And how do you propose the pastor reach the lost out at Burning Man? Or do you think he should continue to preach to those like you who are those like you?
The person who reached me is a pastor. He's also the drummer in a band. He got my attention with his music which led to a conversation which led to my conversion months later.
Of course the lost need Christ, but my childhood experiences with religious hypocrisy had soured me on church-going. I'm just very grateful that someone was able to speak to me about God and Christ in an idiom I could understand.
Exactly. We don't all speak the same language, or see the world with the same eyes.
"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God".
If we know Christ; we are to PREACH Christ to those OUTSIDE of Christ!
I have no problem with friendship evangelism, the problem is this: this so-called "pastor" gave them nothing, no Christ, no answers that would satisfy the longing of their souls.
When the Philippian jailer came to Paul and asked "what must I do to be saved?" Paul didn't talk about changing the living conditions of the prisoners or giving them water bottles. Neither did he wax eloquent on the latest Philippian sports figures. He realized he had a short/limited opportunity to share the truth with this man and so he simply shared the gospel with him:
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved".
Paul's jailer responded to that simple message and God saved his soul.
The pastor attending Burning Man had a limited short-term opportunity to bear witness to Christ, to thousands of souls whooping it up on their way straight to Hell. Given the details presented within the news article I believe he failed to take advantage of that opportunity; he did not obey God's mandate to believers to proclaim Christ, found in Matthew 28: 18 - 19 and Acts 1:8.
As for your straw-man argument-excuse regarding "religious hypocrisy" it does not wash. Just because there are phonies/hypocrites out there (and there are lots of them) it does not of necessity mean that there aren't multitudes of genuine Christians and churches, which know and love Jesus Christ and which faithfully proclaim and obey the Word of God.
Just because there are counterfeit $20, $50, and $100 bills floating around it does not mean that currency as a whole is untrustworthy.
To prove my point, I guarantee you accept and use cash on a daily basis without giving it a second thought.
The Word of God, not our personal views, ideas or "childhood experiences" is to be the sole-basis for believing what we believe and for living our "Christian" lives, and that includes witnessing! Those of us in ministry and those of us who know Christ as our personal savior have a solemn responsibility to follow God's Word in ALL matters of faith and practice.
On a personal level, I am grateful for the pastor who lead you to Christ. But I guarantee that there came a point in that "relationship" where he shared the truth and MESSAGE of the gospel with you.
Dr. S