quote:Originally posted by uwsoftball:
Mr. Gray, I'm sorry, I'm late for an appointment and have to run. With respect, please note the difference in "impose" and "share" and the context in which "imposed" is used. In addition, I'm not a she. But more later I promise. Ubu
Hi UW,
Sorry if I mislabeled you. But, with most posting names being neutral; it is hard to know sometimes. By the way, who is Ubu?
You point out the difference between "impose" and "share" where the Gospel is concerned. I realize that most all atheists and other non-believers will label all "sharing" as an imposition. Any mention of God to most of them is an imposition.
And, I can understand their feelings. Before I became a Christian believer I did not want to hear about God, being a Christian, or the Bible. I recall a time in the early 1980s, I used to wear a medallion given to me by my wife. It was from the Garden Grove Community Church (Crystal Cathedral) -- but, I wore it because Dory had given it to me.
One day I was in the lobby of Robershaw Controls in Anaheim, waiting for my sales appointment to get me from the lobby. A young lady was talking with the Security Guard. When she saw my medallion, she said, "Oh, you are a born-again Christian."
I gruffly told her, "No, I am just a Christian!" You see, most of my life, if asked, I would tell people that I was a Christian. After all, I was born and bred in the Bible Belt, Alabama. I attended church as a young boy and a teen. Therefore, I was a Christian! Wrong!
At that time, I was absolutely NOT a Christian. I had no idea what a relationship with Jesus Christ meant, nor what the lady meant by being "born again."
To me, at that time, the phrase "born again" was something the 1960s drugged out Jesus Freaks coined to be cool. So, I wanted no part of it. She was trying to "impose" her thinking on me. And, I was having none of it. Why? Because if she, or any Christian, told me too much about God, Jesus Christ, the Bible -- it made me feel guilty. No thank you! Keep your guilt trip!
But, actually, she was not trying to impose upon me. She was trying to "share" her Jesus with me. There is a huge difference.
You told Jan, "Ironic, that I relate more to the atheist here, isn't it? Yet, a believer I am. But know this, I will never, ever, ever, try to impose my belief on you."
How would you define "imposing" you belief upon her? If you tell her that Jesus Christ is Lord; is that imposing upon her? If you tell her that God wants her to be a part of His family, is that imposing upon her?
Please tell me the difference, in your opinion, between "imposing" upon another -- and "sharing" the Gospel with another.
You may tell me that "imposing" is when a person tells a non-believer that Jesus Christ wants to be their Lord and Savior. If that is the case, when will you "share" with a non-believer -- after he/she becomes a believer?
At that point, they don't need you to share with them; they need people to lead them in growing into a more mature Christian, helping them mature in their knowledge of God's Word.
So, when would YOU share and witness to non-believers? I guess that is my main question: What do you see as the difference between imposing and sharing -- and when would YOU share?
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
