Discussion Thread – Gospel Message Friendships and Barriers
Human Secularism
What practical steps would you take to build a friendship with a follower of this worldview who might be
a co-worker, neighbor, etc.?
I have friends that do not believe God exists and rely on science as truth. They respect my faith
as I respect their beliefs. Religion does come as topic of discussion from time to time and one asked, “Do
you realize that the Bible says I’m going to hell?” I honestly replied, “Yes.” Didn’t hold back. We remain
friends do this day, and I wonder how the truth of the Gospel will get past his pride and settle in his
heart. Either way, I will still be his friend. He knows that I care about him regardless of different
worldviews.
What do’s and don’ts would you apply when preparing to share the gospel with them?
My friend is an intellectual type so when we talk about God, I have to be ready. This hasn’t
always been the case. I listen to what he says, consider his words, then attempt to reason with him
without entering a debate. I want to be patient and understand what he is trying to communicate to me
so I can attempt to answer his questions. I will not push God’s laws on him because I know that would
turn him away further. He already thinks God’s word is foolishness as described in 1 Cor. 1:18.1
What are some beliefs/reasons a person from this worldview might have that would hinder them from
accepting Christ as their Savior?
There is hope for my friend. Over the years, he has stopped completely arguing that God does
not exist. He now accepts that people can use whatever object they want to worship as God. Though not
all close to the real God, but a step in the direction of acknowledgement. He does complain that people
are using a crutch to cover their ignorance. Additionally, without accepting the existence of God, he
cannot believe in true miracles and uses science to explain how something happened.2
What personal challenges might you have with presenting the gospel?
The biggest struggle I have with my friend is that his intellect is superior to mine. At every turn
that I find a nugget of truth and hand to him, he finds a way of spinning it to present a fallacy. Granted,
it’s all through his perceptive but he does have points that I do not have the skills to defend with.
1 Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001).
2 “Secularism,” The Traveling Team, accessed April 19, 2022,
http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/secularism- overview
However, I do get to share my God experiences and he tries to explain them away with psychology.
Although the seeds I’m planting are falling on rocky soil, my hope is that the Holy Spirit will water them.
Bibliography
Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001.
“Secularism.” The Traveling Team. Accessed April 19, 2022.
http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/secularism-overview
Weider, Lew, and Ben Gutierrez. “Chapter 4.” Essay. In Finding Your Worldview, 57–77. B&H
Academic, 2014.
