I went out for the first time last night with some friends. We had some long conversations, and were out for over two hours. Here's a list of problems we ran into...
1. A north american native gentleman said, "Why should I believe in Jesus when the people that invaded America, took away our land, stuck us in residential schools, beat us whenever we spoke our native language, and sexually abused us - all came in His name, too?"
We told him we weren't them, and there's nothing in Christ's word that condones that kind of abuse. But, he had a very good point. How does one help to undo the damage inflicted by those claiming to be from Christ?
2. A woman in her mid-twenties who was raised mennonite, knows the doctrines, has tried many churches, and who just got out of drug rehab six months ago, mentions Buddha and tells me "all religions lead to the same place".
I told her if she read Buddha's philosophy she would find that it leads to nirvana, "the blessed peace of nothingness", whereas Jesus plainly states that there's a heaven and a hell. I "hope" I told her only one of them is right (it was a lengthy conversation). She was convicted, nut not convinced, and we had a very good conversation outside of a cafe for about half-an-hour.
3. Two younger girls who ask me for fifty cents so they can afford to get into the club across the street - both "catholics", the one tells me she's offended at our track on the Ten Commandments, the other tells me for Lent, she's given up sex for forty days.
They were tanked (drunk) and I didn't spend a whole lot of time talking with them.
During our two hours of talking with people we only met one born-again Christian. Pathetic.