A little off topic, but just curious, because I've been in this situation....

If you were handing out tracts, and the person you were handing to offered you a tract from their religion, say Wicca, would you take it and read it and consider it with an open mind?

Start looking for a new church.  Maybe look into pressing charges, as my former church must have drugged me or something.

I wouldn't be "handing out tracts", period, stop...I try to live a paperless life; I don't need useless, meaningless, paper adding to the stuff that I'm trying to get rid of.

no i would not.

Well....points for honesty.

why are you even asking this MC Jae?

Seems you have settled on the issue......

I am not surprised at all that although you would want others to take your tract and listen openly to you that you would not do likewise.....

Not the Baptist thing I suppose ..... one way street...

Regardless  ... to answer your question.......

I would not be there handing out tracts .... period......

Now ...what if I saw a person I know handing out tracts?

I would say hello of course and politely but firmly decline taking a tract.

Our interaction would be purely social.....

Regards

Rita

I'm not aware of any United Churches that hand out tracts. 

That said, I think everyone at work knows that I am a member of the United Church, so they would not be surprised to see me doing something with my church. I certainly would not be embarrassed for them to see me doing something in the community while representing my church (marching in the gay pride parade is an example that comes to mind).

Kudos to you for a straight answer.

So setting that aside for a moment....

Going back to on topic, I'm not sure if you were experssing apprehension at seeing your work buddies or not, but lets assume mild apprehension, from the POV of "Should I talk to them or not".....

Would you concern be from the aspect of how they knowing your faith might affect your job? Or would it more be because of how it might affect your social interaction at work.

I come from a faith that still fights the sort of problems the former entials. Many people of my faith must actively hide their religion, or face getting fired from their jobs. Christians rarely have to deal with that particular problem, but it is all too common for my folk.

I am very fortunate that my employer welcomes diversity, but I am cogniscent that not every employer does.

UPDATE: As I was posting from my cell phone whose battery was dieing out I didn't get a chance to add...

I would politely decline.

Now, please let's return to the question posed in my OP.

Rich blessings.

Interesting perspective jmlochhead. I honestly hadn't taken that into consideration.

So... if you are a Christian (I don't know), in what other ways do you seek to spread the Gospel?

I'd probably take the tract, say thanks have a nice day, and keep going. The tract would not likely be read closely by me. Anything religious that is distributed on the streetlike a sale flyer with a sales pitch really turns me off and sends up red flags. Yesterday, down the block from me- one guy was handing out free pizza to promote his restaurant- a few steps down JWs had a table set up handing out tracts (unrelated to the pizza- it's a busy street). 2 weeks ago a man gave me another tract for some other church. It's all the same MO- except at least it was easy to tell what the pizza guy was offering, nothing hidden, and people appreciated free lunch. You can't eat religious tracts.

Seriously, I have stopped to talk to people who hand out tracts and when I tell them what I believe they usually stop talking and smile and move on.

I wouldn't be handing out tracts at street corners, but when I see someone handing them out, I usually take one, look at it, and then decide whether it is worth reading.

Who knows, it could be some kind of brand new and utterly fascinating Communist Manifesto?

I wouldn't be handing out tracts on a street corner.

Could better spend my time doing pick-ups and delivery for the local Food Bank.

Hi Jae,

I have coin tracts. They are about 30% larger than a toonie. One side has the 10 commandments, the other is a bit of a tract, and it also invites you to go to needgod.com.

When I buy things, I pull out my change and fiddle with it in a wide open hand while I find the correct change. People often ask about it and I give them away to whoever is interested.

I sometimes drop them in parking lots when I enter stores, and they are gone when I get back. People have trouble throwing out things that resemble money.

My wife keeps New Believer’s Bibles in her car with a 20 stuffed in as her tract for when somebody needs a hand. I think they cost about $3 when you buy them by the case.

A - I wouldn't hand out Christian tracts

B - I think they are a waste of paper

C - Meeting a friend from work wouldn't be a problem (because of A)

From my life experiences so far I have seen people drawn to a religion because others practising it made them feel loved and wanted.  Never have seen anyone drawn into a religion by tracts or proseletysing. 

I could see where it may open up an opportunity to discuss the gospel. What do you say Jae if someone stops and wants to know more? Where do you start?

I would nevr hand out relgious tracks, but if someone I knew handed me one, I would read it. I would hope that understanding the tract would help me understand how the person I knew thinks, and to have a better and more mutually productive relationship. 

rotflmao

I find it difficult to put myself in that situation, standing on a street corner, or at a bus stop, handing out tracks.   But maybe, if my church were putting on a special event (concert, art show, seminar) and I was on publicity, I can imagine standing out front and giving a brochure to anyone who showed an interest.  If a group of acquaintances came by I would probably say 'Hello', pass the time of day, and, depending upon their interest, tell them what I was doing and offer them a pamphlet. 

At one time my church did prepare pamphlets about our church to be delivered to every household in the area, especially the new housing development and appartment complex.  We included such things as our mission statement (making no secret that we are a Christian church), our times of worship, our outreach and midweek activities, and the various people to contact.  We occasionally got responses - but decided that it was not the most effective way to reach people.  (I really don't know if anything else was tried. - sign near the street - word-of-mouth).

I do believe that if I offered someone a pamphlet about my religion and they offered me one about theirs in return, I should give theirs the same consideration I would hope they would give mine. 

Mostly if a stranger offers me a tract, either on the street or coming to my door, I politely but firmly refuse it (moving on or closing the door).  If it were someone I know I might accept it, but probably not read it unless I was bored waiting for the bus.

Hi MC jae,

I wouldn't hide my church activity.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Hi Saul_now_Paul,

Those coins are great - I never go into town without a few in my pocket.

Do you only give them out when asked or do you offer them to people?

"People have trouble throwing out things that resemble money" ....................now why didn't Jesus think of that?

I find the idea of imitation money rather silly - just another type of religious waste (like tracts). 

Judas thought of it .... and ended up throwing out 30 of them.....

Regards

Rita

Hi kaythecurler,

My objection is not that it is another type of waste.  Surely that position could be argued against by those who look upon this type of tract as an investment.

My objection is to the fraudulent bait and switch that the coin tract represents.

It begins with the admission that people want money and then disguises the gospel as money in an attempt to attract attention.  It is a tacit acknowledgement that the gospel is unattractive without gimmick.

Still, we are called to be as innocent as doves and as wise as serpents so perhaps this bait and switch qualifies as a half-way measure.  It is the wisdom of the serpent without the innocence of the dove.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Hi RitaTG

Indeed. 

Grace and peace to you.

John

LOL