How to talk with Muslims whom want to convert me to Islam

[HolyCrusader007]

Christ said love your neighbor, and love your enemy…this is the Christian religion… Knowing this how can I deal with a Muslim who everyday almost is asking me to convert to Islam or saying have you taken your shahada?

I do know that a # of Jewish and Roman folks vehemently opposed Jesus and would refuse the message of our Lord… now I compare this to perhaps how Muhammad was indeed rejected vehemently by some Jews, Christians, and Polytheist Arabs…so I can understand how some Christians and Muslims would want the whole world to be Christian or Islamic…but with that said how do we build bridges…should all Christians want the whole world to be Christian, should all Muslims want the whole world to be Islamic?

I told my Muslim friends that always ask me to convert that God willing I would rather die 1,000 brutal deaths then give up on our Lord and Savior Jesus. I said hey we can learn from each others religions but we dont have to convert each other. I will say I refuse under any circumstance to criticise any religion on earth, Jesus preached to be nice to others, to stand up to bullies and to look out for the oppressed. I refuse to give up my Christian religion.

Where there is a will there is a way…any tips would be appreciated on how I can deal with these few proselytizing Muslims in the proper and pleasant Christian manner.

 

[Jerusha]

Where there is a will there is a way…any tips would be appreciated on how I can deal with these few proselytizing Muslims in the proper and pleasant Christian manner.

Once you get the drift that they are only interested in proselytizing, refuse to discuss religion with them. At least that is what I was taught to do about Mormons. If they then assume that you hate them because you refuse to discuss religion with them, that is their problem.

 

[Kaninchen]

Where there is a will there is a way…any tips would be appreciated on how I can deal with these few proselytizing Muslims in the proper and pleasant Christian manner.

I’m not a Christian but how you handle it does rather depend on the nature of the individual proselytisers themselves, doesn’t it? Some are more aggressive than others, some can be quite demanding that you respond to their avalanche of (supposed) ‘evidence’.

From long experience (mainly of the Christian version ) however, there’s no substitute for clarity on your part, particularly when it comes to saying: “enough is enough.” The longer you leave it, the more likely that personal antipathies will escalate.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Christ said love your neighbor, and love your enemy…this is the Christian religion… Knowing this how can I deal with a Muslim who everyday almost is asking me to convert to Islam or saying have you taken your shahada?

I do know that a # of Jewish and Roman folks vehemently opposed Jesus and would refuse the message of our Lord… now I compare this to perhaps how Muhammad was indeed rejected vehemently by some Jews, Christians, and Polytheist Arabs…so I can understand how some Christians and Muslims would want the whole world to be Christian or Islamic…but with that said how do we build bridges…should all Christians want the whole world to be Christian, should all Muslims want the whole world to be Islamic?

I told my Muslim friends that always ask me to convert that God willing I would rather die 1,000 brutal deaths then give up on our Lord and Savior Jesus. I said hey we can learn from each others religions but we dont have to convert each other. I will say I refuse under any circumstance to criticise any religion on earth, Jesus preached to be nice to others, to stand up to bullies and to look out for the oppressed. I refuse to give up my Christian religion.

Where there is a will there is a way…any tips would be appreciated on how I can deal with these few proselytizing Muslims in the proper and pleasant Christian manner.

If you really want to get into it, ask him why his sect of Islam is any more authentic than the rest of them. How does he even know he’s in the right one? What if the Druze were right all along, or the Ahmadiyya, or Shi’ia, or Bahai… etc

 

[victrolatim]

Turn the tables. Start evangelizing to them. Ask why they haven’t converted to Catholocism. I did this once to a fellow who tried to “save me” in a grocery store. I began asking him about why he wasn’t Catholic and then started giving him scripture passages and refuting his beliefs about the church (kindly, of course). I went all Jimmy Akin on him. If they don’t become interested then at least they know what it feels like.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You could

• ask him when he was going to become Catholic
• smile and change the subject, “Nice weather we’re having today” etc.
• politely but firmly tell him that he is showing disrespect for your well-established beliefs and that enough is enough

In addition, if you are seeing this person in a workplace setting, and he does not stop after being firmly requested by you, I would mention the situation to your manager, as no one should have to be harassed about their religious beliefs (or lack thereof) at work.

 

[Brassring]

Say “Nah…If I’m going to blow myself up, it’ll be for a much better reason.”

I bet they’ll stop asking

 

[Crusaderbear]

Tell them the funny story about your cousin at the department of Homeland Security…

A polite, I’m really not interested, peace be with you should work.

If it doesn’t then tell homeland security a funny story about this Muslim guy you met…

See something, say something…

 

[7_Sorrows]

I would start looking for a new group of friends if they can’t accept you for your
faith and are attempting to convert you to Islam.

 

[undead_rat]

If it were me that these folks were asking, I would start by revealing that I do, in fact, recognize Mohammed as one of Allah’s true religious teachers and that I have no problem in reciting the “Word” of Islam:
“There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is a prophet of Allah.”
(I realize that many Christians don’t agree with these sentiments, but let’s not argue about that.)

