Proselytizing

[rreppy]

No Buddhist monk has ever come to my door on a Sunday morning and confronted me about whether or not I was "saved". I like that. I feel if you are confident that your religion is worthwhile, then you should have faith that people will find it and be convinced on its own merits, without the need of a bunch of pushy salespersons trying to "close a deal".
I admire the fact that the Dalai Lama, in almost every speech he makes to westerners, exhorts them to stay in the religion of their upbringing and merely explore whether Buddhism might have some tools and insights they may find useful. I could never imagine in a million years the Dalai Lama doing what Christian missionaries have done, going into foreign cultures and blasting their native religions as lies and blasphemies, destroying their works of art, burning their books, and telling them tales about how they will "burn in torment forever" if they don't convert.
Islam, of course, is even worse; the first 500 years of its history was "convert or die by my sword, infidel scum!".
I say, let a person find their own path and make up their own mind. Don't insult me by calling my beliefs inferior to your own and then shoving yours down my throat. A worthy religion shouldn't have to proselytize. Don't demean spirituality to the level of a popularity contest.

[TheBlackPhilosophy]

No Buddhist monk has ever come to my door on a Sunday morning and confronted me about whether or not I was "saved". I like that. I feel if you are confident that your religion is worthwhile, then you should have faith that people will find it and be convinced on its own merits, without the need of a bunch of pushy salespersons trying to "close a deal".
I admire the fact that the Dalai Lama, in almost every speech he makes to westerners, exhorts them to stay in the religion of their upbringing and merely explore whether Buddhism might have some tools and insights they may find useful. I could never imagine in a million years the Dalai Lama doing what Christian missionaries have done, going into foreign cultures and blasting their native religions as lies and blasphemies, destroying their works of art, burning their books, and telling them tales about how they will "burn in torment forever" if they don't convert.
Islam, of course, is even worse; the first 500 years of its history was "convert or die by my sword, infidel scum!".
I say, let a person find their own path and make up their own mind. Don't insult me by calling my beliefs inferior to your own and then shoving yours down my throat. A worthy religion shouldn't have to proselytize. Don't demean spirituality to the level of a popularity contest.

I would say that the attitude of "convert or die" has come about with the uprising of literalism. Unfortunately this will never change until literalism dies and people find the esoteric part of religion again.

[Burninglight]

The ones that mostly go from door to door proselytizing are Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons. They consider themselves to be Christians, but they are not Biblical Christians. They are a strange hybrid form of Christianity that is not orthodox and more in the category of cults. Now, Christians are not against anyone going from door to door, because Christians are compelled to share their faith. They believe they will be held accountable for having the truth and not sharing it if they don't share their faith one way or another.

After all. It is really good news to know one can be saved from eternal damnation by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior unto the forgiveness of all sin past, present and future. A Christian's message is really very simple yet even many Christians or those that refer to themselves as Christian don't know it.

That is all people have done wrong and have fallen short of perfection in every way. The wages for this wrong is death and separation from all that is perfect (God), but God's gift is eternal life through Christ. So trusting and accepting Christ and not our own ability leads to eternal life. According to Scripture, no one could ever be good enough to receive it on their own. If they could, then Christ would not have needed to come and take the death we deserved so we could be free from sin's curse.

So the Christian message says be warned. How shall any escape the judgment of God if they neglect so great a salvation? Christians say we are free to choose, but we are not free from the consequences of those choices. Basically, they say the Scriptures say either we accept Jesus as the Lord of our life now while we are alive or the Devil claims our soul at death for eternity in hell. That is it in a nut shell.

[1robin]

No Buddhist monk has ever come to my door on a Sunday morning and confronted me about whether or not I was "saved". I like that. I feel if you are confident that your religion is worthwhile, then you should have faith that people will find it and be convinced on its own merits, without the need of a bunch of pushy salespersons trying to "close a deal".
I admire the fact that the Dalai Lama, in almost every speech he makes to westerners, exhorts them to stay in the religion of their upbringing and merely explore whether Buddhism might have some tools and insights they may find useful. I could never imagine in a million years the Dalai Lama doing what Christian missionaries have done, going into foreign cultures and blasting their native religions as lies and blasphemies, destroying their works of art, burning their books, and telling them tales about how they will "burn in torment forever" if they don't convert.
Islam, of course, is even worse; the first 500 years of its history was "convert or die by my sword, infidel scum!".
I say, let a person find their own path and make up their own mind. Don't insult me by calling my beliefs inferior to your own and then shoving yours down my throat. A worthy religion shouldn't have to proselytize. Don't demean spirituality to the level of a popularity contest.

I agree with some of what you say but it's far to simplistic. There should be no compulsion in any religion. However to suggest that people who believe the Gospel (The medicine) should not make it available to the lost (The sick) is counterintuitive. I know that is a crude example but maybe you get the point.
I know that if I was an unbeliever and I died and went to hell I would surely regret all the times I avoided evangelists.

