The Challenge of Buddhism (Part II)

An editorial in the Re­view and Herald gave the impression that the church is experiencing more success in reaching the people with its mes­sage in mission lands than it is in North Amer­ica. The following ob­servation was made:

In mission lands such as Korea, the Philippines, New Guinea. Brazil, Jamaica, Colombia, and Ruanda­Urundi we are obviously getting our message across to people much more effectively than in the United States. Let us not glibly dismiss this fact with the ever-simplification that the less sophisticated people are by nature and condition, the more inherently susceptible they prove to be to the gospel.... But a more important part is the fact that our mission and message have been so presented as to make sense to them. We have convinced them that acceptance of it will result in a better way of life now and a brighter hope for the future'

The church can rejoice in the evangel­istic success that has been experienced in the countries that have been referred to in this article. However, can a similar picture be found in the countries where most of the people are adherents of the three prin­cipal non-Christian religions of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism?

It is true the number of converts in these lands has been increasing year by year, but when we look closely do we not find that the majority of these converts are from other Christian communions and that little progress has been made in win­ning people to Christ from the three great non-Christian religions mentioned above?

Are the evangelistic methods used by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in its mis­sion work in most places similar to those that are followed in North America? Is the main objective of this program to present further light to people who are already Christians or who at least have some knowledge of Christianity? Do we take for granted that people know about and ac­cept to a certain extent the Bible, God, and the plan of salvation? And is our main emphasis on converting such people to Seventh-day Adventism?

What New Methods Are We Using?

While attending Andrews University in 1960, I had opportunity to prepare a pa­per on the subject of interpreting the gos­pel to non-Christians. As part of the re­search for this paper a questionnaire was sent to forty missionaries in different parts of the world who were working primarily for non-Christians. The purpose of this questionnaire was to discover what meth­ods were being used in these places, to evaluate the methods, and to obtain ideas that might make the mission program of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Burma more effective.

The first question on the questionnaire was:

"What is your evaluation of the methods that are being used at the present time to present the gospel to non-Christians in your field?" Some of the replies are quoted below:

Our Voice of Prophecy lessons were translated from English years ago and need revision and prob­ably a new approach.

It does not seem as if the methods used here in Thailand have paid off very well. All our tracts and VOP lessons are just translated from English and the national workers say they are too difficult for most people who know nothing of the Bible.

The standard methods of the past, which in­volve the use of filmstrips prepared in America for use in Christian audiences and those well ac­quainted with Christian concepts, are totally in­adequate. We are pioneering a new method, which seems more appropriate and promises success.

Our methods are poor and unsuccessful. We have hospitals and schools and these are our ap­proaches. In evangelism our message approach is a simplified version of the doctrinal sermons used in the homeland.

It should be more adapted to the needs of the people. The majority of our literature is only for Christians.

Replies to the questionnaire revealed that in most countries the same approach, which is basically a Christian one, is being used for Christians, pagans, Moslems, Hin­dus, and Buddhists. Although the church has been working in many of these pre­dominantly non-Christian lands for forty to seventy years, little progress has been made in working out a distinctive ap­proach to the people of the particular area.

The glaring weakness in the approach that is being used in most places is not providing sufficient background informa­tion regarding God, the Bible, the life of Christ, and the plan of salvation to enable non-Christians to grasp the doctrinal truths that are presented to them.

Nearly all the colporteur literature, tracts for free distribution, and Bible corre­spondence lessons that are being used in foreign lands were first prepared in North America. These have been translated and printed in local languages. This type of literature does not provide the evangelist with very practical material for use among non-Christians.

Many ministers have the attitude that it is almost impossible to convert adults from the Moslem, Hindu, and Buddhist reli­gions, and that the results do not justify the time, effort, and expense that it takes to try to reach them. Doesn't this attitude limit the power of the gospel? Instead of ignoring its responsibility the church should look at its methods and its witness in an effort to find a way to present the gospel to these people in a more effective way, and put forth more intensive efforts to win them to Christ.

