Musings
 Proselytizing
pros-e-lyt-ize
-verb
to convert (someone) from one religious faith to another
I realize this muse may be quite polarizing. But to me that is OK. This is a topic that irks me and I need to put it out there. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not religious. I never have been and for any proselytizers out there, I never will be. I was raised in a household where the only time I went to church was when I went to a sleepover on a Saturday night and her family attended church the next morning. I do not feel lost. I do not feel empty. I do not feel out of place or uninvolved. It was my parents rather than religion that instilled in me morals, ethics, fairness, goodwill to others, etc ...
I have some great friends who are religious. We respect each other's modus operandi and carry-on with our friendship. The best religious friends that I have are the ones that learn that I am not religious and never try to push their beliefs onto me. While they may wish I was a believer, they know that they cannot change me - it has to be a change that I personally engage in. So in turn, they may just silently pray for me.
I don't even mind taking it a step further. One of my greatest friends from high school is devoutly religious. Despite our extreme differences in beliefs, we are fantastic friends still to this day. We respect our personal beliefs, but we've moved beyond that. Rather than respect but ignore the big white elephant in the room, we've tackled it. She is genuinely interested in how I have come to not believe and yet still function as well as the next believer. Likewise, I've dug in deep to understand her perspective and why her religion is so important to her daily thoughts and actions. Not only do we respect each other's point of view, we do our best to understand it. I think that's fantastic.
Where I have the problem is when a new friend learns that I am not religious yet takes it upon themselves to push their beliefs onto me, no matter how subtle they think they're being. Some folks have just straight up invited me to church with them - not subtle at all but frankly, I appreciate the forwardness of that type of invitation. But then there's the other extreme. For example, I have been invited to parties - you know, along the lines of a tupperware party. The party features a series of products sponsored by a company. The idea is that you purchase a few items at the party with the host of the party acting as a representative of the company; she processes and handles the transaction. Fine - no problem there. The problem is the presentation. Nowhere on the invitation does it indicate that there is any religious affiliation. But once you do some basic research you learn that the company's proceeds fund ministry services. Now, would the party turn into some kind of seance? Probably not. But I would certainly expect to be given a pamphlet or two and likely future invitations to other church-related functions. Regardless of what would actually transpire at the party, what really irks me about this method of proselytizing is the disguise. Why must you exercise deceit and woo me in with your product in order to get me to consider your religion? Lying to me to get me in the door is one sure way to guarantee that I will never participate in religious functions like that!!
Whatever happened to truth and honesty? Aren't those two solid tenants of religion?