Talking about faith to strangers?

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Bruno_Schulz

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When we talk about our work, our vacation, our hometown, our somet we love – like fresh air, our Children or even hobbies…
is then, what we are talking about, a very private thing and opinion we’d better keep to ourselves, under cover, kind of ashamed to talk about, for it’s my secret? Or, isn’t it rather more so, the most natural thing to talk about to anybody – even people we never saw before?

Don’t we too often think the reality of God - our faith - is not a theme to openly discuss with anyone? Kind of “too private and anyway once own opinion”?

No! God is no opinion; God is real. We all will see God, disregarding if we believed in God or not. God’s reality is great and good and nothing to hide away. Its living. Let is be alive in you.
In Matthew 10:33 Jesus told us: Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

What’s worse? To be disowned by God or to be laughed at by people who lack the higher understanding Jesus taught, the Church, and Christians of living believe have. St. Paul said in Phil 4:7: The peace of God, transcends all understanding. This is the „higher understanding” you have, when you possess the believe in God; when you “have God”.
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Yes, you’re right. We can never disown God before man or He will disown us. But what about those of us who struggle to talk openly about God? How do you overcome it?

Is not talking about Him mean you’ve disowned Him before men or just that you struggle to speak anything that people may not like?

It’s difficult, at least for me. I want so much to tell all about Jesus…

Pax Christi tecum.
 
**Well, it’s in fact easy to talk about your faith in God, if one knows how and all you have to do, is to do it same way as how you heard it from someone who spoke in religious terms and you liked it.

One very simple way to start with is to say:
“A friend of mine’s son was murdered, and he told me, that he wouldn’t have survived this dreadful tragedy, if he did not believe in God. I too believe strongly and absolutely in God.”
Such a start is easy, and it brings people the easy way to talk about God and believe.
You didn’t tell a lie, for our son was murdered in 1997 as I wrote in this forums on several threads.

I wouldn’t advice to say to a complete stranger you never saw before: “Look, I have Jesus in my heart, I want to bring many others to Jesus. Here is the apostle of Divine Love, Jesus give me your light throughout my long way.” for he’d react somewhat disturbed and wouldn’t know how to react and turn away.

Today I stood in a queue for the swimming pool and sauna. Before me was a young lady I never saw before with two small kids. “Did you have children too” she asked me eventually? Yes I said. Two sons. I’v one now. One of them was murdered when he was 26. Unsolved case. He was found in a disco slain. Shattered back of his head. I wouldn’t have survived that; IF I DID NOT STRONGLY BELIEVE IN GOD. I know that nonbelievers, atheists hardly ever cope with such unspeakable happenings. If one is religious, it’s a lot easier (thought it’s very hard) but you know, that you’ll see him again.
OK – I most likely won’t ever see this young mother again. She however won’t forget – I’m sure. But many we do see again, and then we might continue.

Important is: To talk about your faith in exactly the same manner as you talk about weather or politics. Simply, as part of your everyday life - which God must be (and is - even when some doubt this). And about every-day things of normal life, we speak in normal manner as every day.
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I was fearful of speaking of my faith just a few years ago. Then, my wife “suggested” that I go to a Charismatic Catholic seminar called “Life in the (Holy) Spirit”. After attending, we all were prayed over by our priest, and asked for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be released within us. Ever since that turning point in my life, I have lost all fear of discussing my faith. Now, it is central to my life, as it should be. There is now only fear of not speaking about my faith!

Yes, since we are new beings in Christ, our relationship with Him, and love of Him define who we are. The old has passed away and we are clothed in Christ. If we are to fulfill our responsibility to the Lord, everyone around us must know of our faith, so that we become resources for God. We must become the encouragement, the support, the one who shares with those who struggle in life. Certainly, all struggle in life, just as Christ said we would. Pity those who do not have Him to fall back on in times of distress. Let us point them in the correct direction.

Christ’s peace.
 
