Why do religions have to convert people?

[Thinktank]

THE TOP FIVE REASONS TO CONVERT PEOPLE

All churches are not cults,but every church has a few cult-like habits.

All churches are not bad, but all Christians love money slightly more than they pretend to...in church,
which cuases problems. On the one hand everyone is like "O Lord, O Lord" and on the other hand,
there is that love of money in EVERYONE in the building.

#1 -The bible said to do it. The main reason to convert people is because Jesus said

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

#2- I don't want you to be cursed. The second reason I would try convert people is

Galatians 1:8
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

I don't want the responsibility of people being cursed by God. I honestly don't care that much about the people,
but since I'm attending a church, and I know everyone in the church, and a big part of my life is 'the church'
then I might as well do the minimum requirement of converting a few people, so I don't look bad to the rest of people in church.

#3 - Money. Not everyone in church is guilty, but sometimes people will try convert a family
that is richer than normal - for money. The JWs have it right on their website - give us real estate.
And it happens sometimes - some people give real estate to a church. The owner of the church knows
this, and believes if he is diligent, and keeps doing the will of God, eventually he'll get real estate too.

#4 - I was ordered to do it by some guys in Utah, New York or other place. the JWs and Mormons ordered
their people to convert people. Both those cult-like religions are worth $billions, and they love to control their
sheep-like followers. So when you see a JW standing on the street, it could be because he loves God and
wants to do god's will, or else he's just following orders from the governing body. Like a slave.

#5 - I want you to have a better life. I'm having a good time every Sunday with a small group of
people that I think like me, and I don't want to see you have a bad life, so I'm willing to tell
you the good news - that you can be saved if you join my church and are baptized in the name of Jesus.

.

[Glacier]

#1 -The bible said to do it. The main reason to convert people is because Jesus said

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

In that case there is not compulsion to convert... only to preach the gospel, which is really what everyone on Castanet does. Noah was a preacher who apparently preached for 100 years that the flood was coming, and didn't get a single convert, and he was thought of a hero.

Pick a thread. Say, one of Thinktank's threads about how pesticides are not totally awesome. In there we see Thinktank preaching the organic gospel. Just as in the case of the religious preacher, the environmental preacher has every right to preach his gospel, and of course, if he truly believes that people are ruining the earth, he will go around preaching his gospel, and try to *gasp* make converts. There is, of course, nothing wrong with trying to make converts in the marketplace of ideas.

[cliffy1]

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

"every creature" Interesting. How come we don't see Christians out preaching to dogs, cats, cows, horses, etc.? According to Mark, Y'all be slippin'.

[Glacier]

"every creature" Interesting. How come we don't see Christians out preaching to dogs, cats, cows, horses, etc.? According to Mark, Y'all be slippin'.

It's a figure of speech. Here are other translations:

And then he told them,"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

[cliffy1]

It's a figure of speech. Here are other translations:

And then he told them,"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

Well, isn't that special. Christians, for the most part, do not believe animals have souls, are sentient or can be redeemed, so they conveniently changed the translation to reflect their bias.

[LoneWolf_53]

Well, isn't that special. Christians, for the most part, do not believe animals have souls, are sentient or can be redeemed, so they conveniently changed the translation to reflect their bias.

Or there's also the possibility of trolls out there, who would find something to whine about regardless the translation.

Unless you are a translator what qualifications do you have to decide which one is truest to the original writings?

You know Hebrew and Greek?

Don't think so.

[tryscotty]

Man was made in Gods image. That's what Christians universally believe. Therefore Christians NEVER thought that preaching to all creatures included animals. They cannot speak our language nor can they worship God. They are what they are. If Cliffy wants to find fault with this simple logic then yes he's trolling. PS I don't consider Cliffy a troll, not TT for sure is.

[cliffy1]

Or there's also the possibility of trolls out there, who would find something to whine about regardless the translation.

Unless you are a translator what qualifications do you have to decide which one is truest to the original writings?

You know Hebrew and Greek?

Don't think so.

The original texts were written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. I do know someone who reads Aramaic. I happen to believe animals, plants and the Earth herself are sentient beings and can understand humans quite well. We, for not being able to understand them, are lesser beings who had to invent a god to mediate our feelings of inferiority and insecurity.

[Glacier]

The original texts were written in Aramaic, not Hebrew.

Wrong. The original text was written in Greek.

[cliffy1]

Wrong. The original text was written in Greek.

Greek is all we have left of the NT writings. Being fishermen, I doubt the apostles knew Greek. Unless, of course, the originals were written in Greek and were not written by the apostles. What language were the Dead Sea Scrolls written in?

[Glacier]

Greek is all we have left of the NT writings. Being fishermen, I doubt the apostles knew Greek. Unless, of course, the originals were written in Greek and were not written by the apostles. What language were the Dead Sea Scrolls written in?

Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean

The New Testament was written in Koine Greek which as the common language of the day. Stop visiting conspiracy theory websites.

[GordonH]

Yep, NT was written in Greek and OT was Hebrew & Aramaic.

In 1227 both OT & NT was broken into littles pieces when it was divided into chapters & verses.
Which makes it very easy to take items totally out of context.

[cliffy1]

Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean

The New Testament was written in Koine Greek which as the common language of the day. Stop visiting conspiracy theory websites.

I don't visit conspiracy sites. I studied the history of the bible for many years. It is not what you think it is. It is not anything like it originally was. It is not an original work or history. It is a guide book, like many other guide books. It is meant to show you a way home but it is not the only way home.

[tryscotty]

written in Koine Greek which as the common language of the day. Stop visiting conspiracy theory websites.[/q
I don't visit conspiracy sites. I studied the history of the bible for many years. It is not what you think it is. It is not anything like it originally was. It is not an original work or history. It is a guide book, like many other guide books. It is meant to show you a way home but it is not the only way home.

that explains a lot. I have found that most professors who teach about the bible don't believe it's Gods word and in fact don't believe in God at all. [/quote]

Nothing like having an education from that stand point. On that note, I have also studied it for many years from a believers point of view and have reviewed powerful evidence that convinces me it absolutely is the word of God. Because I will not debate this in this bible bashing forum and thus will not provide any real specifics you'll just have to take my word on it.

I'm not saying YOU have to believe but just know I am convinced based on the many years of what I feel is unbiased study. Secular and religious sources.

[Thinktank]

yeah some parts of the bible are cool.

but when a group of men from new york, rome, salt lake city, jeffersonville, indiana,
charlotte, NC, or anywhere else start to claim they have it all figured out exactly, and they start
to get paid $millions of dollars - I would rather just read the bible on my own, at my own pace.