Do you feel like you need to spread your views, and why is that?
In other words, if you think you know something about God and Jesus or whatever figure you believe in, what benefit do you have of someone else believing the same thing?

I only spread the word of thinking and daring to think. Why? I believe it's good for people to think. Why do you spread your views?

?? Are you spreading religious teachings? This was a question for religious people.
The topic is why spread religion

Which is why I said what I said

If one asks a question it is only polite to answer that question even if your answer is biased. An example would be, you wish to take a good holiday over seas and you want to know were I would choose to go. Now from my own personal experience I might recommend Mexico because every time I have gone there I have had a fantastic time in the sun and the surf. But someone else experience might counter my own. i.e. he was mugged got sun burnt and his wife ran of with a local gigolo, I would never be able to convince him it’s a great place to visit and every time he over heard me speaking of Mexico as such a great destination his natural response is to jump in and share his side.
Ones belief system is very similar because it the persons personal journey that he wishes to share with others. But he must be aware some others don’t want to hear how great it is because there experience was very different.

There is nothing wrong with not giving your opinion, and it only an opinion until some one perceives it as imposing personal beliefs. Therein lays the problem. It is perfectly natural in conversation to share ones experience because it brought them joy and happiness and they may truly want you to have the same experience. Some people however are just plain bull headed and will not entertain others experience nor listen to them and that goes for religious people and atheist alike.

What would you do if you saw a blind man stepping on to a freeway? Would you just assume that he intends to end his own life and not interfere or would you assume he may be just disoriented and does not realize the danger he is in?

I do a lot of philanthropic work within the community. As a past president of a national service club (not a religious based organization) our motto is “serving the communities greatest need” I believe that 99% of the people that do this kind of service do it from the heart and not for reward religious based or not, it takes a special type of person to give of their personal time to serve others less fortunate.

I personally feel that every human is in someway my brothers and sisters and therefore are family to me. I spend many hours helping the less fortunate in society because I feel it is the right thing to do. I do not judge them for living on the streets or there drug habits but if they really want to change there circumstances I am more than willing to show them a way they can achieve their goal some off you may interpret this as preaching. However I see it as sharing what has worked for me.

Irish

You can't really compare atheist to blind people. They heard everything you hear and saw everything you heard, and guess what, had different conclusions and beliefs.

Thats why I said ``and it only an opinion until some one perceives it as imposing personal beliefs.

Actually that was not my point.
My point was, within religious frame, the correct metaphor for unbelievers would be: people who see yet rush to danger willingly, and not blind people rushing into danger. They CHOSE to go there.

If one decides to go to hell, why not let him?

And my point is, there are no rewards for sharing ones faith but when asked it is polite and proper to answer their questions with what you believe is correct. If they do not believe you that is by their own choice as well. Like investment information you can act on it only if you chose to do so.
But I do not believe that anyone who believes in hell would willingly chose to go there.

Irish

Same as with the blind man entering onto a dangerous highway, we would at least try to prevent damage that would come to the blind man that did not realize he was in such danger, but we as a by-stander could see that danger that he himself was approaching.

just a figure of speech.

What I meant was, if someone wants to live a life in which death is the end, in which there is no help other than what you give yourself, in which
there is no justice, then let them.

I just loved this bit in your posting Irish

A good example of experiences the different sides of the same coin.



If someone decides to go to hell, it is natural that others would try to stop them. However, and this is a big "However", who can really say, 100% that the person rushing in blindly to what appears to be hell, is actually Hell at all - we could be wrong and the person concerned could be correct for all we know.

Many years ago, I was bible-bashed by a born-again Christian, he was totally convinced that I was heading for hell, he wouldn't let up. The end result was that rather than turn me towards Religion, he shaved off any residue of desire that I may have had to go to Church and practice religion - so much so, that I never have and never will place myself in a "religious catagory" of any sort - lest I end up like him (I can laugh about it now, however at the time, it was like going through the Dark Night of the Soul!)

And I agree
This life may be plenty enough living for some people and just a sampler for others.

Yes, that's what I'm saying, wild animals are satisfied with roaming the wilderness on their own searching for food, while
domestic animals sleep in the lap of their masters and cuddle, and get free food lol

My cat doesn't get free grub, I make him beg and roll on his back

Sounds like my wife

I think it is a mechanism that helps keep them "focused" on the illusion.

When a human makes the conscious decision to start believing in fantastical beings (ghosts, zombies, gods, aliens, etc.), they need external stimuli to reinforce their beliefs - otherwise they would rapidly regain their situational awareness of what is actually occurring in real-life around them.

The people that have chosen to believe in a particular mythos as a result of a catchy marketing campaign or poignant story or indoctrination need some sort of feedback. The rituals most often employed include going to church and evangelizing (using the christian mythology as an example).

To avoid feeling silly, they need to create enemies because a fight or flight signal trumps that part of the brain that is trying to raise its hand and say "Look, we don't believe in fairies and Santa Claus, why are you making it seem like you believe in ____________?" <=== insert any deity here. And the best way to provoke a flight or fight response is to initiate a confrontation. So they confront others and when those others metaphorically slap them in their idiot faces their "faith" is strengthened.

Yes, it is sad.

sad indeed

No.
I am a christian, but I do not believe it is neccessary to broadcast my faith to every available audience. I believe that the Bible teaches that christians are to wait for the right time to share the Gospel message with other people and that time does not come often for most of us. In this time of history, I feel that our opportunities have diminished because christianity is so wishy-washy and we are often times poor examples for the people around us. Folks are therefore more skeptical of the things we claim, and they are less likely to believe that faith in Christ is beneficial to life now, or life after death.

I do believe also though, that when the opportunity is presented to share the Gospel (good news) of salvation through the blood of Jesus, that we should take that time seriously and be prepared to share honestly, gently, and joyfully knowing that we have a maybe once-in-a-lifetime chance to help someone find peace with God and peace with eternity. It is a gift from God to us when He leads us to share His message with someone, and I belive that we should prepare for that time throughout our lives anticipating the day that we will be called on.

I have been privileged to pray with two people in this life so far when they have made the decision to trust in Jesus for eternity. These were not chances that I created, but they were offered to me by God for His purpose to be fulfilled, and I am humbled that I was asked to do it. The two that I mentioned have continued to show a desire to follow Jesus and they have since made great changes in their lives and have become examples in their families for morality, and true love. They stumble in their walk just as we all do, but like everyone else they get back up, brush the dust off, and keep walking.

I have yet to meet a person who was worse off for accepting salvation, so I am convinced that it is nothing but good for a person. Is life still hard, sure, but is there peace where there once was turmoil? Absolutely. That makes it worth it to share for me.

I do not need to spread my views simply because I believe that living a good life and loving God will get someone to "heaven." If someone asks my opinion I'll tell them, if they ask why that opinion, I'll tell them. But I don't go around shouting what I believe trying to gain converts. It's almost like saying that your so desperate to prove the validity of your religion to yourself, that the only way you can get that validation is through converting people. In my opinion one should live by example. If I follow the Halakha and make a change in myself, others will see it and when they are around me it will rub off. I once read a little anecdote about a man who thought he could change the world but realized he could not, he decided to change his country and yet he could not, he decided to change his family, and even them he could not change. The last words he says are "As I lay here on my deathbed I realize that if only I had worked to change myself, then I could have changed the people around me, and possibly the world." I live by such philosophy. If I live my beliefs, and it spreads to those around me, and to those around them, I don't need to actively pursue changing people, all I need to do is refine myself and be an example. "Be the change you want to see."