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

Every breathing second of our lives...

It's our very soul and life source.... We should be showing it every way in life, and I don't mean as in preaching to others how to do it, but just simply going and doing it... Being kind, helping others showing forgiveness and mercy, ACCEPTANCE of our enemy and to Love those that stand for something different.... and Simply following the guidelines, rules, laws of said religion, Everyone else knows their role, come on do what you need to do, the others will follow suit eventually.

So yeah, sorry in a way it can be understood easier... We should share our religion all the time in our actions, not so much our words.... Then the world peace graph, keep your eyes in that space, it would increase....

Thought I have been pondering on... Thought I'd share.
 
Nick the Pilot said:
Reaction formation? Again, let me use the analogy of men who hit on women. When a codependent man hits on a woman (emotionally stable men do not hit on women), he is trying to trick the woman into a romantic relationship. His trickery is his improperly-formed reaction to the situation. The sad thing is, if he would stop talking, and listen to what she is saying, he might have a chance of achieving his goal. Women are not tricked into romances, they agree to them. The decision to enter into a romance must be mutual, not forced by one of the two people.

Codependent proselytizers, in a similar way, are "hitting" on non-Christians. If they would stop talking, and start listening, they would be much more successful.
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Are real men and women NOT codependent? Where I'm from... my generation... most people did not write up contracts complete with full disclosures before having a conversation and going on a date. There is an uncertainty or unknown and that was some of the purpose of the dating... to learn more about each other. Somewhere at sometime complete strangers will have to exchange something... looks, conversation, cash... whatever, and someone has to solicit for the interest in a date. Dinner, movies, whatever. Not just one solicitation either, but many. In my generation that solicitation was termed 'hitting on women' (or men). The phrase did not mean hitting someone on the head with a club, dropping a date rape drug, or otherwise seducing them and then taking them home. It meant seeking and soliciting for a date. Asking, "Would you like to..." Ultimately, yes, the solicitation is for a potential relationship which involves sex someday down the road after however many dates and "I do's" the two are comfortable with... but there are also friendships and less self-serving interests first.

I imagine with the internet now the situation has changed. People can exchange all kinds of personal information without even interacting first and dropping the question for a date wherein people would get to know each other. Today long before asking someone out for a date there is the potential to judge the flesh, the education, the income status, the prior baggage, the job status, all before even meeting the other person. People like to do this pre-judgment to save them time, so there is a pressure for people to disclose their personal information... to sell themselves. The interaction or dating is becoming more secondary to those pre-judgments... and I think that can be a real shame.
 
Alex,

You have described beautfully how to spread your faith, to do it by respecting other people's boundaries instead of violating those boundaries. The purpose of religion is to help other people improve their people-skills, not make them worse. (Proselytizers advocate doing the exact opposite.)

You definitely have the right idea.

bowing.gif
 
path_of_one said:
Not sure who this is directed to. I'm not rude.
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Then it was not directed to you. In my view some rude ways have been presented here to get rid of someone, even a solicitor who is a psychopathic delusional control freek freudian boundary overstepping codependent emotional vampire and coercive criminal. None of the religions that have come around to our door have fit even a portion of that extreme, and they would easily take 'no' for an answer. If they wouldn't, I submit there are more productive methods of dealing with them.

When I was younger we had carolers who would come around and at some level you are a bit pursued and trapped after opening the door... stuck there not exactly enthralled by the vocal skills, uncertain how long it would carry on for, and ultimately prevented from shutting the door on them to go finish enjoying the former activity... simply because that would seem to be rude. I admire their spirit, and I recognize the dilemma, yet I also recognize that the ability to shut the door is still there. I consider threatening them with physical violence would be a bad approach... and putting up a sign that says, "The last caroller here is still missing", equally to be rude.

