Deafangelism: How to Evangelize the Deaf

33 CommentsEv Tips/Tools

Wanna know how to share your faith with those who cannot hear but are willing to listen?

Eric visited us down in Huntington Beach and asked how he could share his faith as a deaf person. He was somewhat frustrated over the fact that he couldn’t communicate the Good News to the hearing. Ray Comfort came up with this great idea: Flash cards! The next time we saw Eric, he was fully prepared.

“In that day the deaf will hear
the words of the scroll,
and out of gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind will see.”
Isaiah 29:18

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24

“I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” John 5:25

“He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15

Comments (33)

  4. Eric Oberhausen

    Reply

    I thank the Lord of Heaven for these cards. He has really provided, and made a way possible (which of course, is what He does). 😉

    These cards have been helpful, and I’ve noticed people getting uncomfortable and wanting to say something, but they didn’t because how could they “communicate” with a deaf person right? At least that’s their way of thinking.

    As a result, I’m hoping they leave thinking of what I’ve shown them, rather than having them feel like, “I’ve won this argument.”

    There have been some who thanked me for taking the time to share this with them, so praise God for that.

    How true when the Bible says, “All men are without excuse.”

    • Laurie Griffin

      Reply

      very encouraging! keep on “preaching”! 1 Cor. 15:58
      also, search youtube for “I got off at George Street” – One person can truly have a huge impact when you trust God to do what He has promised!

      • Blythe

        actually you have no idea at all why I no longer believe in any Gods.
        One you have never asked nor have you ever tried to have a reasonable discussion with me about it.

        Two, the bible does not hold any authority for me, therefore the verses you quoted have no truth for me.
        Break them down and all they say is, I (as in the writer/christian/believer) is right and everyone who does not believe the WAY I do is evil, immoral etc etc.
        You may want to live with such a negative view of your fellow humans, I do not.

      • Nohm

        Steve, we don’t see any evidence of a creator.

        No, simply saying the word “DESIGN” is not enough; you have to demonstrate it.

        But, for my own curiosity, what do you consider to be the best piece of evidence for a Creator?

      • Nohm

        How am I, Nohm, evidence for a Creator instead of evidence for the emergent properties of physics, chemistry, and biology?

      • Steve L.

        Nohm says:
        “Steve, we don’t see any evidence of a creator.”

        Seriously my friend, your statement leaves me speechless!

      • vintango2k

        “I ask why is it that with all the evidence of a Creator you don’t believe?”

        Steve you say this but you never demonstrate specifics, I’ve heard other preachers say this, but they never demonstrate specifics… its a nice mantra but do you think its really that effective? Or does it simply make you sound like a man trying to convince himself of something?

      • Nameless Cynic

        “…what do you consider to be the best piece of evidence for a Creator?”

        “You!”

        Really? I’m almost 50. Firmly ensconced in middle age, with half my life still ahead of me. My eyes have never been good and are getting worse, my knees are shot, and I have issues with my back that occasionally cause blinding pain. I have always suffered from hay fever so bad that I can barely go outside in the spring or fall without major amounts of medication; on a related note, I have ongoing congestion issues that make me cough up a lung every so often. And I’m in remarkably good shape compared to a lot of other people I see.

        That’s pretty shoddy workmanship from your supposedly “loving” God.

      • Nohm

        Hi Steve L.,

        I wrote: “Steve, we don’t see any evidence of a creator.”

        You responded with: “Seriously my friend, your statement leaves me speechless!”

        How so, Steve L.? You know that I’m a non-theist, right? If I saw evidence for a creator, I’d be a theist, right?

        So why would my statement leave you speechless?

        Another question: what do you consider to be the best evidence for a Creator, and why is it evidence for a Creator?

      • Steve L.

        Nameless Cynic wrote:
        “I’m almost 50. Firmly ensconced in middle age, with half my life still ahead of me. – That’s pretty shoddy workmanship from your supposedly “loving” God.”

        It’s hard for me to imagine what you’d feel like at 100! But don’t bet on makin’ it that far; chances are you won’t as the law of averages dictates!

