Is it wrong for Christian to preach at people who don't believe what they do?

[Circe]

My granddaughter in early college has unfortunately taken up with some fundamentalist group that is running a camp where they teach these very young college students of about age 18 to run around and bend peoples' ears about Jesus and God and on and on at length.

It seems to me the height of arrogance for young people even to think they HAVE something to teach older people. And of course it's boring and incoherent because they aren't old enough to have any clue what they believe.

The worst part is that she knows I don't want to hear that stuff -- I've told her -- but they push her to "witness" to everyone, me included, apparently. It seems wrong to me: unmannerly and just immoral behavior to push one's own religious beliefs aggressively on someone else. Especially an older relative.

Yeah, I know I have to do an assertiveness thing and tell her to stop and mean it and keep saying it till she does, or whatever happens. My responsibility is not to allow bad behavior. But it's too bad these adults running this smarmy outfit are promoting such bad and unfashionable behavior. She'll get nothing but rejection, IMO. They make money off this: I don't know who funded her for this camp, but it wasn't me.

Any opinions on this "witnessing" business, or advice?

 

[Avatar4321]

Well Jesus said to teach everyone. So I don’t see a problem with it

 

[Circe]

Well Jesus said to teach everyone. So I don’t see a problem with it

Even when you've told her to stop that?

 

[Avatar4321]

Well Jesus said to teach everyone. So I don’t see a problem with it

Even when you've told her to stop that?

If you don’t want to hear the message you are free not to. But no one should be silenced

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

My granddaughter in early college has unfortunately taken up with some fundamentalist group that is running a camp where they teach these very young college students of about age 18 to run around and bend peoples' ears about Jesus and God and on and on at length.

Kind of like the schools teaching these very young students to run around and bend peoples' ears about global warming and gun control, eh?

It seems to me the height of arrogance for young people even to think they HAVE something to teach older people. And of course it's boring and incoherent because they aren't old enough to have any clue what they believe.

I know just what you mean.

The worst part is that she knows I don't want to hear that stuff -- I've told her -- but they push her to "witness" to everyone, me included, apparently. It seems wrong to me: unmannerly and just immoral behavior to push one's own religious beliefs aggressively on someone else. Especially an older relative.

I feel the same way. That pencilnecked geek David Hogg and his bald girlfriend are so tres-annoying.

Yeah, I know I have to do an assertiveness thing and tell her to stop and mean it and keep saying it till she does, or whatever happens. My responsibility is not to allow bad behavior. But it's too bad these adults running this smarmy outfit are promoting such bad and unfashionable behavior.

Indeed. Perhaps we need to wrest public education form the clutches of the Left.

Any opinions on this "witnessing" business, or advice?

Shrug.

If they block the aisles in the supermarket, step on them.

 

[Circe]

If you don’t want to hear the message you are free not to. But no one should be silenced

Oh, I agree, I wouldn't silence her generally, nor interfere with any beliefs she holds! She can believe anything she wants, and change-change-change as I have all these years and as she doubtless will also.

No, what I object to is the violation of personal boundaries. I guess this one is a spiritual boundary: I said don't preach at me, but she does it anyway, apparently because this dreadful cult thing is pushing her to do it. What do you think about people doing that? Isn't it a boundary violation?

It seems very sinister to me: they are going in a group to New York and Spain to "witness" to people I very much doubt want to do anything but make prostitutes out of these young girls. I hope they don't "witness" to Muslims and get blown up in Spain --- there's been a lot of that there.

 

[aaronleland]

It sounds like your granddaughter is doing what her religion teaches. Is it polite in a society? Of course not. It's like discussing religion or politics at the dinner table. It's considered a no-no. But it sounds like she isn't some half-assed Christian who squelches her beliefs based on social norms. Maybe that's a good thing.

 

[tinydancer]

Well Jesus said to teach everyone. So I don’t see a problem with it

When one star is just not enough....

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

If you don’t want to hear the message you are free not to. But no one should be silenced

Oh, I agree, I wouldn't silence her generally, nor interfere with any beliefs she holds! She can believe anything she wants, and change-change-change as I have all these years and as she doubtless will also.

