The Right to Proselytize?

[Nikodemus]

So on Friday I took my five year old daughter out trick or treating. While we were out she got something she said was stickers and I didn't think anything of it. It was dark and we were having fun so I didn't pay much attention. Later on, when I was going through her candy, I saw that her stickers were actually a pamphlet promoting Christianity in general and Catholic belief particularly.

This pamphlet was colorful and filled with Halloween stickers and images. It had prayers to say and a number to call to be "saved". The number was to a religious hotline.

So I gave my daughter the stickers (jack-o-lanterns and ghosts) and threw the pamphlet away.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big a deal, but it made me angry. Here we are, just out for a night of fun and someone is trying to convert people.

So what do you think? Do you think actions like that are acceptable? If you do, can you please explain why you think that?

Or are you like me, and think that there is a time and a place and Halloween night isn't it?

Or some third or fourth or fifth option I haven't thought of?

 

[Storm]

I find it helps to assume that such people are acting out of genuine concern for your well-being.

(But it still annoys the crap outta me.)

 

[rock hop]

Of course they are acceptable. You are out knocking on their door, expecting treats in exchange for not performing tricks and then you expect to be treated without contempt. We get religiuos fanatics of those "American Denominations", come knocking on our door, proclaiming all forms of doctrine and I can well imagine they would not like it if I came knocking upon their door to express my beliefs. Being civil is a courtesy, accept that there were gifts and stop the whinning that seems to be so prevelant in the behaviour of said humans.

 

[Katzpur]

So on Friday I took my five year old daughter out trick or treating. While we were out she got something she said was stickers and I didn't think anything of it. It was dark and we were having fun so I didn't pay much attention. Later on, when I was going through her candy, I saw that her stickers were actually a pamphlet promoting Christianity in general and Catholic belief particularly.

This pamphlet was colorful and filled with Halloween stickers and images. It had prayers to say and a number to call to be "saved". The number was to a religious hotline.

So I gave my daughter the stickers (jack-o-lanterns and ghosts) and threw the pamphlet away.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big a deal, but it made me angry. Here we are, just out for a night of fun and someone is trying to convert people.

So what do you think? Do you think actions like that are acceptable? If you do, can you please explain why you think that?

Or are you like me, and think that there is a time and a place and Halloween night isn't it?

Or some third or fourth or fifth option I haven't thought of?

Wow! That would have annoyed me big time! Not even we Mormons would do something like that, and as you probably know, we're pretty big on proselytizing. There is a time and a place, and Halloween is definitely not it. I remember when the Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City. Everybody thought they'd become "the Mormon games." Well, the Church came out and flat out insisted that there was to be no proselytizing anywhere except right in Temple Square, and there wasn't. People were pretty pleasantly surprised.

I'm really surprised to hear that it was the Roman Catholic Church doing this. It just doesn't sound like them at all. It sounds a whole lot more like some of the more fundamentalist Protestant denominations. I've never even heard a Catholic (or a Mormon) talk about what you have to do to "be saved."

 

[Nikodemus]

Wow! That would have annoyed me big time! Not even we Mormons would do something like that, and as you probably know, we're pretty big on proselytizing. There is a time and a place, and Halloween is definitely not it. I remember when the Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City. Everybody thought they'd become "the Mormon games." Well, the Church came out and flat out insisted that there was to be no proselytizing anywhere except right in Temple Square, and there wasn't. People were pretty pleasantly surprised.

I'm really surprised to hear that it was the Roman Catholic Church doing this. It just doesn't sound like them at all. It sounds a whole lot more like some of the more fundamentalist Protestant denominations. I've never even heard a Catholic (or a Mormon) talk about what you have to do to "be saved."

Yeah that got me too. First I've heard of a Catholic organization writing things like that.

 

[darkendless]

So on Friday I took my five year old daughter out trick or treating. While we were out she got something she said was stickers and I didn't think anything of it. It was dark and we were having fun so I didn't pay much attention. Later on, when I was going through her candy, I saw that her stickers were actually a pamphlet promoting Christianity in general and Catholic belief particularly.

This pamphlet was colorful and filled with Halloween stickers and images. It had prayers to say and a number to call to be "saved". The number was to a religious hotline.

So I gave my daughter the stickers (jack-o-lanterns and ghosts) and threw the pamphlet away.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big a deal, but it made me angry. Here we are, just out for a night of fun and someone is trying to convert people.

So what do you think? Do you think actions like that are acceptable? If you do, can you please explain why you think that?

Or are you like me, and think that there is a time and a place and Halloween night isn't it?

Or some third or fourth or fifth option I haven't thought of?

I know what its like, i get pamphlets in the mail all the time telling me how evil i am and that Jesus died to save my soul.

