Confronting Differing Religious Views in Sidewalk Outreach

Introduction

We meet people from many religious backgrounds at the abortion centers. Our ministry is Gospel centered and we believe that every religion apart from Biblical Christianity is false. We believe we are called to change the culture through the Gospel, including when we are ministering on the sidewalk of abortion centers. While we usually do not have time to fully address the specifics of varying religious beliefs, we can use the knowledge of other religions to plant seeds of doubt and conflict regarding abortion. There are some basic truths we should adhere to as we engage with the abortion minded women during sidewalk outreach (SWO).

Basic Principles

• We should not be afraid to confront false and idolatrous beliefs with the truth of God’s Word. The most important thing is to know the Word of God ourselves.
• While it is helpful to understand the worldview and belief system of different faiths, you do not have to understand them to minister the Gospel to people.

The counter-cult apologist, Walter Martin, famously gave an analogy that people who work in catching money counterfeiters do not study counterfeit money. Rather, they thoroughly study the real thing so that when they come across counterfeit money, they know it is not genuine. We do not need to extensively study all faith cultures. We simply need to study Christ and the Truth of His Word so that when we come across the counterfeit, it is obvious. 

• Along these lines, it would be impossible for us to provide an apologetic for every false faith. A new one is born every day. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ stands against them all. In studying the cults, you will discover they are frankly absurd. Islam is demonstrably false by contradictions exposed by its holy book, the Quran, itself. Today, there are over a million people on the planet who believe that an 80-year-old Korean woman is God. Of course, when her followers visit her, they must wear name tags. Surely you don’t expect the creator of the universe to remember everyone’s name. The Christian who stands for truth, does not need to be afraid of lies. While writing out these points, Elijah was interrupted by his son who was upset that his sister had told him something that was contrary to what his mom had said. Elijah asked him, “Does what your sister said, in any way change what your mom said?” Elijah counseled him that there was no reason for him to be bothered by what his sister said, because what his mom said trumped anything his sister had to say. Truth, and those who stand on it, have no reason to feel threatened by a lie, or by those who believe them. In the same vein, we must boldly proclaim Gospel truths without shame, because the cults certainly are unashamed of voicing their beliefs.
• Most opposing faiths attack key Christian doctrines that a large number of Christians either take for granted or do not fully understand. Like the serpent in the garden, they sow doubt as to what God really said. This is why it is important to understand why you believe what you believe. 
• The most assaulted Christian Doctrines are the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, the reliability of the Bible, and substitutionary atonement.
• The truth of the Gospel is sufficient to sow doubt as to the reliability of an individual's false religion. If Jesus is God, then an 80-year-old Korean Woman can’t be. If Jesus died for our sins, then a rock in Mecca is insufficient.
• The Gospel is demonstrably true, while the cults are demonstrably false. Jesus heals sick people, brings peace, love, joy, sets captives free, and destroys the works of the devil, and He gives freely and liberally. Meanwhile people can devote their whole being to idols, and they will only find themselves more miserable. This is something to capitalize on. Pray for miracles and the manifestation of God’s power.

Some Specific Biblical Arguments to Counter False Faiths

Below is a summary of key points from specific major religions that you can use as you argue for the truth of the Gospel. Additionally, from those major points, we have given a brief suggestion of how to specifically plant a seed of doubt from their own religion as to why they should not kill the unborn child. We often have very limited time to speak. This section gives specific brief examples of how to call out during SWO.

• Mormonism- Galatians 1:8 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” This is exactly what Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism did. Additionally, his historical claims are clearly false. Mormon teachings have thus shifted with the culture.                                                                                                      Mormons and Abortion- The official Mormon stance is pro-life. However, it is important to note that the Mormon Church is shifting Left, and most people who leave the LDS Church become radically Liberal. Mormons are very family oriented similar to Hindu’s. Use this as you call out in SWO to plant seeds of life in the abortion determined Mormons. Remind them the unborn child is a family member!

• Jehovah’s Witnesses- Galatians 1:8 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”  JW have multiple failed prophecies, whereas no Biblical prophecy has proven to be false. Also, within the JW religion there is no real resurrection. They believe Jehovah will recreate faithful Jehovah’s witnesses from memory, which is not resurrection. Also, if your clone sins in heaven, the clone will be destroyed. In contrast, Christ saves and resurrects the person, and our salvation is firm for eternity. Jehovah’s Witnesses view abortion as sin. You can remind a JW of this if you are speaking to them to encourage them to choose life.

• Islam- The Islamic Dilemma: the Quran teaches that the Bible is the Word of God that can not be corrupted. Muslims teach that the Bible has been corrupted. If that’s true, the Quran must be false, because it teaches the Bible can not be corrupted. If the Bible is true, then Islam is false, because the Bible fundamentally contradicts Islam and condemns its practices and teachings of Islam.              Islam and abortion- Islam has 2 billion adherents and spans multiple countries, so beliefs within Islam are quite diverse. Some Muslim sects condemn abortion outright, some forbid it after 120 days, some are fine with it. The point that the child is made in God’s image is a good route to go. Also, Muslims are very fatalistic “En Sha Allah.” Why would God have a child conceived just to be thrown away? 

