Why do Christians Proselytize?

To “proselytize” is to convert or attempt to convert.  Question: Is that a bad thing?

In today’s environment, it seems we assume that good, polite, and well-bred citizens do not engage in proselytizing, under the guise of “Live and let live” and “Mind your own business.”  It’s perceived as being closed minded and judgmental.  Both of which are terrible things to be.

Guess what.  We do it all the time—attempt to convert people.  Take for example those who excitedly tell their friends about a movie they just saw: “You ought to go see it; it’s good.”  Message: “If you have resisted thus far, I am trying to change your mind to think/believe otherwise and convince you that it is well worth your time, money, and effort to commit yourself to going and seeing this movie.”  It is a form of proselytizing—persuading, convincing, converting, changing people’s minds about this or that idea, topic, subject, object, or perspective, and inviting to commit to action.  In that sense, all TV commercials and various ads of all sorts are in the business of proselytizing—making converts to their product, their method, their item, substance, or thing—getting people to believe-in, to buy-into, to take ownership of, and to embrace the company’s product as something highly valuable, meaningful, and necessary for their life.  Commit yourself take action, and purchase!

Now, by way of illustration let me switch gears and bring in the Titanic.  Immediately after the Titanic’s fatal collision with the iceberg, there were those who did not, could not, or would not believe that the ship was sinking.  At first, many chose to ignore the warning call that all should don their life preservers and make their way to the nearest lifeboats.  Those who knew better were in high gear attempting to convince people otherwise (attempting to convert the skeptics): “It’s for your own good, believe me, you must get into the life boat!”  “Please madam, DO put on your life jacket, even if it does wrinkle your evening gown!”

Indeed, when it comes to proselytizing, motive and purpose makes a huge difference.  There are those who want to convert us out of selfish interest, personal gain, or self-aggrandizement, or otherwise fraudulent motives.  But not all attempts at proselytizing are from bad motives.

So, what about Christian proselytizing?

If you look carefully at the historical Christian Gospel message, there is both good news and bad news.  Which do you want to hear first?

Okay, let’s go with the bad news first.  The bad news, according to Christian Biblical teachings, is that the world as we know it is running out of time.  It’s a sinking ship.  It’s one big Titanic.  Judgment Day is a coming.

You’ve heard of the Apostle Peter, for whom St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is named after?  This is what he had to say about the end of days and the coming judgment: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass  away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.” (2 Peter 3:10.)  Remember that Peter was a convert to Jesus’ message, hope, and promises and personally sat under Jesus’ tutelage.  Thus, Peter wrote this with full conviction and with the desired intent to make converts to Christianity—calling others to also become followers of Christ as he had become.

What’s the Good News?

The good news is that there are lifeboats available.  Come unto me that you might be saved, said Jesus: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you [put on your life jackets], and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls [get into the lifeboat].  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30.)

For the Christian Believer, this is a life and death emergency.  “Look!  The ship is sinking; here, take a lifejacket; there, get into the lifeboat.”  At its core, this is all that the Christian proselytizer is trying to say: “Our lives are in danger and we need to be rescued.  I’ve found a lifeboat with space for you and me.  Let’s get into it.  The lifeboat is Jesus.”  It is a goodwill gesture, with an interest in bringing hope for salvation and deliverance.

Okay, I agree.  The problem with Christian proselytizing in America today is that many contemporary U.S. Christians have confused American conservative social, political and cultural agenda with Christ’s Kingdom agenda.  There is a difference.

Christ is interested in saving and redeeming people—from present injustices and oppression as well as from future condemnation arising from God’s righteous and just judgments.  Sadly, many American social-political Christians are more interested in saving an idealized prosperous American lifestyle with its solidly middle and upper middle-class way of life, along with its Pleasantville cultural value system (supposedly best reflected by the 1950’s), than they are with actually living-out and promoting Kingdom-of-God principles, practices, and values as taught by Christ Himself (as for example, expressed in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7).  There is confusion here between Christ’s actual Repent-for-the-Kingdom-of-God-is-at-hand Gospel Message, with the message of the American Dream and its concomitant idea that America is the new Promised Land.  The two are definitely NOT one and the same.

But of course, as to the actual Gospel Message of Christ, anyone is most certainly free to dismiss it as ridiculous and unworthy of attention.  That is our privilege of having free-will and being personally responsible for our own choices and life decisions.  And that takes me back to the Titanic illustration.  At first, many freely chose to ignore the immediate warning signs disbelieving that such a ship could possibly sink.  But no amount of disbelief would change the fact that it was doomed to sink.  Many, many more lives would have been saved had people early-on heeded the warning—converted their way of thinking—and headed to the lifeboats when the initial call was first made.  There are times in which proselytizing—convincing, converting, and changing people’s minds—can mean the difference between life and death.