No, what I object to is the violation of personal boundaries. I guess this one is a spiritual boundary: I said don't preach at me, but she does it anyway, apparently because this dreadful cult thing is pushing her to do it. What do you think about people doing that? Isn't it a boundary violation?

It seems very sinister to me: they are going in a group to New York and Spain to "witness" to people I very much doubt want to do anything but make prostitutes out of these young girls. I hope they don't "witness" to Muslims and get blown up in Spain --- there's been a lot of that there.

Is there a name to this particular group? Just curious. Cults are a dime a dozen.

 

[Circe]

It sounds like your granddaughter is doing what her religion teaches. Is it polite in a society? Of course not. It's like discussing religion or politics at the dinner table. It's considered a no-no. But it sounds like she isn't some half-assed Christian who squelches her beliefs based on social norms. Maybe that's a good thing.

Huh. Do we have no defense, those of us who don't want to hear this nonsense? It's aggressive to talk at people and try to overpersuade them into some alien belief system they have said they don't want to hear anymore. Surely that's immoral.

Are we supposed to just waste our lives listening to a lot of verbiage that seems coersive and aggressive? Do I have to give a hearing to EVERYone who comes along, all the gazillions of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons who have come up to this farm and rang the doorbell over the decades? How about the Fuller Brush Man, or Asphalt Driveway Man who came just last week, went on and on trying to talk me into some home improvement deal till I went in?

 

[EvilCat Breath]

It's called spreading the gospel. You have told her you aren't interested. All you can do now is refuse to have anything further to do with her.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

It sounds like your granddaughter is doing what her religion teaches. Is it polite in a society? Of course not. It's like discussing religion or politics at the dinner table. It's considered a no-no. But it sounds like she isn't some half-assed Christian who squelches her beliefs based on social norms. Maybe that's a good thing.

Huh. Do we have no defense, those of us who don't want to hear this nonsense? It's aggressive to talk at people and try to overpersuade them into some alien belief system they have said they don't want to hear anymore. Surely that's immoral.

Are we supposed to just waste our lives listening to a lot of verbiage that seems coersive and aggressive? Do I have to give a hearing to EVERYone who comes along, all the gazillions of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons who have come up to this farm and rang the doorbell over the decades? How about the Fuller Brush Man, or Asphalt Driveway Man who came just last week, went on and on trying to talk me into some home improvement deal till I went in?

I just say "not interested." and shut the door.

I'm not a particularly patient man. I would probably tell a relative to cease and desist, or out the door you go.

 

[tinydancer]

Sounds like the JW"s . Holy Toledo I love and adore those souls. I lived in Amish country in southern Ontario. Big JW too. They'd have the balls to drive up to the back door and despite the Scorpions cranking in the garden while I was working, these good souls would still find time to sit with me and talk about faith. Honest biblical discussions.

They were wonderful. My story is very different from most but I appreciated their love and devotion and their faith and even though whoa geeze my story is different than others, I loved the very fact that the JW's were ready to take it on and struggled with this place I lived in.

To the OP. I loved having them come to my door and engaging me. And more importantly, engaging them as well. Kudos to your daughter. She is brave in faith.

 

[aaronleland]

It sounds like your granddaughter is doing what her religion teaches. Is it polite in a society? Of course not. It's like discussing religion or politics at the dinner table. It's considered a no-no. But it sounds like she isn't some half-assed Christian who squelches her beliefs based on social norms. Maybe that's a good thing.

Huh. Do we have no defense, those of us who don't want to hear this nonsense? It's aggressive to talk at people and try to overpersuade them into some alien belief system they have said they don't want to hear anymore. Surely that's immoral.

Are we supposed to just waste our lives listening to a lot of verbiage that seems coersive and aggressive? Do I have to give a hearing to EVERYone who comes along, all the gazillions of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons who have come up to this farm and rang the doorbell over the decades? How about the Fuller Brush Man, or Asphalt Driveway Man who came just last week, went on and on trying to talk me into some home improvement deal till I went in?

