Critique Welcome)

In my last post I went very hard against the “Bible bashing,” faith crushing, spiritual demoralization I see in
“Christian” media today. Having expressed such emphatic condemnation of this method, I want to be clear that I do not feel that all critique of faith falls under this category. There actually is such a thing as pointing out the mote in another believer’s eye, but only if one has removed the beam of his own ego and pride. This approach looks very different from disparagement, insult, and mockery. It looks like thoughtful, respectful discourse.

Thankfully, there are examples of this more Christlike discourse today. One of the best examples I know of is Pastor Jeff on YouTube, who has spent years being curious about my faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint. He talks to us to understand where we are coming from, he shows great respect for our beliefs, and he still expresses where his views are different from us and why. He also mentions times when our own language becomes hurtful towards people with his background, and how we could do better. He remains a conduit for those in our faith who may want to know more about his.

And that sort of sincere critique and open dialogue is something that I believe every church needs. Even my church, which I consider to be Jesus’s restored kingdom on the Earth today, is still susceptible to human error, and benefits from the disagreement of well-meaning voices, be they from within its ranks or from outside denominations.

And as I mentioned at the end of my last post, this is the sort of evangelizing that actually works, whereas a visceral, combative approach never does. An aggressive stance only drives people further away from your perspective. They feel your hate, and they want nothing to do with you. At its core, true evangelism is an act of relationship, and genuine relationship is built on respect and trust. It is the only way it works.

Respect for All)

I have personal experience with this. I was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spending every day of two years serving and loving the people of the West Indies. I shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with all that were interested, teaching Hindus, Muslims, and other-denomination Christians alike.

In my last post I admitted that sometimes I, myself, would descend into “Bible bashing” with representatives from other faiths. I did not seek those debates out myself, but when my faith was misrepresented, I would go past merely setting the record straight and went into to a prideful state of having to prove that my position was right. I’m not proud of it, but it is something that I have repented for, and I do believe that I have changed. In the lifetime of this blog, I have written over 750,000 words of my daily faith study, and I would challenge anyone to find a single instance of me saying anything that could be considered an insult of another faith.

Going back to my mission, even though I had some instances of spiritual ego, there were also many other experiences where I felt the joy in having a genuine respect and reverence for the faith of others. I learned that whatever faith a person already had was a good thing. It was a common ground, a shared belief in something bigger than ourselves. From that unified foundation, we could each share the particulars of our faith, and if what I had to share would resonate with them, I would invite them to pursue it further. And if it didn’t, I would leave them with the faith that they already had. No ill will. No trying to destroy their own theology. Just gratitude for the time we got to share and wishing us both continued growth in the future.

Do I think Hinduism is the path to eternal life with our creator? No, not in its entirety.

Islam? No.

Judaism? No.

Buddhism? No.

Catholicism? No.

Eastern Orthodox? No.

Protestantism? No.

But do I think that Hinduism is beautiful? Yes, absolutely. I think it is full of fascinating truths, and a faith worth having, and a cause of good in the world. And the same for Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, Protestantism, and on and on.

And I expect no more and ask no less of others towards my faith. I know you don’t believe that the LDS faith is the true path to eternal life with our creator. But I expect you to respect that I do, and to appreciate the beauty and value that is in that faith, and the good that it has led me to. If you sincerely wanted to “save” me, you would come with respect and sincere appreciation for what I already do have. You would establish common ground. You would seek to add to what I already have, not to tear it down.

Not only would this approach be kinder, not only would it show genuine love, not only would it actually be Christian, but it would also be the only thing that could ever possibly work.

It would not work on everyone. Not everyone is open to a change of faith. That is something else that I learned on my mission, and something that I also had to have sincere respect for. But for those who are already seeking, this is the approach would let them consider whether you have what they are looking for.

In short, people do not value the perspectives of those who despise them. They do value the perspectives of those who show them that they sincerely care. Evangelizing is about establishing genuine and loving relationships, with mutual dignity and respect, and then sharing one’s testimony with only an invitation, not compulsion, for the other to accept it. This approach may not be flashy or fast, but it is true and holy communion.