religious proselytizers

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How do you all feel about people who are out to convert others? I think they are bigotted. Why do you need to go out of your way to get other people to convert to your faith? What is wrong with the faiths that other people believe in? The mindset that others will burn in hell (or are infidels) is a narrowminded bigotted view. All faiths are good and they all preach much of the same thing. If I had the power to, I still wouldn't convert people to other races or the opposite gender. Because then i'd be a racist or a sexist. If you try to convert others to your faith does that not make you a religious bigot? Today more than ever before people are opening their minds and tolerating religious diversity. I think we should all be open to the beliefs of others no matter how different they are from your own. We all just need to show kindness.

Proselytizing is an integral part of religion. Now the problem arises if you are being coerced. However, most of the world's religion has set out to proselytize. How do you think nations became largely Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, or Muslim?

I personally don't proselytize or believe in converting, but I do feel certain practices are better than others. It can appear "religiously bigoted" but it is religion. A person who admits to following an inferior religion should not believe at all. It is not a sense of superiority. If it wasn't for the monks/ascetics who proselytized, the mentioned religions wouldn't have come to populate the world. I'd rather have those beliefs than some practices in which the blood of a chicken has to be spread in order for me to see the other world.

If someone really believes in the tenets of his/her faith it is an act of kindness and generosity to try to convince others of what they believe is the truth. Jews are not all that interested in converting people since they feel that they are particularly chosen. Not being religious I cannot accept what religious people consider the truth but if their belief is genuine I can understand their motivation.

Religion is just incredibly annoying and stupid in general, take that comment anyway you like I can care less.

As far as religious people converting other religious people, what difference does it make if they all 'preach much of the same thing'?

In other words, preach hate, not love?

I'm a christian, and our church doesn't actively go out trying to convert people. Instead we go out helping the world, expecting nothing in return, and hope to set an example to inspire others. If they choose to join the church, that's fine. If not, that's fine too...

I disagree, history. Part of some people's religious beliefs is trying to convert others to the faith. Christ told his disciples to spread the gospel all over the globe. Who's more important for a believer: God or somebody else's feelings? Proselytizers get on my nerves if they are arrogant about it, but I don't object to people trying to spread the good news. Also, I don't think everyone's religious beliefs are tolerable. What if I believed in human sacrifice and I killed a bunch of people to eat them or drink their blood? Would you respect my religion? What if you were on the sacrificial alter? What if my religion told me to start a nuclear war to bring on the return of the messiah and bring everyone closer to heaven. Would you tolerate my religious belief? What if the bomb threatened to hit your city?

I oppose forced conversion, but I don't think religion should be banned or anything. I am Lutheran, and we are one of the more liberal denominations, but being from Texas, it wouldn't surprise me if some of the evangelicals were trying to convert people.

That's right. And it's a very important thing to remember. Jesus was not about coercion. He did not use force because he did not have to. He appealed to the higher nature of the people around him. The aldulterous woman whom he saved from the stoning mob, he could have made her a precedent and stoned her himself. But he didn't. It was not his style.

Nor did Jesus command his disciples to spread by the sword the Good News.