Are evangelical xtians dishonest in the methods they use to convert people?

Question

Suffice it to say that this is a generalization;Nevertheless, how many of you can deny that you have played bait and switch with people-baiting them with the notion of genuine friendship
and concern for their problems when deep down inside you hate
everything they do and then, when something goes wrong and they are feeling vulnerable, you tell them what kind of dirty sinners they are and switch from friendship to jesus?

If that example isn't good enough, how about xtian rock? I've only known two kinds of xtian rockers-one's who were more rocker than xtian or (even worse) more xtian than rocker.In the latter case, isn't it fair to say that a person who uses the sounds and symbolism of something they don't really believe in is guilty of being deceitful?

Doubtless, you will qoute Paul's infamous qoute "To the jew I am a jew, to the barbarian, I am a barbarian(Ad infiniteum)I am all things to all men that they may know jesus."But isn't your own apostle guilty of wearing a false face?

Adapting to your surrondings has nothing to do with selling someone a new religion.Wearing a face For each different person/situation/culture as a means of survival would be something that Pilate did(Don't piss of the romans, don't piss off the jews, crucify and be doen with it).What Paul did was done to evangelize and he even says as
much in the very same passage!

Friends,I am a humanist/Satanist but even I will admit that some xtians really do believe that crap.The leadership on the other hand, the ones that guilt their followers into seeking converts in the name of "salvation" most certainly are guilty of sending the sheep out to gether more sheep to bring in their "sheeths" as in tithes and "Love gifts".

How do most fundamentalists even look at themselves in the mirror without wanting to puke for shame!

"So there is nothing hypocritical about Christian rock.
Some churches continue to sing the tunes John calvin composed. I have nothing against that. But when they wonder why the young generation does not manage to relate to church, I wonder what they are thinking.
To communicate the way they did centuries ago, is, to me, as silly as trying to preach the Gospel in Chinese to an Englishman - or vice versa."

So you admit then, that is used as a means of
"preaching".Using something "worldly" to spread
the "good news".You've just made my case for me.

The real good news will arrive when xtianity is no longer the dominant religious paradigm.

Steve T, I know exactly what you are saying.I was raised pentecostal and I always find it amusing when I discuss religion with people who regard the bible as inerrant, as if to say"I know something you don't." It's funny when you stop to consider how the canon of scripture in it's current form is a poorly translated latin vulgate, combined with an equally poor version of the septuagint for the old testament(a version the jews did for the greeks under duress-no chance of deception there huh?)and several books possessed of just as much, if not more antiquity(the standard for which the bible's accuracy is based)that were just conviently
omited for being "Apocraphal" or "Gnostic".

Paulie D, I appreciate the fact that you recognize B.S.
evangelizing when you see it.But the message is pure with flawed messengers arguement is a strawman arguement.Who really wants to believe in a message that even it's adherants cannot live up to?You have your reasons I'm sure, but I can never see it as anything less than a message of decay and death.

Answer 1

I'm not a Christian. And I don't particularly care for Paul. But I view that statement (as it is shown here) more that he was finding common ground. But, I do agree with you on how some evangelical Christians are dishonest in the way they try to convert people. The whole guilt-trip thing is boring, once you see that they are only using that to gain that foot in the door. I've seen them go the other way as well... treat someone like they're are dirt and step in with the "strong shoulder" for them to lean on while they tell them all about Jesus. Emotional tactics like this are pathetic.

Answer 2

I think we need to give people credit for having brains. They will quickly guess if your friendship is not genuine. I believe we need to learn to make friends with people, and earn the right to share our faith with them. But the friendship has to be real.
As for Christian rock - Christians in this generation shouldn't feel they need to switch back ot musical tastes of several generations ago. If they like rock let them compose rock music.
Music itself is niether Christian nor non christian. It's about the words. So there is nothing hypocritical about Christian rock.
Some churches continue to sing the tunes John calvin composed. I have nothing against that. But when they wonder why the young generation does not manage to relate to church, I wonder what they are thinking.
To communicate the way they did centuries ago, is, to me, as silly as trying to preach the Gospel in Chinese to an Englishman - or vice versa.

