How can I convince the people trying to convert me that I'm perfectly happy without being Christian?

Question

I'm a very firm Agnostic. I've been debating religion for years and no one has been able to shake my ideas and get me to convert yet. I am not a Christian, I have no desire to become one. I don't have faith in the Bible (so using it in arguements never works) I don't believe Jesus was the son of God (though if more people actually listened to what he said, the world might be a better place), and I don't believe in Heaven or Hell as Christian dogma describes them. I'm not angry at God, I'm not "bitter," as I've been told, I just simply. Do not. Believe. What Christians. Believe.

Why can't some people accept that I'm quite happy the way I am?

I am in this forum because I like debating and learning about religions, not just Christianity. I also like helping people learn about religions. No, I'm not curious about Christianity. I tried, being Christian, it didn't work.

Sorry, billybob, don't believe in your judgement day. Bad answer.

Dave C, I don't believe any of that, sorry.

I'm not a fence sitter, I just haven't found any religion that matches my beliefs yet.

catarina, I have looked deep inside myself. And I realized that Christianity is not something I can put my faith in.

Answer 1

Some people are just that way. They feel they MUST help you convert to Christianity. The hard-core Christians would feel that they are doing the right thing in helping you convert. I know what you mean. People have said that I'm just "confused" about my faith, when I know where my beliefs lie.

If you haven't already, you just have to straight-out tell them, I am not a Christian and do not plan to convert. So please, let me live my life the way I want to. If that doesn't work, then good luck.

Answer 2

Sigh. It doesn't mean anyone is wrong.

I will use a C.S. Lewis analogy. Christians believe Jesus is the only way. C.S. said to not tell people about God is like watching a friend drown while standing right next to a life raft. That is the analogy a lot of Christians feel.


That doesn't mean anything should be forced on you. Be as polite to as many people as you can. I'm sure you know that some people DO backoff when you ask. The others are just not going to get it no matter how much you tell them you don't believe. For whatever reason, I get a lot of muslims trying to convert me to Islam. I very much love them as fellow human beings, but am happy being a Christian. I also understand the sentiment. They truly think they are helping me just like most Christians do when they talk to people. That's actually really, really sweet when I think about it. When they get forceful, I just move onto another conversation or stop talking to them.

It's just something you have to shrug off.

Answer 3

Probably because it may seem apathetic to be a happy Agnostic as you present it and such apathy is often close bedfellows with self deceit, laziness, or pride. I speak these things only because I too was once a content Agnostic. I came to a point where I realized sitting on the fence was not a genuine way for me to live life. I felt weak and unable, indecisive and unwilling to commit and none of that brought me joy or happiness. If you are sincere and fully content with your current position, good for you. I hope you never stop your pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and truth. As long as you do that, I, as a Christian, would have no problem with your position.

Reply to questioner: Just a note that I didn't call you a fence sitter; I called myself one. The fence I felt I was sitting on was the one that seperates each religion from another. The fence was my own ignorance and unwillingness, my doubt and my fear.
You somewhat convey my point however, that you haven't found a faith yet that satisfies. Such a statement does not speak of contentedness, not completely at least. To that I say good. I'm a Christian, but not a content one. I have a million questions, a million wonders, and just a few, simple, humble answers. So while I am not content with my faith, I am at peace with it because of my faith in it; a faith I diligently pursue and humbly approach, as I hope we all do.

Answer 4

I just had this same situation. I asked my therapist and people I trust what to say, and this is what I came up with.

"We have to set some boundaries here. We can talk about anything you want but if you start trying to convert me, I will have to end the conversation."

The person won't like it, and may even get worse for a while. Nobody like that ever wants to respect boundaries, but if you stick to your guns, they will eventually give up.

The ironic part is that I am a Christian and my Christian family is constantly telling me I am doing it wrong, or I could do it "better" - go figure. I use this strategy on them (which is very hard considering they are family.)

Try not to get too offended though, I don't think is totally to be mean or controlling. I think people like that really think that you will be happier if you were to convert

Answer 5

Because to Christains it isn't about happiness. It is about religion. And people have gone to wars and died for religion. If you want the people to stop trying to convert you I would try either
A. (Lie) Say you will think about it, but that you want them to leave you alone so that you can figure it out for yourself.
B. Try as hard as you can to convince them that you are never going to change and that their pestering you will only push you farther away.
C. Actually find out about Christians and then make an educated decision in their presence.

