Proselytizing

I don’t proselytize, on principle. But I am sure that some people might consider this an anemic Christianity. After all, the Gospels do contain commands to evangelize. That said, here are some questions that might help us think about the issue.

If you were to proselytize, who would you target? Would you target atheists, or would you go after the agnostics first? Or, would you talk to believers of other religions – Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, pagan ritualism, etc.? Or (since I am Catholic), would you engage with denominations that share your own core religious beliefs but that differ markedly in ritual, hierarchy, etc.? What about other religious denominations that differ only slightly from your own?

How would you go about it?

Is it good enough simply to be an exemplar of your faith, or is the discussion necessary?

If you decide that the discussion is important, what do you have to know? How much do you have to know?

Can you reasonably expect your efforts to be effective? In other words, are human beings stubborn or are they willing to embrace change? And if they are stubborn, should they not be? And if they are willing to embrace change, should they be so quick?

Every day this week starting Monday, I will try to look at these questions a little bit more in-depth.