hiya Bushmaster,
I read that post and in principle completely agree with it. I am a missionary.. I don't know if you all know my history, but I have been working cross culturally in different countries of the world for over 15 years with Mission Aviation Fellowship and SIM International.
I have worked in countries in Africa as well as now amongst our own indigenous people in Australia. I live now in a region where I am supporting others who are working daily with our aboriginal people and I teach them cross cultural commuinication skills and how to share the gospel cross culturally.
I am convinced that when you try to share the Gospel from "I am right, you are wrong" position, you will always produce the responses that we find here. People in our generation don't like or want to be told they are wrong. Post modernism teaches that truth is what you personally think it is.. there is no absolutes outside truth as you know it.
In Christian mission history, we used to go to a "heathen" group and share the gospel by pointing out right and wrong.. to do that today will not work, especially if going to an educated group. You have to do as Paul did and preach the unknown God to them. This is especially true of Muslims.
I have whilst being here in Perth, had the privilige to listen to a Muslim missionary preach. He said.. when speaking to Muslims, you must never take the "I am right you are wrong" approach.. you mustn't even come to them from the perspective that there is anything wrong in Islam. You must take Pauls' approach.. when he said "I am resolved to speak of nothing except Christ and Him crucified."
Islam believes in Jesus.. Islam calls Him the Holy one of God. Islam believes in the virgin birth. Islam believes Jesus didn't die but is now seated at the right hand of God (or it's islamic equivelent). He is the Word of God, and the most honoured of all prophets. He is sinless and He is coming again to judge.
What is missing in their understanding of Him? The acceptance of His death and resurrection and a personal relationship with the God they are so striving to follow.
the true Muslim is hungering for a relationship like we have with God through Jesus. We must present him.. all other things will lead us off track. Every discussion should bring us back to honouring God.. and we should be emphasising that Jesus is God. So often we talk about Him as if He is a separate entity.. is it any wonder they think we are making a human into a god and worshipping Him?
Bushmaster, I would love to hear your testimony sometime. Please share with us how and why you became a Christian. And may God be praised that He led you out of darkness into the light of the Gospel, and let's keep praying for the Alexei's of this world. that God will also open the eyes of their heart, so they can see the truth as well.
God bless
Carol