There is one Ultimate, vanilla, and S/He is more awesome, wise, loving and merciful than anyone you or I or Jack Chick could ever imagine and we’d be profoundly stupid to try, being little tiny human beans. Sometimes the wisest thing to do is acknowledge your limitations.
Re: the OP. I hear you. The worst thing about those raving fundies is their self-satisfied smugness. It’s infuriating. When people are so arrogant and self-righteous, you just want to smack them with a shovel.
About six billion, give or take.
I wasn’t comparing them to door-to-door witnesses. Aren’t those people annoying?
I know he had the standard disclaimer that not all Christians are pricks, yada yada. But he did say (or strongly imply) that Christians who go to other countries and share their faith (or heaven forbid just pray for the locals) are assholes. Maybe he was just referring to those that go into war zones. In any case, he’s wrong. Some of them surely are assholes, but most of them are not. Same as any other group of people.
That’s the thing about missionaries. They believe their intentions are good and noble and don’t even realize that they’re being insulting to others in what they do.
Think of it like the anti-pop up ads that are, ironically enough, pop-ups. They’ll come up on your screen (until you figure out how to disable them) every 10 minutes saying something like “hate pop-ups? Buy our product!” They’re creating the problem, and then offering a solution.
When evangelists come to your door and tell you that you’re living a life of sin, or you’re going to go to hell or whatever, they’re creating a problem. But it can be fixed. By converting to their chosen religion (whatever it may be). Creating a problem and providing a solution.
I would never buy anti pop-up software that was advertised in the form of a pop-up because to me, that’s a highly obnoxious form of advertising. Almost like they’re bullying you into buying their product. For the same reasons, I would never convert to any religion that tried to witness me. I’m not going to join your religion because you tried to bully me into it by telling me I’m going to hell if I don’t.
If you truly wanted to spread the word of Jesus, you’d be there waiting to talk if someone wanted to. You’d do community service, pray for them, whatever. Let the people come to you, don’t run to them and get in their faces. Don’t tell them that they’re beliefs are wrong, and yours are right. Everyone’s beliefs are right, to them. That’s all that really matters. Believe me, if someone’s looking for religion (or a different religion than what they already believe in), they’ll seek you out.
Skammer, we just posted at the same time so I don’t want you to think I ignored you agreeing with the fact that door to door witnesses suck.
But a group of missionaries going to a country that is predominantly a religion other than Christianity and aren’t witnessing?
That’s rather hard to believe.
Depends on what perspective you have. Which is better, to be in danger in this life or to be in danger after you die? Yes, Christians should try to reach the Muslims for Christ. Jesus said to go unto all the world and preach the gospel to everyone, that includes Muslims. There are worses things than physical suffering and death even though it’s hard for us to realize that as long as we live in this world. Evangelists are simply doing what Jesus told His followers to do.
Actually, he made a clear distinction between the missionaries he was ranting against, and the ones in the country making an honest effort to help and communicate with the locals. Viz:
All that Bible study, and still no reading comprehension. Makes ya think, don’t it?
His4ever, it’s not that they’re trying to evangelize, it’s that they are doing so in a way that puts themselves, their fellow missionaries, and their targets in greater jeopardy, and possibly turning them off of Christianity. And they’re LYING about their purposes-bearing false witness?
Remember what St. Francis of Assisi said? “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”
Exactly. I think a lot of people’s laughing and course jokes about God will end immediately, in fact I know it will.
I see.
You know nothing of the sort, you ignorant woman.
Hey Read Neck I have to take issue with your statement…
How many deaths can you attribute to organized religion?
More than the holocaust?
More than the Soviet pograms?
More than the Communist Revolution in China?
More than Pol Pot?
…just to mention a few.
it seems despotic rulers with a socialist bent would claim top honors here…
Your opinion, of course. My ignorance is also a matter of opinion, which not everyone shares.
Not 100% sure, but I think that the two could be pretty close. Consider:
[ul]
[li]The Crusades.[/li][li]The Inquisition.[/li][li]Witch trials.[/li][li]Etc. [/li][/ul]
I found this site rather interesting
The holocaust could not have happened without a millenium of antissemitism being preached from the pupits. Pogroms against jews were a proud Christian tradition in Eastern Europe. The holocaust was just the ultimate pogrom. Hitler didn’t create antisemitism, antisemitism created Hitler.
Below is a link to many opinions of death counts for the 20th century. I dare say you will not find facts or figures from religious persecutions to match killing in the name of socialism.
http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat8.htm
But I am intersted to see what you come up with…
I have been to Salem and don’t remember there being a terrible number of deaths attributed to the witch hunts…
OK I will give you the 7 million figure traditionally accepted for the holocaust as being “caused” by religion… but I think it is a stretch…
But to what do you attribute the millions killed by Mao?
Imperial Japan in its early 20th century expansion?
Non-jews killed by Lenin and Stalin?
American Indians killed by the US Cavalry?
Pol Pot?
Kim Il Sung of N. Korea?
Saddam Hussein during Iran/Iraq war?
Yahya Khan of Pakistan?
Pash Enver of Turkey?
I still stand by my assertion that religion is NOT the number one cause of mass murder…
Since World History doesn’t begin and end in the 20th Century I’ll stand by mine. (Excellent source Binarydrone,Thanks.)
No, but you were comparing them to the SDMB, in terms of exposing you to ideas which challenged your beliefs.
My point is that you came to the SDMB voluntarily, whereas these evangelicals seek out the folks they’re trying to “save.” The only way the two would be comparable is if either (1) the SDMB came to your home and seeked you out, or (2) the Evangelicals didn’t actively seek out targets.