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You know...sometimes I think Christians forget that we are given spiritual gifts, when we accept Christ as our savior. We're not all called to be evangelists. We ARE told to spread the good news, yes...but there are different ways to go about it.
Yes, that is a good point to make. Many of these posts made me cringe too as some one else put it!
I feel like I lean in the other direction, where I do not talk to hardly anyone when I'm out and about in the world about Jesus. I feel like I do not see any opportunities but I know they are there and I'm just timid. Yet I do think it is wise to talk to those whose hearts have been softened by the Lord, those to whom the Lord has given a mind open to hear about God and who Jesus is. Unless you engage in talking with someone and the conversation drifts in that direction, it may be tough to find out where someone is along that path.
One of the privileges I had when my husband unexpectedly passed into the eternal bliss of knowing Christ, was that to speak about my strong faith in the Lord Jesus and what a strength and comfort it is to know him was ever ready on my lips. I do not know how many people I told how wonderful a Redeemer is the Lord, what a comfort he has been in my grief and my only source of strength. Yet the conversation turned in that direction when they expressed how sorry they were to hear of his unexpected passing.
So I jump at blatant opportunities as that and am so grateful that the Lord Jesus has upheld me in faith during that time.
You know...sometimes I think Christians forget that we are given spiritual gifts, when we accept Christ as our savior. We're not all called to be evangelists. We ARE told to spread the good news, yes...but there are different ways to go about it.
At the end of the day, if proselytizing is your end goal, you are not different from evangelical Christians in the White House or on the street.
I guess accepting people for who they are is not in your domain.
Are you talking about me specifically, since you quoted me? Because I'm not sure what I said that makes you think that's what I do.
Personally, I see no point in arguing with people over my beliefs, or their beliefs. I think brow beating people defeats the purpose.
I am not talking about you as a third person. I am talking to you as a first person.
You said
Quote:
We ARE told to spread the good news, yes...but there are different ways to go about it.
Then you said
Quote:
Personally, I see no point in arguing with people over my beliefs, or their beliefs. I think brow beating people defeats the purpose
How should I understand that? Which is it you are advocating: accepting people as they are OR converting them in a more tactful way?
I am not a Christian. Proselytizing is the same as evangelizing, which is the same as spreading the good news. I don't care what "different ways to go about it" as you claim. Your intent is there.
Other religious people do not usually do that to people outside their religions. Christians, in contrast, do.
I am not a Christian. Proselytizing is the same as evangelizing, which is the same as spreading the good news. I don't care what "different ways to go about it" as you claim. Your intent is there.
Other religious people do not usually do that to people outside their religions. Christians, in contrast, do.
You might want to research that a bit. Here's a free book about Armenia, highly recommended to those who don't know much about the genocide, I didn't.
I am not talking about you as a third person. I am talking to you as a first person.
You said
Then you said
How should I understand that? Which is it you are advocating: accepting people as they are OR converting them in a more tactful way?
I am not a Christian. Proselytizing is the same as evangelizing, which is the same as spreading the good news. I don't care what "different ways to go about it" as you claim. Your intent is there.
Other religious people do not usually do that to people outside their religions. Christians, in contrast, do.
Hmmm. If I knew of a shoe store giving away fashionable shoes, that would be happy news, and I'd tell you about it. If you told me "I'm not interested in those kind of shoes, they're not my style" I'd leave you alone. I won't force anything down your throat.
At the end of the day, if proselytizing is your end goal, you are not different from evangelical Christians in the White House or on the street.
I guess accepting people for who they are is not in your domain.
Personally, I don't find the proselytizing itself to be offensive (assuming it's not persistent and aggressive); like pretty much every every religion that has ever existed, it beings with someone believing they have been given a revelation and they feel the burden to share it with others. But, what does chap my hide is when it comes from a place of ignorance of the beliefs of their "target": how can one convince me that my belief system is insufficient if they don't understand it even on a superficial level? How can I take the evangelizer seriously when they do not understand buddhist thought, and think converting to their religion is little more than me swapping out Buddha and Nirvana for Jesus and Heaven?
Personally, I don't find the proselytizing itself to be offensive (assuming it's not persistent and aggressive); like pretty much every every religion that has ever existed, it beings with someone believing they have been given a revelation and they feel the burden to share it with others. But, what does chap my hide is when it comes from a place of ignorance of the beliefs of their "target": how can one convince me that my belief system is insufficient if they don't understand it even on a superficial level? How can I take the evangelizer seriously when they do not understand buddhist thought, and think converting to their religion is little more than me swapping out Buddha and Nirvana for Jesus and Heaven?
Yeah, there ARE people like that, and if the shoes were reversed, I'd feel pretty chapped myself.
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