        I’m sorry you are experiencing these problems and believe me, I understand it all too well! Five years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer! Fortunately they caught it in time and I was able to have a radical prostatectomy. Two years later I was diagnosed with incurable blood cancer and just recently the doctor found some malignancies on my forehead. All this from a guy who was very healthy for the first sixty two years of his life! Kind of a walking cancer factory wouldn’t ya think?

        I write this to say that no matter what the struggles or vicissitudes we experience, most reasonable people will keep going because they like living; after all, it’s the only thing they know! And, as a Christian, I sought out the best medical help I could get as well because I like living too! No, God hasn’t made any junk, it’s just that we’re all wearing out. (the law of entropy) I know He’ll take me home to be with Him when my time is up; just as He’s promised.

        I hope you’ll reconsider and repent today. All of us (me included) have gone our own way but He calls us back through the gift of His dear Son!

        Bye for now-

      • Nohm

        Hi Steve L.,

        I’ll try asking again. You wrote: “Seriously my friend, your statement leaves me speechless!”

        You know that I’m a non-theist, correct? If so, why would my statement surprise you?

        I’m seriously curious about this.

      • Steve L.

        Hi Nohm:
        Your statement is surprising because you seem somewhat in touch with reality! That being said, I offer you Romans 1:19-20; “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” God has laid before all of us proof of His handiwork! And I mean no offence when I say, check your conscience! Is it seared beyond recognition of His glory that’s been put on display? Isn’t it absurd to conclude that all this happened by accident!

      • Nohm

        Hi Steve L.,

        You wrote: “Your statement is surprising because you seem somewhat in touch with reality!”

        Yes, I’d like to think I am. The reality is that I’m a non-theist, so of course I don’t see evidence of a “Creator”.

        If I did, I’d be a theist.

        That’s why I was confused by your surprise; you know I’m a non-theist, yet you were surprised that I didn’t see evidence for a Creator.

        Also, I’d like to point out emergent properties. It’s been my experience that many believers do not know what these are, and they might help explain why I accept those, and therefore there is no need to believe in an invisible and supernatural Creator.

        “That being said, I offer you Romans 1:19-20;”

        Oh, I know Paul’s fundraising letter well.

        “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

        Yes, Paul wrote that in a fundraising letter. Why should I accept Paul’s opinion on this matter?

        You don’t accept it when Mohammed wrote that Christians are wrong in worshipping Jesus, right? So why should I accept what Paul wrote? Why do you expect me to do something that you yourself don’t do?

        For the record, no, I have not clearly perceived His invisible attributes. Otherwise I wouldn’t be a non-theist.

        “God has laid before all of us proof of His handiwork!”

        So you say. Obviously, I have found other, non-supernatural explanations. Such as “emergent properties”.

        “And I mean no offence when I say, check your conscience! Is it seared beyond recognition of His glory that’s been put on display?”

        If it is, that puts me in the same boat as most people on this Earth, who are not Christians.

        Steve L., is it possible that there’s another answer besides “an invisible supernatural being did it”? Have you ever looked into what can happen due to emergent properties of simple combinations of physics and chemistry?

        “Isn’t it absurd to conclude that all this happened by accident!”

        Ah, my favorite straw man.

        1. No one says “this happened by accident”.

        2. As a determinist, I don’t believe in any such things as “accidents”.

        3. If you switch to “chance”, I’m going to groan.

        Steve L., the alternative to “an invisible supernatural deity did it” is not necessarily “it happened by accident”. I’m also going to guess that your knowledge of probability calculations is low, correct?

        If so, how can you express amazement in the probability of something when you have no idea how to calculate that probability?

        (As an aside, this is why Ray’s orange analogy KILLS me.)

      • Nohm

        I wrote: “I’m also going to guess that your knowledge of probability calculations is low, correct?”

        That came out harsher than I intended.

        I should have written:

        What is your experience with probability calculations?

  10. Chad

    Reply

    How can we get a copy of the cards? I just want to see a picture of each card so I can make some.

  11. Nameless Cynic

    Reply

    What is up with Ray Comfort making faces behind Eric in those pictures?

    Seriously, did somebody check on him after the photo shoot? I think he might have been having a stroke.

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