Proselytizing: What is it and is it a good or bad thing?

[stvdv]

Proselytizing can mean different things to different people.

So what is proselytizing to you and

Proselytizing has its base in the belief:
a)"My Faith is superior than your (non) Faith"
b)"Your (non) Faith is inferior than my Faith"

is it a good or bad thing.

I need not explain such impact of "belittling"

 

[loverofhumanity]

Proselytizing has its base in the belief:
a)"My Faith is superior than your (non) Faith"
b)"Your (non) Faith is inferior than my Faith"

I need not explain such impact of "belittling"

Hi stvdv. I always enjoy reading your posts and insights and I find you are very tolerant and respectful of others beliefs and always enjoy sharing views with you and I learn from you the friendly spirit in which you treat others.

I think proselytising can only exist when one party does not want to share views but the other insists. If two people want to share views about anything with each other being friendly and courteous then that is sharing not proselytising.

I had my cataracts done recently then follow up laser surgery so now I can once again annoy people here! lol. Hope you are well and in good spirits.

 

[stvdv]

Hi stvdv. I always enjoy reading your posts and insights and I find you are very tolerant and respectful of others beliefs and always enjoy sharing views with you and I learn from you the friendly spirit in which you treat others.

Thank you @loverofhumanity for your friendly words

I think proselytising can only exist when one party does not want to share views but the other insists.

For me "how" it's shared is the key, not "what". "How" determines how I feel (if the other is respectful or belittling). The intention is key (whether respectful or not)
Even if a Christian insists on rattling about Bible verses ("what") for hours, I'm fine. The second he tramples my soul, by belittling my Faith ("how"), he makes a mistake.
Feelings, thoughts, words and deeds should ideally be one; all not hurting others

If two people want to share views about anything with each other being friendly and courteous then that is sharing not proselytising.

Note: Some people can be friendly and courteous outside, but inside they can't wait to kill (convert) you (your soul). So, there is no harmony in thought, word and deed. So, outside they share, but inside they proselytize. I prefer people whose thoughts, words and deeds are one, not hypocritical.
First time I think this way "inside" vs "outside" proselytizing. But makes sense, because feelings, thoughts, words, deeds all have impact on a conversation

I had my cataracts done recently then follow up laser surgery so now I can once again annoy people here! lol. Hope you are well and in good spirits.

Good to hear your surgery went well (those are little miracles too; eyes are so delicate).

I am well, and in good spirits, and good to hear you are doing fine

 

[☆Dreamwind☆]

It's a bad thing done by arrogant nags who just can't leave others alone. If they're polite and leave immediately, I'll be happy to be polite back. If they decide to act like turds and harass or follow me, they'll quickly find that I can be louder, meaner, and perfectly capable of making a public scene that would have Yosemite Sam blush in embarrassment. It's done in the spirit of smug arrogance.

 

[Spice]

It's a bad thing done by arrogant nags who just can't leave others alone. If they're polite and leave immediately, I'll be happy to be polite back. If they decide to act like turds and harass or follow me, they'll quickly find that I can be louder, meaner, and perfectly capable of making a public scene that would have Yosemite Sam blush in embarrassment. It's done in the spirit of smug arrogance.

But some use the friendly soft-sell. For me, that's the key: the sales pitch. OR the shunning. That's a fairly clear indicator that sharing, comparing, and learning from each other was never the intent.

 

[osgart]

I've had to endure many a Christians giving me their ignorant forms of proselytizing. I've heard King David analogies to what God does with those who have heard the message and resist. Another Christian type is really bad at reading the Bible and talks about his power over people, and how God protects him. Yet another rattles off fulfilled end time prophecies and predictions.

The Christian ultimatum always comes with the package. Some are sickeningly sweet about it. Others are indirectly insinuating it.

I do wonder if other people have gone through such ridiculously ignorant proselytizing.

They even feel like they have a God given insight into your very being. Totally insulting, amazingly ignorant, and absolutely stupid emotional appeals. They love to control the conversation and cannot stand one bit when they can't get their desired effect. Asked to use reason, and asked questions in return they get bent out of shape easily.

