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- Camouflage
- Assuming Superiority
- Deception
- Loving Us to Death
- Cover-Up
- The Numbers Racket
- Circular Reasoning
- Mistranslation
- Quoting Out of Context
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Circular Reasoning |
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Very often, Christian missionaries use circular reasoning. In other words, their proof can only point to Jesus if you believe in Jesus in the first place. Therefore, it’s no proof at all!
As an example, let’s take the words of Isaiah 11:2, “And the spirit of the L-rd will rest upon him (the messiah), the spirit of wisdom and understanding...”. This verse refers to the messiah, but it does not identify him. The followers of Jesus chose to attribute this verse to him and, subsequently, it became one of the proof-texts to support the claims of Christianity. Here’s one way to test such verses. Choose a person that neither you nor the missionary believes to be the messiah, such as George Washington, Reverend Moon, or your great-grandfather! Then determine if the prophecy can point to this person to be the messiah in the eyes of anyone who believes him to be the messiah. If the prophecy can be used in this way, then obviously the verse proves nothing. |
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5 STEPS if you are approached by a Missionary
- Try to disengage as quickly as possible:
- Who are you? What organization are you affiliated with? Does it have a religious designation?
- Thank you, but no thanks. I am already affiliated with (Jewish Group Name)
- End your response with concluding statement:
- I appreciate your sincerity, but I am happy with my identity as it is. HAVE A GREAT DAY!
- If challenge continues:
- Oh! You’re Jewish. Did you know that many quotes from the Jewish Bible have been taken out of context or mistranslated?
- Have you ever read the Bible in its original text?
- Why don’t you join me, and let’s sit down and discuss this with my Rabbi. He is more knowledgeable about this than I am.
- Thank you, but I am happy with my identity as it is. I encourage you to respect the other students on this campus who have their own beliefs. I’m not pushing my views on you, so please respect us in the same way.
- If the recruiter is a good friend:
- I appreciate that you want to share your thoughts with me, but you need to know that it makes me uncomfortable.
- We need to agree to disagree.
- I care about you, and respect your beliefs. If you really care about me, you need to respect mine.
- If you’re in an awkward situation (i.e., you are a guest at a party, your sorority has a Bible study,
or your team has a pre-practice prayer circle, etc.)
- I’m very comfortable with my religion, and I would rather sit this one out.
- Let me know when you’re done, and let’s hang out later!
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