Propagation of religion

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AcrobatMan

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Well I am against "propagation of religion" because **I think all religons are based on stories which has not proven to be true, has irrational beliefs which are not correct ( like grow long hairs, grow half moustache...or something or the other). Mind you I am for "long hairs for fashion" or "half moustache for style". But keeping such things just because someone told them - I find it strange . I try to understand why they do so. The only answer I can think of is because they have been forced to do it , they start liking it.. to the extent that they themselves start endorsing such irrational activities - thats pyschology may be.

And the fanatics demand they be provided with special allowance to do something because its in their religion - why not allow the same for Fashion.

But I think I am digressing. The point I am trying to make it. Conversion generally indicates fanaticism. Converts are more likely to a terrorist than a non-convert. I had read an article about it. Dont have the link right now.

Also Propagation means that you are allowed to advertise unproven things. That I think is not correct.

Also there are many instances when the converts are offered special treatment by organisations. This is clearing luring.

If there is to be any conversion, it should be by a person going to any religious institution to seek conversion..rather than religious organisation chasing people for conversion.

So here is where i stand

Pratice - :up: but dont expect special favors from the secular GOVT

Propagation - only within religious institutions , dont chase people anywhere else - like schools, roads, jungles, caves - that means if someone wants to know, he or she will visit your religious institutions..dont drop in their house or anywhere else to explain how good your religion is or offer help instead of conversion.. Dont paste your advertisements anywhere else
( because **)

Conversion - The to-be convert should explicit ask for it.

Where do you stand ?

AcrobatMan
 
Are you saying you don't like people going door to door like the Witnesses and Mormons, is that it? I want to know before I comment.
 
U2Kitten said:
Are you saying you don't like people going door to door like the Witnesses and Mormons, is that it? I want to know before I comment.
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I have no idea what Witnesses and Mormons are and what they do.

Do they go door-to-door and try to convert people ? If they do so, that is a wrong thing ( according to me and shouldnt be allowed).

Even if they do so, I wont dislike them - I would feel a bit sorry for them because in my opinion they are misguided.

AcrobatMan
 
AcrobatMan said:


I have no idea what Witnesses and Mormons are and what they do.

Do they go door-to-door and try to convert people ? If they do so, that is a wrong thing ( according to me and shouldnt be allowed).

Even if they do so, I wont dislike them - I would feel a bit sorry for them because in my opinion they are misguided.

AcrobatMan
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Yes they do. I have an aunt who is a Jehovoh's witness and they do send people door to door. In this area, they hang around in parking lots too, bugging people getting in and out of cars. They hand you booklets for which a donation is expected, even if not asked for. The Mormons have a program where every young man ages 18-21 must do 2 years 'missionary' service. They are frequently seen on bikes all over the country, 2 by 2, always in white shirts and black pants. They are sent into neighborhoods and they openly ask to be invited into your home to 'share their message.' It's not only the US because some I have talked to told tales of being in England, Finland, or other countries.
 
U2Kitten said:


Yes they do. I have an aunt who is a Jehovoh's witness and they do send people door to door. In this area, they hang around in parking lots too, bugging people getting in and out of cars. They hand you booklets for which a donation is expected, even if not asked for. The Mormons have a program where every young man ages 18-21 must do 2 years 'missionary' service. They are frequently seen on bikes all over the country, 2 by 2, always in white shirts and black pants. They are sent into neighborhoods and they openly ask to be invited into your home to 'share their message.' It's not only the US because some I have talked to told tales of being in England, Finland, or other countries.
Click to expand...

i didnt know about it when i posted it , believe me :)
 
Exactly.

It's a pre-emptive strike, coming to you to heal your "sickness" of sin before it's too late and you're beyond salvation.

:rolleyes:
 
Okay now I'll pass my opinion at the risk of getting bashed, but hey, they'd have to get you first, right?;)

No, I do not believe anyone should 'bug' people. I believe in most cases this turns people off and drives them away rather than pulling them in, and the only ones who even give them the time of day are doing so out of guilt rather than anything greater. I believe that everyone will or will not come to their own conclusions in time, when and if moved, and pushing them doesn't help.

I realize that in the Bible it says to go forth into the world and spread the message, and that's how they justify it. However, that was 2000 years ago, and back then no one outside the middle east knew of the religions. Now, after all this time, with all our media, and as big as it's gotten, everyone already knows, and whether or not they accept it is up to them. The info is there. The message has been spread.

I also think it's arrogant of people to go into remote places and tell people their religion is wrong and you must convert or go to hell. This has been happening for many years in many places. They can give them the info and leave it at that, let them know, then leave them to decide. No pressure or threats.

I hate to say this, and this is what I'm really going to get flamed for, but I think a lot of modern day 'missionaries' are, well, I don't know how to say it. A lot of churches I've seen sponsor these people, some of them in the unholy godlessness of places like Germany and Switzerland (sarcasm) Come on, those places are well versed in Christianity! There was one couple who came to speak who had been 'witnessing' on a Caribbean island. They told of having servants such as a maid, a cook, a gardener, even a hairdresser! The story they told was of the hardship they suffered when the husband cut the wife's hair wrong while the hairdresser was gone for awhile! Boo hoo! They sounded like spoiled rich people instead of the stereotypical poor and struggling missionary suffering to bring the message to the world as ones in the past. They tried to cover it up, saying they needed all these servants because it freed up their time to go witnessing to more voodoo practitioners. But they even told of how most of their days are spent driving ATV's on the beach! I'm sorry, but I think there is a whole culture out there of these couples, some with kids, being sponsored by churches all over the US (even if each church only gives $50 a month, if 300 churches sponsor you that's more than a living!) and are basically using it to live off people's guilt and using God to advance themselves more than anything else. Okay, so I shouldn't tar them all with the same brush, surely somewhere there are ones who aren't like that, but sadly I think it's all too common. You can see their smiling faces on the church bulliten boards and hear the preacher speak of sponsoring them. I think in some cases it has become a racket in the Lord's name and that isn't right. Rant over.
 
