Does Christianity Force its Religion Down Your Throat?

[B. W.]

Does Christianity Force its Religion Down Your Throat?

As a former atheist, one of the arguments I used against Christians was that Christianly forces its religion down everyone’s throat. I do get sick and tired of hearing this now as a Christian and providing answers to such comments I once used. Must be just some payback oh well –

So to provide a response to this when it comes up, I thought I would state clearly that Christians do not force their religion on anyone, we persuade and plead. That is all we can do. There maybe a few misguided souls that do push, but the vast majority of us do not. Do not judge the actions of a very few on us all.

Look at the bible quotes from the NASB and notice the words persuade and plead.

2 Co 5:11 - Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

2 Co 5:20 - Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

2 Co 6:1 - We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Acts 18:4 - And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

As Christians, we cannot force anyone to believe, only persuade and plead our case to them. If a person hears and responds positive to varied aspects of the gospel message, so be it.

If not, then they have the right to walk away. Even from the misguided few, you can walk away.

So, why does that sound like force to you?

Anyone can hijack any religion and use it to justify for terrible purposes of force. Christianity, out of all the world’s religions remains the only one that self corrects these hijack attempts by an unseen hand as shown throughout all history when Christianity was hijacked for justifying political or crazy deviant ends, those collapsed and are no more (Please get over the middle ages).

True biblically based Christianity seeks to persuade and plead our case and let the hearers make up his or her own mind. You do not find in the New Testament any examples of someone being forced with sword or threat beatings to convert within the New Testament as the following verses illustrate.

Acts 17:17, 18, 32, 33, 34 - And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter." 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. NKJV

This reflects the grace of God which is the essence of the new Covenant spoken by Jeremiah of the Old Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31). The force of the OT law exposed sin in people by applied consequences. The New Covenant which came by Jesus Christ, Jesus paid the death penalty for sin and offense against a Holy God (Romans 8:3 – the book of Galatians as well too shares this principle).

All sin is forgiven those that by reason were persuaded of the grace of God by Christ’s work on the cross too believe in Christ wholly. This grace works in us, teaching us, well, learn that we can say no to sin (Titus 2:11, 12, 13, 14, 15c) by the 1 John 1:9 way. Set free from those things that bind and bring one’s mind, life, heart into bondage, etc… This is called living a repentant life.

In the Old Testament (covenant), harshness was meted out to those who broke the law. In the New Testament (covenant) we had the penalty for sin paid by Jesus Christ in our place, He paid the death penalty in full for our transgressions against God and man. Since the penalty has been paid, a person can now repent (turn away from sin and be reconciled back to God) because God’s grace enables a person who believes in Christ to be able to repent, instead of receiving the full fury of condemnation as was the case in the OT, we can repent – say no to sin’s offers.

Acts 17:30 - Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent…

Let me put it this way. We love God because he first loved us because of what Christ did for us demonstrating God’s act of love sent to reconcile. Here is a question:

Do we love our sinful acts, thoughts, and desires more than God? As a Christian believer in Christ, repentance enabled by the Lord corrects the answer to that question so that we now love God more than our sinful acts, thoughts, desires. This takes a process of time to learn by confrontation between two extremes, Love sin more than God or love God more than sin, till finally overcome and love God more than that old sin that had you so enslaved to live by its ways.

Again, God engaging reason and persuading with reason our reason for the need to change from things that cause so much woe in life. You Think not, then tell me why the things mentioned in these verses are so noble, good, and healthy to ones soul (Galatians 5:19,20. 21c). How they working for you? Love these more than God? Why?

You see, all we can do is to persuade with reason. We as Christians cannot force you to change. So if you are one of those who accuse all Christians of forcing their religion down your throat, think again. If you don’t like the message – walk away. Like the message Christ spoke about below, become Born Again…and find that new way…

John 8:34. 35. 36 – Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. NKJV
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[Maytan]

Excellent post, BW.

[DannyM]

Brilliant post, B.W.!!

