Believers

This is a quote from one of my favorite books. How do you think this applies to you and your religious/spiritual beliefs?

Whence comes the impulse to proselytize? ... The missionary zeal seems rather an expression of some deep misgiving, some pressing feeling of insufficiency at the center. Proselytizing is more a passionate search for something not yet found than a desire to bestow upon the world something we already have. It is a search for a final and irrefutable demonstration that our absolute truth is indeed the one and only truth. The proselytizing fanatic strengthens his own faith by converting others. The creed whose legitimacy is most easily challenged is likely to develop the strongest proselytizing impulse. It is doubtful whether a movement which does not profess some preposterous and patently irrational dogma can be possessed of that zealous drive which "must either win men or destroy the world." It is also plausible that those movements with the greatest inner contradiction between profession and practice - that is to say with a strong feeling of guilt - are likely to be the most fervent in imposing their faith on others.
- Eric Hoffer, The True Believer; 1951; Harper Perennial

 

It is hard for anyone to understand what that "something we already have" is if they have not experienced it.

 

Christianity doesn't require that we "either win men or destroy the world", but it does seem to be a tenet of Islam.

 

Not even close.

Not at all. The motivation and intent of true Christian evangelism is one of having and experiencing something others don't -- that being an actual relationship with God -- and telling the rest of the world they can have that for themselves.

Disagree. Not that there aren't some who are guilty of using evangelism as a vehicle for acceptance and a measuring stick for self worth, but that is not it's true intent or purpose.

Disagree here as well. The evangelist doesn't seek to verify his own beliefs by sharing them with others -- that makes no sense. His vigor in sharing his faith with others is founded on the assumption that what he believes is true. Telling large numbers of people about it doesn't make it any more (or less) true.

I would say the opposite is true. Who makes a social spectacle of proclaiming something he or she isn't sure of?

I would agree with Hoffer here that the more irrational the dogma, the more intense and aggressive the proselytic efforts sometimes are. That is certainly the case in fundamental Protestantism. I'm tempted to include Islam in that sentiment, but Muslims don't seem to be very enthusiastic proselytizers. It seems to me that they're content to let people come to them, rather than seeking out people for the purposes of conversion.

I wouldn't disagree with this, either. I could definitely see a person feeling that "winning people for Christ" might assuage some guilt. It's not Biblically sound, but I could see how some people might feel that way. It's not uncommon for Christians and church goers to try to use works as a band-aid for sin.

 

Hoffer is not speaking of Christianity. He's speaking to the ideas and behaviors of true believers of many stripes.

I tend to agree that the more outstide the mainstream a particular belief may be, the more "aggressive" the adherents are in proselytizing and in their defensiveness regarding their beliefs.