Why do some religions try to convert people?

Muslims want others to be Muslim because we believe that is what will bring benefit to them and remove harm from them.

I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses. As you may already know or have heard, we "try to convert people." That's actually a misconception. We are only following what Jesus commaded and what the whole Bible says. All we want to do is help people read/understand the Bible. And we offer to help FREE of charge. So anybody who says it's for the $$ is wrong about US. Others may do that but not us. And if you are interested and WANT to convert, that's YOUR choice. We never push you to. All "convert" means is to change your lfestyle around. And may I ask what is so RUDE about us trying to have a nice conversation? We don't sell anything OR get paid, so that doesn't really apply to us. If U think about it, its the pple who insult us or sllam the door who are the rude ones. And just to show you what we're really like, we don't retaliate. I just have a feeling that U were thinking about JW's 4 this Q esp. since practically we're the only ones who do it. PPle just need to think logically: IF muslims, catholics, buddhists, etc. were SO right in their thinking, wouldn't and SHOULDN'T they be doing what we do?

Why would you seek to convince people that your belief that "it is rude and annoying" to try to convert people is actually rude and annoying? You see, when we think something is true, we tend to want others to agree with us. The stronger our conviction that it is true, the more strongly we seek to convince. Put another way, let's take the Christian belief in hell. If you actually believed in hell, would you want anyone to go there? If you actually believed with all your heart and mind that someone would spend eternity suffering, would you simply stand by and say, "Well, I don't want to offend anyone, so I will let them go to hell?" I doubt you would do that, any more than a sane person would stand by and watch a friend try to enter a burning building and not try to stop them.

Or on the positive side, if you actually believed in heaven, wouldn't you want everyone to go there? Like, if someone was giving away a million dollars to anyone who walked into their store, wouldn't you tell your friends and family?

So, people who believe strongly in their faith will always try to get other people to believe with them.

Imagine this. Everyone around you is sick, and they will die a horrible death unless they take the medicine you have. Many take it and are healed. But many haven't heard yet, and they keep getting sicker and sicker. Others have heard about it, but don't believe it.

If you know that you have the cure, and you don't tell people, then their blood will be required at your hands.

That is the dilema that we Christians face. The sickness is called sin, and everyone has it, absolutely everyone. There is not one righteous, not one. Jesus Christ is the cure. Unless each person accepts Christ, and asks forgiveness for sins, and repents of their sins, they will die in their sins and face eternal judgment.

It is our moral and spiritual obligation to tell everyone we can about the good news that they can find forgiveness and new life at the cross of Jesus Christ.

There, you have been told. Now, the choice is up to you! Do you want the cure, or do you prefer to die in your sickness?

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

I invite my friends to chruch and others..if they say no, i move on. I will not force anything upon anyone. some do. But you cant judge all christians by individuals. I invite to try and show them the happiness that i have. I have something amazing to share, of course i want others to know about it!!!

God Bless!

Depends on what you mean, I suppose. I rather imagine many folks thought Christ was annoying too. I know the religious leaders did. They were always trying to kill him.

And poor Paul. They ended up stoning him and leaving him for dead.

Hannah J Paul

Because we were told to:

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.'" -- Matthew 28:18-20

convert (v.)

c.1300, from O.Fr. convertir, from L. convertere "turn around, transform," from com- "together" + vertere "to turn" (see versus). Originally in the religious sense. The L. word is glossed in O.E. by gecyrren, from cierran "to turn, return." Convertible is from 1385; of cars, 1916, Amer.Eng.

If you had a sincere concern for the well being of humanity, and believed that your religion, or way of life, could relieve people of needless suffering, wouldn't you try to "turn" them from the lifestyle that was hurting them, to a better lifestyle that you have experienced as being beneficial?

As Muslims, we believe that the Ultimate Survival (and Salvation) is found in Oneness with the Creator, in obedience to the Divine and Natural Laws of the Creator. When we look out at a world where so many people are suffering as a result of deviating from, or being separated from, their Natural State of Oneness with Allah (God); the desire of the sincere Muslim is to help as many as possible to come back to the Right Way of God.

RM

Because they believe that they have the truth,and they are actually doing it out of concern and care for you,as they don't want to see you suffer.They are not trying to be annoying and they are certianly not trying to be rude.

Most religions do it, because they believe their way, is the only way to get to Heaven, and they care about people, and don't want them to go to Hell. P.S. Christianity is the only way to Heaven :)