 

[Vinayaka]

But some use the friendly soft-sell. For me, that's the key: the sales pitch. OR the shunning. That's a fairly clear indicator that sharing, comparing, and learning from each other was never the intent.

That's the sneaky way. I much prefer the up-front approach.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

So what is proselytizing to you and is it a good or bad thing.

Proselytizing is any attempt to encourage another person to adopt your religion. It can be something easy going, like inviting them to a church picnic, to something sinister, like converting others at the point of a sword.

I find ordinary proselytization to be very irritating, but I support freedom of religion, which means freedom for them to be irritating, and freedom for me to tell them to get lost.

 

[Pogo]

Proselytizing is not a bad thing, but it is a good idea to have an idea at least as good as the obvious rebuttals.

 

[Niatero]

Proselytizing can mean different things to different people. Some people may feel a duty to proselytize as part of their faith. Others may use the word in a pejorative way to criticise others who 'teach' their faith to others while insisting on being above whatever they perceive the word to mean.

So what is proselytising? To me it means trying to convert people from one religion or worldview to another. Personally I wouldn't try to convert anyone to my religion, but if someone had questions about my faith or were interested to learn I would certainly help them. If someone wanted to join my religion, if I believed they were sincere and understood what my faith was about, I would certainly assist them in their journey to become part of the worldwide community of my faith. So none of this I would consider proselytizing. I would avoid any manipulation, coercion or deception which certainly runs contrary to the truthfulness and trsutworthiness that is at the foundation of any genuine religion.

Proselytizing on religious forum is against the rules btw. Some of you may be aware of rule 8:

8. Preaching/Proselytizing
Creating (or linking to) content intended to convert/recruit others to your religion, spirituality, sect/denomination, or lack thereof is not permitted. Similarly, attempting to convert others away from their religion, spiritual convictions, or sect/denomination will also be considered a form of preaching. Stating opinions as a definitive matter of fact (i.e., without "I believe/feel/think" language, and/or without references) may be moderated as preaching.

RF Rules

I've certainly experienced a great deal of proselytizing during my time on RF and have been accused of it myself.

So what is proselytizing to you and is it a good or bad thing.

I'm thinking that a more useful question might be, if a person is only using the forum as a platform for evangelizing, no matter if it fits some definition of proselytizing or not, is it contrary to the spirit of the rule against proselytizing? That's something I would hope that people promoting spiritual teachings would consider.

(later) Maybe, if a person is only using the forum as a platform for evangelizing, that in itself might not be contrary to the spirit of the rules, but it might almost invariably be associated with behavior that is. It might be possible for a person to use the forum only for that purpose, and still be respecting the forum rules, with genuine interest in what other people are saying and not always using their posts as a platforms for their evangelizing. Possible but maybe not very likely.

Maybe an even more useful question would be, what to do when someone's intrusive and invasive behavior in multiple threads is ruining the forum for you? Not only religious evangelizing, but any kind of invasive and intrusive behaviour in multiple threads, and misleading thread titles to lure people into an evangelizing thread.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I'm thinking that a more useful question might be, if a person is only using the forum as a platform for evangelizing, no matter if it fits some definition of proselytizing or not, is it contrary to the spirit of the rule against proselytizing? That's something I would hope that people promoting spiritual teachings would consider.

(later) Maybe, if a person is only using the forum as a platform for evangelizing, that in itself might not be contrary to the spirit of the rules, but it might almost invariably be associated with behavior that is. It might be possible for a person to use the forum only for that purpose, and still be respecting the forum rules, with genuine interest in what other people are saying and not always using their posts as a platforms for their evangelizing. Possible but maybe not very likely.

Maybe an even more useful question would be, what to do when someone's intrusive and invasive behavior in multiple threads is ruining the forum for you? Not only religious evangelizing, but any kind of invasive and intrusive behaviour in multiple threads, and misleading thread titles to lure people into an evangelizing thread.

I like the way you phrased that. You remind me a lot of a Baha'i we had on this forum a few years back.