No. You are alive. Your only defense against not being bothered is to die. You are not special.

 

[tinydancer]

My granddaughter in early college has unfortunately taken up with some fundamentalist group that is running a camp where they teach these very young college students of about age 18 to run around and bend peoples' ears about Jesus and God and on and on at length.

It seems to me the height of arrogance for young people even to think they HAVE something to teach older people. And of course it's boring and incoherent because they aren't old enough to have any clue what they believe.

The worst part is that she knows I don't want to hear that stuff -- I've told her -- but they push her to "witness" to everyone, me included, apparently. It seems wrong to me: unmannerly and just immoral behavior to push one's own religious beliefs aggressively on someone else. Especially an older relative.

Yeah, I know I have to do an assertiveness thing and tell her to stop and mean it and keep saying it till she does, or whatever happens. My responsibility is not to allow bad behavior. But it's too bad these adults running this smarmy outfit are promoting such bad and unfashionable behavior. She'll get nothing but rejection, IMO. They make money off this: I don't know who funded her for this camp, but it wasn't me.

Any opinions on this "witnessing" business, or advice?

I'm going to give you a bright side..........



Is she wearing orange?

Is she in an airport?

Is she playing a tambourine and the song has nothing to do with the Byrds?

Is her head shaved?

Is she singing Hare Krishna?

NO?

Feel fucking better buddy.

 

[Circe]

It sounds like your granddaughter is doing what her religion teaches. Is it polite in a society? Of course not. It's like discussing religion or politics at the dinner table. It's considered a no-no. But it sounds like she isn't some half-assed Christian who squelches her beliefs based on social norms. Maybe that's a good thing.

Huh. Do we have no defense, those of us who don't want to hear this nonsense? It's aggressive to talk at people and try to overpersuade them into some alien belief system they have said they don't want to hear anymore. Surely that's immoral.

Are we supposed to just waste our lives listening to a lot of verbiage that seems coersive and aggressive? Do I have to give a hearing to EVERYone who comes along, all the gazillions of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons who have come up to this farm and rang the doorbell over the decades? How about the Fuller Brush Man, or Asphalt Driveway Man who came just last week, went on and on trying to talk me into some home improvement deal till I went in?

I just say "not interested." and shut the door.

I'm not a particularly patient man. I would probably tell a relative to cease and desist, or out the door you go.

Well, I will tell her that, next letter. Not out the door, but that she isn't to do the God or Jesus preaching at me anymore. She does it in letters now; I hate to think about visits. I know I have to be assertive, and plan to.

I DID tell her (when it came up before....) about the terrible alcoholic man who showed up on my porch when I was too young to know I didn't have to let even older people do this sort of thing --- he pretended he wanted to buy chickens, which I sold then, and surged into a FULL HALF HOUR, both of us standing there on the porch, about how he had been a drunk but with the help of Jesus -- you can imagine. It was awful. And every time I tried to say something (like to get away) he would speed up and get louder, and he started that sort of auctioneering preaching rhythm --- and I couldn't get away from him! But I figured it out later. I would never allow such behavior now. I told her this story to teach her she shouldn't put up with such aggressive boundary violation, and also to hint that she shouldn't do such a thing either. Aaaaarrrrrrrgh.

 

[bodecea]

My granddaughter in early college has unfortunately taken up with some fundamentalist group that is running a camp where they teach these very young college students of about age 18 to run around and bend peoples' ears about Jesus and God and on and on at length.

It seems to me the height of arrogance for young people even to think they HAVE something to teach older people. And of course it's boring and incoherent because they aren't old enough to have any clue what they believe.

The worst part is that she knows I don't want to hear that stuff -- I've told her -- but they push her to "witness" to everyone, me included, apparently. It seems wrong to me: unmannerly and just immoral behavior to push one's own religious beliefs aggressively on someone else. Especially an older relative.

Yeah, I know I have to do an assertiveness thing and tell her to stop and mean it and keep saying it till she does, or whatever happens. My responsibility is not to allow bad behavior. But it's too bad these adults running this smarmy outfit are promoting such bad and unfashionable behavior. She'll get nothing but rejection, IMO. They make money off this: I don't know who funded her for this camp, but it wasn't me.

