If you're not a Christian, I ask that you abstain from posting detracting remarks here, for you may not understand why some of this is important to me...
So I have an uncle, who is a practicing Buddhist... A few weeks ago I found out that he was dying of liver cancer. It has progressed to the point where not even the best centers in the nation including the CTCA will take him in, and they say he has months or weeks to live.
As my dad and I are Christians, I approached him with the question - if the acceptance of Jesus is central to being purified of sin and making it into heaven, why not try with all our efforts, and pray for God's help, in converting my uncle, despite knowing that we're likely going to fail? My dad said he sp[oke to a pastor about the very same question. The pastor advised him that there is no use, and it is important to to show love for this person right now - and to pray. Is this the right course of action? If you believe in the Bible, it follows logic that if you love this person there is nothing more important to you than to know they've made it into heaven. But OTOH it does seem a little callous to focus on this when he's in so much pain and uncertainty.
Furthermore, I am of the belief, having limited knowledge and understanding of God, and knowing that I will never comprehend Him or his plan entirely, that I see no reason why God would not save my uncle if he accepts God into his heart right now. I see no reason why God would not use this sickness as a chance to bring my uncle to Him by healing him. I believe that God will. Is this something I should tell my uncle? If I do, and even in the event that he accepts Jesus, what if he still passes away? My relatives will all hate me for wasting his last breaths.
Why do I feel so foolish believing this though? I'm just using what I think I know to try to follow some logic. If I tell this to my uncle and other relatives, who are mostly non-Christians, they will ridicule me because I'm saying false things and giving my uncle false hope. Yet I can't just believe in God on Sundays, and if I am to believe in God, I shall need to believe in Him in all facets of life.
EDIT: Copied at the end.
Thanks to Tanner for his kind words.
Well, its been a few days, but as I was contemplating heading out there (I live in Champaign, IL and he lived in San Jose, CA) and preparing myself for what to do, he passed away Sunday afternoon. I heard that all his eight siblings were around him, and it was peaceful.
And it was sad because we all thought he'd have a while left; the doctors couldn't give him anything but painkillers, but he went and took some Chinese medicine that supposedly healed some other guy of an even bigger tumor.
I thank everyone for posting here, as selfishly I felt that all the advice solidified my resolve in what I had to do, but I couldn't get there quick enough. Truthfully I was even more afraid of the challenge I think, and I don't know if or how I would have gone through with it if everyone of my relatives would have been against me.
I believe that given the kind of person my uncle is, he's a great person, and a loving father, but perhaps an old school traditional Chinese man, and it wasn't likely to work anyway. These types are generally very prideful and arrogant, and would never abandon something so central as their faith for the preaching of a young man... I wonder though, if I was more courageous and acted faster, and if his heart was willing, if it would have made a difference.
I do love him, and for those who say it lacked humanity that I would consider preaching to him during his last days at the expense of his comfort, I think it is the ultimate humanity to consider his soul. Thats why I say that people who don't believe in God, or waffle about it, or say they do when they don't have the conviction to act like it Monday through Sunday, will never understand what is being discussed here. And their posts in this thread is what invited all the flamage.
If you are truely convicted by what you believe, some people will call you names. So Red Dawn, it is an honor that you call me a fundie. I sincerely wish I could be more of one, but I have allowed this shallow society to mess with that too much.
I don't know what God would do with him because in a different world he would have turned out to be a great Christian. Thats a whole other ball of wax... [/quote]
So I have an uncle, who is a practicing Buddhist... A few weeks ago I found out that he was dying of liver cancer. It has progressed to the point where not even the best centers in the nation including the CTCA will take him in, and they say he has months or weeks to live.
As my dad and I are Christians, I approached him with the question - if the acceptance of Jesus is central to being purified of sin and making it into heaven, why not try with all our efforts, and pray for God's help, in converting my uncle, despite knowing that we're likely going to fail? My dad said he sp[oke to a pastor about the very same question. The pastor advised him that there is no use, and it is important to to show love for this person right now - and to pray. Is this the right course of action? If you believe in the Bible, it follows logic that if you love this person there is nothing more important to you than to know they've made it into heaven. But OTOH it does seem a little callous to focus on this when he's in so much pain and uncertainty.
Furthermore, I am of the belief, having limited knowledge and understanding of God, and knowing that I will never comprehend Him or his plan entirely, that I see no reason why God would not save my uncle if he accepts God into his heart right now. I see no reason why God would not use this sickness as a chance to bring my uncle to Him by healing him. I believe that God will. Is this something I should tell my uncle? If I do, and even in the event that he accepts Jesus, what if he still passes away? My relatives will all hate me for wasting his last breaths.
Why do I feel so foolish believing this though? I'm just using what I think I know to try to follow some logic. If I tell this to my uncle and other relatives, who are mostly non-Christians, they will ridicule me because I'm saying false things and giving my uncle false hope. Yet I can't just believe in God on Sundays, and if I am to believe in God, I shall need to believe in Him in all facets of life.
EDIT: Copied at the end.
Thanks to Tanner for his kind words.
Well, its been a few days, but as I was contemplating heading out there (I live in Champaign, IL and he lived in San Jose, CA) and preparing myself for what to do, he passed away Sunday afternoon. I heard that all his eight siblings were around him, and it was peaceful.
And it was sad because we all thought he'd have a while left; the doctors couldn't give him anything but painkillers, but he went and took some Chinese medicine that supposedly healed some other guy of an even bigger tumor.
I thank everyone for posting here, as selfishly I felt that all the advice solidified my resolve in what I had to do, but I couldn't get there quick enough. Truthfully I was even more afraid of the challenge I think, and I don't know if or how I would have gone through with it if everyone of my relatives would have been against me.
I believe that given the kind of person my uncle is, he's a great person, and a loving father, but perhaps an old school traditional Chinese man, and it wasn't likely to work anyway. These types are generally very prideful and arrogant, and would never abandon something so central as their faith for the preaching of a young man... I wonder though, if I was more courageous and acted faster, and if his heart was willing, if it would have made a difference.
I do love him, and for those who say it lacked humanity that I would consider preaching to him during his last days at the expense of his comfort, I think it is the ultimate humanity to consider his soul. Thats why I say that people who don't believe in God, or waffle about it, or say they do when they don't have the conviction to act like it Monday through Sunday, will never understand what is being discussed here. And their posts in this thread is what invited all the flamage.
If you are truely convicted by what you believe, some people will call you names. So Red Dawn, it is an honor that you call me a fundie. I sincerely wish I could be more of one, but I have allowed this shallow society to mess with that too much.
I don't know what God would do with him because in a different world he would have turned out to be a great Christian. Thats a whole other ball of wax... [/quote]