It's a tricky business trying to get into someone's head and figuring what makes them tick. It may not be possible to do that objectively.

Someone's behavior is more straightforward. It's like traffic and if someone is weaving all over the road or violating the rules in some way that affects others then action needs to be taken.

Proselytizing on this forum is considered problematic. So whether or not the intent is evangelism or something else, proselytizing is reported and moderated.

The important thing for me is having a space where people of different faiths and ideologies can come together and discuss issues that matter. It needs to be a supportive and safe space.

 

[bobhikes]

Proselytizing can mean different things to different people. Some people may feel a duty to proselytize as part of their faith. Others may use the word in a pejorative way to criticise others who 'teach' their faith to others while insisting on being above whatever they perceive the word to mean.

So what is proselytising? To me it means trying to convert people from one religion or worldview to another. Personally I wouldn't try to convert anyone to my religion, but if someone had questions about my faith or were interested to learn I would certainly help them. If someone wanted to join my religion, if I believed they were sincere and understood what my faith was about, I would certainly assist them in their journey to become part of the worldwide community of my faith. So none of this I would consider proselytizing. I would avoid any manipulation, coercion or deception which certainly runs contrary to the truthfulness and trsutworthiness that is at the foundation of any genuine religion.

Proselytizing on religious forum is against the rules btw. Some of you may be aware of rule 8:

8. Preaching/Proselytizing
Creating (or linking to) content intended to convert/recruit others to your religion, spirituality, sect/denomination, or lack thereof is not permitted. Similarly, attempting to convert others away from their religion, spiritual convictions, or sect/denomination will also be considered a form of preaching. Stating opinions as a definitive matter of fact (i.e., without "I believe/feel/think" language, and/or without references) may be moderated as preaching.

RF Rules

I've certainly experienced a great deal of proselytizing during my time on RF and have been accused of it myself.

So what is proselytizing to you and is it a good or bad thing.

In my opinion, Proselytizing is forcing your beliefs on others when not asked for and when specifically asked not to.

It is clearly wrong.

 

[Niatero]

I like the way you phrased that. You remind me a lot of a Baha'i we had on this forum a few years back.

It's a tricky business trying to get into someone's head and figuring what makes them tick. It may not be possible to do that objectively.

Someone's behavior is more straightforward. It's like traffic and if someone is weaving all over the road or violating the rules in some way that affects others then action needs to be taken.

Proselytizing on this forum is considered problematic. So whether or not the intent is evangelism or something else, proselytizing is reported and moderated.

The important thing for me is having a space where people of different faiths and ideologies can come together and discuss issues that matter. It needs to be a supportive and safe space.

Thank you. I've been asking people questions about their faith in this thread: Learning about people’s faith & what they believe in, how they think about it & try to practice it

Can I invite you there to ask you questions about your faith?

 

[Kenny]

proselytize​

verb​

pros·e·ly·tize ˈprä-s(ə-)lə-ˌtīz

proselytized; proselytizing
Synonyms of proselytize
intransitive verb
1
: to induce someone to convert to one's faith

2
: to recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause


IMV, proselytizing is what basically everyone does in a debate. People just accentuate the area of religion yet in every debate, the basics is that you are trying to convince the other party you are right with the ultimate desire to recruit them into one’s own party, institution, cause or belief system

It isn’t when one is just sharing.

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm thinking that a more useful question might be, if a person is only using the forum as a platform for evangelizing, no matter if it fits some definition of proselytizing or not, is it contrary to the spirit of the rule against proselytizing? That's something I would hope that people promoting spiritual teachings would consider.

(later) Maybe, if a person is only using the forum as a platform for evangelizing, that in itself might not be contrary to the spirit of the rules, but it might almost invariably be associated with behavior that is. It might be possible for a person to use the forum only for that purpose, and still be respecting the forum rules, with genuine interest in what other people are saying and not always using their posts as a platforms for their evangelizing. Possible but maybe not very likely.