New and Unusual Methods

Ellen G. White has counseled the church: "Let every worker in the Master's vineyard, study, plan, devise methods, to reach the people where they are. We must do something out of the common course of things. We must arrest the attention."

Literature that has been written with the main objective of appealing to non-Christians is urgently needed. It seems, however, that few missionaries are gifted with outstanding writing ability or have had the time to undertake such a task, since very little in the way of original lit­erature has been prepared in the mission fields.

Methods That Win

Based on my research and the experi­ence of the evangelists in the Burma Un­ion during the past few years, suggestions are presented below regarding evangelistic methods that it is believed will bring about greater results from soul-winning work among Buddhists. It is also felt that most of these suggestions would be equally ef­fective in working for other non-Christian groups.

Adapt to the people. The evangelist must strive to find ways of expressing the gospel to the Buddhist people in terms that they can understand and appreciate. The importance of adapting the method of approach has been well stated by Hla Bu:

The need for communication calls for our serious consideration. In proclaiming our faith to the non-Christian, it is essential to use terms and concepts that he understands. The treasures of God's Word have to be put in earthen vessels.

We have to convey this treasure in thought forms which the hearer can grasp. We have to ex­press our faith and practice in forms not alien but indigenous to our culture.⁵

Ellen G. White says:

Let our ministers bear in mind that the strongest meat is not to be given to babes who know not the first principles of the truth as we believe it. In every age the Lord has had a special message for the people of that time; so we have a message for the people in this age. But while we have many things to say, we may be compelled to withhold some of them for a time, because the people are not prepared to receive them now.'

Christ's methods. Jesus Christ was the greatest teacher this world has ever known. His method of teaching was a perfect ex­ample of how the evangelist should adapt his message to meet the needs of his audi­ence. Christ's methods and those of the apostles are the ones that should prove suc­cessful in working for Buddhists today. A clear picture of the methods Christ used is given in the following statements:

Jesus found access to minds by the pathway of their most familiar associations. He disturbed as little as possible their accustomed train of thought, by abrupt actions or prescribed rules.⁵

Christ drew the hearts of his hearers to him by the manifestation of his love, and then, little by little, as they were able to bear it, he unfolded to them the great truths of the kingdom. We also must learn to adapt our labors to the condition of the people,—to meet men where they are. While the claims of the law of God are to be presented to the world, we should never forget that love—the love of Christ—is the only power that can soften the heart and lead to obedience .⁶

I. T. Jones makes this observation:

When God decided to reveal Himself to man He sent Jesus to live as a human being among other human beings so they could "see" the word of God in human flesh (John 1:14). When Jesus preached, He clothed the deep things of the gospel in common, homey language familiar to the people. As God's messengers, chosen to bring heavenly truths to earthly people in Christ's stead, we should do our work with "divine simplicity." ⁷

Systematic presentation. The truths of the Bible should be presented in a systematic way. By this is meant a progressive revela­tion of the history of salvation as far as practical. Seventh-day Adventist evangelists should not take for granted that Buddhists have any knowledge of the Bible or Chris­tian concepts. Each new disclosure of truth should be based on the foundation that has been laid previously, and all Christian and Adventist terminology, references to Bibli­cal characters and Biblical history, should be duly explained.

Paul was very systematic in his presenta­tion of truth. Ellen G. White makes this comment: "It had been Paul's work to in­struct the Corinthian converts in the rudi­ments, the very alphabet, of the Christian faith."

Simplicity. Many Seventh-day Adventist evangelists have felt duty bound to present the "whole counsel of God" to their audi­ences in mission lands, including most of the difficult prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. This has made their message sound very complicated, especially for non-Christians. It is very hard for people who have little or no knowledge of the Bible, Christianity, or history to understand some of these subjects. We are told to—

Preach the Word so that it will be easy to com­prehend. Bring the people right to Jesus Christ, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered. . . . As you bring to them the Word of God, presenting it in a simple style, the seed will grow, and after a time you will have a harvest .⁸

Let the truth be presented as it is in Jesus, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. Speak of the love of God in words easy to be understood. Bible truth, presented in the meekness and love of Jesus will have a telling influence upon many minds?'

(To be continued)