Any opinions on this "witnessing" business, or advice?

Sounds like a cult.

 

[ding]

My granddaughter in early college has unfortunately taken up with some fundamentalist group that is running a camp where they teach these very young college students of about age 18 to run around and bend peoples' ears about Jesus and God and on and on at length.

It seems to me the height of arrogance for young people even to think they HAVE something to teach older people. And of course it's boring and incoherent because they aren't old enough to have any clue what they believe.

The worst part is that she knows I don't want to hear that stuff -- I've told her -- but they push her to "witness" to everyone, me included, apparently. It seems wrong to me: unmannerly and just immoral behavior to push one's own religious beliefs aggressively on someone else. Especially an older relative.

Yeah, I know I have to do an assertiveness thing and tell her to stop and mean it and keep saying it till she does, or whatever happens. My responsibility is not to allow bad behavior. But it's too bad these adults running this smarmy outfit are promoting such bad and unfashionable behavior. She'll get nothing but rejection, IMO. They make money off this: I don't know who funded her for this camp, but it wasn't me.

Any opinions on this "witnessing" business, or advice?

Just quote her the verse where Jesus told them to move on when someone didn't want to hear the good news. Something about brushing the dust off of their sandals.

Then tell her that if you have any questions, you will ask her.

It wouldn't hurt to tell her that you are glad she found something that makes her happy and she is passionate about.

 

[Circe]

I'm going to give you a bright side..........



Is she wearing orange?

Is she in an airport?

Is she playing a tambourine and the song has nothing to do with the Byrds?

Is her head shaved?

Is she singing Hare Krishna?

NO?

Feel fucking better buddy.

Yeeeeessssssssss.........you do have a point there.

Reminds me of my husband's daughter who was briefly with the group you mentioned: their way of luring young people was to bus them down to wash an elephant.

True story. She got out of it, though.

 

[tinydancer]

It sounds like your granddaughter is doing what her religion teaches. Is it polite in a society? Of course not. It's like discussing religion or politics at the dinner table. It's considered a no-no. But it sounds like she isn't some half-assed Christian who squelches her beliefs based on social norms. Maybe that's a good thing.

Huh. Do we have no defense, those of us who don't want to hear this nonsense? It's aggressive to talk at people and try to overpersuade them into some alien belief system they have said they don't want to hear anymore. Surely that's immoral.

Are we supposed to just waste our lives listening to a lot of verbiage that seems coersive and aggressive? Do I have to give a hearing to EVERYone who comes along, all the gazillions of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons who have come up to this farm and rang the doorbell over the decades? How about the Fuller Brush Man, or Asphalt Driveway Man who came just last week, went on and on trying to talk me into some home improvement deal till I went in?

I just say "not interested." and shut the door.

I'm not a particularly patient man. I would probably tell a relative to cease and desist, or out the door you go.

Well, I will tell her that, next letter. Not out the door, but that she isn't to do the God or Jesus preaching at me anymore. She does it in letters now; I hate to think about visits. I know I have to be assertive, and plan to.

I DID tell her (when it came up before....) about the terrible alcoholic man who showed up on my porch when I was too young to know I didn't have to let even older people do this sort of thing --- he pretended he wanted to buy chickens, which I sold then, and surged into a FULL HALF HOUR, both of us standing there on the porch, about how he had been a drunk but with the help of Jesus -- you can imagine. It was awful. And every time I tried to say something (like to get away) he would speed up and get louder, and he started that sort of auctioneering preaching rhythm --- and I couldn't get away from him! But I figured it out later. I would never allow such behavior now. I told her this story to teach her she shouldn't put up with such aggressive boundary violation, and also to hint that she shouldn't do such a thing either. Aaaaarrrrrrrgh.

Whoa geeze you should have laid it on the line from beginning.

Hell fire and brimstone. Screw that shit. I wouldn't put up with that either. If I can make a recommendation here just lay out how truly bad a situation is so any of us can give an honest response.