Is this proselytising?

Eddi · Sep 28, 2021

Is this proselytising?

Set up a stall on a relatively busy pedestrianised street
Have a sign offering prayers to people who are interested - offering to either pray for them or pray with them (or both)
Just sit there, waiting for people to approach
Have reading material available for those who approach us and engage us in conversation

I have designed this to be as un-intrusive and inoffensive as possible

I want my freedom to religious expression to be respected and in turn I want to respect peoples' freedom from religion as I recognise that respect is a two-way street

Niblo · Sep 28, 2021

Yes....if the material you offer - and any conversation that follows - seeks to persuade them to accept your way of thinking, and make it their own.

Eddi · Sep 28, 2021

Niblo said:
Yes.

How would you feel if you saw our stall?

SalixIncendium · Sep 28, 2021

I don't see any intent to convert someone to your religion by merely offering to pray for or with them. So there is no proselytizing in that regard.

However, if your reading material has any content that suggests that they become a part of your religion or religious organization, then you've crossed the line into proselytizing.

Eddi · Sep 28, 2021

SalixIncendium said:
However, if your reading material has any content that suggests that they become a part of your religion or religious organization, then you've crossed the line into proselytizing.

I wouldn't say that we'd have "crossed the line"

I'd say that the person who approached our stall and engaged us would have "crossed the line"

Kenny · Sep 28, 2021

Eddi said:
Is this proselytising?

Set up a stall on a relatively busy pedestrianised street

Have a sign offering prayers to people who are interested - offering to either pray for them or pray with them (or both)

Just sit there, waiting for people to approach

Have reading material available for those who approach us and engage us in conversation

I have designed this to be as un-intrusive and inoffensive as possible

I want my freedom to religious expression to be respected and in turn I want to respect peoples' freedom from religion as I recognise that respect is a two-way street

No. Those who come are interested.

If someone says "yes" - they are trying to limit your freedom of speech and simply believe you should stay in your home and church.

Then again, they did the same to the Apostles. Names have changed but not people.

Niblo · Sep 28, 2021

Eddi said:
How would you feel if you saw our stall?

See my amended post. How would I feel? That would depend on what you had to say and your manner of saying it. You just might have something to say that I've not heard before.

SalixIncendium · Sep 28, 2021

Eddi said:
I wouldn't say that we'd have "crossed the line"

I'd say that the person who approached our stall and engaged us would have "crossed the line"

People approach with the understanding that you are offering prayers. By offering them material intended to convert them to your religion, you, not they, have engaged in proselytizing.

I'm not judging you for proselytizing, but please don't say something is not that clearly is.

SalixIncendium · Sep 28, 2021

KenS said:
No. Those who come are interested.

Interested in what?

danieldemol · Sep 28, 2021

Eddi said:
Is this proselytising?

Set up a stall on a relatively busy pedestrianised street

Have a sign offering prayers to people who are interested - offering to either pray for them or pray with them (or both)

Just sit there, waiting for people to approach

Have reading material available for those who approach us and engage us in conversation

I have designed this to be as un-intrusive and inoffensive as possible

I want my freedom to religious expression to be respected and in turn I want to respect peoples' freedom from religion as I recognise that respect is a two-way street

It is technically proselytizing, however it is not intrusive or inherently offensive in my opinion.

My reaction to such a stall would just be to ignore it since I've seen no evidence that prayer has anything more than a placebo effect (or it may have an educational effect depending on what you pray about).

In my opinion.

ChristineM · Sep 28, 2021

@Eddi

If you are attempting to convert people to your religion then you are proselytizing.

If someone is genuinely interested in what you have to say then tread carefully. It's easy to cross the like from conversation to proselytizing.

Eddi · Sep 28, 2021

SalixIncendium said:
People approach with the understanding that you are offering prayers. By offering them material intended to convert them to your religion, you, not they, have engaged in proselytizing.

I'm not judging you for proselytizing, but please don't say something is not that clearly is.

