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Author Topic:   Unethical practices in Evangelism. What is the value of the conversions?
ramoss
Member (Idle past 632 days)
Posts: 3228
Joined: 08-11-2004


Message 16 of 105 (329298)
07-06-2006 10:26 AM
Reply to: Message 15 by iano
07-06-2006 10:16 AM


No, they are not. (well, both the J.W's and the Mormons claim to be christian. The J.W's might have the better claim of it than the Mormon's, and both of them have better claims than the Messanic Jews have of being Jewish).
The point is, the evangalistic tactics are the same. All of the evanglistic efforts have the method of going out of their way to target people that are going through hard times, or have had an emotional upset in their life, or in some respects emotionally vulnerable.
Are you specifically saying 'Yes, it is ok for my religion to do that to others, but it is not ok for other religions to use the same methods to try to convert people who belong to my religion to theirs'?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 15 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 10:16 AM iano has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 20 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:07 AM ramoss has replied

  
nator
Member (Idle past 2190 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 17 of 105 (329299)
07-06-2006 10:27 AM
Reply to: Message 15 by iano
07-06-2006 10:16 AM


quote:
But they are not correct and I am (within boundaries)
That is the kind of certainty that allows for all sorts of atrocities to be carried out in the name of religion.
That is truly terrifying.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 15 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 10:16 AM iano has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 18 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 10:46 AM nator has replied

  
iano
Member (Idle past 1961 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 18 of 105 (329305)
07-06-2006 10:46 AM
Reply to: Message 17 by nator
07-06-2006 10:27 AM


That is the kind of certainty that allows for all sorts of atrocities to be carried out in the name of religion.
That is truly terrifying.
Satans rectum is an active rectum. This is true.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 17 by nator, posted 07-06-2006 10:27 AM nator has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 19 by nator, posted 07-06-2006 10:56 AM iano has replied

  
nator
Member (Idle past 2190 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 19 of 105 (329308)
07-06-2006 10:56 AM
Reply to: Message 18 by iano
07-06-2006 10:46 AM


Evil si done in the belief that one is doing good, because you have absolute certainty in your absolute rightness.
If you have absolute certainty in your absolute rightness, you can justify any act.
That is an incredibly dangerous, completely irrational, mindset, and you have it.
Edited by schrafinator, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
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 Message 21 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:09 AM nator has not replied

  
iano
Member (Idle past 1961 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 20 of 105 (329315)
07-06-2006 11:07 AM
Reply to: Message 16 by ramoss
07-06-2006 10:26 AM


All of the evanglistic efforts have the method of going out of their way to target people that are going through hard times, or have had an emotional upset in their life, or in some respects emotionally vulnerable.
The reason why people are so emotionally vunerable is that they have not Christ. Take my neighbour: her life is without hope. She wants a husband but at 40 sees that as some unscalable barrier. She wants kids but the door is ticking shut. She has a good career but worries about the young bucks snapping at her heels and knows that soon the vipers will have their way. She is not Irish and suffers from what it is to be a foreigner in a strange land. Her friendships are more aquaintances due to them being formed in the few years she has lived in Ireland. She looks ahead and sees no light at the end of the tunnel. She would agree with Robin that purposes she makes up: hobbies and holidays etc are pointless at addressing the truth behind her situation. She is alone in the world.
I don't think it is manipulative to tell her about Christ and that aloneness would be the very first thing to evaporate were she to come to know him. And that the second thing would be an ever-enlarging lite appearing at the end of the tunnel.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall inherit the earth"
Desparate people seem to be a good place to start. Gods purpose is to draw us to the end of ourselves so that we might have nowhere to turn to except him - he is not proud and doesn't mind that it is only in desparation that we turn to him
But if the message is a false one then it truly is horrible to prey on the desparate.
Are you specifically saying 'Yes, it is ok for my religion to do that to others, but it is not ok for other religions to use the same methods to try to convert people who belong to my religion to theirs'?
With the qualification as to motive then yes, that is what I am saying