Take comfort in the fact that they're so desperate to have their voice heard that they will sink so low as to abuse children. Abuse is the wrong word but such advertising is very sad.
I disagree with religious advertising, mainly because of the stink the church kicks up when anti-religious sentiment is thrown around.

 

[Nikodemus]

Of course they are acceptable. You are out knocking on their door, expecting treats in exchange for not performing tricks and then you expect to be treated without contempt. We get religiuos fanatics of those "American Denominations", come knocking on our door, proclaiming all forms of doctrine and I can well imagine they would not like it if I came knocking upon their door to express my beliefs. Being civil is a courtesy, accept that there were gifts and stop the whinning that seems to be so prevelant in the behaviour of said humans.

Actually there is no knocking on doors. People put on their house lights to let the kids know that they are giving out candy. No light, no candy. So the person giving decided to give, she wasn't being bothered without consent.

Being civil is a courtesy? I'm confused. Where was I not civil? It's not like I went to the house and yelled at this woman. I threw the pamphlet away and talked about it here because I want to know the reasoning behind someone doing that. I find that if I know the reasoning behind an action, I can better understand it and thus better understand the person performing the action. I am currently angry about it. I don't like being angry, so I'm trying to reach a place of understanding. If you consider that whining, then you should probably avoid my posts in the future, because I ask a LOT of questions.

Besides, I can't really consider a pamphlet that's trying to convert my child a gift.

 

[Katzpur]

Of course they are acceptable. You are out knocking on their door, expecting treats in exchange for not performing tricks and then you expect to be treated without contempt.

It's a holiday, for crying out loud! People expect kids to be knocking on their doors asking for treats. Are you saying that these kids should be treated with contempt, just for doing what everybody else is doing on Halloween?

 

[kaitlin]

are'nt you on a religen, forum ?and you dont think you look strange, talking about how you think its a bit much , with the pamphlet

 

[Storm]

I don't think he looks strange at all. For one thing, while this is a religion forum, proselytizing is strictly forbidden.

 

[Nikodemus]

are'nt you on a religen, forum ?and you dont think you look strange, talking about how you think its a bit much , with the pamphlet

:sarcastic....

 

[ChristineES]

Annoying, yes- Contemptible, no. Just because they are putting the tracts in the bags doesn't mean that you have to read them. I would never put anything but candy in a trick or treaters bag since they are only children and probably wouldn't understand it anyway. And a holiday is hardly the time for spreading the word.
Rock hop does have a point, though. These people did pay out money to give children candy.

 

[Nikodemus]

I don't think he looks strange at all. For one thing, while this is a religion forum, proselytizing is strictly forbidden.

Thanks.

 

[Storm]

You're welcome.

 

[rock hop]

Nikodemus, I did not know about the light on deal however, maybe they were expecting guests on that evening and I still think that you are whinning over nothing.

Katzpur, perhaps you should define what a treat is on a shirt just so you are not treated with contempt. We do not have Halloween here but they are trying to instigate the behaviouralisms, through school and television. I am fine with that but if I do not give treats then I expect to be tricked. As this will not happen, I have no respect for the practice, at this stage.

 

[kaitlin]

I often think that, you may need to sit back and take a good hard look at you view as , you are complaining about a piece of paper, when you could have actually have been preached at! but they just gave you a pamphlet with a GIFT, that is exactly what they did!gave you a gift . take it as that!!

 

[Nikodemus]

Annoying, yes- Contemptible, no. Just because they are putting the tracts in the bags doesn't mean that you have to read them. I would never put anything but candy in a trick or treaters bag since they are only children and probably wouldn't understand it anyway. And a holiday is hardly the time for spreading the word.
Rock hop does have a point, though. These people did pay out money to give children candy.

I see what you're saying, but in fact, this woman didn't pay for any candy. I watched my five year old at every door and I saw this woman put the pamphlet in my daughter's bag. That's all she put in there.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'm really surprised to hear that it was the Roman Catholic Church doing this. It just doesn't sound like them at all. It sounds a whole lot more like some of the more fundamentalist Protestant denominations. I've never even heard a Catholic (or a Mormon) talk about what you have to do to "be saved."

I really doubt it was an official action of the Catholic Church, but I have run into a very small number of individual Catholics who took it upon themselves to go door-to-door or to hand out pamphlets on the street.

I suppose that people can hand out what they want to trick-or-treaters as long as it's not anything illegal, but I'd hope that whoever might think of doing it would realize that it wouldn't accomplish what they wanted.

 

[ChristineES]

None of the Catholics who live near me didn't even give out any candy. Their kids don't trick or treat, either.

 

[Nikodemus]

Nikodemus, I did not know about the light on deal however, maybe they were expecting guests on that evening and I still think that you are whinning over nothing.

As you like. I imagine you might feel differently if it was a tract promoting some political cause you didn't agree with. But you might not. Either way you're certainly entitled to your opinion.