Letter - 'Accosted by missionaries'

First of all, thank you to Jim Gerwing for his column about being accosted by "missionaries."Mr. Gerwing asked the question, "Why do these people do this?" Then he shares the theory that, "these folks live in a secret dread that their 'convictions' are actually questionable (and that) they have to convince others in order to shore up their own views."

I assert that the answers are threefold: 1) Their view is that JESUS has "commanded" them to do as indicated in Matthew 28, "Go and make disciples etc." 2) They can. Just as Mr Gerwing can espouse his views through this medium, or in the street should he choose, these "missionaries" have the right and personal conviction to do so. 3) It has proven to be successful in the past. For years the Mormon church was the fastest growing church in the world and did so by the very actions Mr Gerwing (and I for that matter) disapprove of.

The type of missionary he refers to amounts to nothing more than a religious "cold-caller" like some salespeople or political party representative who calls your home uninvited at what used to be dinner time but now can be all hours of the day.

For the record, I am a Christian and I believe that Christians are called to "minister" to (or help) others and not simply invade someone's personal space to espouse their beliefs. In ministering, perhaps those ministered to may inquire about the motivation behind the ministry and perhaps give thought to a different perspective that has the possibility of enriching their lives.

By William Adams