I don't want your belief in my life

[Youkilledkenny]

Your family member wants nothing to do with your religion: they don't want to hear you profess how good God's been to you when you're in their home; they don't want you to ask them to go to church with you when you visit them; they don't want you to ask to say grace at Thanksgiving at their table; the list continues.
What do you do? Do you continue to witness in these manners while you're at their home or do you respect their wishes?
Why do you choose this reaction?

Odds are most people would be respectful of these requests - especially when they're in mixed company and/or outside their own home.

Should this be carried out within society as a larger whole?

Surely when you're in church if someone says "I don't want to hear about God" they would (and should) get a "are you serious right now?!?!" look. But in a society where Christianity is a minority, shouldn't Christians fall in line and respect the wishes of the majority and contain their beliefs to themselves unless otherwise invited to share?
Or is it a Christian's duty to be more 'in your face' and 'win souls'?

[1213]

...
Or is it a Christian's duty to be more 'in your face' and 'win souls'?

I think it is more like this:

As you enter into the household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn't worthy, let your peace return to you. Whoever doesn't receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet.
Matt. 10:12-14

Disciples of Jesus are free to leave places that have different values.

[Youkilledkenny]

[Replying to post 2 by 1213]

Disciples of Jesus are free to leave places that have different values.

For those that don't leave, why, do you think, they stay?
Do they like to suffer and try to be a martyr?
Do they like causing trouble?
Are they lazy/hard headed?
Are they incapable of leaving?

[Claire Evans]

Your family member wants nothing to do with your religion: they don't want to hear you profess how good God's been to you when you're in their home; they don't want you to ask them to go to church with you when you visit them; they don't want you to ask to say grace at Thanksgiving at their table; the list continues.
What do you do? Do you continue to witness in these manners while you're at their home or do you respect their wishes?
Why do you choose this reaction?

Odds are most people would be respectful of these requests - especially when they're in mixed company and/or outside their own home.

Should this be carried out within society as a larger whole?

Surely when you're in church if someone says "I don't want to hear about God" they would (and should) get a "are you serious right now?!?!" look. But in a society where Christianity is a minority, shouldn't Christians fall in line and respect the wishes of the majority and contain their beliefs to themselves unless otherwise invited to share?
Or is it a Christian's duty to be more 'in your face' and 'win souls'?

I also maintain: "Preach the gospel, use words if necessary." Behave in such a way to reflect the love of Christ. Words are just words otherwise. This is the way to witness for Jesus without intruding. If non believers ask, that is different but Jesus preached to people who came by themselves to listen to His parables. If one has the attitude of winning souls, then they do not know Jesus. They can't win souls. It's an arrogant stance and arrogance has no place in the lives of a Christ-committed person.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Youkilledkenny]

I would respect their wishes, be kind to them. They absolutely have the right to dictate what goes on under their own roof. If I was eating with them my prayer would be silent and discrete and if people were that explicit (which is rare) I would respect their wishes.


Should this be carried out within society as a larger whole?

As one of Jehovah's Witness I would say that the above principle continues, once people express their desire you stop speaking about a topic, it is respectful that you do.


Shouldn't Christians fall in line and respect the wishes of the majority and contain their beliefs to themselves unless otherwise invited to share?

No, the notion of "freedom of speech" means you don't have to be invited to speak before you are allowed to speak. And "freedom or religion" means society, even the majority does not dictate to anyone including the minority how and when they can express their faith.


Or is it a Christian's duty to be more 'in your face' and 'win souls'?

The expression "in your face" implies being intrusive, abrasive and disrespectful of an individual's wishes; that is not a "Christian duty" no. Preaching the gospel is however a "Christian duty" (see Matthew 28:19, 20)



JEHOVAHS WITNESS

[bluethread]

Should this be carried out within society as a larger whole?

Let's see.

Your family member wants nothing to do with your belief in global climate change: they don't want to hear you profess how sexist men have been to you when you're in their home; they don't want you to ask them to go to a protest with you when you visit them; they don't want you to bring your same sex partner to Thanksgiving at their table; the list continues.
What do you do? Do you continue to act in these manners while you're at their home or do you respect their wishes?
Why do you choose this reaction?
Shouldn't these people fall in line and respect the wishes of the majority and contain their beliefs to themselves unless otherwise invited to share?