When I entered life here I did not choose my parents, my siblings, my teachers, my neighbors... even my choice of friends was limited by how far we could walk down the street. So to me dealing with an inability to control who arrives on my doorstep is not that big of a deal. That is life. There are some choices but not everything here is a choice. I think if I insist on limiting my every relationship to the one that I choose... then I would be a selfish control freak and a bit isolated from life. If those carolers come around to my door and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with them... shutting the door on them to return to my former activity would have been a bit selfish. They wanted me to listen, so I politely listened. If someone else prefers to call them rude and to shut the door on them that is their choice, but I see an error.

I think with simple rules: impose upon and solicit to others as you would that they impose upon and solicit to you.... and accept the impositions and solicitations of others as you would that they accept your impositions and solicitations. That doesn't mean saying 'yes' to everything, but it means listening some and answering 'no' with tact.
 
You mentioned boundaries. I think you have hit the nail on the head, because boundaries are the key issue. Proselytizers think they have the right to violate our private space. They do this because they think they have the right to drag us off to Heaven against our will. I have two reactions.

(1) This is based on the assumption that the Christian interpretation of what happens in the afterlife is correct. (I see no need to make this assumption.)

(2) If they are wrong (and I think they are), they will be temporarily spending some time in the very Hell they are warning us about.

Aggressive proselytizers will temporarily go to Hell for what they do? I think so. Will they be protected for what they do in Jesus' name, no matter what? I do not think so.
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Wow, that's kinda calling the kettle black, don't you think? I agree that not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of God, as Jesus warned. But your assumption here is rather assertive and blanketed.

FYI, nobody has a 'right' to tell anyone where they are going, that's for God to judge. But there is a difference in judging people and warning people. You don't judge someone for falling overboard on a ship, you toss them a life presever in hopes that they will latch on. If a person doesn't want to be saved, there is nothing much else you can do to help them. No one will go to heaven against their will.
 
Vajradhara said:
Namaste Mee,

thank you for the post.



when i think about this statement and your previous statement to me, it seems you've changed your view.





~v
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no ,my view is still focused on the bible and what it teaches:) revelation 7;9-10
 
Dondi said:
FYI, nobody has a 'right' to tell anyone where they are going, that's for God to judge. But there is a difference in judging people and warning people.
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I say false... because you used the word 'tell'. Anything a person 'tells' is a warning. Warning is a matter of judging and telling. People have a 'right' to tell anyone where they are going, and it is for them to judge. In fact I tell you that it is a requirement... a requirement to judge... if the people wish to love the soul of anyone. Since you used the word 'tell', the word 'judge' was limited to thinking and providing words. Whether or not that judgment is true is yet another matter of judgment for the person who hears the words.

Furthermore it is not God's will that anyone should end in hell. If God provides judgment then it is the choice of the individual whether or not to sin. It is NOT God's will that anyone should fall.

Dondi said:
You don't judge someone for falling overboard on a ship, you toss them a life presever in hopes that they will latch on. If a person doesn't want to be saved, there is nothing much else you can do to help them. No one will go to heaven against their will.
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As an example of what I am saying, before the person falls overboard anyone has the right to judge and tell, "Stop leaning over that rail or you will fall over and end up in hell." That doesn't necessarily mean it is true and it doesn't mean pushing them over.

Sure someone could say things like, "If you lean over then God will send you to hell", or, "Jump overboard because heaven is down there". Whether any set of thoughts or words is judged as good, bad, misguided, or outright devious, it is still up to the individual who hears the words to judge and decide what to do. If the words were bad, misguided, or outright devious, then the 'tell' was still a warning of a different kind... an unintended 'tell' maybe but also one that can be used for good. For example if someone comes to me and says, "Drugs are good"... at least now I've got an opportunity having received the warning in the 'tell'.
 
What kinds of pressure...?

An issue that I don't think has been addressed so far about say sharing your faith door to door is that some groups actually keep track of how much time you doing that and the group reinforces this with say something like a "toll board" or "chart" showing how much time each person spent doing that... Now I gathered this from a conversation I had quite some time ago with someone who goes door to door..but I was wondering what kinds of pressure is exerted on those who go door to door from their own group?

