Propose, but not impose, faith in Christ
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008Pope Benedict XVI told participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on June 7, 2008:
“It is the love of Christ which impels the Church to reach out to every human being without distinction, beyond the borders of the visible Church. The source of the Church’s mission is Divine Love. This love is revealed in Christ and made present through the action of the Holy Spirit. All the Church’s activities are to be imbued with love.”"Thus, it is love that urges every believer to listen to the other and seek areas of collaboration. It encourages Christian partners in dialogue with the followers of other religions to propose, but not impose, faith in Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life”.
When I read this, my first reaction was, “this is huge”… to me it is clear that the Pope is clearly rejecting forced conversion and heavy-handed evangelization. If you consider yourself a Christian (or at least, a Roman Catholic) then it’s not your job to try to force your beliefs and your religion on those who belief differently. Instead, you should use dialog and reason to make the “Jesus proposition”. And make it in a way that is consistent with brotherly love, and respect.