This message is a reply to:
 Message 16 by ramoss, posted 07-06-2006 10:26 AM ramoss has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 22 by nator, posted 07-06-2006 11:16 AM iano has replied
 Message 28 by ramoss, posted 07-06-2006 11:54 AM iano has not replied

  
iano
Member (Idle past 1961 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 21 of 105 (329316)
07-06-2006 11:09 AM
Reply to: Message 19 by nator
07-06-2006 10:56 AM


I am absolutely right in my central beliefs: God exists, salvation by faith alone etc. I don't see that evil necessarily follows. You forget that I have the Holy Spirit indwelling. He is a good guide if consulted. And a poor one if not.
Not that a moral relativist can comment very much on things it must be said.
Edited by iano, : No reason given.

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Replies to this message:
 Message 30 by ramoss, posted 07-06-2006 11:58 AM iano has replied

  
nator
Member (Idle past 2190 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 22 of 105 (329319)
07-06-2006 11:16 AM
Reply to: Message 20 by iano
07-06-2006 11:07 AM


quote:
I don't think it is manipulative to tell her about Christ and that aloneness would be the very first thing to evaporate were she to come to know him. And that the second thing would be an ever-enlarging lite appearing at the end of the tunnel.
But you DO believe it would be manipulative and wrong for a Buddhist to approach her and teach her to live in the moment and that the source for all of her suffering is her desire for a husband, children, friends, etc., and that if she could let go of all of those desires, she would be at peace and complete with herself, needing nothing from the outside to fulfill her.
Is that correct?

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 Message 20 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:07 AM iano has replied

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 Message 23 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:32 AM nator has not replied

  
iano
Member (Idle past 1961 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 23 of 105 (329324)
07-06-2006 11:32 AM
Reply to: Message 22 by nator
07-06-2006 11:16 AM


Yup. Straight from satans rectum. I don't say that the Buddhist doing so would consider himself as being manipulative. Nor the mormon or the JW. More accurately, he is being manipulated by his boss, Satan. Until we are sons of God we are ALL children of Satan and conform to daddies desire for us.
Same thing when cosmetics companies set up youthful beauty as an false god and then whip ageing women into the distress which causes them to buy anti-ageing products. SR spewing out its manipulative bile.

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Replies to this message:
 Message 24 by Brian, posted 07-06-2006 11:38 AM iano has replied
 Message 32 by Mespo, posted 07-06-2006 12:02 PM iano has replied

  
Brian
Member (Idle past 4979 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 24 of 105 (329327)
07-06-2006 11:38 AM
Reply to: Message 23 by iano
07-06-2006 11:32 AM


True colours
I don't say that the Buddhist doing so would consider himself as being manipulative. Nor the mormon or the JW. More accurately, he is being manipulated by his boss, Satan.
Nice to know that religious bigotry is still alive and well in Ireland.
I don't see that much of a difference between this post of yours and this message
Brian.
Edited by Brian, : link corrected

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Replies to this message:
 Message 25 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:41 AM Brian has replied

  
iano
Member (Idle past 1961 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 25 of 105 (329329)
07-06-2006 11:41 AM
Reply to: Message 24 by Brian
07-06-2006 11:38 AM


Re: True colours
I wouldn't go machine gunning mormons and the like. That's religious tolerance for you. But if I am right then they are wrong and it is not bigotted to say so. And I am right therefore it is not bigotry.
That I cannot prove I am not a bigot doesn't not mean that I am one. No more than proving the world was round made it round.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 24 by Brian, posted 07-06-2006 11:38 AM Brian has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 26 by nwr, posted 07-06-2006 11:50 AM iano has replied
 Message 27 by Brian, posted 07-06-2006 11:50 AM iano has replied

  
nwr
Member
Posts: 6409
From: Geneva, Illinois
Joined: 08-08-2005
Member Rating: 5.3


Message 26 of 105 (329336)
07-06-2006 11:50 AM
Reply to: Message 25 by iano
07-06-2006 11:41 AM


