Tools for Your Apologetics Tool Box

This week in class, we had the opportunity to hear from Kerby Anderson, a radio talk show host and author of many books on apologetics and world religion. We discussed in detail how to engage people who are from different faith traditions and the core tenets of each of those- Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and Mormonism. We then discussed the ideas of postmodernism or relativism and how those relate to the newer culture of atheism that is prevalent in the Western world today. Finally, we discussed ways to engage the millennial generation (our own- those born from 1980-2000) in the context of media and technology that invade every part of our lives. It was a rich several days, and I’m thankful for what Anderson called the tools to put in our toolbox to engage a lost and broken world.

That summary aside, I want to focus for a moment on what I’m truly passionate about- how to engage people who lack an understanding of absolute truth, particularly those of Hindu and Muslim backgrounds. 

As many of you know, I have a major passion for seeing God’s truth come to people of cultures around the world. It was three years ago nearly to the day that I returned from six months of service in South Asia. The pervasiveness of the Hindu religion is such there that it affects every single aspect of government, city planning, music and media, and family life. To be born in this area of South Asia is to be Hindu. I devoted the majority of my time in college to understanding the religions and cultures of the world and reading thousands of pages of theory about how to engage them with the gospel. Yet  when it comes to actual, practical conversation with those of other religions, I had very few. Then I moved overseas. Talk about a shock to the system. (If you’d like to read more about those days of my life, look further back on this blog to posts from 2011 or let me tell you a story or two!) The HIndu or Muslim framework of understanding not only came across boundaries of language difference, but from an entirely different view about God, the role and value of man, the sacredness of life, and how we should live. I learned that my friends spent all their lives trying to earn the favor of a gods who may or may not choose to save them. Salvation is utterly man centered and based upon obedience to complicated tenets and traditions. Indeed, what I was most bothered by was that most of my friends did not understand their holy scriptures at all, but seemed to blindly follow the traditions of their people for ages past. 

It is important to understand two things about most major world religions, especially those of the east

1. Decisions of faith are NOT made in a linear, logical fashion which is dictated by a neatly outlined set of dogmatic principles. A Hindu might worship all, several, or none of 330 million gods. A Muslim might believe the sanctity of the Qu’ran to his core, but have no idea what it really says. What IS important is the traditions of your people and keeping those in order to preserve the honor and separateness of your family, your people, and your culture. 

According to our teacher, Kerby Anderson, it does not bother a Hindu person in the least to spend their days as a doctor or scientist and then go home to make an offering to the elephant god. Their faith is not based upon logical compatibility, it is based upon tradition that is deeply entrenched in every part of who they are. 

2. Decisions are not made based upon the will of the individual, but on the good of the community. It matters little what the individual believes about how they should practice faith, what career they should have, even whom they should marry. They are always bound to what their parents and the leaders of their community say. This system of accountability filters down to every level of life. When you ask a person of Hindu, Muslim, or Buddhist faith to consider the truth of the gospel of Christ, you are asking them to leave their family and their community. To abandon the traditions of their faith is disloyalty. This is why many of my friends have been disowned permanently by parents, spouses, even their own children when they choose to follow Christ. 

In light of understanding these two major things about the life of a person with an Eastern faith tradition, we must understand how to ask good questions and how to present the gospel clearly. One of the major things I learned in witnessing to Hindus and Muslims is that you can present the gospel in a way that does not immediately attack their faith (which is who they are in many ways). The gospel and God’s love speak loudly enough that it’s good to present the stories of God’s word and his character and ask them questions about what they’ve learned, rather than providing a long sermon on every reason religion x is incorrect. 

Mr. Anderson said there are two main reasons Muslims who followed Christ cited as what drew them to Him- God’s love and eternal security. I feel that these reasons are common to those who leave any religion to follow Christ. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Mormons are never able to be certain that they will achieve salvation. They follow rules and traditions that enslave them to fear that they may not be good enough. Not only this, but the gods they worship do not unconditionally love them. These are the key differences between the faith of a Christ follower and that of another religion. It’s important to remember that each of these followers of other religions were created to worship the God who dwells within us, and they long to be known and loved by Him. It’s our responsibility to announce this love and truth to them as we build relationships, ask good questions and walk carefully so that the love of Christ is clearly communicated.