How To Respond To People Who Believe Differently Than You
Hey everyone! So, I grew up in a small town where as a Latter-day Saint, I was very much-so part of a religious minority. Sometimes I worried that my non-Latter-day Saint friends might ask me a question or challenge my beliefs in some way, and I wouldn’t know how to respond. I was afraid I’d be embarrassed or that I wouldn’t be able to represent my faith adequately. Some of you might feel that same anxiety sometimes. So, today, I just wanted to toss around a few principles that I hope help you as these opportunities to share the gospel arise. Roll the new intro video.
Alright, so fielding questions about your faith can be daunting because people today are very concerned about being right. Everyone wants to be confident that everything on their list of beliefs is correct. And oftentimes, that leads to confrontation and arguments, debates, anger, and injured relationships as people who disagree defend their list of beliefs.
You’ve seen it in comments sections where civility melts away and is replaced with vitriol. The internet is full of heated head-to-head debates, preachers ambushing strangers on the street, sticking a camera in their face, and cross-examining them about their beliefs — as if publicly humiliating them is the best and most caring way to help them see things from their perspective.
What I want to do is give you an alternate route that might make talking about your faith a little easier. Instead of prioritizing being right, prioritize loving the other person. Don’t get me wrong — it is important to defend your beliefs as best you can. But the way you defend your beliefs is crucial and reveals something important about who you are to both other people, and to God.
To read the entire article: Saints Unscripted/Faith and Beliefs