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wingedbeastSeveral months prior to this tip, I, with my humanist group, had the chance to sit down in conversation with one Catholic priest and one Catholic woman. The intention, from the position of the humanist group, was to share perspectives and learn about each other. The intention, from the two persons of faith, was soon made clear to be the effort to make their case and convince us of the truth of their faith.
(That, by the way, is a hint at a future tip.)
The woman gave her testimony and she gave it a number of times. Her testimony was that she wasn't as strong in her faith and had doubts at one point. She told God that she would give him one year of her life in which to prove himself. That year would be going to mass regularly, studying the bible, engaging priests for study assistance, etc. She felt that God had proven himself.
To me, from the outside, this did not speak to the truth of her faith. What I heard, at least the first few times, was that she had enough of an emotional attachment to her faith that she made the conscious choice to put herself in a situation in which she could grow more attached. None of it spoke to the accuracy of her faith as a description of reality, only to her emotional attachment to that faith.
She, by the way, was very earnest in her faith. I could see that. It didn't make it any more accurate in my eyes. And, after a few repetitions, it started to say something else.
Her repetition of her testimony started to tell me that she wasn't interested in having a conversation, that she wasn't interested in us as people. She was interested in us as targets for her efforts to convince nonbelievers to join her faith.
She didn't intend either of the messages that I took from her testimony. But, there they were.
This isn't to say that I don't see the reason why you are called to give your testimony. In a world not too different from Rome circa 30 AD, one in which your claims are new, that would be a good way to get the word out on good terms.
But, your word is already out. I've heard the good news and have not found it convincing. Chances are that any nonbeliever has already heard testimony very similar to your own, from people giving God "a chance" to near death experiences to claims of direct supernatural intervention. And, chances are that they're already aware of the ways you can earnestly believe in your experience and state it with total honesty and... still have your faith not be an accurate description of reality.
Of course, there are exceptions, such as Christian organizations that focus their evangelism on young children. In those cases, I refer you to the previous tip.
(That, by the way, is a hint at a future tip.)
The woman gave her testimony and she gave it a number of times. Her testimony was that she wasn't as strong in her faith and had doubts at one point. She told God that she would give him one year of her life in which to prove himself. That year would be going to mass regularly, studying the bible, engaging priests for study assistance, etc. She felt that God had proven himself.
To me, from the outside, this did not speak to the truth of her faith. What I heard, at least the first few times, was that she had enough of an emotional attachment to her faith that she made the conscious choice to put herself in a situation in which she could grow more attached. None of it spoke to the accuracy of her faith as a description of reality, only to her emotional attachment to that faith.
She, by the way, was very earnest in her faith. I could see that. It didn't make it any more accurate in my eyes. And, after a few repetitions, it started to say something else.
Her repetition of her testimony started to tell me that she wasn't interested in having a conversation, that she wasn't interested in us as people. She was interested in us as targets for her efforts to convince nonbelievers to join her faith.
She didn't intend either of the messages that I took from her testimony. But, there they were.
This isn't to say that I don't see the reason why you are called to give your testimony. In a world not too different from Rome circa 30 AD, one in which your claims are new, that would be a good way to get the word out on good terms.
But, your word is already out. I've heard the good news and have not found it convincing. Chances are that any nonbeliever has already heard testimony very similar to your own, from people giving God "a chance" to near death experiences to claims of direct supernatural intervention. And, chances are that they're already aware of the ways you can earnestly believe in your experience and state it with total honesty and... still have your faith not be an accurate description of reality.
Of course, there are exceptions, such as Christian organizations that focus their evangelism on young children. In those cases, I refer you to the previous tip.
