Conversion

Is it just me or have others had to deal with people trying to convert them to another religion ?
I wont say what religion but needless to say I have found them rather hypocritical. They tend to ask very personal questions mostly about adult things but yet their beliefs are against it all.
I wonder how others feel about this coming into SL , Cyber door knockers ?

Personally I am looking forward to their visit. I'd like to try and save them from their irrational belief in a god. Religion prevents people from thinking for themselves. I've noticed that when religious people begin to question things they don't remain religious for very long

Sounds like your bad luck to me, Windy.

I haven't met anyone yet in SL who has raised the issue of religion with me in all sincerity. There have been a few knee-jerkers who think it's 'progressive' and 'forward-thinking' to run off at the mouth about how backward it all is but I've heard shallow bullshit on just about every topic you would care to mention so I guess that doesn't count.

That said, I did cruise a gay sim once as a bible salesman from the First Church of Jesus Christ Recidivist but I had no takers - even when I offered a cheap life insurance policy on the side.

I've met a few religious folks is SL but not any of the "Brother have you been saved today?" crowd.

Best reply I ever heard to that question:
"So, you found Jesus. If no one claims him in 30 days, he's yours."

Oh I will have to remember that one for when the RL door knockers come about, but these ones had not found Jesus it was another guy

I met a few. I try to seduce them. Either they get happy or they run off.
In SL, that is.
I dont seduce them in real. That would be blasphemy, I think.

*Wonders if there is much difference when people who object to being proselytized to decide to broadly ridicule people of faith as being irrational, superstitious, or in some cases just stupid.

I wasn't going to comment at all but now, I have to say, I love you. Thanks for this.

I've had someone proselytize to me in a naughty RP sim. At first I thought they were roleplaying with me, so I toyed with them, but I quickly discovered they weren't roleplaying. That's the only time I've encountered it in SL and it was rather out of the blue.

The Pope visited the hangout a few times. At least he was dressed as the Pope.

I wonder if the Pope knows about SL, and if so, what he might come in as inside of SL (assuming he didn't come in as himself). I think he would coming in as a kitty and find patches of warm soft sunshine and nap there.

The only religions I have to deal with in SL are Mac, Windows, and Linux...

I didn't call anyone "irrational, superstitious, or in some cases just stupid", I said that the belief in a god is irrational, which is pretty much the definition of faith. I also said that people of faith don't think for themselves. Also pretty much the definition of faith.

In any case, I did not mean to offend and apologize if I did. I normally don't even talk about my truth of what is, but the OP did ask how others felt they would handle evangelism in SL and my reply was in answer to that.

LOL that's pretty much all I've encountered in SL too. I don't much care what others choose to believe, it's their free will and I value my own....so I am no hypocrate when it comes to this topic. I do find it frustrating when someone insists their belief is better/correct and that I am someohow flawed or wrong in what I believe......but I don't go out of my way to get into theological debates.

On the flip side.....among my RL extended family there is a well known Professor/Author that I have come to admire. (he's my brothers' father-in-law) And, he has a wonderful retort to folks who persist in shoving their own faith down the gullets of others....His singular question that trips them up every time is this....

"Does God learn?"

This is usually met by a blank and or puzzled exression followed by a fumbling of explanations as to why 'God' (whom ever that is in their belief) doesn't need to LEARN and usually it gets very amusing from there. However....if one studies religious text thru-out history...it would appear as if 'someone' is learning something along the way.....after all....look at the difference between the Old and New Tastament.

Anywho....I have not encounted any such situations in SL and I would certainly be as diplomatic and kind as possible in extracting myself from the would be savior. And I most definitely would apply that question.....tho sadly I'd have to miss out on the expression on their face.

Good lord, yes. Those Linux sorts can be a bit evangelical, can't they? I'm no theologian, but I think they're somewhat related to the GIMP sect. You can tell them that you were raised with Photoshop, but they still won't drop the subject.

Somehow, I have managed to live my life, as a person of faith in peaceful co-existance with my irrational belief in God. Being that I have managed this far, am educated, am not homeless and manage to feed myself every day, I'm also not stupid and am quite able to think for myself. I even have a job that I've managed to hang onto for 24 years, which actually pays me money! What you've stated here is a matter of opinion, the same as what I"ve stated. I *do* think for myself. And I am still a person of faith. The 2 can and do co-exist. Apology accepted; AND, I don't proseletyze. I totally accept your right to believe as you do, or not, and can do so without calling you any insulting names or questioning your intelligence. Peace......

I would love to meet him, Milla, he sounds like a very interesting guy. I'll bet his question has forced some "people of faith" to at least question some aspects of what they believe

SL or RL, I don't have a real problem with anyone asking me if I believe in whatever - my problem is if they insist upon trying to convince me their way is the only way when I do not believe as they do.

Just like everything else in life - to each their own as long as they DON'T attempt to force it on me or intrude in to my space with it.


ETA - someone pointed out that I left out a word

I've been railed at by all three. I dare to question all operating systems.

/me glances at Damien......Shhhhh Argent, you are goin to hell........

Despite being open about my spritual beliefs in my profile, I have not once been ridiculed or proselytized for it.

Yay SL !

Infidel!!!!!! =) (everyone knows *real* geeks use butterflies)

honestly I've never run across an SL-evangelist... lots of pagans, atheists, and agnostics, who are talkative if you ask....

where do I go to find these people OP speaks of? it sounds like a great way to kill a few hours in discussion.

Of course he does. Man was a rough draft. He learned from the endeavor, started with a rib, and made a masterpiece on his next try.

Yes. It's just you.

I have not encountered anyone in SL who ws pushy about religious beliefs.

I have met people of several faiths, some of whom were outspoken about their beliefs, and many of whom spoke nothing of their religious views unless the topic came up in conversation. But I have yet to meet anyone in SL who insisted their beliefs were in some way superior to mine, or to those around me, or who tried to "Convert" anyone to their belief system.

Then again, I don't hang out in places frequented by griefers, so it's unlikely I would ever encounter such people.

I have never met anyone trying to convert me to anything. I did meet one guy who objected to my use of OMG as being sacriligeous. He was very nice in stating his opinion. I apologized and explained I did not and could not and would not adjust to his view of things, wished him well and unfriended him since guarding myself in speech is not a thing a do well.

It was not a bad experience mind you- just people looking at things from different view points as happens everywhere. Since chances are I would have continued to grate on him in my speech mannerisms he was better off not dealing with me and I was certainly best off not having to think ahead three words in talking with him - everyone happier

Religionism and lack thereof, should not necessarily preclude civilized interaction- unfortunately, it often does.