Evangelism Options

[yummy_delight]

A good friend of mine and I recently got into a heated debate about evangelism. We're both Christians, but we have very different ideas about evangelism. When my friend started getting really involved in church a few years ago, he also became a rampant evangelist. He believes that by bringing more people into the church he is not only saving them from eternal damnation, but also doing his duty as a Christian. He has often quoted Charles Spurgeon, saying "Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter," essentially stating that you can't truly be Christian without evangelizing non believers.

I, however, don't like the idea of evangelism at all. Although I'm a devout Catholic, I dislike the idea of evangelism because I don't believe that anybody, myself included, has the right to force his or her beliefs on someone else. I think that everybody has a right to be whatever the religion they choose. Perhaps it's because I have a different idea about God than other people. I don't think that God sends honestly good people to Hell just because they don't believe in him. There are such things as Christian people who are hypocritical, paying lip service to God at church on Sundays, and still go about causing harm to other people. In my opinion, these people are less deserving of heaven than the good-hearted people whose only "fault" is that they don't believe in God. I think that my duty as a Christian is to be a good person and have a positive impact on the world, which doesn't necessarily mean that I HAVE to be an evangelist.

I'd just like to know what everyone else's opinion is on this, not merely from a Christian standpoint, but from another religion's or atheist's perspective as well. Do you approve of evangelism? Are you an evangelist? Do you think that evangelism is a necessary requirement for all good Christians?

[sadolakced acid]

hello my name is justin and i'd like to "share" my anti-christ beliefs with you.

i implore you to accept the fact that jesus was the devil incarnate and is leading you astray!

please, just a moment of your time!

really, please!

i will save you from the imposter!

I WILL MAKE SACRAFICES FOR YOUR SOUL.

[AngelinaTaylor]

hello my name is justin and i'd like to "share" my anti-christ beliefs with you.

i implore you to accept the fact that jesus was the devil incarnate and is leading you astray!

please, just a moment of your time!

really, please!

i will save you from the imposter!

I WILL MAKE SACRAFICES FOR YOUR SOUL.

I love this guy.

Anyway. Tell me, Christians, how would you feel if atheists came up to your door to explain and share their own views? Non-forcefully, of course; just to logically explain to you why they think god doesn't exist.. what would you think?

[silvernoone]

I love this guy.

Anyway. Tell me, Christians, how would you feel if atheists came up to your door to explain and share their own views? Non-forcefully, of course; just to logically explain to you why they think god doesn't exist.. what would you think?

I would think that yay, they're proud of what they believe and actually aren't afraid to put their logic out in the open. Go them. Um, if it was at my door, I'd do the same thing I do to other door-to-door people and say "no thanks, I'm not interested" simply because it's my home and unless I know them already, I don't like standing in the doorway talking to someone. But why should I think they or anyone else shouldn't be allowed to do that? As long as they don't pester or nag and take my decline the first time, I'm happy that they want to tell people.