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?

[*kryogenix*]

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.

Spreading God's news is a good thing to do. We are called to do it.

Non Christians who are invincibly ignorant cannot be held responsible for not worshipping God. However, telling people about God makes sure that fewer people are invincibly ignorant.

The people who are hypocritical are just as undeserving as those who reject God and are not invincibly ignorant.

[sadolakced acid]

i would think, in all logic, they would be more undeserving?


anyways

i have seen evangelism tear apart friendships.

now, i'm not as anti-christian as i was before, but i still don't like evangelicals, mostly because of thier general unwillingness to accept no for an answer.

[Ington]

They bother me. A lot.

Why, you ask? Because they seem to always find me in a crowd.

A week ago, while I was sitting with my girlfriend in Dunkin Donuts, enjoying a nice mocha drink, two asian women (one seemed like the mother of the other) came up to us and gave us little Christian pamphlets. I myself am Jewish, and my girlfriend is a Buddhist. They started to explain each page of the pamphlets to us in horrible, broken Engrishe, and I interrupted by saying "I'm sorry, I'm Jewish." However, my girlfriend felt bad and didn't want to interrupt. They huddled around her and kept talking, so I said, "She's Buddhist." They looked at me like they didn't understand what I meant. They kept explaining to her the meanings of special words and whatnot, and I told them to leave us alone. I f**king hate that.

Once, a Jehova's Witness rang my doorbell for 30 minutes straight. I, honestly, was about to come out and nail 'I AM NOT F*CKING CONVERTING' on my door.

[flc]

Umm..no offence to anyone here, but I think Evangelists are insane.

If they were devout Christians, they'd know not to judge people, & tell them where they're going in the Afterlife. They'd know that they are only mere humans & it's God's decision, not theirs, where a person will end up. These people take everything in the Bible so literally; they must have never heard the saying, "God works in mysterious ways," because really, they don't know, a guy could be on his deathbed, an Atheist his whole life, & then suddenly have a transformation that would make him believe, & he could end up going to heaven after all. {This isn't what I believe, mind you, this is just what I've been taught.}

I just think that good Christians wouldn't try to take God's job in bringing people closer to him. I believe that good Christians would "save" people, so to speak, by living a good life & setting a good example, not being so pushy & up in people's faces.

Once, a Jehova's Witness rang my doorbell for 30 minutes straight. I, honestly, was about to come out and nail 'I AM NOT F*CKING CONVERTING' on my door.

My gosh. Couldn't you have been like, "Listen, buddy, if you don't knock it off I'm going to call the cops on you for harrassment."?

[Ington]

My gosh. Couldn't you have been like, "Listen, buddy, if you don't knock it off I'm going to call the cops on you for harrassment."?

It seemed as though my voice couldn't pass the barrier around their heads. I eventually did come out and tell the woman I was going to eat her soul if she didn't leave, though.

By the way, don't do that. Ever. I was lucky, because she didn't think I was serious. Many of them are fanatics, and they would have burned my house down because of that. Whew.

Thank you for saying what I was basically thinking.

[AngryBaby]

dont listen to franki ariel, she's INSANE.

you put that sign up if you damn well please

[marzipan]

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 agree completely with you on that. i don't think people should be pushed into a religion. i've had people come up to me saying you have to be christian to go to heaven, and that if you're not, you're going to hell. i HATE that. if you lead a good life and are a good person, but you're not christian, why should you go to hell?

[n00b]

well I don't think you should be forced into a religion.
I'm Christian, but still.
Just let someone do what they want.

[*StanleyThePanda*]

Forcing your religion on them isnt cool, no.
But I think that sharing your testimony with them and maybe inviting them to church is okay.
Cause then they arent really pressured into, or forced into.

[fifthing]

I fully agree with your stance on the matter. I prefer my faith to be a personal thing, so while I myself am Catholic, I'm socially liberal in my opinions. I base my actions and judgements not upon what is spelled out in the bible , because it should not be taken that literally, or what I'm told to do by others, but rather on what feels right, which is under no circumstances to force someone to change their beliefs or behavior unless they are causing palpable or plausible harm to themselves or others. Thus, making someone unhappy out of arrogance that my beliefs are the only correct ones is hardly on my agenda. There is too much doubt in the world for that. If my faith were ever to grow to such a militant extent, I would have to seriously reconsider, as that seems to be one of the most hypocritical things possible.

