Speaking of shoving religion (not to steal your thunder sky!)?

Question

Ive always wondered what does this mean. Does it mean a Christian says Jesus saved my life and Im thankful? Or a Christian who says, can I share with you my testimony today? Or is it someone who physically holds onto you and tries to talk to you against your will? Is even mentioning the name Jesus shoving it? These are not rhetorical, I am honestly curious. I would love to hear from nonchristians; especially those who this offends and find out what do you considering shoving down you throat. This sentence is thrown around alot and Id like to know for my own personal life, as to not really offend someone. Thanks!

Mega: Im surprised at your response, lol well not really but it doesnt make alot of sense to me. I hope you realize that generalizing in itself isnt good. But going as far as to mentioning mistreating homosexuals and abortion doctors and burning people at the stake..I mean cmon. Eons ago the salem witch trials happened atrocious! and I believe 10 or less abortion doctors have been killed at least in US history not good either, and not agreeing with chaning the definition of marriage is not mistreating homosexuals..its disagreeing with them. I cant even buys the wars one: What Christian group wages wars, or has waged wars in hundreds of years? I asked a specific question, not an offering to be completely generalized compared to the ABSOLUTE extreme hundreds of years in the past, rather than the whole in the present. I dont understand that and Im not sure why you answered other than to be a bigot and not really look at the question.

being reported?

Answer 1

I like how athiests hang out all night and day on a religious forum and then say we're shoving it down thier throats.

Answer 2

It can mean being accosted by a complete stranger in a waiting line or having said stranger knock on the door during my favorite program. I have certainly had both things happen. I can live with those. What really gets me are two things.

One of the things are the efforts to force things into law which IMO, and those of most non religious people, are based entirely upon religion and nothing else. The prime example would be abortion. I am not telling any Christian that they must have one even if I do think the world is overpopulated, but they tell me that I can't have one, and in some cases can't even have birth control, even though I may not be able to support and child and the type of candidates Christians seem to support are not likely to give me much help.

Or... the efforts to have prayer in public places where I too must bow my head and at least pretend to pray or disassociate myself from the crowd which experience has taught me can have very unpleasant consequences. I have seen people's attitude change towards me in a second when they found out that I am not a Christian. I have been harassed. I once had to leave a job on account of it. Complaining does no good when the supervisor is a Christian.

Then there is the assumption that I am a bad person, that I don't know how to love, that I am immoral. I have been told these things to my face. Heck these TV preachers say that sort of thing all the time. If they were saying the same things about any other ethnic group, they would not be allowed on the air.

The President of the United States, George Bush Sr., once said that Atheists should not be allowed to be citizens. Imagine the fuss if he had said that about Jews or black people, any other ethnic group; but, because it was Atheists the comment hardly caused a ripple - except among Atheists. We know what he said.

We know who Christians are in bed with and who got us into this crazy semi religious war in Iraq. Atheists have had been experiences with Christians.

Answer 3

geniepiper pretty much covered the societal aspects of it. On the personal side of things though:

You can hear from what a person says when (s)he's really listening to and considering what you are saying, and when (s)he's just waiting for his/her turn to speak. I generally look forward to Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, knocking on my door, because I genuinely enjoy a steely confrontation of minds locked in battle. The problem is that they generally act like they're talking from a script of standard responses to standard questions, and when my point or question doesn't quite fit any of those, they just pick the one that sounds closest and give me that answer. It's important to me to listen to what people say and make an effort to understand it before you answer, or you are disrespecting them terribly.

I think that's the worst thing for me personally. When I'm confronted by a proselytising believer, I usually get the impression that (s)he's doing me a huge favour by even being there, and how dare I not accept everything they say as gospel and convert immediately. It's like they're lowering themselves to work amongst the unclean. I'ts at that point that I get that cold, angry feeling and forget that I'm supposed to respect their beliefs. I then proceed to take their beliefs apart until they beg off and run away, and then I feel guilty about it for a week.

I have great respect for the teachings of Jesus, no matter if it came second hand from neo-platonism and buddhism or not, and just feel that many Christians do anything but live by "judge not, lest ye be judged", and are the exact opposite of the humble teacher Jesus supposedly was.

I think I should stop opening the door.

Answer 4

shove as you like my world isn't going to end for it . I think some just take things far too seriously and personally . As if they owned the exclusive rights to some deity that probably doesn't exist or if it did doesn't really care an iota anyway.

Answer 5

IMHO it becomes "shoving" once you tell someone you are not interested in their testimonies, and they persist in discussing religion with you against your wishes.
If someone is telling me how sinful and rebellious I am, how I need to go to church, etc. and I tell them I don't feel like talking to them about such things, I expect them to respect me enough as a person to let me have my own opinion. If they continue to press me about it, tell me I am blind, deaf, ignoring the Holy Spirit, I will get a bit irritated with them and in turn become disrespectful of their views.

Answer 6

I was drinking coffee in a coffee shop one day. Two girls came up to me and asked, "Would you mind if we talked to you for a minute?
I asked, "What about?"
They said, "We wanted to know if you know about the Holy Mother."
I said, "I'm not interested in talking religion. Sorry. I just want to have my coffee."
She said, "But do you know about the Holy Mother?"
I said, "I'm agnostic. I don't believe in Holy ANYTHING."
She said, "Well, Holy things are real! They are in the Bible!"
I said, "Well, I think the bible is just a bunch of bad fiction written for ancient goat breeders and basket-makers, so if you don't mind ... I'm trying to have my coffee in peace!"
She said, "Oh! Are you not aware it is blasphemous to say such things about the Holy word of god?"
"IT ISN'T BLASPHEMOUS TO ME!" I said. "I am not a Christian! I don't believe in what you're saying!"
She said, "But we are only trying to save you from eternal damnation and hellfire!"

I took a deep breath and said, "Look. You can go on and on until they close the mall. But I can too! You're NEVER going to convert me! You're wasting precious time BOTHERING me when you are NOT going to change my mind and you could be saving dozens of other lost souls instead of beating a dead horse with ME all evening long!"

She had the good sense to buzz off.

I'M ONLY GOING TO HELL ... ACCORDING TO YOU! According to ME, I'm not. Get it?

.

Answer 7

Bitterness against the man and his goverment sponsored religion can be focussed positively to educate those who ask you.

Answer 8

if a christian said to me, can i talk to you about jesus/god, or can i share with you etc, and i said politely, no thanks, and they then continued to follow down road/not leave my porch/keep talking at me, then yes that's rude.
if they said, ok, thank you anyway, i would respect them.
but all too often they refuse to listen, and become quite abusive or plain stubborn, and that is annoying.
blessed be
)o(

Answer 9

Megatron and hedgewitch pretty much said it.

Answer 10

It's people telling me that I'm wrong. What I believe is wrong. And their evidence is "faith."