[1robin]

No Buddhist monk has ever come to my door on a Sunday morning and confronted me about whether or not I was "saved". I like that. I feel if you are confident that your religion is worthwhile, then you should have faith that people will find it and be convinced on its own merits, without the need of a bunch of pushy salespersons trying to "close a deal".
I admire the fact that the Dalai Lama, in almost every speech he makes to westerners, exhorts them to stay in the religion of their upbringing and merely explore whether Buddhism might have some tools and insights they may find useful. I could never imagine in a million years the Dalai Lama doing what Christian missionaries have done, going into foreign cultures and blasting their native religions as lies and blasphemies, destroying their works of art, burning their books, and telling them tales about how they will "burn in torment forever" if they don't convert.
Islam, of course, is even worse; the first 500 years of its history was "convert or die by my sword, infidel scum!".
I say, let a person find their own path and make up their own mind. Don't insult me by calling my beliefs inferior to your own and then shoving yours down my throat. A worthy religion shouldn't have to proselytize. Don't demean spirituality to the level of a popularity contest.

I would say that the attitude of "convert or die" has come about with the uprising of literalism. Unfortunately this will never change until literalism dies and people find the esoteric part of religion again.

What did you mean here, I didn't get it?
Also what is Black Philisophy?

[TheBlackPhilosophy]

No Buddhist monk has ever come to my door on a Sunday morning and confronted me about whether or not I was "saved". I like that. I feel if you are confident that your religion is worthwhile, then you should have faith that people will find it and be convinced on its own merits, without the need of a bunch of pushy salespersons trying to "close a deal".
I admire the fact that the Dalai Lama, in almost every speech he makes to westerners, exhorts them to stay in the religion of their upbringing and merely explore whether Buddhism might have some tools and insights they may find useful. I could never imagine in a million years the Dalai Lama doing what Christian missionaries have done, going into foreign cultures and blasting their native religions as lies and blasphemies, destroying their works of art, burning their books, and telling them tales about how they will "burn in torment forever" if they don't convert.
Islam, of course, is even worse; the first 500 years of its history was "convert or die by my sword, infidel scum!".
I say, let a person find their own path and make up their own mind. Don't insult me by calling my beliefs inferior to your own and then shoving yours down my throat. A worthy religion shouldn't have to proselytize. Don't demean spirituality to the level of a popularity contest.

I would say that the attitude of "convert or die" has come about with the uprising of literalism. Unfortunately this will never change until literalism dies and people find the esoteric part of religion again.

What did you mean here, I didn't get it?
Also what is Black Philisophy?

Essentially literalism could be equated to reading mythology as though it actually occurred, esoterism is seeing the symbolism behind the mythology and potentially unlocking hidden meanings.

It marks the difference between believing that the sacrament IS the body and blood of Christ, or that the bread and wine are merely symbols with a deeper meaning. The symbol of a heart as a human body part, versus the heart as a symbol of love. You get the point.

When literalism takes over, people will believe anything due to popularity. As we know, humans are not inherently rational. Contrary to popular belief, people do believe in crazy irrational/illogical things.

Esoteric type religion is all about logic and mysticism. It is just as much about experiencing God(s) as it is about explaining the why and how of reality.

Whereas literalism is based upon faith, not reason. It is based upon experience, not logic. Esoteric religions combine both to find a center. And as we know, balance is good.

My name relates to the fact that I try to make people think differently. I force others to think for themselves, through suggestion and debate.

"Black" refers to the negative, philosophy is the love of knowledge. I merely combined the two ideas to create "TheBlackPhilosophy", which is a way of thinking which seeks to question all ideas/beliefs.

[Burninglight]

[quote="TheBlackPhilosophy"

["Black" refers to the negative, philosophy is the love of knowledge. I merely combined the two ideas to create "TheBlackPhilosophy", which is a way of thinking which seeks to question all ideas/beliefs.

We should question all beliefs, but we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the wash. In the mean time we question and learn, we don't want to be among those that are forever learning and never coming to the knowledge of truth!

[TheBlackPhilosophy]

[quote="TheBlackPhilosophy"

["Black" refers to the negative, philosophy is the love of knowledge. I merely combined the two ideas to create "TheBlackPhilosophy", which is a way of thinking which seeks to question all ideas/beliefs.

We should question all beliefs, but we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the wash. In the mean time we question and learn, we don't want to be among those that are forever learning and never coming to the knowledge of truth!

No doubt, I fully agree!

[Burninglight]

The love of knowledge is not the root of all evil. According to the Scriptures it is the love of money. Moreover, it states the the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge & wisdom. Knowledge without wisdom is dangerous. Wisdom is needed to direct it.

[Goat]

I agree with some of what you say but it's far to simplistic. There should be no compulsion in any religion. However to suggest that people who believe the Gospel (The medicine) should not make it available to the lost (The sick) is counterintuitive. I know that is a crude example but maybe you get the point.
I know that if I was an unbeliever and I died and went to hell I would surely regret all the times I avoided evangelists.

Of course, then there are many people who feel that 'Sin', and 'Hell' are imaginary diseases that Christianity claims to be the cure, sort of a snake oil for a condition that it claims exists, but actually doesn't.