When I first arrived on this interweb thingy I was astounded by the number of atheists who accused Christians of 'ramming Christianity down their throats'. I used to ask for evidence of this phenomenon...and all I would get in reply was some misinformed information about Galileo and other 'legends' past. I'd correct their mistakes about the Galileo saga and ask for any current examples that might fair better...Nothing! Just some spurious anectodal evidence which could neither be confirmed nor backed up.

You've nicely exposed yet another long-running falsehood

[B. W.]

Brilliant post, B.W.!!

When I first arrived on this interweb thingy I was astounded by the number of atheists who accused Christians of 'ramming Christianity down their throats'. I used to ask for evidence of this phenomenon...and all I would get in reply was some misinformed information about Galileo and other 'legends' past. I'd correct their mistakes about the Galileo saga and ask for any current examples that might fair better...Nothing! Just some spurious anectodal evidence which could neither be confirmed nor backed up.

You've nicely exposed yet another long-running falsehood

Another good point is why do people make these false accusations?

I made mine, long ago, due to ignorance, intellectualism, and guilt before becoming a Christian.

Intellectualism was due to my thinking that humanistic ideologies and sensibilities were far superior to all other ideas and had a false belief that Christians thought themselves exclusively superior beings. However, I was more-guiltier of exclusivism than anything I accused Christians of being never willing to see or admit this way back then..

During my atheist days, I could always point to hypocrites in the Christian world and ridicule others for not being perfect. I’d always used this as a smoke screen to mask my own short comings which served to block my sight for being less perfect than those whom I mocked. From this I developed a false sense of atheistic and humanist superiority before being confronted with the reality of Jesus Christ.

So as I see it, the anti-Christian left and the anti-Christian world likewise may have their own brand of a superiority complex at work too falsely accusing Christians for what they themselves are doing – a form of mirroring and projecting their own inadequacies onto Christianity in some form of scapgoating.

What do you all think?
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[jlay]

Most of my experiences with those who claim that Christianity is forced down their throat are from people who grew up in a so called 'Christian' home, where certain thinking was forced upon them. Often times very strict homes, where there is little love and a lot of legalism, and hypocrisy.
Like minded people tend to gather together. So, these people often grow up in a church that promotes this kind of ugly Christianity. The scowling preacher who pounds his fist. Parents who delight in the rod. The unloving Sunday School teacher.
I myself heard testimony of a Sunday school teacher who who would terrify children with visions of Hell and coerce decisions for Christ. What is the result of growing up in a home and congregation that is devoid of revealing the real Christ, and is full of bitterness, bigotry and narrow minded oppressive people? Either more people just like them, or scarred, calloused minds that want nothing to do with Christianity.

I often converse on another forum with such a person. No argument will persuade him, because although he enlists objections, they are merely a facade. One that covers deep wounds inflicted by people perpetrating a fraud.

So, let's not be too quick to dismiss people who say Christianity is forced down their throat. It may be a deeper issue.

[PaulSacramento]

Outside of some fundamentalists extremists like those Westboro Baptists or the door-to-door work of the JW's, I fail to see anyone "forcing" Christianity on anyone else and even those two examples can't really be viewed as forcing anything really.
PERHAPS one can view certain christian morals that they don't agree with that are "peddled" aggressively by some christians as "forcing" but even then that is a bit of a stretch.
Maybe for some the simple exposure to the christian message is being 'forced" to it, although that would also mean that the atheists are also forcing their views on others.
Personally I think that best way to "convert" anyone is to lead by example- be the change you want to see happen.
While we can never be perfect, we should always recognise when Change MUST happen and fix the problems, we have to NOT be the stumbling blocks for those seeking Christ, even those that don't know they are seeking.

[Reactionary]

I can understand the kind of people Jlay talks about, but I might add that there are many different causes. Where I live, a certain hostility towards Christianity can be felt nearly everywhere, although the majority of the citizens are Christians. You can encounter followers of different cults singing their chants in the street, posters about reincarnation and Eastern religions glued to walls, people giving away pamphlets promoting atheism and/or radical leftist ideas, and nobody objects. However, when there is a meeting organized by Christians (which isn't advertised in the media at all, only via internal channels), there are always scoffers that rise up and attack perfidiously, usually mentioning paedophilia among priests or their "hard-earned tax money spent on feeding the priests". Nobody knows or cares that a citizen of my country pays only approx. $10/year via taxes, to support the Church. As long as a statement is directed against the Church or Christianity, it's not verified at all, it's automatically regarded as true. That's what frustrates me the most - hypocrisy, double standards, and most of all, lies.

