I just had visitors in the form of a tall, very dark-skinned man with a thick African accent and a boy who couldn't have been more than 12, both dressed in suit and tie. I opened the door and the man said, "My son has something to say to you." I directed my gaze downwards and the boy looked up at me through the screen door, holding two copies of the Watchtower in his hand and an A4-ish leather case in the other.
"Many people these days," he said, "wonder about why there is so much suffering in the world. Do you ever wonder about this?"
Three things went through my mind while this was happening. My first thought was, "This kid's gotta be too young for high school and he's already doing cold door-to-door evangelism?" This was closely followed by, "He's got the spiel down, though. Sounds just like the adults." Then, "I wonder if this is about manipulation. Who'd swear at a kid, or slam the door on them?"
When he stopped, I said what I always do in this situation (despite the temptation to invite them in for a joint, a beer and some ACDC, or to ask them if they have yet been saved). "I'm a christian," I said. "Thank you but I'm really quite happy with the faith I have." And the father smiled and nodded and I smiled and nodded and closed the door.
Then it struck me, what I had just said. "I'm really quite happy with the faith I have." As though he was from a telephone company or something: "Would you like to try our God?" "No thank you, I'm perfectly happy with the service I'm getting now." So, is evangelism about 'selling' your version of God? Should it be?
While my gut says no and turns over in revulsion (is there anyone here, who doesn't know my repugnance for commercialism?), my head says yes, to the former anyway. In the end, it is about exactly that. It's an unfriendly metaphor, certainly, painting evangelism in an extremely negative light, but I think convincing people that your God is the right God is about selling an image, an idea I hate but I can't find a way around it.
(I always have more difficulty with JW's than anything else, though. I've had discussions with them at the door where the individual with the pamphlet says, "Well, we believe this," and I say, "Yeah, christians believe that too." There is a moments silence while they work through this in their brains. Then one pulls out a bible and says, "But according to our faith, <insert quote here>,"and I, again, say, "Yes, we believe that too." Followed by more silence. Then, "Well, thank you for listening, have a pleasant day," and off they go.)
"Many people these days," he said, "wonder about why there is so much suffering in the world. Do you ever wonder about this?"
Three things went through my mind while this was happening. My first thought was, "This kid's gotta be too young for high school and he's already doing cold door-to-door evangelism?" This was closely followed by, "He's got the spiel down, though. Sounds just like the adults." Then, "I wonder if this is about manipulation. Who'd swear at a kid, or slam the door on them?"
When he stopped, I said what I always do in this situation (despite the temptation to invite them in for a joint, a beer and some ACDC, or to ask them if they have yet been saved). "I'm a christian," I said. "Thank you but I'm really quite happy with the faith I have." And the father smiled and nodded and I smiled and nodded and closed the door.
Then it struck me, what I had just said. "I'm really quite happy with the faith I have." As though he was from a telephone company or something: "Would you like to try our God?" "No thank you, I'm perfectly happy with the service I'm getting now." So, is evangelism about 'selling' your version of God? Should it be?
While my gut says no and turns over in revulsion (is there anyone here, who doesn't know my repugnance for commercialism?), my head says yes, to the former anyway. In the end, it is about exactly that. It's an unfriendly metaphor, certainly, painting evangelism in an extremely negative light, but I think convincing people that your God is the right God is about selling an image, an idea I hate but I can't find a way around it.
(I always have more difficulty with JW's than anything else, though. I've had discussions with them at the door where the individual with the pamphlet says, "Well, we believe this," and I say, "Yeah, christians believe that too." There is a moments silence while they work through this in their brains. Then one pulls out a bible and says, "But according to our faith, <insert quote here>,"and I, again, say, "Yes, we believe that too." Followed by more silence. Then, "Well, thank you for listening, have a pleasant day," and off they go.)
3 comments:
The JW's have to do door-to-door evangelism because unless they do such good works, they will not be saved. An ex-JW came and talked to us once about sharing the gospel with JW's and he said that a good way to initiate conversation with them is to point to Eph 2:8-9 and challenge them on the point of salvation by works. Most JW's are not taught how to read the Bible well so though they might be trained in coming up with some flippant answer to explain a particular Bible passage, if you ask them to explain what the verses are saying in the context of the passage/chapter/book, etc., they probably wouldn't be able to do it. Which then opens the door very nicely to reading the Bible with them.
Not that I am suggesting that you should have done that with your JW visitors; I'm just speaking generally.
ok, well we all know how i feel aboue evangelism. considering it's against my religion and if i'm true to it my faith as well. your faith is your business as mine is my business.
we all experience life the way we choose to and noone should be forced to or have a faith forced on them. this is what i think, at least in the t.v. and jw sense , evangelism is.
of course this is all coming from a jew who at the age of ten was asked if i knew i was going to hell. plus my faith is, as i've said before, all about people experiencing life they way they wish to experience it. to me pushing a faith on someone is just rude.
I personally really hate it when people go door knocking and try to push anything in my face (this is not just in regards to Evangelism). I must admit though Karen, very well handled situation. It was a little amusing though that the father had the child all lined up with the hard sell. Nifty little tactic, definitely trying to manipulate in my opinion.
In my opinion actions speak louder than words, and I honestly do believe that if more people lived with good values we'd have a better society in general. The Christian faith has a lot to offer in this regard (although I don't claim to be a Christian, I can appreciate the values and principles taught in the Bible).
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