Certainly I’m not advocating being obnoxious when we bring the gospel to people. But the fact that some people are obnoxious when communicating the gospel to strangers in public does not mean that all public evangelism to strangers is wrong. There are plenty of ways to do public evangelism that are kind, gentle, respectful and loving.
Ah yes, that horrible quote. I know it well. It’s like saying: “Give out your phone number. Use digits if necessary.”
Absolutely! We need to be obedient and do so in a loving way toward others. If people react negatively, it doesn’t mean we did something wrong necessarily.
I’ve always been taught, in our culture, that approaching strangers in public was obnoxious, no matter what purpose. (And honestly I get nervous when a man or group of men approach me in public.) Now I actually think the article I saw once about putting together a discussion booth was a good idea. And I think we should be active in public charity under the name of our faith.
What is the world coming to when strangers approach you in public?”From what I’ve seen this depends on the region of the U.S. I’m in the northern part of the midwest. It’s not typical to approach someone on the street, riding the bus, etc. - generally in places where one presumes the majority of people are going to somewhere. Every time I’ve had it happen I’m out in public because I need to be out in public to get somewhere - I take the bus because I need to get to work, and I don’t want to be bothered unless you’re getting me coffee! It’s more acceptable in areas where people go to relax, like public parks or coffeeshops.
I don’t think it operates alone. But frankly most of the time that sort of public preaching sounds like you’re hawking a bill of goods, not trying to share the love of Christ with someone. I think a lot of Christians use that sort of “evangelism” as a way of getting out of the hard work of truly serving people and meeting them where they’re at.
I can believe that we are all one body without thinking that everything every member of the Church does is helpful or advisable. So I don’t really see your point here.
Well, I guess I’m blessed that the South has a more hospitable culture than the Midwest
Again, it really doesn’t matter what the people you speak to think. That’s the point, 100% of the people you evangelize to might not have the seeds watered by the Holy Spirit. But at least you scattered the seeds.
My point is that it isn’t Biblical for you to think that preaching in public is “not helpful or advisable”.
Although you don’t have to be Catholic to be saved, you are always more likely to be saved if you are Catholic.
It’s definitely more strategic. I’ve done public outreach in places where people are just relaxing and strolling, and it’s usually better than when standing at a bus stop or subway station, where people are hurrying to or from work. That said, I’ve done outreach at both places, and even in the places where people were in a hurry, many people took literature from me and nobody, that I can remember, ever got irritated at me for standing there doing that.
Simply standing out there on one’s own time and handing out materials that one paid for with one’s own money, shows the love of Christ. If people read into that negativity that isn’t there, that’s not the fault of the one doing evangelizing.
Do you think it isn’t “hard work” to stand out in public, put yourself at risk of being sneered at and mocked or verbally abused, and try to give people a message that they’re apathetic to?
I agree completely! What you just described is common among evangelicals. I once heard a guy at an evangelical church years ago–who was the director of outreach, no less–talk about how they used to hang packets of information (about the church, the gospel, etc.) on doorknobs in the neighborhood but then gave it up because there was “no return” on it. What a horrific way to think. That’s not motivated by love and concern for one’s neighbors but rather selfishness: If I don’t see some results for MY effort, I’m not doing it.It’s hard to pin down reasons for it. The most obvious reason is disobedience to God. I think that is definite. It could also be lack of love for people. Another reason might be fear: fear of rejection, fear of not knowing what to say, fear of suffering for Christ, etc. Also a lot could be the result of a general nonevangelistic culture in churches, both Protestant and Catholic. It isn’t surprising that public evangelism is almost nonexistent when pastors consistently tell their congregations that they don’t have to tell people the gospel right away but can take time to build friendships, wait for unbelievers to see their happy Christian lives and ask them what makes them different. If you are afraid to do something and find it unpleasant, and then a person of authority whom you respect and trust very much says the above, well, you just got your way out, your rubber stamp on not evangelizing.
I sympathize with your frustration. I’ve been experiencing it for years. It could be–though I don’t know, of course–that people consistently refuse to bring the gospel to the lost simply because they don’t really believe it themselves. You strike me, by the words above, as someone who has come to genuine faith in Christ and, fully believing that Christ is the only way of salvation, want to share that with others. It only makes sense that someone who truly believes it desires deeply to share it with others so that they, too, might experience the same joy. Of course, we cannot judge others. People could be genuinely in fellowship with God but might not evangelize for some other reason, perhaps fear, like I mentioned above.
Maybe. I don’t typically show irritation with people, even if I am irritated. My typical policy if someone hands me literature while I’m waiting for the bus is to take it politely and then throw it away.
Yes. We started doing it when I was a kid. It was easy, because there was no need to actually care about the people’s reaction or feel, just hand them the literature and give them the programmed message. It was easy and safe, because we didn’t have to worry about where people were or getting to know someone who wasn’t a Good Christian Like Us. It was comfortable - all that you needed was a bit of time, no risk of any real interaction that might make you uncomfortable or hurt.
That’s you. That’s not everyone. Just because some people might not read something handed to them in public does not mean that everyone won’t. It seems to me that you’re throwing out the baby with the bath water all because of how you and perhaps some others might react.
Who told you there wasn’t a need to care about how people feel? I don’t think that way when I’m out doing public outreach.
That’s just it: There IS risk of uncomfortable interaction. I know because I’ve been through it.
How can a stranger on the street that you only talk to for 2min really make you uncomfortable? You don’t know them, you’re not invested in them.
They can mock you, reject you, sneer at you, vilify you, make a scene, and/or try to ask you trick questions to try to trip you up. I’ve seen all of that happen.
I’ve seen few people who find that truly uncomfortable. Maybe mildly annoying, but it doesn’t actually have any risk of really challenging them or their way of life and thinking. And street evangelism? You don’t have time to present a full gospel message, just a few quick tricks that don’t contain much of meaning.
For some people it can be very challenging to have to go through that. I’m one of them.
Rejection, being sneered at, people getting hostile toward you, are not easy for all people. It’s great that you can take it so well, but again, you’re not everyone.I disagree. The entire gospel can be presented in just a few Bible verses. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Later on, as a person grows, goes to church, etc., he or she will get more details and grow in understanding, but the initial gospel presentation need not be theologically complex.