[jlay]

My point is simply to balance the discussion as to better address when people present this objection. When someone says, "Christianity is being forced down my throat," our response needs to not immediately jump to the defensive, but to inquire, "what do you mean by that?" The reason I bring it up is because I've asked that question, and have gotten different responses. Sometimes you find what was stated above. Just intolerence towards religion in general. For others it is different. Some people associate any legislation of morality as Christianity being forced upon them. For example, restrictions on Gay marriage. So, not that they are being forced to accept doctrine, or threatened with inquisition if they don't convert. But, that moral codes and Christianity are one and the same. In some cases they are. But that in itself isn't a reason to reject them. Oftentimes the Bible will agree with modern legal codes. Such as murder. You will never hear anyone try to overturn laws against murder because it is in the Bible. However, there are other examples where it is not so clear. Adultery, homosexuality, etc.

There are many examples today of people attempting to politicize Christianity and legislate it upon others. Abortion is the big one that comes to mind. I am 100% against abortion. But I never present the case against abortion in relation to it being against the Bible. Otherwise we are stuck with trying to force others to conform to a religion they don't believe. I do believe abortion is against the will of God. However, like many things the bible speaks against, there are perfectly legitimate reasons to speak against these things without invoking religious doctrine. Abortion is a violation of personhood. Much of the setbacks in overturning abortion is due to politicians using abortion as a platform issue to garner votes. Appealing to the religious convictions of a voter base. It is manipulative, and something that most Americans are oblivious to.

Here in Tennessee (finest state in the Union) we have restrictions on liquor stores that prevent them from opening on Sundays. You can imagine how atheists perceive this. I think it is silly myself, but atheists take this as religion being forced upon them. It's come up to me in discussions with atheists here.

So my point again is that just because you hear someone say something about Christianity or religion being forced down their throat, doesn't mean you can explain it so easily.

[B. W.]

Great points jlay, Paul, and Reactionary!

I also have come across those that deem Christians as a threat too their family or social order and like in the Middle East openly hostile. Came across this data that 150,000 Christians are murdered each year for their faith worldwide but I can't remember the website - some social science data site - if that is true, this would mean that Christianity is the most persecuted religion there is...
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[DannyM]

B.W.,

'Intellectualism' is certainly a good place to start. This has much of its root in the enlightenment period. The anti-Christian movement of the 18th and 19th centuries brought a wealth of 'intellectuals' out of the woodwork. Missionaries were lumped in with colonialists, and the 'modern mind' had a nice clear target. Thus missionaries were depicted as forcing the bible onto a supposedly shy and compliant peoples. This fairytale still persists today. Eugenics springing forth from Darwinian ideas, and enlightenment ideologies typically come out of it unscathed. And the enlightenment induced - of course! - 'modern mind' gets to sustain its self-image.

Thankfully proper scholarship discredits these untrue myths.

Jlay,

Good,thoughtful points. But anecdotal evidence can hardly be given much credence to a mythical story of 'oppression.'
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[B. W.]

'Intellectualism' is certainly a good place to start. This has much of its root in the enlightenment period. The anti-Christian movement of the 18th and 19th centuries brought a wealth of 'intellectuals' out of the woodwork. Missionaries were lumped in with colonialists, and the 'modern mind' had a nice clear target. Thus missionaries were depicted as forcing the bible onto a supposedly shy and compliant peoples. This fairytale still persists today. Eugenics springing forth from Darwinian ideas, and enlightenment ideologies typically come out of it unscathed. And the enlightenment induced - of course! - 'modern mind' gets to sustain its self-image.'

Yes - very good point !
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[kevdog19]

Christianity doesn't force itself on people any more then any other belief system that believes that salvation lies within. Atleast there not like atheists who are trying to convince people of their damnation, and eventual destiny of nothingness. Honestly these people need to have an out of body experience.