Answer 3

Pushy, yes, dishonest? I don't know. I guess some may be I am only familiar with the Church of Christ and what I did when I lead people to Christ.

I had to debate my beliefs daily against the Baptist, Pentecostals and other denominational beleifs. Now that I am pagan, so far they leave me alone.

I used to ask to study the bible with people. No promises, no lies, just wanted to study.
Before engaging in study I asked if they believed in God and if they beleived the bible to be his word and will for us and other questions, and if most of the questions were yes, I wouold decide if they were candidates for bible study. No sense in studying with someone if they did not beleive the bible was God's divine word without any errors. You would be suprised how many people will let you study with them just because they cannot say no. I tried to weed these out because if I was just there because they could not say no, I usually left because it would not do any good at that time and you do not want to seem pushy so that is good for friendship. I have refused to study with people because I could tell they did not really want to and just said yes so they would not hurt my feelings. That made such an impression some of them asked me later to study with them.
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During the study I shared scripture and then asked questions concerning what we just read. My goal was to let the bible speak and if they could not see what I thought was obvious, then I did not try and push my beleifs on them. At that time I had such confidence in what the bible said, I just knew if people read it, they would convert. I guess that is why I do not have much patience with those people today who think if I just read it I would convert. been there done that.

Answer 4

You make it sound like something besides what it is.
It is a way to make money. Nothing more or less. They say what they think they have to go get your money.
If it is a politician they just want your vote. So they say what it takes to get your vote. Lie, be dishonest, discredit the oponient.
What ever it takes. Any company does the same thing.
"Acme bricks are the best bricks in town" It is a commercial with music. that reaches the heart faster and makes you part with your money. Pay me and you go to heaven. Giving rich people money probably isn't going to get you into heaven. And ponds cold cream isn't really going to make you look 10 years younger.
But If you don't know a commercial by now your never going to.
Hasn't a shackley, or vitamin that promises to grow hair, or a dog food that makes your dog run again. Then you have a very shelter life. They don't want to convert you! They just want your money.

Answer 5

I have a problem with trying to convert someone on my own efforts. First is doesn't work. Second, it angers people.

Instead, I can only present them with the truth about God's love for them. If they reject that, then good bye.

Being all things to all people means stepping into their shoes and caring for them, seeing things from their persepctive. If they want to hear about God, then I'll tell them about God. Otherwise, not.

But keep this in mind, the penalty for sin is eternal damnation. I think sometimes Christians are motivated by that to try and convert people. That is the wrong motivation, although it is true, they will go to hell if they don't believe in Jesus. The true motivation is sharing the love of Christ with others.

Answer 6

I think that Evangelicals have bought into many aspects of popular culture they also pretend to criticize. Indeed, the Nihilism of Nirvana was easily adapted to "Christian" alternative rock. Evangelism is much more like advertising or peer marketing (e.g. the course Evangelism Explosion). Church signs have witty slogans ( God accepts knee mail). And much of it is very commercialized and modeled after corporate management (spiritual gifts tests and personality profiling for learning different ways to evangelize).

Yet I don't think people are intending to be deceitful by being unaware of the culture and methods they are adopting. All of us blindly assimilate in one way or another, even if we are able to analyze and reject in other ways. I think your critique has merit, but don't let it go too deep into their hearts and psyches.

Answer 7

Not the way he intended it. He didn't compromise in order to evangelize.What you say is true, essentially. there are some Christians whose methods of evangelizing are not well thought out. I'm sorry if you've been offended. The message is true, even if the messenger is flawed.

Answer 8

Interesting point about the rockers. I believe in most cases they are sincere, just using the only language they know to express how excited they are about what they're experiencing as they discover God. Interestingly, it often happens that as their understanding deepens, they turn away from that loud misleading stuff. Please realize that it's tough for them, giving up their career for their spiritual beliefs. Thanks for the heads up, though!

Answer 9

some of them are I guess, not everyone who evangelizes will enter into the kingdom of God. But the ones who listen to the Word of God and do His Word.

Answer 10

No. He was adapting to his surroundings.