- Art
 
Art,

I have heard that some Jehovah's Witnesses do not want to go door to door, but their church members force them to. I heard one story of an elderly Jehovah's Witnesses couple who were not in good physical shape. However, they were threatened with damnation if they did not go door to door. So they did.

I felt sorry for them.
 
Nick the Pilot said:
Art,

I have heard that some Jehovah's Witnesses do not want to go door to door, but their church members force them to. I heard one story of an elderly Jehovah's Witnesses couple who were not in good physical shape. However, they were threatened with damnation if they did not go door to door. So they did.

I felt sorry for them.
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lol :D if you believe that you will believe anything

it amazes me how people believe lots of made up stories anout Jehovahs witnesses. someone said to me once , you are not allowed to drink coffee are you . people believe alsorts of things :)
 
arthra said:
So no one keeps track of who goes door to door... ?
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the whole purpose of why the christian congregation was set up in the first century is about getting the Goodnews preached ,and as Jehovahs witnesses stick very closely to the bible , everything is inline with how the first century christian congregation worked .

its not about keeping track of who goes door to door, but it is about keeping track of getting the goodnews preached on a worldwide scale.



And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come. matthew 24;14
matthew 28;19-20


Also, in all the nations the good news has to be preached first. mark13;10



for those who choose to be a part of the GREAT CROWD being gathered in this time of the end , and choosing to be united in purpose with Jehovah and his son Jesus christ , they willingly spread the GOODNEWS.


:)MEE LIKES TO MAKE KNOWN GOODNEWS:)


EARLY Christians did not simply think of theirs as just another religion, one they personally happened to prefer.

Not at all! They firmly believed that they possessed the truth about Jehovah God and his purposes, and that others needed this knowledge for salvation. (John 17:3)

Their conviction moved them to vigorous preaching activity. The inspired Bible record says: "Every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus." (Acts 5:42)


and it was very good, and it still is very good :)





Jesus told his disciples to call right at the homes of the people with this vital message.


He even explained to them how to greet the household and present the Kingdom message.

Later, he sent out seventy trained disciples with similar instructions. (Matt. 10:5-7, 11-14; Luke 10:1-11) Even after his death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to his followers to urge them to carry on the preaching.



thats what the true christian congregation is all about :)



Really, the right view is that there is not a more important work on earth that a person could do.

Kingdom preaching is the work Jehovah God, man’s Creator, has commanded to be done. For this reason Jehovah’s witnesses are devoted to this activity :)
And like the early Christians, they are prepared to train and assist others to preach the Kingdom message. Their congregation meetings are designed for this very purpose.


as for the previous post that said old people were told off for not going out , that is just lies , and people get to believe silly lies .




an unnamed widow in the bible was highly commended by Jesus because she contributed all of what she had to the temple.—Mr 12:41-44.


and that would apply with regard to the preaching of the goodnews.

that older person may only be able to speak about the goodnews to their nurses and carers, but they have given all they can and it is the best they can give and it is VERY GOOD:) I look at it this way ,those older ones who are giving all they can in a spiritual way were more than likely the ones that Jehovah and Jesus used to get the GOODNEWS preached in their younger days , and that is why MEE is now a part of the GREAT CROWD revelation 7;9-10 ,because those older ones in their younger days did not shrink back from doing what is right .

and now MEE can go out on the door to door work and help those older ones to get the work done . :)














 
Mee wrote:

"...its not about keeping track of who goes door to door, but it is about keeping track of getting the goodnews preached.."

So how do you do that? "keeping track" that is?
 
arthra said:
Mee wrote:

"...its not about keeping track of who goes door to door, but it is about keeping track of getting the goodnews preached.."

So how do you do that? "keeping track" that is?
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the same as the early christian Congregation :) there are some really good road maps so no one can say that they have never been called on . The fact that others on this forum are talking about how they have been called on proves the preaching is being done .