[flc]

It seemed as though my voice couldn't pass the barrier around their heads. I eventually did come out and tell the woman I was going to eat her soul if she didn't leave, though.

By the way, don't do that. Ever. I was lucky, because she didn't think I was serious. Many of them are fanatics, and they would have burned my house down because of that. Whew.

Lol.

But..you serious? That's pretty scary shit. That angers me a lot. Fanatics are stoopid.

& I'm more sane than Evan, ignore him.

[steph514]

I recently took a class on apologetics, learning how to defend my own faith while introducing it to others. Trust me, I've always felt very negatively towards eveangelists eventhough I considered myself a faithful Christian. What the class taught me most was discretion. While I disapprove with hunting people down, slamming pamphlets in their faces, and forcing conversion, I also have to point out that part of being a "faithful Christian" is sharing the gospel. I strongly emphasize the word SHARE. Meaning, something you do with only those you've grown comfortable enough to exchange with. Also, it must definetly be an exchange of ideas. I love learning about other religions, they tend to either enforce my belief in my own religion,open my eyes to modern applications or old doctrine, or simply make me more aware of our modern culture. The true evangelist isn't the man ringing your doorbell for 30 mins, he's the one that really gets you thinking about what you believe. Perhaps even through a curious post on an otherwise religiously sparse forum.

[flc]

^ Bravo. =)

[sadolakced acid]

only one person can make me do that, and he is god.

god speaks to me in dreams.

since i don't dream, i shall remain one of the infidels.

[kimmytree]

Ahh I really dont like Evangelists. But ironically, I go to a Christian school.

I'm a Christian, but I believe Jesus ALREADY saved us. I believe in accepting him, but that doesnt get you into Heaven. I believe that basically everyone is going to Heaven.

I forget the exact reference, but there's a verse that says that there will be more people in Heaven than grains of sand on the seashores. But, according to most Christians, like 95% of the world is going to Hell. Thats pretty screwed up.

[rorhinna]

I would like to just define something. I have been noticing that some people think
that if you are a catholic or just believe in God that you are a Christian. Well....
This isn't that case. In order to be a Christian you must have accepted Jesus Christ as your
Lord and Savior to forgive you of your sins.
"For God so loved the world that He have His only begotten Son that whosever believes in Him shall not die, but have everlasting life" -John 3:16
So, it doesn't matter whether you're a good person or not, you're not going to heaven
unless you have a personal relationship with Christ. (oh and to all those people who think this stuff is dumb or whatever, well, sorry, to bother you). So, I'm sorry, but those people who say they are Christians but are hypocritical and do bad stuff and supposedly don't deserve to go to heaven.... well, no one deserves to go to heaven, but that's why God forgives. However, the people who just do bad, because they know they'll be forgiven, well, if they act that way, then they probably don't have that relationship with Christ and don't wish to follow Him. --okay, so that was one of the points about undeserving people, ya?

Then, about the main topic at hand. Ya, you totally don't have to be an "evangelist" or "missionary" for God to be a real Christian. But if you were to argue that point, you might as well say that you are an evangelist for Christ, merely by going about your day being a good example, and that's ministry in itself, when people can tell that you have things more together or what not.
Plus, just from the replys to this post, its obvious that getting in peoples face and saying "YOU NEED JESUS AND YOU NEED TO BE SAVED!!" well, that can get annoying and
after awhile...or even right away, people begin to resent christianity. which, honestly I can't blame them, I mean, I wouldn't want people doing that to me... and actually its happened, but I just say that I'm a christian. ANYWAYS, erm, I think I addressed everything...

but ya, me personally, I don't force my religion on anyone, cuz that's just not cool. however, since this is a forum and more specifically the debate section... well, I'm a bit more opinionated here. :)

[zebzie]

Its called faith WITH works. If you believe in God, but sin over and over, you will get sent too hell. Faith coupled with works and also bearing fruits (converting people) is what God wants you too do, to save people from going to hell. Its what He wants. But you can still be saved if you don't convert someone, just attempt to put in the effort. Plus, its not like saying, "Hey, wanna come join my church, if you don't, I'm gonna come down and kill you and your family". It's their moral decision.