Maybe an even more useful question would be, what to do when someone's intrusive and invasive behavior in multiple threads is ruining the forum for you? Not only religious evangelizing, but any kind of invasive and intrusive behaviour in multiple threads, and misleading thread titles to lure people into an evangelizing thread.

I think the mods of this forum do a great job dealing with proselytizing. Several members, due to temporary bans, etc. have been able to tone it down somewhat. Those that haven't been able to that are no longer here.

 

[McBell]

IMO it is neither a good nor a bad thing.
At least, in and of itself.

However, i do hold to the belief that there are times and places where it is inappropriate.

 

[☆Dreamwind☆]

Proselytizing is not a bad thing, but it is a good idea to have an idea at least as good as the obvious rebuttals.

It is a bad thing. It's done with the contempt that your religion is inferior and theirs is better. Need I also remind you of the moronic missionary who risked killing an entirely isolated tribe with diseases because he cared more about bringing them Christianity then about respecting their legal right to remain isolated? They gave him one fair warning, and killed him when he came back.

To my knowledge only a few faiths practice proselytizing. Most other faiths generally prefer to not go out and threaten, harass, and annoy other people. Because people will come to those faiths if they want to.

 

[viole]

Proselytizing can mean different things to different people. Some people may feel a duty to proselytize as part of their faith. Others may use the word in a pejorative way to criticise others who 'teach' their faith to others while insisting on being above whatever they perceive the word to mean.

So what is proselytising? To me it means trying to convert people from one religion or worldview to another. Personally I wouldn't try to convert anyone to my religion, but if someone had questions about my faith or were interested to learn I would certainly help them. If someone wanted to join my religion, if I believed they were sincere and understood what my faith was about, I would certainly assist them in their journey to become part of the worldwide community of my faith. So none of this I would consider proselytizing. I would avoid any manipulation, coercion or deception which certainly runs contrary to the truthfulness and trsutworthiness that is at the foundation of any genuine religion.

Proselytizing on religious forum is against the rules btw. Some of you may be aware of rule 8:

8. Preaching/Proselytizing
Creating (or linking to) content intended to convert/recruit others to your religion, spirituality, sect/denomination, or lack thereof is not permitted. Similarly, attempting to convert others away from their religion, spiritual convictions, or sect/denomination will also be considered a form of preaching. Stating opinions as a definitive matter of fact (i.e., without "I believe/feel/think" language, and/or without references) may be moderated as preaching.

RF Rules

I've certainly experienced a great deal of proselytizing during my time on RF and have been accused of it myself.

So what is proselytizing to you and is it a good or bad thing.

I love it.

Ciao

- viole

 

[viole]

Proselytizing can mean different things to different people. Some people may feel a duty to proselytize as part of their faith. Others may use the word in a pejorative way to criticise others who 'teach' their faith to others while insisting on being above whatever they perceive the word to mean.

So what is proselytising? To me it means trying to convert people from one religion or worldview to another. Personally I wouldn't try to convert anyone to my religion, but if someone had questions about my faith or were interested to learn I would certainly help them. If someone wanted to join my religion, if I believed they were sincere and understood what my faith was about, I would certainly assist them in their journey to become part of the worldwide community of my faith. So none of this I would consider proselytizing. I would avoid any manipulation, coercion or deception which certainly runs contrary to the truthfulness and trsutworthiness that is at the foundation of any genuine religion.

Proselytizing on religious forum is against the rules btw. Some of you may be aware of rule 8:

8. Preaching/Proselytizing
Creating (or linking to) content intended to convert/recruit others to your religion, spirituality, sect/denomination, or lack thereof is not permitted. Similarly, attempting to convert others away from their religion, spiritual convictions, or sect/denomination will also be considered a form of preaching. Stating opinions as a definitive matter of fact (i.e., without "I believe/feel/think" language, and/or without references) may be moderated as preaching.

RF Rules

I've certainly experienced a great deal of proselytizing during my time on RF and have been accused of it myself.

So what is proselytizing to you and is it a good or bad thing.

I love it when religious people proselytize to me. And that is why I think that that rule should be revoked.

Ciao

- viole