Bruno_Schulz said:
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I wouldn’t advice to say to a complete stranger you never saw before: “Look, I have Jesus in my heart, I want to bring many others to Jesus. Here is the apostle of Divine Love, Jesus give me your light throughout my long way.” for he’d react somewhat disturbed and wouldn’t know how to react and turn away.**

Just so you know, that quote found in my sig line is a quote of Our Lady to Rosario Toscano in Belpasso Italy. It was part of a prayer she taught him so it wasn’t something I’d say I’d go around telling strangers. Fyi.

Pax Christi tecum.
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**Good. Thanks. It’s a world of a difference, if we talk to a Christian or to a doubter. Holy Mary did not speak to disbelievers when She appeared (Fatima, Lourdes and others). Jesus spoke very differently to believers and sceptics. When Jesus spoke to haters of Christians, it was in dramatic circumstances – see the conversion of St. Paul.

The question was, how we do it, so it’s not all in vain, for the reason we do it is never to show up with “look at me, I do it right and you do wrong”, but as in you favorite words is said: “I want to bring many others to Jesus.“

Now; someone, a deep believing Christian, said to a friend of mine: “Why do you not first bring your own relation to God into order first, instead of attending to others affairs?!”
He answered: “Should I satiate myself first before I give to others? Isn’t it greedy to eat and eat more and more until you are real satisfied, seeing your neighbour starve all the time? Aren’t we asked to share?
A friend invited many of us. Do you think he will be delighted when I come on myself and don’t bring anyone else with me?”

So. What we are trying to do is; to awake interest in Christianity in doubters, by telling them why we believe and how we manage life in believing and this is best done, in everyday language in everyday situations.

Sorry – my English doesn’t express what I mean to the point, but I hope to make myself understood in a way.
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It was not to unbelievers, but good members of First Catholic Church of Rome that St. Paul wrote, “Perhaps it is because of you that the name of God is blasphemed among unbelievers.”

There is a time to talk about your faith to strangers, and a time to be silent, as Solomon said.
 
bpbasilphx said:
It was not to unbelievers, but good members of First Catholic Church of Rome that St. Paul wrote, “Perhaps it is because of you that the name of God is blasphemed among unbelievers.”

There is a time to talk about your faith to strangers, and a time to be silent, as Solomon said.
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Yes, true. And most of all our actions should always speak to them first and foremost. If our actions don’t speak, our words will be useless.

Pax Christi tecum.
 
**“Perhaps it is because of us that the name of God is blasphemed among unbelievers.”

How true. We can’t go like a bull at a gate when we start Christian talk. It will lead to barricading of listeners or run away.

“There is a time to talk about your faith to strangers, and a time to be silent”

That’s true words of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (In German Kohelet)
But there’s a time too, when you can’t be silent – yes, when it’s sin to be silent. Else they will accuse you for not having reached a helping hand, that saved them in terms of Jesus Word – go and tell all creature.

Yes, Jesus’ word must be passed on in a casual way in due course, when the theme anyhow comes up. This “anyhow” can be steered in diplomatic manners 😉

However one does it, it must be welcome and interesting at the time, not to be declined because of us.
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You know I always struggled with this one too. keeping my mouth shut when it should have been open, remaing silent on those things I should have been acknowledging and basically denying Christ when I should have been witnessing.

Reading the ‘Benedictus’ one morning I was ‘slapped in the face’ by the following lines which, spoken about St John The Baptist, but word we should take to ourselves:

***And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, ***To give knowledge of salvation to His people *
through forgiveness of their sins.

Now, if we were to take these words unto ourselves we would not hesitate to go about approriately talking about God and His plan of salvation to those who have not heard or who have forgotten.
 
My faith has become somewhat of a stumbling block in my efforts to be sociable. Most of my coworkers routinely talk about stuff I find unbecoming, and can’t comment on. So, I gradually drift away, and find myself limited to rigid cordiality. In time, this earns me the reputation of being anti-social. It’s frustrating, but I can’t lower myself to mean gossip or childish antics.
 
