When is it appropriate to share your religious faith with others?

Hello Godfather89. Welcome to the CR forum. May you find this a fruitful and invigorating discussion board. Your opinion is valued.

Godfather89 said:
-Knocking on doors

No, that's in all ways the most arrogant thing you could do. The way I see it is that: Knocking on someone else door represents urgency + A Religious Message = "My Religion is so important that I believe it is the only way to save you!"
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I don't see the arrogancy when one is simple trying to show the way of salvation to someone. People who come to your door have certain convictions concerning death, judgement, and the afterlife. They truly believe that the message they represent is the way to heaven and God, however misguided you believe they are. Now some might be downright arrogant if they start tossing hellfire and brimestone, but most people I know who do it are gentle in nature and have sincere concern for souls. It's not a matter of "my religion is better than your religion". It's more about educating folks to the option to choose Christ as Savior who otherwise have no clue.

Godfather89 said:
Its a sacrilege against God. Typically opening your door to a stranger, I think of a salesman trying to sell you something. I wouldn't do it. Religion is not meant to "be sold"
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Sacrilege against God? How? Do you not think God would want us to tell others about Him?

As far as the saleman angle, salvation is free. In the words of the late Keith Green:

"For maybe they don't understand it
Or maybe they just haven't heard
Or maybe we're not doin' all we can
Living up to His Holy Word
'Cause phonies have come
And wrongs been done
Even killing in Jesus' name
And if you've been burned
Here's what I've learned
The Lord's not the one to blame
For He's not just a religion
With steeples and bells
Or a salesman who will sell you
The things you just want to hear
For His love was such
That he suffered so much
To cause some of us
Just to follow, follow"

Godfather89 said:
-Other??
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Godfather89 said:
Yes here is my own suggestion, to the question "When is it appropriate to share your religious faith with others?" How about when you understand the religious faith you uphold? When you say "Its not for everyone and I know this." It is when you have actually understood your religious convictions when you should share them. When I say understand I dont mean in the superficial sense either, Im talking a deep understanding.
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This I can agree.
 
I might have an opinion or two on when it was appropriate to share your faith...

Bottom line, it's not about what is appropriate for YOU to do, but what is apporpriate for those that you ary trying to share your faith with. Each case needs to be looked upon individually because what they need or don't need in their life will vary from person to person.


1. Knocking on doors
I can only answer this from a personal level. When I was back home it wasn't THAT much of a big deal, I'm from a small community and rarely was it a total stranger that knocked on my door. I usually knew them, of them, or after a brief introduction found out I knew their family. It didn't bother me to invite them in for a "chat". But I don't live in that small community anymore. The last 7 years I have moved from town to town, 750 miles away from that community. If anyone knocks on my door, they are a TOTAL stranger and no way am I inviting them inside of my home and risking my children's safety. I'm also not about to shut my door and leave my children unattended while I listen to them.

IMO, if you're going knocking door to door, fine. But say "I'm John Doe with the Church of X. Here's a flyer with some information about our church/ beliefs. We would love to talk to you. Our doors are always welcome to you." Then let that person choose if your message is something they want to hear.

At this point in time in my life, anyone who is "in your face" about their religion is not going to get anywhere with me. I very much believe in "personal space" and that everyone has a right to their own opinion. I do agree that alot (not all, just alot) of those who are trying to "convert" these days take it as a "sales man" approach. For every 10 people with the attitude of "I truly care about you as a human" knocking on my door, I feel that only 1 is truly sincere. I think part of this is that more and more their "sales pitch" (just for the lack of a better phrase) is SO rehearsd and memorized, it does not sound like its coming from the heart. This is why I continually ask people "in your own words...".

For the last 7 years I have attended one of the most prominant(sp?) Baptist churches in this area. They have a large congregation, they send their youth choir to places like Hawii and Niagara Falls every summer to "spread the word and witness". My husband's family is one of the oldest members of the church, including a grandfather that is a deacon. Now I know that I'm not the most outgoing of people, and some of the fault of what has happened over the years lays on my shoulders. The first several years we traveled from where ever we lived 2-3 sunday's a month to attend church here (sometimes a 4 hour drive 1 way). But for the last 4 years we have been living in this area. Do you know, for such a large church that boasts about how much they do for others, how much they care for others and how "successful" they are with their youth missions, not once was I ever personally invited to attend anything other than sunday morning services. They are big on "sit ins" and going to help those who are in need- when I broke both of my feet, I didnt even receive a phone call. Now, I realize that I could have taken the initiative and just shown up on wednesday night prayer meetings or whatever else was going on, but I'm not one to insert myself if I don't feel welcome.

My point is this. They work HARD to bring new members to the church. But once you are there /shrug their job is done. They need new members to pay for the huge plasma screens they have instead of the old fashioned projector screen etc etc. LOL, but do you know, since I stopped going to that church severl months ago, I hear alot of "we missed seeing you at church.." I want to say "Really? What's my first name?"

I will stop now because I feel myself going off on a tangent about why I have turned my back on "organized" religion and possibly christianity as a whole and that is not for this thread.
 
From what I can read, Jesus rewarded the strangers who had the faith to knock on his door.
 
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