question...

[D-Lisch]

So my AP Comp and Lit class started reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad recently and it got me started thinking about imperialism and conversion.

I was wondering, how do we, as Christians, cope with wanting to convert people, even whole groups of people, but at the same time wanting to respect their culture and beliefs and own personal right. Am I being too flimsy in my faith??

And for people who aren't Christians, what are your views on it?? Do you see any means of morally justifying one for another?

Thanks!

 

[JesusWalks78]

So my AP Comp and Lit class started reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad recently and it got me started thinking about imperialism and conversion.

I was wondering, how do we, as Christians, cope with wanting to convert people, even whole groups of people, but at the same time wanting to respect their culture and beliefs and own personal right. Am I being too flimsy in my faith??

And for people who aren't Christians, what are your views on it?? Do you see any means of morally justifying one for another?

Thanks!

Listen you can only give the message, whether or not thet accept it, then lies on their head.....if they choose life they will live, if they do not well then its the pit.

Be strong in your faith, respecttheir culture but also do not compromise your own belief.

 

[KarateCowboy]

So my AP Comp and Lit class started reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad recently and it got me started thinking about imperialism and conversion.

I was wondering, how do we, as Christians, cope with wanting to convert people, even whole groups of people, but at the same time wanting to respect their culture and beliefs and own personal right. Am I being too flimsy in my faith??

And for people who aren't Christians, what are your views on it?? Do you see any means of morally justifying one for another?

Thanks!

I'd say do it like the Spanish conquistadors, because they are like pirates and rock inherently, but you can't win your converts and kill them too. It's kind of a problem.
You'd be better off asking this in the Christians only section, 'cause you'll get some very un-Christian answers here.
Catholics have been very good at following the examples of the Apostles and using a groups own culture to win them over. Like with Saint Patrick and the whole shamrock thing where he explained the trinity that way.
In the end there should really be only one culture: the culture of God. Because a culture is just one way of doing things, and we should all do things God's way.

 

[RavenPoe]

The Catholics did well with converting the ancient Celts because they adopted some of their most beloved gods into saints (Brigid, for example). Life changed little for the convert, just the cross got a little longer at the bottom.

 

[Arnold_Philips]

Do what pretty much every faith does. Mix some of your beliefs with theirs.

 

[Robinsegg]

Well, one of the most effective methods of evangelism is to meet people where they are. Once people get to know you and you've listened to who they are and what they believe, they're more willing to listen to you about what you believe.

But remember, God doesn't call any of us to be someone else's Holy Spirit.

Rachel

 

[ImaginaryVoyager]

The Apostle Paul touched on this issue, I think.

21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

 

[MoonlessNight]

I recommend the book Exclusion and Embrace by Mirsolav Volf. The whole book doesn't always deal with this topic specifically, but certainly you can apply most of it to this issue.

The quesiton is that we do not want to allow injustice and we want people to see the truth; but at the same time we don't want to destroy them (either literally or by demolishing their identity). The question then becomes, how do we approach them.

The answer is along the lines of, it isn't easy and there's a good chance it won't work, but we should try anyway.

 

[hernyaccent]

My suggestion is : don't tell those who don't ask. If christians acted as Christ I am sure more non-believers would flock to them.

 

[Argent]

Forced conversion isn't conversion at all. Coming to faith in Jesus is a very individualistic experience, done at the behest of the Holy Spirit, not at the insistence of the "Authorities."

 

[DrFate]

So my AP Comp and Lit class started reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad recently and it got me started thinking about imperialism and conversion.

I was wondering, how do we, as Christians, cope with wanting to convert people, even whole groups of people, but at the same time wanting to respect their culture and beliefs and own personal right. Am I being too flimsy in my faith??

And for people who aren't Christians, what are your views on it?? Do you see any means of morally justifying one for another?

Thanks!

Conrad is great. I suggest you read "The Secret Agent" and see Hitchcock's movie version of the story.

 

[lynn18]

Be strong in your faith, also do not compromise your own belief.

good point

 

[billwald]

Only the HS can regenerate. Conversion is a response to regeneration. All we can do is be good neighbors and tell the good when appropriate.

 

[Blackguard_]

It is a problem because the set of rules and behaviors of the Hebrews relate to their ethnic environment. So attempting to impose their values on others is an example of ethnocentric agression.

Hebrews!=Christians. If you mean our origins, we almost got more from Greco-Roman philosophy.

Anyway, it's not ethnocentrism, it's objective truth cetrism. If you beleive a specific culure contains the objective truth, it is not ethnocentism to procliam that. If I said the objective truth was determined by the culture it would be.

but there is nothing wrong with proclaiming an absolute truth. I can see how this might be a problem for a Nihilist/Relatavist (two sides,same coin), since they don't believe in objective truth, but some of us do.

