Is it your Christian moral duty to try to convert other religions and atheists?

As a receiver of a number of attempts to convert me back, I am going to say not. Mostly because so many Christians are just bad at it. From quoting scripture that has no relevance to me, to trying the old scare tactic of hellfire and salvation, they just fail to make me believe.

And that is the point really, you can't make someone believe if they don't. So please stop, or at least try to show it through your actions in life and not directing it at me. The shouting is getting annoying and the arguments are not convincing any more.

DaveW-Ohev said:

Cessationism IMO is a wrong doctrine, and potentially dangerous.

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What is IMO and what do you mean it's potentially dangerous?

IMO = In My Opinion

There are people who will not / cannot believe without something supernatural happening to them in such a way they cannot deny it. Those who are cessationists will not provide that "proof" so the person potentially dies and goes to hell because of it.

If it is, Christians sure suck at it.

SkyWriting said:

I think not. The Bible is a guide to understanding the Spirit of God
and is for personal growth and development. It's not a rule
book to impose upon the lives of others.

In other words, some are called to be evangelists, others are not.
God's Holy Spirit decides who, when, and how to reach out to
his chosen children. God is always in control of the results.

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^^ This.

Eight Foot Manchild said:

If it is, Christians sure suck at it.

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And I think this is a real issue.
I went to a church once that
trained young adults to go out
and evangelize.

There was no overt "forcing"
but there was peer pressure
to step up to the activity.

I think even those who think
they are called, should be
screened for aptitude.

DaveW-Ohev said:

IMO = In My Opinion There are people who will not / cannot believe without something supernatural happening to them in such a way they cannot deny it. Those who are cessationists will not provide that "proof" so the person potentially dies and goes to hell because of it.

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It's all in God's hands. It is our place to rejoice when one is saved
but not out place to blame when others are not, to our eyes, saved.

Sapiens said:

Not demonstrable? I think otherwise. Wouldn't you agree that the brokenness and wretchedness of humankind is easily observable everyday?

Besides, through means of reason, it is possible to show the need for a savior.

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You may feel that you need a savior.
But you cant demonstrate that we need one.
Even Christians will admit that most people throughout history didnt have one!
So much for the need.

durangodawood said:

You may feel that you need a savior.
But you cant demonstrate that we need one.
Even Christians will admit that most people throughout history didn't have one!
So much for the need.

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"Need" depends on the desired outcome.

If most people did not have the Savior, what was their eternal outcome? Heaven or hell?

Paulos23 said:

The shouting is getting annoying and the arguments are not convincing any more.

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Argueably they were never convincing in the first place.

DaveW-Ohev said:

"Need" depends on the desired outcome.

If most people did not have the Savior, what was their eternal outcome? Heaven or hell?

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Well, he said the "need" is rationally demonstrable. But the outcomes you propose we consider are strictly matters of faith.

durangodawood said:

Well, he said the "need" is rationally demonstrable. But the outcomes you propose we consider are strictly matters of faith.

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Interesting. Well, what outcome do you propose that is not a matter of faith? If you are a believer of nothing-after-life, then that is your faith. Even if it were not possible to show the outcomes rationally, wouldn't you agree that between believing that there is hope and meaning in life, as we Christians believe, is better than believing there is neither?

You see, we humans have this little problem: we have this very unhealthy habit of dying after a certain amount of time spent in this world. That is my reasonable demonstration that we need a solution (i.e. how to not die). The second problem we have and need is to be freed from is the evil within ourselves. But I'll stick to the other one for now because there is too much to say.

Now, if God is alive and all-powerful and if He created us humans to live, then it can be safely concluded that He both wishes and can make us live again after we've died (in His Kingdom, commonly known as Heaven).

Sapiens said:

....You see, we humans have this little problem: we have this very unhealthy habit of dying after a certain amount of time spent in this world. That is my reasonable demonstration that we need a solution (i.e. how to not die)....

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Thats a demonstration of what you want, not what you need.

durangodawood said:

Thats a demonstration of what you want, not what you need.

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I'm confused. What's the difference in this case, according to you? Don't you too consider both a want and a need to keep on living and existing? If not, what is there that we do need then?

Sapiens said:

I'm confused. What's the difference in this case, according to you? Don't you too consider both a want and a need to keep on living and existing? If not, what is there that we do need then?

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"Need" can only be talked about conditional to something.
We can talk about what we need to live well.
We can talk about what we need to propagate our species and culture.

If you propose we need to live forever, youll have to attach a reasonable condition if you want to make your point.

durangodawood said:

"Need" can only be talked about conditional to something.
We can talk about what we need to live well.
We can talk about what we need to propagate our species and culture.

If you propose we need to live forever, youll have to attach a reasonable condition if you want to make your point.

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I will attempt reason but let us keep in mind that my point is more than objective and reasonable; it is subjective and intuitive. It's something you just know; since being alive is a personal experience and not just some abstract logic.

I don't know all that motivated God to create us but He has given us this priviledged experience. My existence shouldn't just vanish away in the void. Otherwise what was the point of my existing in the first place?

Living well and proliferating our species without living forever, what sense does it hold? What is the point of anything at all without existence? Therefore, what's the point of living well if ultimately it ends... in nothing? What's the point of proliferating a species if all the members eventually die and then... nothing?

My reasonable condition to the need of living forever: In order to fulfill the primary purpose of existence: to exist.

SkyWriting said:

There is the Jimmy Swaggart method and the Mother Theresa method.
I feel that both methods reach different people. Both result in anguish
and tears and I think one gets better personal results.
And I'm not even Catholic.

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I used to think that Mother Theresa was a wonderful person and then i read about her. Wow. Not such a wonderful person after all.

Hetta said:

I used to think that Mother Theresa was a wonderful person and then i read about her. Wow. Not such a wonderful person after all.

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Maybe she wasn't, but then when people compare Mother Theresa to themselves, I think most of us will find we fall short in comparison.

Nithavela said:

If you really believe that someone has to suffer eternally if they are not converted, than it would be gravely immoral to not do your best to see as many people converted as possible. It's a simple matter of arithmetics, if you are even 0.00001% percent responsible of one person suffering infinitely, you are still responsible for infinite suffering.

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I am not responsible for anyone being saved or not, that is between them and God. I cannot SAVE anyone.
If the Lord gives me an opportunity to share the Gospel message with someone then I should do that and have. But to TRY to convert them, no.
"Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." So if they are convinced, it is the word of God that convinces them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hetta said:

I used to think that Mother Theresa was a wonderful person and then i read about her. Wow. Not such a wonderful person after all.

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I do know somebody that would be a better example
though his work as a pig farmer does not get him much
attention. But he was Best Man at my wedding.