Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: oracle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Brian T. Coughlin) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: One way to Heaven Message-ID: Date: 27 May 91 03:09:18 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH Lines: 58 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Re: Paul Hudson Jr. In article hudson@athena.cs.uga.edu (Paul Hudson Jr) writes, in response to my article: >> As far as your question goes: I'd recommend that you de-emphasize >> your "active" evangelism, and try to bring out the "passive" evangelism >> within you... by being more and more caring, loving, unselfish, >> understanding, non-judgemental, and open every day. Your friends WILL >> see the difference... believe me! >I agree that being loving and caring is important, but that does not >mean that one should not take advantage of opportunities to share the >Gospel. Particularly if one feels that it is right for him to even go >door to door. We should not try to twist arms, I agree. But if one >feels that he should evangelize, it would be wrong for him not to >because James writes that for him that knows to do good and does it >not, to him it is sin. Paul said "woe unto me if I preach not the >gospel" or something to that effect. I reread the Epistle of James, and found some rather surprising wording. Rather than addressing restraint of evangelism, James writes: "Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [...] If a man who does not control his tongue imagines that he is devout, he is self-deceived; his worship is pointless. Looking after orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself unspotted by the world make for pure worship without stain before our God and Father." (NAV, James 1:19-27) And notice that Paul said, "Woe unto *me* if *I* preach not the Gospel" (or whatever the exact wording is... I *do* remember the first person conjugation used). I have no problems with that, or with the whole idea of evangelism, for that matter. In my opinion, some people are called to be active, preaching evangelists, while others are destined to be more subtle, quiet examples for others to follow if they wish. You seem to wish to follow the direct example of Paul; more power to you! I wish to follow the example of Mary, and be as humble, full of faith, and supportive of my loved ones as possible... *without* the added element of verbal/physical proselytizing. Please understand: we're *BOTH* evangelizing; we're just going about it in two different ways. You proclaim loudly, and with strength; I proclaim softly, by example. There is no basis for either of us criticizing the other on this point, Scripturally, or otherwise. I *do* feel called to evangelize... and I am doing so. The mere fact that my method may not be as flambuoyant as others is no reason to dismiss "evangelism by example" as non-evangelism. ---- Take care! Sincerely, Brian Coughlin oracle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu