Why has the church set up missionaries in the past with the SOLE PURPOSE of converting people to Christianity and killing those who refuse to convert?
2007-02-20 02:33:24 · 32 answers · asked by Maverick 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
*Italian*<3*Floridian* : The same could be said about Islam. As a Muslim myself, I understand the true path of Islam is a way of peace. Much like many people deny the radicals of the Christian church are true Christians, so do I deny the radicals of Islamic faith are true Muslims.
2007-02-20 02:41:20 · update #1
Christians nowadays use passive violence to encourage conversions. It's not "Convert or I'll kill you" its "Convert or I won't give you food and medicine". But it basically comes down to the same thing for many of these people.
Randy G. The conquistadors were always accompanied by priests when they went to the New World. These priests were the ones insisting on forced conversions because they considered it their job. These things are a matter of public record--often the priests bragged about it in the letters and records sent back to their countries. Do a little research and you will see.
Terry You are right, the Jews didn't offer the convert or die option. They just flat out killed anyone who wasn't part of their religion. Read the Old Testament for numerous examples.
2007-02-20 02:44:29 · answer #1 · answered by Jensenfan 5 · 3⤊ 4⤋
Maybe the catholic church did it because without all the people converting to Catholicism they would lose money and power when freedom to start other beliefs could exist. Churches today struggle with "we are the only people who are right." And that is exactly what happened when the protestants protested. The catholic church lost some power and some money. Evil always wants to manipulate people, whether it be government or church. The two great manipulaters - government and church. Maybe that is why 6000 years ago God said in the latter days a false prophet and an anti-Christ will come on the seen. The false church and the false government ruled by Satan.
2007-02-20 02:53:14 · answer #2 · answered by Jeancommunicates 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I understand what you are saying but the thing is, you are still calling them christians after they have performed such acts the same as Islamic converters...anyone that is killing people in the name of God and Jesus is not a true christian they are doing it while having their own vendetta at the same time, God doesn't force religion upon us and neither can his followers.
2007-02-20 02:49:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jews are the only "People of The Book" who have never used violence to convert people to their belief system. Christians and Muslims have done so throughout their history.
A note: Christians murdered indiginous peoples on the American continents from the first ships that landed through the times of the Ghost Dances about a century ago. Many times at the behest Christian representatives. As well, both Christians and Muslims have stolen chidren from parents in order to raise them in Islam or Christianity, "for the childrens own good."
You will have noticed I was very careful in my choice of words. I would probably have gotten a lot of flack if I had said, "The Hebrews God ordered and supposedly helped the Hebrews to inflect genocide on several other nation tribes, but the Hebrews themselves never proselytized because their God did not mention the matter.
2007-02-20 02:43:19 · answer #4 · answered by Terry 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
that is not Christianity to kill if you don't believe but it is the way of the beast power. check out the dark ages and see what the Catholic church did to those that did not choose to believe what it taught. Is that Christianity? Jesus stands at your hearts door and knocks and waits to be let in. He uses no force whatever. Christian = being like Christ. Any church that would kill someone that does not choose to believe as they teach cannot be called Christian. I am not saying there are no Christians in the Catholic church but only the system is bad, not a lot of the people in it. Not all Christians know all the truth but when they find it, they will follow it.
2007-02-20 02:45:09 · answer #5 · answered by ramall1to 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Missionaries normally do not kill people (the missionaries were usually outnumbered in the areas where they were sent, so they would be the ones dying).
If you are referring to the Spanish Conquistadors, they were NOT missionaries. they were looking for gold.
You seem to be spreading lies and false information.
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In 1956, a group of five American missionaries, led by Jim Elliot and pilot Nate Saint, made contact with the Huaorani (Aucas). The missionaries were all killed. Nate Saint’s sister, Rachel Saint, prior to these killings, had befriended a Huaorani woman named Dayuma. While it has been said that Dayuma’s brother had been killed by the missionaries, the recorded testimony of the warriors who were present at the missionaries’ killing does not support the claim that the missionaries killed anyone (Saint 1996, Beyond the Gates of Splendor 2005).
It is undisputed that most of Dayuma’s clan had been killed in the inter-clan battles. Saint, Dayuma, and Jim Elliot’s wife Elisabeth spread the gospel to the group of Huaorani and they accepted Christ as a result of this. This helped stop most of the revenge killings (90%) but it also led to increased oil scouting in the area.
Many of the Huaorani were then concentrated into a protectorate under the responsibility of SIL International*.
2007-02-20 02:43:11 · answer #6 · answered by Randy G 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No. There are no born-again Christians, missionaries or otherwise, who have ever killed anyone for not converting. Muslems have been known to bomb, drive airplanes into buildings, cut heads off, and kill the "infidels" which is anyone who does not convert to Islam. Quite a DIFFERENT method of converting! Get real.
2007-02-20 02:47:24 · answer #7 · answered by Red neck 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
you mean the crusades in the 12th century? I don't see any crusaders around these days. What I do see are Christians helping people all over the world where there is need. Afghanistan, Sudan, India, Indonesia, Kosovo. Every time a disaster occurs somewhere around the world Christian organizations are collecting and donating money. Its not Christians who raise suicide-bombers out of their midst. No Christian kills for a religious cause or in the name of God.
2007-02-20 02:55:10 · answer #8 · answered by Sternchen 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Probably for the same reason that Muslims converted by the sword all through Asia. Are you really in a position to condemn another religion?
2007-02-20 02:41:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
This may of happened,but you can't say all Christians are that way.It wasn't me,who killed anybody for not converting and I only voice my opinion about what I believe to be true for me,what you do with it is up to you.
Sometimes people will do things out of fear and maybe that is why they killed people for not accepting their beliefs.And sometimes when you believe in something you want everyone to believe it too,so strongly sometimes that you will kill to make that point.It's sad how some people[religion's] go too far in ways to express their beliefs,but we are all human and it take this and that to make us who we are today.
2007-02-20 02:58:25 · answer #10 · answered by Sidetracked0260 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