But depending on how fanatical a christain the person you are having trouble with is. He/she may never stop. Like my friend, has this other friend who he has been trying to convince to be a Catholic for almost 5 years now. And doesn't look like he will ever stop. You have to understand, these people are on a mission from God.

I myself, as a Catholic, am obliged to try to convert you also. But all I am going to say is. You may be perfectly happy agnostic. But who is to say that you wouldn't also be perfectly happy or even moreso as a Christian. You only believe what you decide to believe. Christianity is a gamble, a gamble in which you loose nothing if it is untrue, possibly still even gain something. And if it is true, you gain perfect happiness in the afterlife as well. The only danger that you are running into in your position, is that if you know and truly understand the teachings of Christianity and still choose to reject them, then you are not in a good position for the afterlife. Really, I don't see how their is anything to lose by converting. All I think is that you should truly consider Christianity.

Answer 6

My household is very diverse. We have a Celtic Christian, a Wiccan, and others. Every weekend we end up with people at our door trying to preach and convert, & we've finally gotten fed up though highly amused. We've come up with a stock reply that seems to work every time. We *gleefully* say yes that we'd like to discuss religion & then *happily* and *maniacally*, tell them that we're all Satanists. We politely inform them that they can try to convert us & we'll be more than *thrilled* to try and convert them.

Honestly, I don't know why people can't understand that everyone is NOT a carbon copy of themselves, and that we all have the right to believe as we wish. I think it's because down deep, these 'thumpers' aren't happy themselves, but that's just mho.

Hope that helps, or at least makes you smile. Don't let what anyone thinks about you cause you to not use your own mind on any given topic.

Answer 7

I don;t think there is a way that you can get people to leave you alone and stop trying to convert you, simply because the ones who are trying to convert you believe they have been assigned a mission from god to convert and "witness" to all people regardless of their beliefs or wishes. They do not believe that you can decide for yourself what is good for you, because everything in their lives is dictated and filtered through their holy book and gods word. And although god supposedly gave us free will, if we don;t do what he want or thinks is right we will ultimately end up in hell. So these people that are trying to convert all of us are just desperately trying to do the things that will get them into heaven, but in some cases the more fanatical ones are doing the exact opposite and dooming themselves to hell, at least thats what I think.

Answer 8

You can't. Christians have been set on a mission by the God who created all the earth to set ppl straight to lead them to Christ so they won't go to hell. But I can tell you this. And it'll help you pick the religion and these steps ain't biased in a christian way. Because I know the truth will win so I ain't worried about biasing anything.

1. have an open mind
2. research every shred of detail about each common religion. Be it Catholic, non-denominational, Jewish, Hindu, whatever. And also research debate between each religion and others.
3. compare them, which is stupid, which makes sense, which seems good, which seems bad.
4. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN OPEN MIND. Read each one's book. Most religions have them. Ex. Christians have a Bible.
5. NArrow each down.
6. then figure out which one seems to be truthful.

After research, God may not always seem fair, but trust me he is. I can't tell you exactly what god's "guidline are" but I'll bet he doesn't send ppl who've never heard of Him to hell. I know he don't send little kids and babies there. But good ppl who have heard of him but refuse to listen to him are going to hell. He doesn't want to send them there, but to be just, he must.

Answer 9

Maybe some people cannot accept you are happy the way you are because we know you are still asking questions. And we know it isn't about just being happy the way you are because it's about something bigger than just you or just me. What if you were to accept things on faith-something deeper than what you can see with your eyes? When you look deep inside yourself, you know what is true. No one wants to own your brain- but make no mistake about it- good and evil do coexist in this world, and if you aren't willing to give your soul to God, the other one has it by default. God gives us freewill, you just have to make the choice. Just because you reject something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. For the guy who said our beliefs or actions are filtered through the holy book, you know my actions and beliefs have been "filtered" through much worse, as I know many people's are right now. Just wake up and quit your rebelling or suffer.

Answer 10

Because they know that you may be happy in the short run, but in eternity.. well

I look at Heaven and Hell differently then most.. I dont think it is a physical place..its a spiritual place...

Heaven is eternity with God..
Hell is eternity without god..

If you think that Eternity without God is something that you are ok with then that is your choice..

If someone tries to ram their beliefs down your throat you have the option to walk away and not believe..

Thats the power of free will