• Judaism- Jewish people believe a divine Messiah is coming, but that He has not yet come. We know that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Challenge them with Isaiah 53. It could only be talking about Jesus.  Also, Jesus has spread the Hebrew Bible more than anyone else. Jews believe the first five books of the Bible are holy and inspired by God. Thou shall not murder is included in their accepted scripture.                                                                                                                                                                                                         Judaism and Abortion: Therefore, using  pivotal verses to convince them that they should not kill their baby from their own revered Holy books can be a good tactic. Deuteronomy 30:19: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”

• Hinduism- (and Buddhism which is derived from Hinduism) The tie to Hinduism is more emotional than intellectual. Missionaries to India report that tangible encounters with God and miracles are the most effective means of reaching Hindus. Their endless practices are exhausting, confusing, and do not produce any of the promised fruit. Hinduism produces human suffering and discourages charity. A prime example would be to consider the poverty and suffering in much of India.                                                                                Hindus and Abortion:  Hindu beliefs vary widely but regarding the issue of when life begins, here are some major points: Conception: Some interpretations state that the soul enters the body at the time of conception, which is when the sperm and egg unite. Gestation: Other views suggest the soul enters the womb sometime after conception, with certain traditions pinpointing a time around three to five months of gestation, when the baby becomes more conscious and active. Soul's journey to conception: Some ancient texts suggest the soul's journey to a new body happens even before conception, through a process that involves the father and mother's bodies, and that the soul has a role in choosing its parents. This last point is important, as you can speak to a Hindu saying their own ancient texts suggest the soul chooses his or her parents, agreeing with the Christian faith in that the unborn life is not a mistake, has a soul, and is there with a divine plan and purpose.  Hindus and Buddhists revere the family. Since they believe in reincarnation, they may be unconcerned about abortion as they believe that child will be reincarnated. However, they do believe in protecting the family members, so encouraging them to consider the fact that the unborn child is already a son or a daughter, a member of their family can be convicting. Additionally, the doctrine of reincarnation, which sees life as a repeating cycle of birth, death and rebirth, is basic to Hindu thinking. They also believe strongly in Karma. Basically, Karma is the belief that if you do good to others, good will return to you. If you inflict harm on others, you will reap harm to yourself. The doctrine of reincarnation can be used to make a strong case against abortion: If a baby is aborted, the soul within it suffers a major karmic setback. The karma to the parents, who are inflicting harm on the child’s soul, will be similarly undesirable!

• New Age/Wicca/Neo-Paganism/New Thought/Aliens-  All these share a focus on self or nature as divine and often dabble in occult, or supernatural experiences that may be real, but demonic in nature. Challenging with the truth that sin and evil is evident in every human being, including them, and how powerless they are in their faith to overcome the problem of evil. Christ alone was able to do that. The belief in Aliens and human encounters with them is a growing New Age belief. Calling upon the truth of Jesus who says He ALONE is the Lord, THE Way, THE truth, and THE life is critical in countering all theses cults and demonic beliefs.                            These cults and abortion: Asking what gives them value, and when that value is given to them is a good question for these New Age cultists. Outside of a belief in a Creator God who created humans in His holy image, it is very hard to answer this question logically from their belief system. This is addressed further in the next belief system.

• Atheism- Atheism requires more faith than any other religion. Creation declares God’s glory. It is obvious there is a Creator. Irreducible complexity is a great argument to challenge the belief that there is no creator and that the human is simply evolved from lesser life forms. The fact that so much of life could not have evolved unless all complex parts were all instantly present refutes evolution. The mammalian eye is a great example of this.                                                                                                                                                  Atheism and Abortion: The atheists claim there is no God, therefore they rejects the appeal to God as a reason to not abort. Using logical arguments that lead to a discussion of what does give value to human beings can be effective. The SLED method logically leads the atheist to agree that it is not size, level of development, environment, or Dependency that gives or changes one’s value. From there, you can delve into a discussion of what DOES give value. It is difficult for the atheist to say what that is, apart from the intrinsic value given to us by our Creator.

• Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy- Read the last recorded words of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in John 2:5: Do whatever He tells you. If a Catholic is coming to the abortion center, it is highly likely she knows that God would not have her abort. Catholics revere Mary and believe she intercedes for them. This verse could be especially relevant in convincing them to reject abortion. Remind them they are to do what Jesus tells them, and Jesus upholds the commandments, including thou shall not murder.                                                Catholicism in Latin America is distinct from Catholicism in the States. That brand of Catholicism is similar to paganism and borrows a lot from pre-Spanish religious beliefs.  Don’t assume that Hispanic Catholics know who Jesus is. A number of them know Him as “the weeping saint.”  Because the Bible is the Holy Inspired Scripture to all Catholics, it is clear that based on scripture, God would never have a mother kill her own baby.

Summary

It can be daunting to promote the Gospel in SWO in the face of so many false, opposing, and demonic beliefs. However, these tips may help you to feel a little more prepared in countering the false faiths. Beyond that, be firm in your assurance that the Word will not return void. Know what you believe and WHY you believe it. Be immersed in studying the Word. Be bold in proclaiming truth, knowing God will use that seed, and He will handle the results.