Should Christians be Open-minded to Other Beliefs?

 2/16/2013            Rich          about 65

I gave a Gospel tract to a Rich, the guy sitting near me at a pharmacy waiting room, which he proceeded to read thoroughly.

After it was clear he was done reading I asked what he thought of it, adding “Do you believe in this sort of thing?” I asked this very general question because it helps to show I am willing to consider his point of view even though it may differ from mine.

He answered, “Well, no one has ever given me proof one way or the other.”

“And neither can I” I admitted. “So we just have to consider the possibilities”

He agreed, and we did, going on to a good conversation in which he was able to hear and consider the Gospel. Rich attends his Catholic church faithfully, even though he isn’t sure if God even exists and never reads the Bible.

When I told him I read the Bible every day, he asked “How can you be sure if you are interpreting it correctly?” This is a very common question, but it is asked mostly by people who never read it for themselves. They are left only with the opinions of others, and mistakenly conclude it can be interpreted any way people want, whether they are faithful believers or false teachers trying to use the Bible for their own purposes.

Yet the fact is that there are some differences of opinion among faithful and well-read Bible scholars about how to interpret different parts of the Bible, and I acknowledged this to Rich. He asked for some examples, so we talked about some, explaining the differences between traditional and biblical beliefs, and between essential and non-essential issues. I believe I won his respect by doing so.

As we share the Gospel, failing to show that we have considered other points of view is one thing that discredits us to unbelievers. Acknowledging opposing beliefs as they come up, and then clearly explaining how they are in error, is an important part of winning the right to be heard.

In the end, what keeps me sane is trusting in God, knowing that I can’t convince anyone of anything of eternal value, no matter how well I might present my arguments, for my hope and faith “does not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor 2:5)