Recent Threads

[Steven Jamar]

I agree that it has a negative connotation to many.  That does not  
mean it is pejorative when used even by those for whom it has that  
connotation.  Evangelism directed at them or "sharing the good news"  
with engenders the same response regardless of the name it is given.   
And to me, "sharing the good news" is more annoying because it is a  
euphemism for engaging in proselytization.  If it ok to do the thing,  
then it is ok to call it by its name and do so proudly.

It is the act that many find offensive and changing the label is not  
relevant to being offended by the act.

Steve

On Sep 8, 2007, at 3:39 PM, Douglas Laycock wrote:

> I think it's true that proselytize has a negative connotation to  
> some people and is a perfectly neutral word for other people.  To  
> some people it means intrusive, oppressive, badgering attempts to  
> persuade, and to others, it simply means to spread the word. But I  
> think a substantial subset of the first group view almost any  
> attempt to spread the word about religion as intrusive, oppressive,  
> and badgering -- certainly any face-to-face attempt -- because they  
> know what they think about religion, they have heard all the  
> arguments before (or think they have), and they reject as  
> illegitimate any renewed attempts to persuade them to change their  
> religion.
>
> Quoting Will Linden <wlinden at panix.com>:
>
> >   I can only say curiouser and curiotser. I have never heard  
> anyone say
> > such a thing, any more than  saying "*I* belong to a cult". Nor  
> have I
> > heard any self-styled-mainline Christians use "proselytizing"  as  
> anything
> > other than something reprehensible.
> >
> >   The most nearly neutral reference I ever heard was  
> "Swedenborgians don't
> > proselytize".... again, something only They do. (And don't you  
> DARE call me
> > "mainline"!)
> >
> >
> >
> > At 12:16 PM 9/6/07 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >> Curious.  I've had many a christian tell me it is their  
> obligation to
> >> proselytize -- using that very word.
> >>
> >> I don't see anything pejorative in it at all.  It is quite  
> accurate.
> >>
> >> On 9/6/07, Will Linden  
> <<mailto:wlinden at panix.com>wlinden at panix.com> wrote:
> >>> On Thu, 6 Sep 2007, Douglas Laycock wrote:
> >>>
> >>> > Some Christians proselytize; some don't.  Same with atheists.
> >>>
> >>> "Proseleytize" is one of those funny words, like "cult" and
> >>> "superstition", which can only be applied to Somebody Else BY  
> DEFINITION.
> >>> We share, you preach, They proseleytize.  Consequently, I have  
> dropped it
> >>> from my vocabulary.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Will Linden  <mailto:wlinden at panix.com>wlinden at panix.com
> >>> <http://www.ecben.net/>http://www.ecben.net/
> >>> Magic Code: MAS/GD S++ W++ N+ PWM++ Ds/r+ A-> a++ C+ G- QO++ 666 Y
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> To post, send message to
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> religionlaw>http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw
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> >>>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Prof. Steven Jamar
> >> Howard University School of Law
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> To post, send message to Religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu
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> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Douglas Laycock
> Yale Kamisar Collegiate Professor of Law
> University of Michigan Law School
> 625 S. State St.
> Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1215
>   734-647-9713
>
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Prof. Steven D. Jamar                     vox:  202-806-8017
Howard University School of Law           fax:  202-806-8567
2900 Van Ness Street NW         mailto:stevenjamar at gmail.com
Washington, DC  20008	                http://iipsj.com/SDJ/

"The only things truly worth doing cannot be accomplished in a single  
lifetime."

Prof. Goler Teal Butcher, after Reinhold Neibuhr


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