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 Christian School Essay
WITNESSING TIPS
~To better witness to members of the Unification Church, you must treat them as
individuals � do not simply condemn them for their beliefs. You must get to
know their reasons for joining the Church. Condemning their beliefs and
practices only make them feel defensive and judged, and that is one of the main
reasons they left traditional religion and joined the Unification Church in the
first place. You must acknowledge their misgivings about Christianity, making
them feel comfortable talking to you.
~Next you must give your personal testimony, being as specific and open as
possible. Explain how Christ has changed you, and explain how you were before
you came to know Jesus Christ as your savior. Tell them of the spiritual fruits
you are bearing as a result of your relationship with Christ. The more
committed you are to Christ, the more effective your testimony will be on the
Unification Church member. Seeing that Christianity changes lives will change
their views of Christianity � inaccurate views taught to them by the Unification
Church.Some members of the Unification Church simply have misconceptions of the
Christian church, given to them by the media, news, television evangelist
extremists, and the Divine Principle, itself. They most likely see Christians
as self-serving hypocrites due to these influences. In response to this, you
should acknowledge that while these things do happen, they are simple
generalizations of the Christian Church � the Christian Church is not really
like that. You must reply in patience, not in anger, telling them that this
characterization is distorted, biased, and simply untrue.
~In order to show that Christians are not self-serving hypocrites, discuss with
them the actions of Christians locally and globally to help people in need.
Instead of focusing on tearing down the social impact of the Unification Church,
describe to them specific ministries that are addressing specific social
problems, such as destitution, hunger, etc. The more familiar you are with
various Christian ministries, the more you show that both Christians and the
Unification Church have the same concerns to help people in need.
Recognize that many Unification Church members need to feel as though they are
part of a family, a reason why some people join this religion. The Unification
Church promotes a family-type intimacy among its members, which is why they have
been referred to as the Unified Family. The Divine Principle and their
practices emphasize the importance of the family. This is clearly seen in their
true devotion to their True Parents, Rev. Moon and Mrs. Moon. The Unification
Church meets the needs of those who need the feeling of a family relationship,
thus drawing many people into the religion.
~Do not criticize the character of Sun Myung Moon when witnessing. This
criticism will most likely be seen as racist, due to the fact that a white
Christian is criticizing a Korean reverend. Do not cricize the practices used
by Moon, either, for some of them are not just Unification Church practices, but
also cultural practices in other countries. Therefore, the customs may seem
weird to us, but they may not appear that way to the rest of the world.
Explain to them the leadership role of Christ in your life. Agree with them
that many people in our society lack a respect for society, and tell them that
we need to respect the authorites placed in our lives by Jesus Christ. Explain
to them why Chirst is the most important authority figure in your life, how you
submit to him, and how he has cared for you. The more committed you are to
Christ, the more influential you will be on them in their opening up to Him.
Above all, always remember to keep Jesus Christ the central focus of your
discussion. Remember that Unification Church members hold Christ in a high
regard, for they believe that Jesus was a profound teacher and an ideal servant
of God. In light of this fact, you should emphasize that only through Jesus
Christ can a person overcome sin and be saved eternally. Let the Holy Spirit
work in this person.
~Always pray for the situation at hand. Before the meeting, ask God to put you
in the right frame of mind for the meeting and to prepare the person's heart and
mind for the good news about Jesus Christ. During the meeting, ask God for
guidance in discerning what the person needs to hear and recall what you know
about Christ � especially applicable Scriptures. If at all possible, share the
gospel with this person with another partner � that way one can witness to the
Unification Church member while the other prays for the Holy Spirit to work in
this person's heart. After the meeting, ask God what other ways you can help
this person know Christ, and pray that this person will receive Jesus Christ as
his or her Lord and Savior. Overall, continue to pray for this person. Also,
study the Bible regularly so that you will be able to witness effectively to
this Unification Church member � after all, the apostle Paul told us to be
prepared in and out of season to preach the word (II Timothy 4:2).
Certain biblical passages are extremely helpful in dealing with the task of
witnessing to a non-Christian. To show the deity of Christ, the Gospel of John
and Colossians are ideal for the situation. Paul's letters to the Romans,
Galatians, and Hebrews are helpful in showing Christ's atonement on the cross.
Luke 24 is especially helpful in dealing with Christ's resurrection.
You have to be prepared to ask the right questions when dealing with a
Unification Church member. Members have a high regard for Christ, and believe
they are Christians, however different from traditional Christians. They
believe people failed Christ, rather than the opposite; they usually have an
aversion, if any, to the Christian Church rather than Christ himself, though
they try to find a common ground with Christians to form some sort of Christian
fellowship. Therefore, you should approach them by trying to establish exactly
what they believe Jesus has accomplished on the cross. Then ask them if they
believe that Christ has redeemed us from our sins forever when he died on the
cross�then ask why.
~Concerning Rev. Moon, do not simply attack his theories and beliefs, rather
point out how his theology conflicts with biblical teaching. Do not ask the
person straight out if they believe that Moon is the Messiah. They do not like
to talk about the subject, for they generally believe that when a person sees
the good things about the Unification Church, they will come to accept Moon.
They also won't admit to this, for they say they do not know if he truly is the
Lord of the Second Advent because Moon has not accomplished all the tasks that
the Lord of the Second Advent is to accomplish yet. Instead, you should ask
them whether they would deny that Moon is the Messiah. When you receive a yes
or no answer, which will undoubtedly be ''yes,'' you can ask them why they
cannot deny this assumption. After these two questions, they may be ready to
receive the gospel, so long as their hearts are willing and the Holy Spirit is
at work within them. Remember: pray continually for the situation and use your
own personal testimony to convey the message of Jesus Christ.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Martin, Walter. The Kingdom of the Cults. Minneapolis: Bethany House
Publishers, 1997.
- Yamamoto, J. Isamu. Unification Church. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1995.
- Anonymous. Outline of the Principle. New York: The Holy Spirit Association
for the Unification of World Christianity (HSAUWC), 1960.
- Unknown. �Divine Principle � Sun Myung Moon.� (Online) March 8, 1995.
http://www.access1.net/hsa/dp73.htm (Visited April 26, 1999).
- Maxim, Craig. �Craig Maxim, Ex-Moonies, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Unification
Church, Rev. Moon, Moonies.� (Online) 1999.
http://www.geocities.com/craigmaxim/ (Visited April 27, 1999)
- American Family Foundation. �Cult Information of AFF�s Cult Information
Service � Cults, Cultic Studies, and Psychological.� (Online) 1997-1999.
http://www.csj.org/ (Visited April 25, 1999).
- Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSPUWC).
�Unification Church Home Page.� (Online) May 14, 1999.
http://www.unification.org/ (Visited April 26)
- The Zondervan Corporation. The NIV Study Bible. Michigan: The Zondervan
Corporation, 1973.
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 Christian School Essay
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