Is religious conversion moral?

[praying]

I'd love to go at least one day without being asked "Have you found Jesus?"

Are you hearing this in the flesh, where are you?

 

[morningstar2651]

Are you hearing this in the flesh, where are you?

Iowa

 

[praying]

You know in 42 years I have never had anyone ask me that...and you two claim that you are asked that every day??? Wow.
To answer your question I refer you to this verse.
Mat 10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet.

That is what I was thinking, well a few more years for me . Actually I have been asked, by people on street corners in NYC but never by anyone who I might actually give serious thought to. One serious person a former co-worker. Do Jehovah Witness's count and the Mormons came to my door once, so I guess I have been but certainly not like they made it sound.

 

[praying]

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Iowa

and you are approached al the time, I would find that annoying and intrusive. I don't know that I consider it immoral however.

 

[hernyaccent]

You keep claiming to know what Jesus said but you must not since He did tell us to go and proclaim the Gospel to all nations. He didn't say for us to wait for them to come to us.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.

Matthew 28:19, 20 RSV

That is fine. I respect you spreading your message. Just not to those that don't want to hear it. As for myself and many others I know we just get irritated and ( even tho I try not to) have an negative feelings towards christinity.

 

[hernyaccent]

That's what I thought for the longest time...then I saw someone who didn't want to set foot in a church convert to Christianity when uninterested. I still don't think it's a good general rule to preach to the uninterested though.

I am not saying people can't get saved outside of church. Someone could see you reading the bible in starbucks and be interested and that is fine. My problem is hering them preach in public places. I know everyone has freedom of speech but with that freedom comes responsibility and respect. Christians would be highly offended if Satanists preached to their children on street corners,subways, and train platforms. I know when I have children I want them to learn about all faiths and not be told by some man on the street that christianity is the only way.

 

[hernyaccent]

I think you guys should move to a town you'd be more comfortable in!

Anyway, Christians do not do the converting. God does after Christians make them aware that Jesus is available to anyone. Pay attention to kdet - she knows what she's talking about.

If that is the case we should make a white town,a black town, a muslim town, a jewish town, a christian town etc;? And all along I thought civil rights was suppose to protect us from this.

 

[holyorders]

Conversion cannot be "forced". It is a sole act of the will. God draws people to Himself. All Christians do is be holy and that is enouhg to attract and to convert people.

 

[hernyaccent]

All Christians do is be holy and that is enouhg to attract and to convert people.

To bad many of those who try to convert dont show God's love through actions.

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

That is fine. I respect you spreading your message. Just not to those that don't want to hear it. As for myself and many others I know we just get irritated and ( even tho I try not to) have an negative feelings towards christinity.

It's interesting that you said that it causes a negative feeling to Christianity. I sat back and thought about it for awhile, and wondered if I actually do have a negative feeling towards Christianity.

And I decided that when people actually push their religion on me (besides in this forum, because I come here knowing that it will happen, so it doesn't bother me) it makes me laugh. I'm not sure why... haven't gotten to the bottom of the humor. And, I'm still not sure if this is a negative feeling or not.

/randomintrospection

 

[Zaac]

I don't think it is -- I see it as religious bigotry.

I don't even really think it's a part of Christian doctrine...isn't Christianity about personal salvation through Christ?

Christians don't try to convert anyone. We give people God's Word. He does the converting. So in that sense, conversion cannot be immoral because God ain't immoral.

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

Christians don't try to convert anyone. We give people God's Word. He does the converting. So in that sense, conversion cannot be immoral because God ain't immoral.

But you are doing so within your own personal belief system. I have no problem with this, but you have to look outside your own personal belief system, when it comes to dealing with people that don't fall into it.

Can't you see both sides of the argument?

 

[scraparcs]

My problem is hering them preach in public places. I know everyone has freedom of speech but with that freedom comes responsibility and respect. Christians would be highly offended if Satanists preached to their children on street corners,subways, and train platforms. I know when I have children I want them to learn about all faiths and not be told by some man on the street that christianity is the only way.

Well, I find street preaching annoying and irritating myself. I just believe that freedom of speech is greater than having children unwittingly exposed to the whole "convert or burn" stuff. Besides, if you take them home and teach them about all religions, I would imagine that most children would listen to their parents more than some stranger.

 

[hernyaccent]

Well, I find street preaching annoying and irritating myself. I just believe that freedom of speech is greater than having children unwittingly exposed to the whole "convert or burn" stuff. Besides, if you take them home and teach them about all religions, I would imagine that most children would listen to their parents more than some stranger.

And those that don't want their children to have any exposure to religion? how would you feel if satanist were on the street corner or pagans would you be okay with that as well?

 

[Zaac]

And those that don't want their children to have any exposure to religion? how would you feel if satanist were on the street corner or pagans would you be okay with that as well?

Why not? Do you have to stand there and listen to satanists or pagans if you don't want to?

 

[Eve_Sundancer]

It's not so much that you have to listen to it... it can be inevitable. If I was a window-washer and someone was preaching loudly near my windows... I can't very well tell them to bugger off. That would be rude. But it's rude to me also, since I don't particularly want to listen to this fellow's shouting.

 

[Zaac]

But you are doing so within your own personal belief system. I have no problem with this, but you have to look outside your own personal belief system, when it comes to dealing with people that don't fall into it.

Can't you see both sides of the argument?

There is no argument. As much as people like to be politically correct,truth does not accommodate it. There's right and there is wrong. And Jesus Christ is the standard for what is right.

Why on earth would I look outside what is right to accommodate what somebody else thinks is right? As I said in another post, I'm tasked to give people God's truth, not convince them that it's the truth. And that doesn't entail me looking outside of what God gives as truth.

 

[Eve_Sundancer]

As I said in another post, I'm tasked to give people God's truth, not convince them that it's the truth.

That wouldn't be bad, that implies that you wouldn't follow someone around preaching to them until they give up their religion to join yours. It has the feel of something with freewill attached to it. Telling someone your truth is ok, pushing it at them against their will is not.

 

[Letalis]

Yes, religious conversion is moral. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if you didn't try to convert them, you're acting immoral.

 

[Zaac]

It's not so much that you have to listen to it... it can be inevitable. If I was a window-washer and someone was preaching loudly near my windows... I can't very well tell them to bugger off. That would be rude. But it's rude to me also, since I don't particularly want to listen to this fellow's shouting.

Then after you finish washing the windows, go to where you don't have to hear him. Should his rights be curtailed just to avail you of yours?