Why don't you want to proselytise your religion?

[Secret Chief]

I'm concerned it's a numbers game. If you proselytise you get more members, if you don't will it wither on the vine? But if 10000 believe a lie, it's still a lie. If only one person believes the truth, it's still the truth.

 

[Secret Chief]

I've never had that experience with them -- atheists, yes, but not them.

You get atheists knocking???!!!!

I've literally stood on my doorstep for 45 minutes with a JW even though I've made it politely clear I'm not interested. She calls every couple of months to see if I've seen the error of my ways...

 

[Villager]

Yepper. incuding yours.

Well, I have so much to correct!

But it's interesting if mere apologia is felt as evangelism.

 

[Straw Dog]

This is a thread for all of you who just couldn't give a damn about getting people to convert to your way of thinking. Why don't you proselytise, especially if you feel you've learned some form of truth? Why is it that you don't knock on strangers' doors to tell them the good news? Why might you even go so far as to be secretive about your religion in day to day life?

For me it largely boils down to one simple question: Why should I bother? I couldn't care less what people want to believe or disbelieve as long as they don't bother me with it and I look to extend them the same courtesy/apathy.
Furthermore, not many people would want to join my religion, it's not called "Demonolatry" in an attempt to appeal to the masses

Well, a part of my religion is believing in diversity to begin with. SO there's no point in "converting" people to Taoism since nature tends toward diversity to begin with and it would be putting my will against the flow of nature. Having said that, I also believe in coexistence with one another so I still feel compelled to challenge specific beliefs within other systems that are inherently divisive simply in hoping to make people think about their beliefs and possibly change them in a more positive (harmonious) direction. Otherwise, live and let live.

 

[Awoon]

Well, I have so much to correct!

But it's interesting if mere apologia is felt as evangelism.

You see I state my position from the Aramaic teachings. Westerns dont like that, most west religions have xenophobia. So when someone attempts to correct me its proselytizing on their part.

I dont care if they accept what I say or not. I present what I've learned. People can take that or leave that.

 

[Gaura Priya]

You get atheists knocking???!!!!

I've literally stood on my doorstep for 45 minutes with a JW even though I've made it politely clear I'm not interested. She calls every couple of months to see if I've seen the error of my ways...

She probably just fancies you. You must be that good looking!

 

[Secret Chief]

She probably just fancies you. You must be that good looking!

You're incredibly perceptive. We should be friends

 

[tumbleweed41]

Why don't you want to proselytize your religion?

For the same reason I don't pick my nose in public.
It's a bad habit, rude, and pretty nasty.

 

[ChristineES]

What is true in my case is that everyone I would proselytize to would have already have heard the message. And sometimes they have heard it many times. Also, I am shy- in fact, I have social phobia, and I find it virtually impossible to talk to complete strangers outside of smiling or saying hi (and that took a lot of work to accomplish). Another reason is that Jesus never went to people, they came to Him. They knew where he was going to be and were there. If He is an example, I believe we should do the same- wait for people to come to us (since they have already heard the message already anyway). And lastly, I take any kind of hostility personally, it would be very rare to meet with any hostility, but if I did, I doubt I could just blow it off and do something humiliating in front of the person.

Edit: I would know that any hostility wouldn't be for me personally, but that would not stop me from taking it that way anyway. Contradiction of the human spirit, I suppose.

 

[ohhcuppycakee]

Because I know most people are not interested in Islam. And anyways, talking about religion tends to upset people...If someone asks about my religion though, of course I will tell them. The best way to show people what your religion is about is just to be a good example.

 

[Villager]

You see I state my position from the Aramaic teachings. Westerns dont like that, most west religions have xenophobia. So when someone attempts to correct me its proselytizing on their part.

Assigning motive is a very doubtful exercise, is liable to backfire, and is anyway hardly likely to convince objective observers without evidence– and quite a lot of it. It may be supposed that those who attempt to correct are merely stating things as they honestly see it.

 

[Bob Dixon]

Proselytising is rude and annoying. And it doesn't work. And if my religion was THAT true, people would just logically arrive at it.

 

[Awoon]

Assigning motive is a very doubtful exercise, is liable to backfire, and is anyway hardly likely to convince objective observers without evidence– and quite a lot of it. It may be supposed that those who attempt to correct are merely stating things as they honestly see it.

My religion of Ising has no proselytization, all humans are members and participating in it now.

 

[blackout]

My Way couldn't possibly be anyone else's way.

It is My Way exclusively, and by default.

 

[Villager]

My religion of Ising has no proselytization

It does seem to include deprecation of other views, though.

 

[Splarnst]

I don't have a religion. I do, however, have a religious opinion. I don't "proselytize" in the sense that I raise the topic out of the blue. But I certainly don't hide my opinion or refrain from expressing it when it's appropriate. Any time anyone wants to talk about religion, I'm eager to engage them. But most people aren't interested, so I rarely do. And I don't think anything infinitely bad (i.e., hell) or anything even moderately bad will happen to them if they don't adopt my viewpoint. There are certain people who would be happier if they did, but they're not common or easy to find. Sometimes they find me through my blog, and I try to help them along.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I think my ideas are valid enough to proselytise, but many will disagree. I will share my ideas with whoever cares, but if I just shove them onto people it'd just make me look like a disgrace.

So, the only reason is that it'd give me a sour reputation and get less people to agree with me. Non-proselytising gets you somewhere.

 

[Jainarayan]

I've literally stood on my doorstep for 45 minutes with a JW even though I've made it politely clear I'm not interested.

I don't answer the door except for neighbors, service people I've called, or delivery drivers. If a neighbor knocks they use the side door. We all have the same basic house plan, so we know to use the side doors. And if I happen to see someone at the side door I don't know, I don't open it.

 

[not nom]

This is a thread for all of you who just couldn't give a damn about getting people to convert to your way of thinking. Why don't you proselytise, especially if you feel you've learned some form of truth?

because I am super highly extremely suspicious with all the dogma and doctrine that come with it (speaking of christianity)... and a mere "I believe god exists and that jesus was important in one way or another" isn't exactly something to go knocking on doors with, so I don't.

I think there should be door-to-door seekers though, who knock doors and ask random people about god ^^

 

[Renji]

I respect everyone's religious beliefs. What I may perceive as the "true" religion may not apply on others. If I force my beliefs to others, it will just cause division and more enemies than friends.