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 5 by JehovahsWitness]

Should this be carried out within society as a larger whole?

As one of Jehovah's Witness I would say that the above principle continues, once people express their desire you stop speaking about a topic, it is respectful that you do.

Well they seem to be ignoring that with me. When I lived in Georgia they would always ring my bell in the morning when my wife and I worked mostly at night. We have three dogs and they tend to bark when this happens waking us up. This happened at least once or twice a month for a year before we moved.

Here it's less of a problem but I would say 5-9 times a year I get a ring or am approached while I am outside. Just the other day I was washing my car at a car wash and was approached.

Do y'all have gps trackers of atheists and stalk them? Frankly it was funny at first considering how brainwashed and unprepared they seemed. Now it's just annoying.

[Demented_Literature]

[Replying to Youkilledkenny]

I am stunned by your statement 'in a society where christian's are a minority'.

In America a poll done showed that more than %70 of Americans are of a christian denomination.

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/

And according to this 2012 study Christianity has an enormous presence on the world as we know it.

http://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/glob ... cape-exec/

You must be in a heavily alternative religion dominated area?

That aside; as an Atheist when I enter the home of a Christian if they want to say grace then I will refrain from eating until they have done their spiel and then I'll eat. I will not refrain from speaking to my wife quietly during that time, nor will I intentionally sit at the table during the time of grace if I have something to do. And I will not participate and/or hold hands.

These are not my beliefs; there for I choose not to partake. Anyone enforcing these on me in their own home will be greeted with a 'thank you; it is clear I am not welcome here' and I will leave.

A Christian coming into my home is welcome to pray to himself before he eats a meal; but he is not at all welcome to expect us or any others who are not of his belief to pray with him.

Also I find the 'tell them of Christ and the love of good' to be somewhat distasteful. Considering all it takes is for a converted believer to read the bible to see the vengeful and wrathful god it contains to immediately question what they have been told. Let alone the paradoxical inconsistencies of a 4 omni god giving birth to himself; to torture and sacrifice himself to get him to forgive humanity (why not just forgive; Jesus himself said turn the other cheek); only to not really die but to transcend into heaven and claim that it is the ultimate sacrifice (which is not really dying at all, it's more like saying 'I'll torture and mame myself and you must believe it's the ultimate sacrifice; but after a week or so I get to spend the rest of eternity in Disney Land.). More so if someone begins talking about their religion in my premise of living then they have given me the right to criticise their religion as I see fit. Questioning their beliefs and asking for evidence; as they brought it up.

[William]

[Replying to post 1 by Youkilledkenny]

Q: Is it a Christian's duty to be more 'in your face' and 'win souls'?

There are lots of different types of Christians. Some think this and others do not. Generally I find that most social interactions do not focus on atheism or theism. I can't remember the last time anyone in a face to face situation told me they were a theist or an atheist and in that I get the impression it is not important. People who are genuinely nice don't need to say their position is 'atheist' or 'theist' in order to explain anything about WHY they are nice. Just being nice is enough.

I don't go to church but yes, if I did, then I would expect people within that situation to be telling me their beliefs.

Also, I would expect those theists who knock on my door to tell me their beliefs, but I also reserve the right to tell them what I think about life the universe and everything. Generally this quickly enough leads to a parting of ways as what I think is not what they believe in, but I don't particularly have any issue with what they believe, and knowing what they believe helps speed up the process in getting to that point. This only would happen if I have nothing else to do at the time, otherwise I tell them I am busy.

I see no logical reason to be upset or otherwise be bitter about theists and their beliefs.

But I would say if one does not want other peoples belief in their lives, they might think about putting a sign up on their door saying as much, and perhaps even not frequenting forums such as this one, as this will naturally expose one to such beliefs.

Certainly, if one doesn't want something in their lives, they best not invite it in. Sounds the most logical approach to the perceived problem.

[Kenisaw]

[Replying to post 8 by Demented_Literature]

Dom, I think he is talking about in places like Lebanon, where Christians are a minority, in that part of his OP. That is different from the first part, where I think he is talking about America. At least that is how I took his statements.