I always think that it is good to try and look at things from the other point of view. So have a look at this which is written by an atheist. I know I don’t agree with all of it but it should make all us Christian evangelists (which all Christians are but not all in the white suited Bible thumping way) think about how we go about life:
“1. Don’t start using the person’s name, as if you are a close personal friend, unless you actually are a close personal friend.
2. Don’t start quoting from the Bible. “It comes off as robotic and scripted, like a telemarketer’s call.”
3. Don’t bring up a topic, or try to find out what the person is interested in, just so you can bring it back around to how it’s all a metaphor for Jesus or Christianity. “It makes it seem like your interest was only a ploy to keep the attention of the listener.”
4. Don’t use the phrase “Good News.”
5. Don’t talk about Jesus like he’s part of the conversation. “I get that you actually believe that Jesus is alive and God is everywhere and all-knowing, but to non-Christians, he’s just an imaginary friend of yours, and so telling us to listen for his voice in our hearts is creepy.”
6. Don’t plant literature. “They’re impersonal.”
7. Don’t hide behind a fake front “that makes no mention of the fact that an event or lecture will be a Christian event.”
8. Don’t assume that we have “God-shaped holes in our hearts” and try to get us to admit it.
9. Don’t compare your past experiences to our present. “It doesn’t mean that hearing your story is going to shock us or convince us to change our ways.”
10. Don’t talk down to us, as if we’re just not understanding something perfectly obvious. “At least familiarize yourself with our perspective before jumping in, because assuming we’re simply uninformed or dumb is only going to hurt your chances.””
For the full article see http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2009/04/22/ten-tips-for-christian-evangelists-courtesy-of-atheists/
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