people don't want to hear fire and brimstone words toward them. For it would sound like judgement words toward them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaMarie savedbygrace Posted September 16, 2012 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 29 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 222 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 50 Days Won: 1 Joined: 05/27/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted September 16, 2012 Thank you for posting this .. I found it quite interesting .. )) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncn Posted September 16, 2012 Group: Graduated to Heaven Followers: 6 Topic Count: 406 Topics Per Day: 0.09 Content Count: 5,248 Content Per Day: 1.13 Reputation: 1,337 Days Won: 67 Joined: 08/07/2011 Status: Offline Share Posted September 16, 2012 In the UK it's not so much the hostility. Perhaps because open hostility would be impolite ,, it's just the indifference. It's sort of like, "Well if that is what you want to do or believe , go for it." This applies to all age groups in the UK in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.jpg.03b9a592ab3fbf402fba028ca0d40a97.thumb.jpg.2258d605d3ad1f34b6effde23d20e7d7.jpg)
Recommended Posts