I was taught we are to fight evil through our actions and with open arms. Didn't Jesus say that if someone strikes you on the left cheek to turn and offer your right? He also taught that the lessons from the old testament needed to be tempered as we shouldn't go around taking an eye for an eye.
I agree we are to be examples and beacons for the rest of the world to see but we cannot do so by knocking down anyone that is different from us. We need to open our arms, hearts and voices to let them know the glory that is in God. We cannot MAKE them come to us, we have to offer the way and the light to those that will listen and keep on offering. Too many Christians want to condemn anything that is different from them and criticize.
For those that are different from us, we should be offering them a chance to join us and learn how loving Jesus is. We really need to continue to ask ourselves WWJD? The war isn't to be fought with shouting voices but in quiet conversations. The apostles continued the preaching and gathering crowds through conversations, not shouting threats that anyone not listening was going to hell. That is the only way to open hearts, minds and souls. Yelling at someone telling them they are wrong is only going to close all three.
Take it for what it's worth and think about your daily interactions. Someone yelling at you telling you that you are wrong only hardens your heart. By having a conversation you get MUCH further in getting people to listen. By getting people to listen you can persuade them to continue to come your way. It is not unlike fishing. You can't catch many fish by yanking the bait through the water. You've got to coax them to nibble and eventually bite to join you in the boat.
