“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy or rivalry, but others out of good will… But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15,18)
To evaluate the world’s major religions in light of their relation to the world, Hinduism is not concerned to spread its beliefs, since it’s not a matter of trying to convince others of what is more philosophy than religion. All life is an eternal river, and living things are born, carried along in the stream and at some point die and return to the river in another form. It’s the way things are.
Judaism is also a movement, but the unknown Almighty God created everything from nothing and while remaining outside of His creation, He yet acts in decisive ways to bring about His plan through persons chosen by Him as instruments of its realization. They await the Messiah. They refuse to believe that He is Jesus, who came to save them and us. They do not encourage converts, choosing instead to keep to one another as a people apart from the general population.
Islam [meaning submission] believes that there is but one God—Allah—and Mohammed is His messenger. Jesus was a mighty prophet like others in the Old Testament, but for them Mohammed, having come later, was greater. They believe in the Word of God and the Spirit of God, but not as we do; i.e., that the Word Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are one with the Father. Muslims challenge Christian love, because of the history of their method of evangelism. True to their name, it’s a simple matter—submit or be killed. Orthodox Christianity knows that quite well.
Christianity from the beginning was an outreach to all humanity with the good news that the Jewish Messiah had appeared, the Son of God born by the Holy Spirit and the pure Virgin Mary, in all ways both God and man. He came to save all humans from sin, ignorance and death through His life, crucifixion and resurrection. This truth of God’s plan for the world is neither myth nor philosophy, but anticipated by revelations to certain people before the nativity of Jesus the Christ and meant by God in Trinity to announce to all mankind everywhere on earth. Each person baptized into Christ is an agent of God in Christ. Each shares the awareness of God’s intention not through force or imposition but by inviting others to know Jesus. Like the Lord, we respect the freedom to choose salvation or to reject the joyous blessings of unity with the Father through Christ by the Holy Spirit.
That’s the theory of evangelism explained and executed so admirably by St. Paul, as described by his writings in the Holy Scriptures. It is the program carried out by all apostles and disciples since the great day of Pentecost until the present. But the theory is not the reality. Many reasons are given for why every Christian is not a disciple in the real sense, none of them convincing. All Orthodox Christians are baptized, the installation service announcing the implications of the newly-received member of Christ’s body. It’s the Lord who tells us to “go and make disciples of all nations….” (Matthew 28:19). Why do so few obey Him? The explanations include: a/ Ethnicity. Many like the Jews don’t want to pray with those outside of their nationality; b/ Irresponsibility. It’s not my job; let the clergy worry about church growth; c/ Apathy. Who cares if the Church dwindles and dies, or that others steal away our spiritual sheep? It’s too bad, but such is life; d/ Utility. The Church is there when I need it—to marry my children, baptize my grandchildren and bury me when I die. Like the public library, I visit it if and when I feel the urge, and ignore it at all other times. I have my own problems; don’t bother me with commitment. Leave me alone.