KingAlfred said:
My faith has become somewhat of a stumbling block in my efforts to be sociable. Most of my coworkers routinely talk about stuff I find unbecoming, and can’t comment on. So, I gradually drift away, and find myself limited to rigid cordiality. In time, this earns me the reputation of being anti-social. It’s frustrating, but I can’t lower myself to mean gossip or childish antics.
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By your silent presence you are sending out a very powerful message. Be patient with yourself and realise that you are bringing the presence of God to the unbecoming crowd.

You, of course have the option to try to steer the conversation your way by lifting the tone somehow.
 
KingAlfred said:
My faith has become somewhat of a stumbling block in my efforts to be sociable. Most of my coworkers routinely talk about stuff I find unbecoming, and can’t comment on. So, I gradually drift away, and find myself limited to rigid cordiality. In time, this earns me the reputation of being anti-social. It’s frustrating, but I can’t lower myself to mean gossip or childish antics.
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I have experienced the same thing. At times I would speak up and say what I could about God and the truth. I’ve had some opportunities to tell people about Christ and the Faith. It seems though that they often just don’t want to hear it. I also tend to drift off as you say.

Pax Christi tecum.
 
**Well just imagine the reality which looks somet like this: We wanna to speak to this people about God, but Satan stands between us and these guys, and he keeps whispering “don’t make a fool of yourself, they’ll laugh at you. What good is it to chatter that poppycock. Talk about latest gossip and you’re the king."

Well I must tell you, I do talk latest gossip and most childish antics (new word for me 😉 and ridiculous small talk in my clubs from rod’n gun to sauna or regulars’ table. It’s important to be amidst profane everyday life, so people see, that Christians are not aliens as they thought, but guys and gals like them.

Yeah! Sometimes it sickens you up what some of them say and think, but aren’t they very poor things then if that rubbish is their yield. Don’t give them for lost (surely that sentence is wrong), don’t avoid them and their way of talking, for only then they will listen if you here and there drop your real concern or a bomb like “religion is base of my life”. I often did so. And you know what… Very very often it turns out, that these people, who behave like Mr. Doolittle in My Fair Lady, are of more human instincts that academics, and some of them only waited for your immovable word I BELIEVE!

If we always speak as so if Jesus is present (which He is) then our talk can’t be wrong, but horror for Mr. Satan – and that’s what we want aintit 😃
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**ow I corresponded with a USA-couple who insists – „all religions are good and wanted by God – whatever this religion is“.

That’s not so, for Jesus had otherwise not told us, to go and mission all creatures and “tell them My word” (Mat 28:19 + Mark 16,15).

No – not all “religions” are good before the Lord. The Golden Calf (Ex 31,18 ff) stands for all other Religions. How on earth could a homemade “Religion” remain in force aside Jesus manifestation of the one and only living God?

In which of these “religions” is a loving God. All other religions are simply revelations of some charismatic Philosophers. True, they might even have given to people at the time, some power assistant steering their lives, but nothing to match the word of the living God. Which of such “religions” consists of nothing but love, as the one of the one and only God and His Son Jesus Christ, who is God Himself in the unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. (John 13,16).

Jesus said, I’ve not come to take away, but to give (Joh 10,10) and He prayed amidst his disciples in John 17:1-3: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The reason, why some aren’t allowed to believe, is the sin that covers them. The sin called disallowance of God who was manifested by Jesus. Disallowance of the redemption done by Christ; rejection of Gods unbelievable work in Jesus passion.
How could one possibly get aware of Gods love that way?! Who sins, can not persist before God (Rom 3:23) as also said by Jes 59:2 and Rom 6:23, spiritual death is the consequence of sin.

There is but one way out of sin: Jesus Christ, announced yet in the Old Testamen by many (such as Jesaija 9:5). Jesus manifested in his redemption of our sins that until then excluded from heaven, the solitary and absolute leadership and sovereignty of God (Mark 1:5) and Jesus prooved in word and His deeds He ist he way, the truth and the life (Joh. 14:6).