i've always had a problem with missionaries. what they do seems wrong to me. it just seems like what the spanish did to the indians when they came to north america. and also the encomienda system, which i know doesn't go on today, but it's just the idea of getting ahead in life by converting someone to christianity (or really anyother religion...) anyway, leave people alone... the whole forcing beliefs on people makes me sick and that is one of the primary reason i hate organized religion

eh, i'm rambling again & not making sense. i'm stressed out from school... (especially APUSH, pre-calc, APUSH, AP english & APUSH)

peace,
toni
 
<insert my usual whinge about missionaries in the Australian outback>

Can I just say that the opposite is also true. People who "convert" away from religion can also be annoyingly fanatical.
 
You have your beliefs,

I have mine

We can say they are both real neat

Or we can bitch and whine

:rolleyes: I will get better at it, give me time.
 
I forgot to rant about revivals. They can be very scary and cult like, and if held indoors are sometimes lock-ins. They sometimes do unkind things to people to try to pressure them to come up front. I know people who were upset to be told that they would never see their stillborn baby in Heaven, or that their friend who died last week was burning in hell. How awful:(
 
If I was on the recieving end of that type of treatment they may have their faith tested by a 6 foot 4 hockey goalkeeper who posts on a U2 forum under the alias of A_Wanderer.
 
I do think there is a huge distinction between evangelist Christians and Catholic & Protestant Christens that focus on serving God. Ultimately, I think that God would find it more important to take care of the poor rather than raise money to round up followers.

With all of the problems with the Catholic heirchy, Catholics follow Jesus much more closely than an Evangelist Protestant. A percentage of my Church were raised Catholic (including myself) and it amazes me that the former Catholics make up most of the Outreach committee. (The outreach committee is the group that motivates the rest of the congregation to serve for the poor & needy. They coordinate our congregation to cook and serve for a soup kitchen, raise funds for hunger walks, grow vegetables for the hungry in the summer, etc.) Catholic missionaries are a great example of how I think Jesus would want things to be. People like Mother Theresa devote their life to helping the poor and needy. Evangelist missionaries are more concerned about the number of recruits they get and how much more $ can go to the church and their Evangelism

There are Protestant religions that place serving God first and others that place spreading God's word first. There are tons of different ways to be a Christian. I disapprove of religions that recruit and threaten hell for non-followers. I hope that there are more helpful/serving missionaries than "follow me or go to hell" missionaries. I think they are giving Christianity a bad name.

For me, the best teacher of Christianity is Bono. While he isn’t affiliated with any specific denomination, he makes it clear: Jesus is a great guy to follow because he cheered for the poor and needy and died to give us grace. Aspire to do the cool selfless things that Jesus did – and you will be cool too. What could be a better way to lead your life – whether you believe in Jesus or not.
 
You make some excellent points Anne! I also think it's best to lead by example, and some evangelical Southern Baptists I have known have not set a very good example of anything but hypocrisy, self righteousness and judgmental-ness. :(
 
I'm not overly fond of the folks who come to my house and try to convert me, but I haven't found them to be too obnoxious...I usually just tell them "no thanks. You can turn around up by the barn" and shut the door. They go away. Less fun when their knocking on the door and ringing the bell wakes me up. But I'm pretty good at ignoring them and going back to sleep.

The worst people though are the aquaintences, co-workers, neighbors, etc., who you meet for lunch or whatever and all of a sudden they whip out this Bible and start "teaching!" And they go on and on about how what they are pushing is the only way to salvation and how I'm going to hell (like THAT'S anything new :huh: ). I'm sorry but that just pisses me off no end. I do not tell them why they shouldn't believe whatever the hell they want to believe, even when I disagree with it. I expect the same respect from them. One positive thing though -- I never get asked for "lunch" a second time. :D One place I worked there was even a woman who would hang out in the restroom and accost people there with her spiel. I guess she figured she had a captive audience! :rolleyes:

But a kind of funny tale from just a few days ago. I bought some items from someone in Australia and I wired the money to him. When I went to the bank to arrange it, no one was there who knew what to do, so I chatted with a teller (it was a slow day). Well...music came up and I mentioned that I like a band named The Church. Just then the person who knew what to do came back and we started working on the wire. When I said it was to go to Australia, the first teller said, "Oh, do you have a missionary there?" to which I eloquently replied "Huh?" So she said "You know, from your church...." All I could do not to burst out laughing! When I emailed the guy in OZ with the wire info I told him the story and that he better be converting those Bondi heathens!!!
 
U2Kitten -- maybe it's just late, but Larry looks kinda like Kevin Bacon in the photo you have there.... Yikes!
 
U2Kitten said:
No, I do not believe anyone should 'bug' people. I believe in most cases this turns people off and drives them away rather than pulling them in, and the only ones who even give them the time of day are doing so out of guilt rather than anything greater. I believe that everyone will or will not come to their own conclusions in time, when and if moved, and pushing them doesn't help.
Click to expand...



I agree 100% :up:. It's especially annoying when customers try to do this while you are working.....not that that's ever happened to me :angry:
 
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