[ktsou11]

As Christians, we're called upon by God's word to spread the gospel. But just because some Christians don't evangelize doesn't mean that they wont get into heaven. You automatically gain entry by asking God into your heart. He doesn't MAKE you go that extra step like "You won't get into heaven unless you do this." That's more along the lines of Jehova's Witnesses. Again, He doesn't MAKE us but we should have a desire to spread His good news and give others a chance to find salvation.

PRAISE GOD!

[Kontroll]

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?

Listen. You're friend is right about evangelism. Evangelism is simply telling people about the Gospel. The Gospel is Greek or Hebrew for 'Good News'. I know that's not really relevant, but it's a neat thing to know. Anyway, I am an evangelical Christian, and it is our duty to bring souls to Christ. Only through Christ can you be truely saved. Only through faith can you be truely saved. It's not works. Yes, there are people out there who claim to be Christians and probably are, but aren't living the life style. You cannot lose your salvation. There is no where in the Bible that states if you don't strictly follow the religion you will be cut off from Heaven.

There is nothing that can do that. I've heard people who believe that if you kill yourself that you will automatically go to Hell. You probably believe this considering you are Catholic, but I'm just assuming. Well, even murderers are allowed into Heaven. What is suicide? It is the murder of one's self. Logically, you are allowed into Heaven. Again, religion has nothing to do with you and Christ. What God want's is a personal relationship with you. He doesn't care if you go to church or not, because in reality it's just bricks and mortor. There is no intermediary between you and God. You can talk to Him directly. So, says the Bible. Just look for it. It seems that the Catholic religion is one of hypocracy. They go to church and when they leave they are no longer apart of it, until the next week. This is just what I've experienced.

Evangelism is not forcing your believe on some one. It's simply showing them your side of the story. It's not like we are holding guns up to their heads. So, you really can't say that we force them to become Christians. It really must not be that important to you that people have personal relationships with Christ, because I think that way to sometimes. Well, I don't want to force my opinion on them. That is really just saying that you're afraid of what the consequences might be.

That's what I have to say.

[silvernoone]

Evangelism is being just as open about talking about Christianity as others are open about talking about their religion or lack thereof. If you're a Christian, isn't God supposed to be a part of you, making him a part of your life, day in and day out? Well, I know most people talk about their every day life. So evangelism is also not holding back what's really happening in your daily life even if it involves talking about God.

With that I think it's also a matter of living a Godly life that shows as evangelism. Usually getting into debates or approaching people right off the bat about religion doesn't get you anywhere. But seeing the life it gives you to live makes the real impact. I'm not a Christian but my dad is a pastor and I grew up in church. There's something in the presense and manerisms that draws my attention more than the words.

Brow-beating door-to-door evangelism is just a cover for what really witnesses to people. I wish more people understood that instead of thinking all evangelism is scary or that you're not a Christian if you don't ask everyone you see "so do you have Jesus?".

[chasingvictory]

well to me Evangelism isn't, "forcing his or her beliefs on someone else."
To me its sharing in what you believe in.

When I went to evanglise one time, the first thing I said to a person was, "Hi my name is Nico and I am here to share God's love to everyone. By any chance have you herd of Jesus Christ?" Well, I don't say it exactly like that but if they reject me I don't continue to speak to them. I think that all christians are all called to evangelize because when Jesus visited the disciples during the resurrection, he said to "make disciples of all nations." He told us that in Matthew 28:19-20.

[thanhmai]

I believe that people should have the free will to choose whatever religion that makes them a better person. Isn't that the base of what religion is supposed to help you do in your life, really? To make yourself a better person. And if someone is happy with how their own religion is improving their life, it isn't right to impose what you think would make their life better.

[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.

[thanhmai]

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 like this sarcastic example. Say the world were to take on anti christ gospels and doctrines, and that was the religious majority. Hypothetically so, would Christians (pretending that they are the less popular of the religions) like antichrist religious people evangelising to them? Maybe the example above (replacing all the "devil incarnate"s and "antichrist"s with "Jesus loves you" and "We are His vessel") is how Christian nonbelievers feel when evangelists fervently preach to them.

I don't really know where I'm going with this.
Do you kinda get my opinion maybe?
It all makes a little more sense in my head.