Great quote from Jillette (who is an atheist, though evidently, not a New Atheist :-):
He's right, if we really believed our message, we would certainly be warning those we loved that they are headed for destruction if they do not turn to God and follow Jesus Christ:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
(via)
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Yeah, but it depends on how one thinks people get saved. Those who advocate for "decisions" might meet Jillette's expectations in terms of urgency. (And, michele, you have a similar urgency which I admire.)
But a crucial component of evangelism occurs "behind the scenes," with prayer. So even after we've stopped engaging people verbally after repeated rejections and denials, we may still be "at it" on their behalf.
Anyone else enjoy Jillette's voice as the debunking TV commercial announcer who helps Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story realize he's "just a toy?" Jillette is perfect.
It's fine when someone offers to share their faith ONCE with me. Repeated attempts after that are not, however, an act of love. They are an attempt to rape someone's conscience and bend their will to your own. For all that, no true conversion will ever come from badgering someone to "commit." If your path is truly a worthwhile one, you will bring people to it by sheer example of its effects in your life. Any product which needs a sales pitch is , well, just another product.
It is fine to share your faith, but conversion takes place in God's time,not ours. After the initial attempt to convert someone, it is better to work by prayer and example than strong-armed attempts to "save" someone. Any other approach doesn't sound very much like Reformed theology to me.
The only kind of proselytizing that is meaningful is living a life of humility, generosity, peace, and grace, demonstrating that the principles of faith are meaningful and tangible. Too often, those who advocate for a life of faith make a more powerful argument against it with their example. Hostility, condescension, and arrogance are more powerful arguments against faith than any words can be in favor.
The bible says it's the responsibility of christians to spread the word... and not to let others see you pray, as well as thousands of other contradictions. Proselytizing is rude, outdated, out of place, and above all else it's annoying. The only thing it genuinely accomplishes is a re-affirmation to the a--hole who's saying it over and over again. You know, multi-level marketing works on the same principle. You aren't going to save the soul of a stranger or neighbor and it's unbelievably selfish to think you are, it's too much of a deep and personal topic. It's highly condescending and insulting to hold the assumption you've got the answer. Trust me, you're not that spiritually far ahead of anyone. Aside from that, there is no one during your day-to-day travels out there who hasn't "heard the message" before. Think logically for a minute about your favorite car, or designer, or breed of dog. You don't need to tell everyone over and over about it to enjoy it, do you? you can't make someone believe Kia's are good cars by saying it over and over again, who do you think you're really trying to convince? I don't care what you drive or who you kneel to, but think twice before you try and tell me to do the same, because that's a great way to make me hate Kia's. Besides, Jesus never existed and Christian god doesn't either.
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