Straightforward, hard-to-answer-questions about the Bible/Christianity

Hi Bluejay, Yeah, I've had a Mormon missionary give me that speech. Would you be amazed to hear that I didn't find it compelling? Doesn't that rather make a mockery of your missionary work?The way I see it, if I had actually died, only to find myself in the next life, being offered a chance to make good with God, I would be a whole lot more willing to take the idea of Mormonism on board. After all, I would have what I've been asking for all these years; some evidence that the whole thing is more than a delusion.Here on Earth, the question of whether I believe Mormonism/Christianity (on the basis of no evidence) isn't even a dilemma. There is no way I can believe it.In the honest-to-Gawd afterlife however, on being offered the chance to embrace God (now with ample evidence) I would naturally accept. It would be a no-brainer; anyone would accept.My problem is this; surely by acting as a missionary, you are providing people with the chance to convert to Mormonism in life (on the basis of no evidence). Naturally most will refuse, thus forsaking their chance at being given the infinitely more appealing choice in the afterlife.Basically, missionaries are offering salvation, but the net effect is damnation of most of the people they talk to. By offering people the chance to refuse God, you are denying them the safe bet in the afterlife. Surely it would be better to keep Mormonism and Christianity a secret. That way, no-one would know about it and no-one would be able to refuse it. Everyone would get the option to take the safe bet and no-one need be denied Heaven.Even if denying God in this life doesn't remove the safe bet option in the afterlife, missionary work still makes no sense. Why bother? It seems like a waste of time. Why not just leave people be and they can convert when they die? That would leave Mormons free to actually do some real good with their missionary stint, like working for charities.Just a thought.Mutate and SurviveEdited by Granny Magda, : No reason given.

I don't quite get where you're coming from here. How could it not? The example raised was of those who never had a chance to encounter Christianity or Mormonism. Now perhaps just asking, or a casual chat might not count, but giving someone detailed information about your faith, explaining it to them as fully as you can and still having them reject it? That sounds like a good example of someone being handed an opportunity to make an informed rejection of God. Clearly it places them in a different category to someone who never encountered Christians. I don't see what is to be gained in creating such situations, especially since I hear that the average Mormon missionary manages about three or four converts during his stint (obviously you did better ). I'm guessing that many more people end up in the position I've outlined. It all just seems a bit of a waste if they're going to be given the chance to convert in the afterlife anyway. Okay, that's not an unreasonable point, but it surely doesn't require the kind of enthusiastic proselytising that Mormons practise.Mutate and Survive