To theists: How much do you care about those you preach to?
- Thread starter wynn
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i could preach. i think i'd be a helluva preacher. but the recipients would have to volunteer.
otherwise i don't preach. i share thoughts, opinions, and experiences here because this is a discussion forum, like everyone else does.
i have no responsibility or control over what someone might think of my testimony.
i care enough about people to be honest, and i care enough about people to respect their individuality and free will. i also care enough about people to really love them, no matter what they think, or what they believe. i really don't expect anyone to be able to relate to some of the spiritual things i've been through, but i tell about them because they happened. but the best way to witness to god is to love people. you don't have to preach to do that ( i would actually suggest you don't in most cases). you don't even have to talk about god at all to do that. you just do it.
Be better to become a psychologist or nurse.
better than what? loving people? haha. i'm going to be a foster mom.
You can love people being a nurse or psychologist just as much as a preacher.
oh yes...you can love people doing anything...as long as there are people around.
to hear me preach, you gotta really piss me off.
oh yes...you can love people doing anything...as long as there are people around.
to hear me preach, you gotta really piss me off.
To hear you help would be much better for everyone including yourself.
Well i confess to my shame that it varies a lot.
Looking back when i first meet a "seeker" i am earnestly wanting for them to come to the peace of knowing the Love of the truth, i look upon them with compassion/love and hope. But unfortunately i am often moved from this when the seeker choses to react with great harshness and mockery towards the message that i hold with love/admiration and offer with loving hope for the seeker.
It's not like i become indifferent after the first slap across the face (or more often kick in the nuts). I have more longsuffering then that. I will turn my cheek more than a few times especially if i get the feeling that the seekers initial response is them just blowing off steam built up within them by their bitter experiences with false religions. I know a lot of people have suffered from false religion, i was one of them.
Some people need to vent for a while on some anonymous "religious" figure, and a religious section of an Internet forum is probably the best place for them to do it. So often i need to give the same point worded in different ways later in the hope that after they have grown weary of venting they may, with a more calm approach, get the message.
But after a while if the feeling comes to me that the person is just a hate filled troll, who truly hates the Love of the Truth then my hope for them fades. I may still reply to their questions (for years even) but i do so out of hope for third parties that may be reading on and also need the question addressed and who may be more open to the Love of The Truth. Now i know i am just a human being and as such i fall down in longsuffering which is a important part of Love, true Love. And i agree with God that i have sinned in this failure. I give thanks to God for the Atonement of the Messiah Jesus that gives me forgiveness for this and many other things.
I know the longsuffering of God is far and away better than mine. I know that just because i go indifferent towards a person does not mean that God does. I am sure there will be people who i have been indifferent to who will be with God in eternity and i will be overjoyed when i see them.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days
They don't, man.
Lori cares about my hypothetical children. Not me.
Lori cares about my hypothetical children. Not me.
I don't "preach," period.
None of the above. I only really talk about Islam to those whom ask me questions or want to talk about it, otherwise I don't mention it, if someone wants to ask a question then I am happy to answer. If someone wishes to discuss topics regarding Islam, I will be happy to do so. But if the person doesn't then I won't. What does anyone mean to anyone?
That's bullshit. I care about you. It bugs me that you ignore me.
I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings or made you angry in the abortion thread, but that's how I feel about it. I don't see you being shy about how you feel, and you're not diplomatic about it at all.
I like that about you.
what's your religion?
What makes you think I preach? I am wholly against proselytism, as is my religion itself. We do not hold ourselves to be the only right path to spiritual enlightenment or the divine. Nor do we hold that disbelief in the gods has negative consequences in the afterlife. There is not impetus to "spread" my religion; Wicca is there for those who wish to practise it of their own free will.
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Big Five if you count Judaism, which is actually quite small but was important in the formation of the first two listed.
Well i guess if you take at face value what people report during a census and what governments report. you may think that Christianity is part of the big 4. personally from what i have seen paganism (which wiccan is a part of) has more adherents than True Christianity. as for islam probably only 3% of them are true to the quran. As for Judaism it is very small compared to the others and only a small portion of those who call themselves Jews are what you would call Torah believers. I would say Hinduism would be the biggest. Buddhism could best be called a philosophy rather than a religion.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days