Bible Thumping/Pushing Time again

[RACooper]

Ah Autumn, time for the kids to back to school, and time for the “missionaries” to go door to door after preparing all summer It’s that time of year again folks – Bible Thumping Time.

So far I’ve had visits from some Jehovah Witnesses, a pair from the Church of Later Day Saints (though I did like the Toronto Maple Leaf tie), an assorted batch of Baptists, a Bob Jones U. guy, and for the first time a Jew for Jesus (guess I look Jewish or something). Of course they all seemed fired up about the “end times”, because ‘obviously’ that’s what Hurricane Katrina heralded

But this year there has been something new: the random “evangelical” phone call to try and save my soul. It’s a bit like a telemarketer, but instead of a boiler-room dropping me a line, it’s ostensively a concerned Christian worried about my soul – though I do gotta wonder if calling long distance to Canada to “talk frankly with me” about God, the Bible, and Canada’s heathen ways is the best use of their time and money…

All of this of course has made me nostalgic for the days when my street was a “no-go zone” for the fundamentalists coming to convert – thanks to the fact that by some fluke of statistics one block had 2 current Professors of Theology from UofT, and 1 retired Professor of Theology (my old neighbour), Apparently it wasn’t “safe” to discuss doctrine with these folks, mainly because they could dance circles around the door-to-door folks… or in the case of my late neighbour, actively try to undermine their convictions (he always went for the junior of the pair of Bible pushers).


Now has anybody else noticed an increase in the “flock” this year? Or is it just my neighbourhood that has been “blessed” with this Biblical plague

[Lindz928]

Originally posted by RACooper
thanks to the fact that by some fluke of statistics one block had 2 current Professors of Theology from UofT, and 1 retired Professor of Theology (my old neighbour), Apparently it wasn’t “safe” to discuss doctrine with these folks, mainly because they could dance circles around the door-to-door folks… or in the case of my late neighbour, actively try to undermine their convictions (he always went for the junior of the pair of Bible pushers).

I have never had anyone knocking on my door to try and save my soul, but I'm young and I live in an apt... Maybe they just haven't gotten to me yet.

I just wanted to say that I am always fascinated to talk to people like Theology Professors and the like. It is SO interesting to hear the historical facts and ideas from someone who isn't just speaking on faith. I recommend it!

(This could also be why I enjoyed "Angels and Demons" and "The DaVinci Code" so much.

[valkyrie]

Why does anybody think it's okay to try to "convert" someone else to his or her religion? I think it's incredibly disrespectful.

ETA: We occasionally find invitations to various Lutheran services conducted in English and Spanish on our door, but I haven't seen anybody come by to chat.

[Honeykiss1974]

Where do you live?

Aside from a few Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on our door growing up (the people who lived across the street from us turned their home into a Jehovah's Witness hall) and when I ran into a few at the gas station a few months ago, I've never experienced what you're talking about.

Maybe you're just special...

[Lindz928]

Originally posted by valkyrie
Why does anybody think it's okay to try to "convert" someone else to his or her religion? I think it's incredibly disrespectful.

ETA: We occasionally find invitations to various Lutheran services conducted in English and Spanish on our door, but I haven't seen anybody come by to chat.

I have a friend who is a hard-core Southern Baptist, and he explained it this way:

It is his job, as a good Christian, to save others by teaching them this Christian way.

Yes, it is DUMB! It is also pretty contradictory. As a Christian, you're not supposed to be judgemental, yet you HAVE to judge that others are WRONG because they don't view religion the same way you do.

I personally can't stand people who try to preach to me. I can respect the beliefs of others if they will do the same for me.

[Honeykiss1974]

Here we go again.... Yet another let's gripe and spread miss-information about Christianity thread.

Peace..... SMH

[RACooper]

Originally posted by Lindz928
I have never had anyone knocking on my door to try and save my soul, but I'm young and I live in an apt... Maybe they just haven't gotten to me yet.

I just wanted to say that I am always fascinated to talk to people like Theology Professors and the like. It is SO interesting to hear the historical facts and ideas from someone who isn't just speaking on faith. I recommend it!

(This could also be why I enjoyed "Angels and Demons" and "The DaVinci Code" so much.

Please tell me you didn't just equate historical facts and ideas with Dan Brown's books

[RACooper]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
Where do you live?

Aside from a few Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on our door growing up (the people who lived across the street from us turned their home into a Jehovah's Witness hall) and when I ran into a few at the gas station a few months ago, I've never experienced what you're talking about.

Maybe you're just special...

Is be living in Toronto... however as far as I could tell only the Jehova Witnesses are from the city - all the others were missionaries up from the Bible belt... nothing new really; when I was 12 a Southern Baptist minister and his family moved in next door for 3 years to head up a mission in the area.

[KSigkid]

I never really had a problem with anyone; the Jehovah's Witnesses would come by once in a while in my hometown, but they were perfectly friendly.

[Lindz928]

Originally posted by RACooper
Please tell me you didn't just equate historical facts and ideas with Dan Brown's books

No, I didn't. I just meant looking at Christianity from a historical perspective rather than one that relies simply on faith.

What I mean about Dan Browns books for example, is that after I read "DaVinci Code" I went out and started reading a bunch of the REAL historical books about the topic. It just made me want to learn the story that he got his fiction from.

[ADqtPiMel]

Jehovah's Witnesses used to come to our door all the time when I was younger. My mom would just tell them that we are Catholic and they would leave with a quickness.

[_Q_]

The Jews for Jesus movement bothers me, because it seems really disrespectful to distort someone else's religion. It'd be like people going around insisting that believing in the book of Mormon was compatible with Roman Catholicism.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by _Q_
The Jews for Jesus movement bothers me, because it seems really disrespectful to distort someone else's religion. It'd be like people going around insisting that believing in the book of Mormon was compatible with Roman Catholicism.

You mean the movement funded by Southern Christian groups that claims they are still Jewish?

-Rudey

[Sister Havana]

Originally posted by _Q_
The Jews for Jesus movement bothers me, because it seems really disrespectful to distort someone else's religion. It'd be like people going around insisting that believing in the book of Mormon was compatible with Roman Catholicism.

Jews for Jesus = Christians in my book.

No one has ever come to my house, but I work downtown and I see the sidewalk preachers from different groups (including Jews for Jesus, who were all over Taste of Chicago this summer) all the time.

[_Q_]

Originally posted by Rudey
You mean the movement funded by Southern Christian groups that claims they are still Jewish?

-Rudey

Yep, those'd be the ones.