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Share one or two ways you or someone you know has lovingly responded to an attack on your/their Christian faith.
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I try to not respond in anger. The anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. My response is to be lovingly unmoved. It is not against me but against God. He is the one who has to change hearts.
I also seek to expose that another worldview cannot answer many questions that the Christian worldview answers. For example, a secular worldview can try to explain what we are made while it is fails to explain what we are made for.
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One day I was teaching in course and I was relating the topic with a story in the bible, guess what, one of my students ask that is this bible class? This was my answer to him, I reminded him that this is a Christian school and beside, what is our core value? then he kept quiet.
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In my former career I had a co-worker who was openly homosexual. He approached me one day and stated, “You are a Christian aren’t you.” I stated I was and he responded, “Then you hate me don’t you because you know I’m gay right?” I told him that I didn’t hate him and that actually I loved working with him. I simply stated my belief and his beliefs did not line up and that though we differed I still cared about him. He and I got along well after that without issue. When the Pulse Night Club terrorist attack happened in Orlando years ago we were still working together. That was a huge blow to the LGBTQ community as it was a terrorist attack specifically targeting the LGBTQ community. By this time my co-worker had married his homosexual partner. I reached out to him and his husband and just let them know I was praying for them and if they needed anything to let me know. I never compromised my stance on homosexuality as a sin but I also did isolate myself from my co-worker but determined I would work to demonstrate Christ’s love for me as a sinner in the way I treated him.
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I love the example Jesus sets for us when He is being tempted in the desert. He lets the devil give his request, and Jesus calmly answers using God’s words. I too try to stay calm and explain my point of view. I try to keep in my head that I cannot change this person’s heart. Only God can do that. I try to stay patient, and plant seeds that hopefully God will grow.
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When my faith is attacked I ask the person in opposition to clearly define that position apart. Then I mention that my beliefs are centered on the Bible, and how the Bible addresses the situation/belief in question. My experience is that allowing them to state their position before I share why I believe differently allows room for honest and open dialogue. If the person continues to attack my faith brining up yet another opposition I then repeat the process already stated.