Then I would bring out my miniature cloth copy of the Shroud of Turin and ask them what they think about it.
Because the miraculous image of Jesus that is on His burial linen is proof that He really did suffer torture and death by crucifixion and that His body disappeared from His tomb while that tomb was blockaded, sealed, and guarded.

It should make for an interesting and, perhaps, fruitful discussion.

 

[Erikaspirit16]

Turn the tables. Start evangelizing to them. Ask why they haven’t converted to Catholocism. I did this once to a fellow who tried to “save me” in a grocery store. I began asking him about why he wasn’t Catholic and then started giving him scripture passages and refuting his beliefs about the church (kindly, of course). I went all Jimmy Akin on him. If they don’t become interested then at least they know what it feels like.

 

[HolyCrusader007]

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

I work at an Islamic school and of the Muslim congregation only a few folks have tried to convert me. Interestingly its the Americanized Muslims that are really trying hard each day to convert me and I suppose this is what you get from any religion which proselytizes. Otoh I had a wonderful traditional Yemeni dinner on Sat night after attending a Mosque Ramadan fast break…at both times I wore my Cross openly and I was welcomed and respected…it was a wonderful time.

Anyway I told the few guys that are still trying to convert me to Islam that hey I will be Catholic my whole life and even after that they continue to try to convert me which I suppose is their duty… So yes I think I might try some of the advice offered here, I have thought of saying to these few guys hey you want to come to Christianity …after all as Christians and Muslims we both love Jesus. These few guys trying to convert me btw are friendly…its just they bring up the conversion thing continuously… But to the guys trying to convert me my message to them is that I would like to continue to try to build bridges building on ideas of unity between Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

 

[EricF]

This is totally tongue-in-cheek, so please don’t crucify me. Invite him over for some barbecue ribs and a couple of beers to discuss it.

 

[Brassring]

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

I work at an Islamic school…

This is problematic all by itself. By working at an Islamic school, you are playing a role-no matter how peripheral-in the advancement of a heretical religion.

 

[drac16]

You can bring up the fact that Jesus’ crucifixion is universally agreed upon as having happened (even by the enemies of the Christian faith). You can also bring up the fact that we have a personal role model. Allah just gives a bunch of rules and says “Do this and you might live with me after you die!”. Our God entered into His own creation and gave us a perfect standard to aspire to. Allah is not interested in giving His creation a relatable role model.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

I work at an Islamic school and of the Muslim congregation only a few folks have tried to convert me. Interestingly its the Americanized Muslims that are really trying hard each day to convert me and I suppose this is what you get from any religion which proselytizes. Otoh I had a wonderful traditional Yemeni dinner on Sat night after attending a Mosque Ramadan fast break…at both times I wore my Cross openly and I was welcomed and respected…it was a wonderful time.

Anyway I told the few guys that are still trying to convert me to Islam that hey I will be Catholic my whole life and even after that they continue to try to convert me which I suppose is their duty… So yes I think I might try some of the advice offered here, I have thought of saying to these few guys hey you want to come to Christianity …after all as Christians and Muslims we both love Jesus. These few guys trying to convert me btw are friendly…its just they bring up the conversion thing continuously… But to the guys trying to convert me my message to them is that I would like to continue to try to build bridges building on ideas of unity between Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

May I ask what type of work you do there?

 

[ChurchSoldier]

You can find info here: www.jihadwatch.org/

 

[friardchips]

Hi. A great way to convert is to be genuine and sincere, and kind, and joyful, and this way, non-Catholics get to see Jesus as well as hear about Him.

 

[Crusaderbear]

Given it’s a workplace environment, I would stick to smiling and saying no thank you.

 

[ChineseCatholic]

Anyway I told the few guys that are still trying to convert me to Islam that hey I will be Catholic my whole life and even after that they continue to try to convert me which I suppose is their duty… So yes I think I might try some of the advice offered here, I have thought of saying to these few guys hey you want to come to Christianity …after all as Christians and Muslims we both love Jesus. These few guys trying to convert me btw are friendly…its just they bring up the conversion thing continuously… But to the guys trying to convert me my message to them is that I would like to continue to try to build bridges building on ideas of unity between Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

I’ve been similar situations to yours throughout my life.

I sometimes think this must be a cultural thing, but in America the pressurization for conversation (from any religion…well…except Judaism) seems a lot more…intense…than in Asia.

I’ve seen people preach on Subways, Buses, and in open public in a way that just doesn’t happen in say Japan or Korea because of a cultural barrier → Faith is a very private thing and such actions taken in public would be deemed ill-mannered and rude.

The fact that these are co-workers and you are at a religious institution makes this very tricky for you.

I’ve worked for a few in my life as well, but I never was given the hard sell you are getting. It was always mostly “invitational,” with the aim of at least getting me to understand their world view as the goal as opposed to outright conversion.