Many Christians have told me over the years that they do not personally convert anyone to Christianity or save any "souls." They insist that only the god in which they claim to believe can do these things. I suspect they may do this, at least in part, because they sometimes hear how arrogant they sound. "Fair enough," I say, "Then why is it that I only see you on my front porch spouting drivel and not your god?" It seems like a waste of everybody's time, although I have to admit that my only real concern here is my time. If the proselytizing Christian wishes to waste their time, they are free to do so but need to go somewhere else.
Some Christians, presumably the more evangelically-inclined, will offer something about how they are "called" to spout their preferred form of nonsense to anyone who might listen. Others will go so far as to claim that their god is using them (i.e., working through them somehow). As ineffective as they are, that always strikes me as an incredibly poor choice for such a wise being to make. If it was interested in converting me, it could probably come up with a more effective means of doing so. In fact, I have a hard time imagining a less effective approach than the never-ending parade of proselytizing Christians!
It seems clear that proselytizing has nothing to do with gods and everything to do with the people doing the proselytizing. They aren't there to represent any sort of divine power; they are there for their own power, social status, personal satisfaction, and so on. Knocking on my door to ask me ridiculous questions fed to them by their pastor provides them with some sort of perceived real-world benefit. The thing is, I will accept no obligation to endure it. If they cannot discover a way to practice their religion without imposing it on others, then they need to try a new religion or none at all.
"What do you expect? You live in Mississippi." Yes, I am well aware of where I live and what that means. I have been here long enough that you can be sure of that. But I will no longer accept where I live as an excuse or hold my tongue when I am interrupted with evangelical Christian nonsense. It is 2020, and it is appalling that this sort of thing is still happening anywhere in the United States. Perhaps it would help if more of us reacted like we would when faced with anything else we consider appalling. I think I can do my part.
