Am I right to be offended when someone tries to "witness" to me?

Question

Like I was some unwashed bush creature who had never heard about what he was saying? What do they expect me to say? Who is this Jesus of whom you speak?

Answer 1

While I agree with your sentiment, people get too offended too easily these days.

You have the right to be annoyed, and if they persist, you definitely have the right to be angry. But to actually take offense at something so silly is a waste of effort.

Save your offense for when they try to legislate their views, not just babble about them.

Answer 2

Of course you have the right to be offended; that's your prerogative. But then you'd be taking their concern for you as an offense. If I knew your house was on fire and didn't tell you, it wouldn't be doing you any favors, no matter how much you cherished your house and wanted to remain there, would it? That's how Christians view "witnessing."

If a person didn't care about you as a person, they wouldn't bother to "witness" to you. You should take it as an act of love and compassion, because that's how it's intended, but how you take it is up to you.

And frankly, based on the characterizations of God, Christ, and Christianity I've read on this site, a lot of people still DON'T know a thing about "this Jesus of whom we speak." He's so often misrepresented, that it's only fair to offer to introduce people so they can get to know Him for themselves.

I would never intentionally be condescending to you or anyone else. But Jesus said to tell the world. So we do. I'm sorry if you've been offended at someone's approach. We mean well.

Answer 3

Do what I do: I smile, politely tell them I'm an atheist, and that I'm not interested in hearing their story. If they persist, I turn and walk away, because obviously they haven't the courtesy to shut up when they've been rejected. If they start to follow me and keep "witnessing" (I HAVE had this happen) I turn and give them my best psychotic look, and tell them they have 10 seconds to disappear. If they still persist, I stop being polite. Fortunately, it's never gone any farther than the use of obscenities. After the first "F" word they usually get the idea and go away.

Answer 4

I hear you. I don't want someone to waste my valuable time telling me about the love of jesus. Seriously, I have dial-up, it takes forever to load a page. That's a forever I could be using for something more productive than loading some ninny's sermon that I don't want to hear. And I've heard it all before, I grew up in the bloody church.

Now, as to your right to be offended, yes, you have that right. What they do is downright obnoxious and annoying. It's offensive. But no, I don't see really any point in wasting more time getting offended, unless of course they're wasting even more of your time by doing it repeatedly.

Laugh it off. Make fun of them. It's amusing to watch them squirm in the face of someone who knows more than they do and disagrees with them. Really, that's what stupid people are for (I don't mean the mentally retarded, I mean Stupid)

Answer 5

I don't think you should be offended. Annoyed, maybe. I am a Christian and when the Mormon guys who ride around my neighborhood talked to me, I respected them enough to let them give me a summary of what they believe then I told them that I was not willing to convert, they kept pressing. I was annoyed but not offended. I don't care what they think about me. I'm confident in what I believe, but they DO make me want to run the other way when I see them cuz it can be a little uncomfortable.
Some people feel it's a call of duty to tell others!

Answer 6

yeah. you can be. it's very rude to assume that someone wants to talk about it. To some people, faith is sacrosanct. People like that can wear you out. Very often when people are healed by Jesus, Jesus would say: "Okay, but don't tell anyone, alright?" or: "Go show yourself to the priest."

People who rant and rave about their faith are like that girl that followed the apostles around for days saying: "These men are sent by God!" and finally, Peter (or was it Paul)? drove the fortune-telling spirit out of her, and the men who were making money off of her had the apostles kicked out of that town.

That's called a certain spirit, and it is to be avoided. Even children know it.

Answer 7

I wouldn't be offended. If that is not something you wish to hear, tell them that while you support their right to witness and see & appreciate their enthusiasm, that is not a topic you wish to discuss with them.

Tell them that your religious beliefs are more on a personal level. Tell them, if it is true, that you are walking with the Lord just fine, or are happy with your current religious position or beliefs and that you are satisifed with your relationship with him but appreciate their concern.

I wouldn't just dismiss it.. just ask them to keep you in their thoughts and prayers and then smile and go on to another subject.

That way you have not offended them, you have validated their belief and let them know that your current relationship in the religious / spiritual sense is fine.

Answer 8

No reason to be offended. On the contrary. Someone cares enough about you to share The Gospel which gives you a relationship with God and eternal life. I would be offended that someone thought I might be on my way to eternal damnation and didn't care enough to warn me so . God bless!!!

Answer 9

They really do mean well. They really think that there's a Hell, and that you're going if you don't join their club. Well, I suppose that's the best case scenario. It's also possible that they just want to expand their club membership. But, I find it better to assume that people have good intentions until they prove otherwise.

Answer 10

if you do not know the Lord Jesus,then you would be offended because there is a spiritual warfare between satan and God. if you were not offended then Jesus would already have set you free from darkness.