The "Great Commission" and the Harm it Has Done

Started by Jagella, August 03, 2019, 09:33:56 AM

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Jagella

Christianity started out as an apocalyptic religious sect having a stated goal of ruling the world. Although its theology involved a wrathful and violent god who was believed to be about to come down from the sky to punish and do away with all those who were not Christians and then place Christians in authority, in practice Christians sought power through converting people to their beliefs. Strength in numbers was the ultimate goal. We see the injunction to convert anybody and everybody in what has become known as the "Great Commission." This commandment appears in Matthew 28:19 (NRSV):

QuoteGo therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.

Has The Great Commission done a lot of harm?

The short answer is yes, but allow me to elaborate.

A person converting to any religion can result in social disruption if one's friends and family disapprove of the newly adopted faith, or if the newly adopted faith disapproves of one's friends and family. Some Christian sects like the Jehovah's Witnesses discourage individual Jehovah's Witnesses from socializing with those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, and many non-Jehovah's Witnesses discourage people from joining the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Conversion to Christianity also has adverse psychological consequences for the convert. Since Christ preached that all those who didn't believe him were doomed, Christians must live in fear that unbelievers may be eternally damned. Those unbelievers might include loved ones. To avoid having people suffer eternal damnation, many Christians may try to convert people to "save" them. Christians may become very upset if the conversions are not forthcoming fearing that the persons who fail to convert will be eternally damned. I've personally experienced Christians getting very upset when they realize I'm an unbeliever who won't convert to Christianity.

The consequences of joining a Christian sect like this can be far more severe than social disruption and paranoia. Depending on how much hostility that sect endures, people who convert to it place themselves in jeopardy--danger that can easily be avoided by never converting to that sect. Christians have been persecuted and even executed merely for being Christians, so conversion can be very harmful indeed.

There are other reasons why the Great Commission can be harmful, but for now it should be revealing to discuss the culpability of Christ in issuing his injunction to convert all people. One might object to blaming Christ for the evils done in his name. He never meant to place anybody in harm's way, right?

I don't think so. According to many gospel passages, Christ was well aware of the dangers that converts to his sect would risk. He knew his followers would be hated (Matthew 10:22), would endure alienation from their families (Matthew 10:35), and would be executed (John 16:2).

For these reasons, I must conclude that The Great Commission has done incalculable harm. If Christ did issue the command to convert people, then he is guilty of the harm it has done.[/quote]

Baruch

Originally, Buddhism was he first evangelical faith.  But it wasn't in a hurry, because you might need to reincarnate more than once to make progress.

Evangelical Judaism came about because of apocalypticism, that not all Jews would be saved in time, or in the notion that many Gentiles were spiritual Jews (not of the flesh).  Basically Pauline Christianity.  Paul was in a hurry, because the world would be destroyed soon.  And Jerusalem and the Jewish people were destroyed, over the next century after his conversion experience.

With the destruction of Evangelical Judaism, the Gentile remnant of the Pauline Church survived 200 more years, until it was taken up and refashioned by Constantine.

300 years later, we get the next evangelical faith, Islam.  Originally, Christianity forbade out-conversion.  As did Islam and Judaism.  The three Abrahamic faiths also prohibit unauthorized innovation.

Buddhism is still chill.

So does freedom to decide for yourself a bad thing?  Some conversion is of that type, but not all.  The conversion of King Clovis of the Franks, was the substitutionary conversion of all his subjects.  Freedom of conscience is basically an American invention.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

aitm

Do you purposefully overlook the OT where gawd tells the jews that they will rule over the gentiles? The jewish god promised domination hundreds of years before the goat herders suggested jebus did.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Unbeliever

Quote from: Jagella on August 03, 2019, 09:33:56 AM
Strength in numbers was the ultimate goal.

Yeah, that's why so many religions today, including Christianity, are so set against abortion. It's a war of attrition, whichever religion can make or get the most adherents will be the one that can defeat all the others and take total global power. At least they believe that, in their corridors of power.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

aitm

Quote from: Unbeliever on August 03, 2019, 02:18:46 PM
Yeah, that's why so many religions today, including Christianity, are so set against abortion.

and yet abortion didn't even make the top ten list....LOL... and xians openly ignore and mock the list as it is...one would think by now that ole god would smite us considering how much smiting he did when people thought the sky was water...
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Unbeliever

#5
But God is love, according to the Bible, so all those people were smitten by love.