And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come. MATTHEW 24;14
 
Mee,

I had the feeling there's more than you are sharing here..so went to a fairly neutral site called wikipedia that is usually pretty accurate and found this information:

"All members (known as "publishers") who are healthy enough are strongly encouraged to go from door to door, participating in this activity to the extent that their circumstances allow, every week if at all possible. Even children are encouraged to participate, accompanied by their parents. A publisher who fails to participate for a month is known as an "irregular publisher"; publishers who have not compiled and turned in a field service report for six consecutive months are known as "inactive publishers". Witnesses who can spend at least 840 hours of witnessing during a year (an average of 70 hours per month) can apply for the status of "regular pioneers", or full time evangelizers.[211] Witnesses who wish to spend 50 hours in a month can apply to be an "auxiliary pioneer" and can serve in this capacity either a month at a time or consecutively."

Here is the source of the article:

Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Claiming that this was a practise of early Christain congregations is probably "stretching it".

- Art:)
 
Art,

I am dying to know your reaction to all of this. Do you think their door-to-door proselytizing is appropriate?
 
Proselytizing to me implies exerting some sort of pressure or maybe coercion or incentive and I feel that is definitely inappropriate. People who say offer inducements are also I feel crossing the line.

Some years ago as I mentioned earlier I had a lady who was in counseling who was very unhappy with her situation and complained about having to go door to door so many hours a week or month, etc. and having pressures on her from her church so that's why I was pursueing this line of inquery..

- Art:)
 
arthra said:
Mee wrote:

"...its not about keeping track of who goes door to door, but it is about keeping track of getting the goodnews preached.."

So how do you do that? "keeping track" that is?
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if you were part of the christian congregation you would not need to ask you would know;)
its good that Jehovah is organized in all sorts of ways , and that includes the christian congregations.
just as the early followers of christ reported back to Jesus after going on the preaching work ,so do the followers of christ today . :)and it is very good:)Jesus is the head of the christian congregation and things are working very well. just how he wants it .


taste and see that Jehovah is good
 
arthra said:
Mee,

I had the feeling there's more than you are sharing here..so went to a fairly neutral site called wikipedia that is usually pretty accurate and found this information:

"All members (known as "publishers") who are healthy enough are strongly encouraged to go from door to door, participating in this activity to the extent that their circumstances allow, every week if at all possible. Even children are encouraged to participate, accompanied by their parents. A publisher who fails to participate for a month is known as an "irregular publisher"; publishers who have not compiled and turned in a field service report for six consecutive months are known as "inactive publishers". Witnesses who can spend at least 840 hours of witnessing during a year (an average of 70 hours per month) can apply for the status of "regular pioneers", or full time evangelizers.[211] Witnesses who wish to spend 50 hours in a month can apply to be an "auxiliary pioneer" and can serve in this capacity either a month at a time or consecutively."

Here is the source of the article:

Beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Claiming that this was a practise of early Christain congregations is probably "stretching it".

- Art:)
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yes its very good that the christian congregation is doing just what Jesus asked matthew 28;19-20. thats what it is all about .

some do more than others, some are willing to do lots of preaching ,others do what they can .

and as the article mentioned ,if they dont report back they would be regarded as inactive. good to get it right .


i like being a part of Jehovah Gods purpose ,and i like being a part of the GREAT CROWD who are all inline with the head of the christian congregation revelation 7;9-10 .....:)unity indeed and it is very good :)


matthew 24;14.


but for mee and others of the great crowd we love to informally witness about the kingdom and the wonderful promises in the bible , thats why mee also in all walks of my life point to the kingdom as the only hope . we like to bring the promises of God in the bible to the fore , thats because it is very good . matthew 6;9-10.
 
When Bible writers refer to Christians as slaves of God, they are not referring to abject servitude based on coercion. (Romans 12:11; Colossians 3:24) What is meant is willing subjection based on deep, heartfelt love for God and his Son, Jesus Christ.—Matthew 22:37; 2 Corinthians 5:14; 1 John 4:10, 11.
 
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