Well, that's fair enough

But I don't there is anything wrong with it it in such an instance

I should think and hope that anyone who came to our stall would be cool with the reading material, if they were cool with the idea of prayer, I don't think that would amount to forcing ourselves onto them as some do

Secret Chief · Sep 28, 2021

Eddi said:
Is this proselytising?

Set up a stall on a relatively busy pedestrianised street

Have a sign offering prayers to people who are interested - offering to either pray for them or pray with them (or both)

Just sit there, waiting for people to approach

Have reading material available for those who approach us and engage us in conversation

I have designed this to be as un-intrusive and inoffensive as possible

I want my freedom to religious expression to be respected and in turn I want to respect peoples' freedom from religion as I recognise that respect is a two-way street

"to try to persuade someone to change their religious or political beliefs or way of living to your own"
- proselytize

How say you?

Eddi · Sep 28, 2021

ChristineM said:
@Eddi

If you are attempting to convert people to your religion then you are proselytizing.

If someone is genuinely interested in what you have to say then tread carefully. It's easy to cross the like from conversation to proselytizing.

Yes, that is what I would intend to do

Perhaps I could assess their interest by conversing with them, before offering them a leaflet? And then only doing so in a respectful and zero-pressure way?

9-10ths_Penguin · Sep 28, 2021

KenS said:
If someone says "yes" - they are trying to limit your freedom of speech and simply believe you should stay in your home and church.

How do you figure?

SalixIncendium · Sep 28, 2021

Eddi said:
Well, that's fair enough

But I don't there is anything wrong with it it in such an instance

I never said there was.

Eddi said:
I should think and hope that anyone who came to our stall would be cool with the reading material, if they were cool with the idea of prayer, I don't think that would amount to forcing ourselves onto them as some do

I would approach our of curiosity. This doesn't mean I'm interested in any reading material, because none is advertised on the signage.

Eddi · Sep 28, 2021

SalixIncendium said:
I never said there was.

I would approach our of curiosity. This doesn't mean I'm interested in any reading material, because none is advertised on the signage.

I should imagine that the reading material would be set out on the table, plain to see

And I would only offer it having conversed and established some kind of rapport

Unveiled Artist · Sep 28, 2021

Eddi said:
Is this proselytising?

Set up a stall on a relatively busy pedestrianised street

Have a sign offering prayers to people who are interested - offering to either pray for them or pray with them (or both)

Just sit there, waiting for people to approach

Have reading material available for those who approach us and engage us in conversation

I have designed this to be as un-intrusive and inoffensive as possible

I want my freedom to religious expression to be respected and in turn I want to respect peoples' freedom from religion as I recognise that respect is a two-way street

If your intent is to convert: let us pray so you can come to Christ, yes, it is. If you ask them If they approach what do They want to pray about it's not.

I had a Christian walk up to me out of the blue and said did you want me to pray with you. She proceeded to talk about Christ and asked a couple times before she decided to do so herself. The idea is that by praying I'll turn to Christ cause the HS is so strong it fights skepticism. That's. Proselytizing.

Let the interested run the show. Let them ignore you if so be.

Firelight · Sep 28, 2021

It’s “mild” proselytizing. But, a conversation could turn it “hefty” depending on the pressure put on a person to convert. But, it seems you don’t plan to apply pressure. So, it sounds cool.

9-10ths_Penguin · Sep 28, 2021

Eddi said:
Is this proselytising?

Set up a stall on a relatively busy pedestrianised street

Have a sign offering prayers to people who are interested - offering to either pray for them or pray with them (or both)

Just sit there, waiting for people to approach

Have reading material available for those who approach us and engage us in conversation

I have designed this to be as un-intrusive and inoffensive as possible

It probably depend on the content of that reading material and "conversation." Offhand, I'm not sure what offering prayers to people has to do with trying to convert them.

... but here's the only test that matters: is this something you would be doing with the intent - or hope - of bringing new converts into your church? If so, then it's proselytizing.

I want my freedom to religious expression to be respected and in turn I want to respect peoples' freedom from religion as I recognise that respect is a two-way street

What bearing does whether it's proselytizing have on the question of whether you're allowed to do it?

Proselytizing is generally legal.

Is this proselytising?

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