There is a tendency to think that all or nearly all objections to the gospel can be settled by clarifying the issues of the gospel, rational dialogue and if necessary providing solid apologetic answers. Experienced and skillful evangelists (and for that matter persuaders of all stripes) realize that this is often not the case. The fact is the person with whom you’re dialoguing may have a strong aversion to religious things that she may not fully understand, which if left unrecognized and “un-handled”, will likely torpedo any real exchange of ideas.
The literature on persuasion suggests that a majority (some estimate that up to 80%) of persuasive dialogue involves dealing with non-rational objections! That means in virtually any persuasive situation, including communicating the gospel, to ignore this crucial aspect is to undercut one’s effectiveness dramatically.
For instance, an obvious example of ignoring this feature of persuasive communication would be to walk into a colleague’s office with a large reference bible under your arm and to occasionally thump it to make an emphatic point about office decorations. Few of us would be so insensitive to not realize in advance that this would be playing into many a non-believer’s caricature of religious folk; this raises the question as to whether there are other non-rational barriers we could side-step or diffuse through our relationships and in our conversations. We want to exercise the same care in anticipating and dealing with non-rational objections as we would with rational ones.
Becoming skillful in this area dramatically increases the likelihood that you are really communicating and not wasting hers or your time. Indeed, it could be said, you show me a person who understands and can apply these basic principles of discerning and dealing with non-rational objections in their conversations (generally), and I’ll show you a person who can become a very effective interpersonal evangelist. The resources on this part of the site are for helping you think through this important area of communications more carefully and deliberately.
Crucial to this area of persuasive dialogue involves drawing out people’s thoughts, dealing with their emotions, “listening” between the lines of the conversation, reaching the level in the conversation where they are actually thinking about what you’re saying and dealing with resistance.
2Cor. 5:9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
2Cor. 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
2Cor. 5:11 ¶ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. (emphasis ours)