Spirituality has always been a very personal concept to me. Does anyone else get the feeling that those who try to "witness" to you about their religion are sharing just too much information about themselves? Not to be crude, but to me, it's sort of like someone coming up to me and wanting to share the intimate details of their last pap smear or colonoscopy. Hey, that stuff's great for your health and everything, but I just don't want to hear the rundown. Anyone else feel this way about it?
2007-08-15 03:24:50 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow, I commend you for having the strength and fortitude to listen to all that religious claptrap. I usually just walk away.
2007-08-15 03:33:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 4⤋
I think witnessing can be invasive, but as pastorart1974 was saying, some Christians do feel that since it was a commandment from Christ ("go into all the world"), it's one of those "have to's" that end up bugging people like you. Jehovah's Witnesses come to mind, I think they're the worst at this. And proud of it.
And I was told that Calvinism is the opposite, they don't feel the need to witness because God has already predestined those going to Heaven. Not true, I'm Calvinist, but there is some humor I think in making sure all your friends are Calvinist so they don't annoy you.
I'm friends with a couple of Wiccans. I've asked about their faith, I've shared mine. They're not interested, I drop it and move on. Life is not about a cultish "I can't be your friend if you're not my religion" lifestyle. Sharing your faith is fine in the right time and place. Everyone loses if it's rammed down someone's throat.
2007-08-15 10:56:01 · answer #2 · answered by ccrider 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well, yes but...
Honestly, I'd rather hear the details of the pap smear and the colonoscopy than to sit through the BS of how angels came to them and saved them from a horrible fate riddled with pain and cancer and how thay were told that god is watching over then so they can be thankful that they will have a place in heaven... blah blah blah.
Testimonials and witnessing are only weak excuses to spout off a volly of delusional lies for the empty purpose of satisfying ones self-centered ego. Who needs to be a party to that...!
[][][] r u randy? [][][]
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2007-08-15 22:15:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
People who "witness" often annoy me--if they're pushy--because they seem to feel that they somehow have a better perspective on spirituality than everyone else. Yet when I try to discuss their viewpoints with them, I get a lot of "Hosanna in the highest" and "None can go to Heaven but through Christ", and other sound bytes.
Seldom do they quote correctly, and when they do they often take the verse out of context and miss the actual meaning of the chapter and verse. Also, they often haven't read the Bible that they claim to believe is the word of God. If it is the word of God, and they believe that, then they should know every word by heart. It's a big book, but if it's that important, they should take the five or ten years--whatever it takes--to learn it inside and out.
Yet most people who have approached me haven't read much of it, take the word of preachers for what they do know, and haven't taken time to learn about the intended meaning of each book. Rather, they take the meaning that someone else told them to take, and they believe it without question.
In those cases, I agree with you. Unfortunately, most experiences I've had with "witnessing" have been along these lines.
2007-08-15 11:27:09 · answer #4 · answered by silverlock1974 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
So I guess you would also object to my friend who tells all the women she knows about her experience with breast cancer. Thank God she didn't feel the way you do...if she hadn't shared her experience with another person I know, that person would have never gotten an early mammogram and quite possibly would have died because she wouldn't have learned about her own cancer before it was too late. If your own spirituality doesn't include the concepts of an afterlife and salvation...if it can have no impact on others, then keeping it private is fine. But if you know something that can save the life of someone else, especially someone you care about, I don't understand why you wouldn't feel compelled to share that information.
2007-08-15 10:40:23 · answer #5 · answered by KAL 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋
a christian's personal account it is biblical ...
"sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear"
(1 peter 3:15)
2007-08-15 11:03:38 · answer #6 · answered by t d 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jesus told us to tell others.
If you lived in Florida and saw on TV that a hurricane was coming, would you be loving enough to knock on your next door neighbor's door and warn them?
Let's say you knew that your next door neighors did not own a TV set. Would you warn them about the hurricane?
Well judgement is coming, heaven and hell are coming.
Jesus told us to warn everyone and share the solution with them as well.
You really need to read Ezekiel chapter 3.
Which says in brief, that if you don't warn your neighbors, God will require their blood from you.
Pastor Art
PS: My last colonoscopy was just fine, thank you for asking.
2007-08-15 10:37:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
If you choose to keep your spirituality private and to yourself that's fine, but remember by being private and closed to listing to others, you might miss a message that was meant for you.
You don't have to listen to every person who wants to talk to you about religion, but keep your mind and heart open to what people have to say to you
best wishes
2007-08-15 10:35:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Yes I agree and would not 'witness' even when I was a fundamentalist Christian...
2007-08-15 10:34:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
You're comparing their love for God, Jesus and their fellow humans - to a rectum. I'm sure they'll appreciate that.
2007-08-15 10:32:46 · answer #10 · answered by CHRISTINA 4 · 3⤊ 4⤋