Since God Himself overcame our break with God, is is to us to not let a new break depart us from God.
All this becomes clear if we openhearted read and with highest apprehension read the bible, for the the peace of God, transcends all understanding, and will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7) – if we open our heart and mind to God
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Bruno_Schulz said:
**

When we talk about our work, our vacation, our hometown, our somet we love – like fresh air, our Children or even hobbies…
is then, what we are talking about, a very private thing and opinion we’d better keep to ourselves, under cover, kind of ashamed to talk about, for it’s my secret? Or, isn’t it rather more so, the most natural thing to talk about to anybody – even people we never saw before?

Don’t we too often think the reality of God - our faith - is not a theme to openly discuss with anyone? Kind of “too private and anyway once own opinion”?

No! God is no opinion; God is real. We all will see God, disregarding if we believed in God or not. God’s reality is great and good and nothing to hide away. Its living. Let is be alive in you.
In Matthew 10:33 Jesus told us: Whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

What’s worse? To be disowned by God or to be laughed at by people who lack the higher understanding Jesus taught, the Church, and Christians of living believe have. St. Paul said in Phil 4:7: The peace of God, transcends all understanding. This is the „higher understanding” you have, when you possess the believe in God; when you “have God”.
**
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I find it difficult to speak openly about my faith where I work. There used to be a strongly anti-Christian element through one man especially and he used to make fun of me because of my faith. I confronted him and he promised not to do so again, and he has kept his word. Most people know I am Christian and I speak to individuals about my faith and one has started going to Mass because of me (well, God used me), but I would like to be more open. After all, I am aware that with Jesus I am strong. I don’t know what it is with me. It could be that it is not cool to speak about it and I feel embarrassed (I know Jesus’ warning there). I don’t feel that I am accepted enough at work for people to listen to me en masse, anyway. I discussed this with a spiritual director once and he said that if there is such hostility to the faith where I work then speaking openly about it may do more harm than good. I just have to trust that God will lead me to speak to those individuals who are receptive and not expect a sermon to the masses.

I must say, however, that where I work is a better place than when I started. There is no open hostility to Christianity like there used to be. I do pray for my work collegues every day and I bind Satan every morning before I go, as I was once advised to do by an exorcist priest.
 
**Well, you are right; is sometimes is difficult. But we know what they don’t know, and that is: WE ARE RIGHT AT THE ETERNAL END. So what matter some harsh words by the ignoramus, whom we all he same do have to love.
How did you confrontate this person that he really stopped his pulling your leg?

When one of the people has started to believe in God, then you won a great lot, for heavens are happier about that one who returned than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. Matthew 18:13

Best thing anyone can say is: God used me. Let’s pray, that we might be a tool in the hands of God.

Well, I wouldn’t really say, that there is no open hostility to Christianity like there used to be. Just remember the time when St. Paul preached. And in so many countriey Christianity way illegal over many decades

All we need is courage and the help of God. Though it will remain difficult, let’s overcome our fear according to Gal 1,10, where we have to ask ourselves: Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
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Bruno_Schulz said:
**How did you confrontate this person that he really stopped his pulling your leg?
**
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I asked him: have you got something against Christians? and he said, no and that he was only joking. He said I shouldn’t take it so seriously and I replied that I did take it seriously. He then said that he would not do it again. I sometimes wish I had kept the dialogue open, but I couldn’t handle it at the time.
 
**Oh that’s a good answer “have you got something against Christians?” But he guy you mention is rather civilized then too.

I sometimes met less educated people. But I never think, that their laughing at Christian words frees them like the laugh of a child is a clean and releasing laugh and lovely to hear.

Their laugh at Christians is the laugh against God himself - not so much at this person, and in fact, it’s the grinning of the skull.
**
 
This thread puts forth a compelling and important topic.

I was at a bookstore the other day, and overheard two people speaking, a male and female, who said that a friend of theirs is struggling with his belief in God. I tried to offer them some help, by proclaiming the good news of the Gospel, namely, the truth of Christ’s love. I don’t know if my words were to of any avail, but I pray that they were.

I’m inspired to enter the priesthood. As crazy as it sounds, I’d like to convert all of the Earth to Catholicism one day. If I were ever elected Pope, this would be my goal.
 
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