It goes both ways, I think. In some areas of the world, if you speak out against the actions of a religious person – or religion in general – you do get labeled as a bigot and cast aside (at the very least). However, in other areas of the world, if you confess that you believe in a God or any kind of deity, you're (also at the very least) labeled as an unenlightened, ignorant sheep who can't think for themselves. Again, it comes back around to people in general being intolerant of any perspective that challenges their own. We're the issue.
As for evangelism: I'd argue that again, there's nothing inherently wrong about the ideology of it. I think it's something people don't realize that they're doing all the time, regardless of their worldview. I myself don't agree with a lot of specifically Christian evangelistic tactics (I'm more of the "hey, let's go help people, and if they ask us why we're doing it we'll give them an answer" breed), but at the same time I don't want to villainize every missionary ever with something to say and the actions to back it up... if you ask me, everyone is at all times evangelizing their worldview through their actions, rants, raves, opinions, values, and general lifestyle. Humanist organizations putting "why believe in a God?" ads on buses (like they did recently in Washington D.C.) is just as much evangelism as Christians putting up tacky crosses in nonsensical places. All IMHO, of course. :) It's just unfortunate that in the case of some religions, it becomes yet another way for people to threaten others into submission or silence, simply by nature of how foundational the question of God is to a person's existence.
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Date: 2009-02-09 06:11 am (UTC)As for evangelism: I'd argue that again, there's nothing inherently wrong about the ideology of it. I think it's something people don't realize that they're doing all the time, regardless of their worldview. I myself don't agree with a lot of specifically Christian evangelistic tactics (I'm more of the "hey, let's go help people, and if they ask us why we're doing it we'll give them an answer" breed), but at the same time I don't want to villainize every missionary ever with something to say and the actions to back it up... if you ask me, everyone is at all times evangelizing their worldview through their actions, rants, raves, opinions, values, and general lifestyle. Humanist organizations putting "why believe in a God?" ads on buses (like they did recently in Washington D.C.) is just as much evangelism as Christians putting up tacky crosses in nonsensical places. All IMHO, of course. :) It's just unfortunate that in the case of some religions, it becomes yet another way for people to threaten others into submission or silence, simply by nature of how foundational the question of God is to a person's existence.