This site give us some idea of just how much smiting God was doing:

https://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-many-has-god-killed-complete-list.html



God will fuck you up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=9&v=XLwtqwnI6ko
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Jagella

Quote from: Unbeliever on August 03, 2019, 02:18:46 PMYeah, that's why so many religions today, including Christianity, are so set against abortion. It's a war of attrition, whichever religion can make or get the most adherents will be the one that can defeat all the others and take total global power. At least they believe that, in their corridors of power.

That's a very interesting point. I recently read that many religions encourage their followers to have a lot of babies. Since it's difficult to convert people, a much easier way to swell the ranks of religions is by those religions encouraging procreation by current believers. Obviously, abortion needs to be discouraged because it would foul-up that effort to increase the numbers of religious believers.

Another possible reason for religions opposing abortion is that those religions have great love for children. If you believe that they do, then I can get you a hot date with a sexy woman from Nigeria by wiring her some money.

Unbeliever

I think the religious war of attrition is why Mormons have such large families. Or maybe they just love children...
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Jagella

Quote from: Baruch on August 03, 2019, 11:43:03 AMSo does freedom to decide for yourself a bad thing?

People can convert to any religion they want. I just think like any major life-decision it should be an informed decision.

Hydra009

Quote from: Jagella on August 03, 2019, 07:58:33 PM
That's a very interesting point. I recently read that many religions encourage their followers to have a lot of babies. Since it's difficult to convert people, a much easier way to swell the ranks of religions is by those religions encouraging procreation by current believers.
A policy that I've seen preached by members of conflicting religions - we have to have more babies to match them, they pressure their flock in response, around and around we go.  One wonders what they think will be the end result of everybody procreating like rabbits.

Perhaps they know there are responsible adults out there who aren't into a generational tug of war.  For everyone's sake, please don't try to convert them!

Baruch

Quote from: aitm on August 03, 2019, 02:15:48 PM
Do you purposefully overlook the OT where gawd tells the jews that they will rule over the gentiles? The jewish god promised domination hundreds of years before the goat herders suggested jebus did.

Revenge fantasy.  Egyptians, Canaanites, Midianites etc ... were a rough neighborhood.  Has nothing to do with modern people.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Baruch

Quote from: Jagella on August 03, 2019, 07:58:33 PM
That's a very interesting point. I recently read that many religions encourage their followers to have a lot of babies. Since it's difficult to convert people, a much easier way to swell the ranks of religions is by those religions encouraging procreation by current believers. Obviously, abortion needs to be discouraged because it would foul-up that effort to increase the numbers of religious believers.

Another possible reason for religions opposing abortion is that those religions have great love for children. If you believe that they do, then I can get you a hot date with a sexy woman from Nigeria by wiring her some money.

A senior in Gaza, has 250 living descendants.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Baruch

Quote from: Jagella on August 03, 2019, 08:02:43 PM
People can convert to any religion they want. I just think like any major life-decision it should be an informed decision.

In more places that is still illegal, or social taboo.  In California not so much.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Baruch

Quote from: Hydra009 on August 03, 2019, 08:07:18 PM
A policy that I've seen preached by members of conflicting religions - we have to have more babies to match them, they pressure their flock in response, around and around we go.  One wonders what they think will be the end result of everybody procreating like rabbits.

Perhaps they know there are responsible adults out there who aren't into a generational tug of war.  For everyone's sake, please don't try to convert them!

I have known both Catholic and Protestant families like that.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Jagella

Quote from: Hydra009 on August 03, 2019, 08:07:18 PMPerhaps they know there are responsible adults out there who aren't into a generational tug of war.  For everyone's sake, please don't try to convert them!

I never thought about that before. Christians belonging to the various sects prefer to increase their sect's numbers via procreation rather than to be so rude as to try to "steal" a convert belonging to another sect.

Do they know that to follow the gospel too closely can result in a lot of trouble?