What do you mean "impose"? If you mean to force conversion, sure that's bad. It's unethical itself and produces false converts. I am pretty sure the OP does not mean forced conversions. Do you mean simply preaching or trying to convince people? Then why are you trying to impose your 18th century New England mores on us in this thread? Preaching Unitarianism and it's values is "ethnocentic agression" than isnt it?

What about the part of the world that is non-theistic in the Western sense? Telling them that they must accept the doctrine of attonement or die an eternal death because a god they know does not exist will kill their souls unless they accept the notion that the god disguised as his son allowed himself to be killed as a substitue sacrifice to make up for breaking laws the god made in the first place.

That's what the OP was asking. So, should we let the non-theists burn? Remember, some people believe in objective truth. Christianity is true whether someone believes it or not.(I can't believe I have to type something like that)

 

[Blackguard_]

I was wondering, how do we, as Christians, cope with wanting to convert people, even whole groups of people, but at the same time wanting to respect their culture and beliefs and own personal right.

You have to respect the right of people to believe whatever crazy thing they want, but you do not have to respect the belief itslef. Why should you respect falsehood?

So you try to convince people of the truth, as you are therby showing respect for their right to determine their own beliefs while not having to respect falsehood.

Am I being too flimsy in my faith??

Maybe. If you believe non-christians don't need to be converted for whatever reason, then yes, you are showing you do not belive [mainstream] Christianity is objectively true.

If you just don't want to offend people, remember letting them go to the Lake of Fire is worse then making them offended at you for having the gall to proclaim the truth.

 

[DrFate]

Hebrews!=Christians. If you mean our origins, we almost got more from Greco-Roman philosophy.

Anyway, it's not ethnocentrism, it's objective truth cetrism. If you beleive a specific culure contains the objective truth, it is not ethnocentism to procliam that. If I said the objective truth was determined by the culture it would be.

but there is nothing wrong with proclaiming an absolute truth. I can see how this might be a problem for a Nihilist/Relatavist (two sides,same coin), since they don't believe in objective truth, but some of us do.

What do you mean "impose"? If you mean to force conversion, sure that's bad. It's unethical itself and produces false converts. I am pretty sure the OP does not mean forced conversions. Do you mean simply preaching or trying to convince people? Then why are you trying to impose your 18th century New England mores on us in this thread? Preaching Unitarianism and it's values is "ethnocentic agression" than isnt it?




That's what the OP was asking. So, should we let the non-theists burn? Remember, some people believe in objective truth. Christianity is true whether someone believes it or not.(I can't believe I have to type something like that)

In your ethnic reference place Christianity is an absolute truth. In other ethenic reference points Christianity is an obvious con job.

 

[DrFate]

h

 

[quatona]

So my AP Comp and Lit class started reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad recently and it got me started thinking about imperialism and conversion.

I was wondering, how do we, as Christians, cope with wanting to convert people, even whole groups of people, but at the same time wanting to respect their culture and beliefs and own personal right. Am I being too flimsy in my faith??

And for people who aren't Christians, what are your views on it?? Do you see any means of morally justifying one for another?

I think you should try harder to convert me. I think your opinion is TheTruth and your beliefs are objective, whilst my opinion is just my opinion and my beliefs are subjective, after all.

 

[Blackguard_]

In your ethnic reference place Christianity is an absolute truth. In other ethenic reference points Christianity is an obvious con job.

and they can both be right, huh?

There is no hell of eternal torment. There is no heaven of eternal bliss.
You can not prove otherwise.
Objective, ha. Subjective, absolutely.

How does that I can't prove heaven/hell's existence mean it's not either objectively true or false? Subjective 'Truth' is a crock of sh--, Heaven doesn't pop into existence becasue you beleive in it nor out of becasue you don't, nor does it actually exist for one who does while at the same time not existing for one who doesn't.

I think your opinion is TheTruth and your beliefs are objective, whilst my opinion is just my opinion and my beliefs are subjective, after all.

I think I see the problem.This kind of thing came up in another thread.

There's a difference in saying that morality is objective and that saying that you have on objective morality. If you think there is an objective morality, then you believe that after all the circumstances have been accounted for, then some things are always right and some are always wrong. If you think that your morality is objective, then you are saying that you know what those things are, and that no one who knew the guiding principle of morality that you would have to claim to know would ever dispute what you say. Do you understand the difference? Your morality is a subjective take of what you believe is objective morality. Don't fret, this is the best anyone gets.

Just replace "morality" with Truth, religion, etc.

 

[Emmy]

Dear D-Lisch, I keep reminding myself of Jesus telling us to tell everyone the Good-News, and whenever I have the opportunity, I will just do that. I believe if we ask the Lord to lead us, He will do it, and the better I know the person I tell this to, the easier the telling becomes. Some Christians have been given the gift to help the Lord to convert, some are signpost to Him, and some follow the leading of the Holly Spirit, and only we ourselves know, what is our gift. As long as we try to do what God wants, we cannot go wrong, D-Lisch. I say this lovingly and humbly, and send greetings. Emmy, your sister in Christ.