Re: True colours
But if I am right then they are wrong and it is not bigotted to say so.
And what if you are not right?
And I am right therefore it is not bigotry.
It is interesting to note that you have declared yourself an omniscient being.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 25 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:41 AM iano has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 29 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:57 AM nwr has not replied

  
Brian
Member (Idle past 4979 days)
Posts: 4659
From: Scotland
Joined: 10-22-2002


Message 27 of 105 (329337)
07-06-2006 11:50 AM
Reply to: Message 25 by iano
07-06-2006 11:41 AM


Re: True colours
I wouldn't go machine gunning mormons and the like.
I wouldn't imagine that you would.
That's religious tolerance for you.
No it isn't, it is fear of breaking God's commandment.
But if I am right then they are wrong and it is not bigotted to say so.
You cannot prove who is right or wrong, you may all be wrong, but you are still a bigot, and not that much different from the Critic.
If the Critic knew that he was right that the 'beating to death' of the Jew for rejecting Jesus must be enacted, then he is as right as you are and his life ban is unjustified.
And I am right therefore it is not bigotry.
Okay, prove to me that Buddhism comes from Satan, should be easy enough.
That I cannot prove I am not a bigot doesn't not mean that I am one.
You are contradicting yourself. You say that you are correct and therefore not a bigot, now you are not sure?
No more than proving the world was round made it round.
The world isn't round.
Brian.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 25 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:41 AM iano has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 31 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 12:02 PM Brian has replied

  
ramoss
Member (Idle past 632 days)
Posts: 3228
Joined: 08-11-2004


Message 28 of 105 (329339)
07-06-2006 11:54 AM
Reply to: Message 20 by iano
07-06-2006 11:07 AM


The reason why people are so emotionally vunerable is that they have not Christ. Take my neighbour: her life is without hope. She wants a husband but at 40 sees that as some unscalable barrier.
Actually, I am thinking of someone in a mainstream christian religion that is emotionally vulnerable right now, being targeted by J.W.'s. She has been very devote. but is going through hard times right now. That sort of nullifies your claim, doesn't it?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 20 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:07 AM iano has not replied

  
iano
Member (Idle past 1961 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 29 of 105 (329341)
07-06-2006 11:57 AM
Reply to: Message 26 by nwr
07-06-2006 11:50 AM


Re: True colours
And what if you are not right?
One would have to argue that it is not possible to be right about something for me to entertain the notion (the no absolutes dilemma). I have however admitted elsewhere I could be wrong - that I could be a character in some alien kids playstation game. That possibility exists.
Otherwise though: if God exists (and you would admit he can exist) then he can make a person sure (a relative trifle compared to what he has done) that what they speak of is truth/right. I don't claim I am right on all aspects of which I speak concerning God (although you might be hard pressed to discern what those areas are I'll admit ) but I am right about JW's and Mormons etc. False gospels. False hope. Blind alleys.
It is interesting to note that you have declared yourself an omniscient being.
Not all knowing. Knowing enough.

This message is a reply to:
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ramoss
Member (Idle past 632 days)
Posts: 3228
Joined: 08-11-2004


Message 30 of 105 (329343)
07-06-2006 11:58 AM
Reply to: Message 21 by iano
07-06-2006 11:09 AM


I am absolutely right in my central beliefs: God exists, salvation by faith alone etc. I don't see that evil necessarily follows. You forget that I have the Holy Spirit indwelling. He is a good guide if consulted. And a poor one if not.
From the outside looking in, you absolutely wrong in your beliefs.
From your reaction of the JW's prostylising to mainstream Christians, could you see that from a devote Jew, Hindu, or Muslim, there is very
little difference between a mainstream Evangalistic Christian and a Mormon or JW. All those want to lure people away from the worship of God, and worship a false god instead (From their perspective).
Can you see that they might feel the same kind of resentment against
mainstream evangalistic christianity as you do against mormons and Jehohvah witnesses?
\

This message is a reply to:
 Message 21 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 11:09 AM iano has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 33 by iano, posted 07-06-2006 12:08 PM ramoss has replied

  
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