Common Sense Commentary: No person can be forced, intimidated, or talked into being saved, becoming a Christian. It has to be their own personal, sincere will. What we can do is give them the true gospel of Christ and pray for them to truly believe in their own hearts of their own free will.
Some people think that even that is unreasonable; but for a true Christian it is absolutely essential.
Most religions on earth are neither trying nor interested in reaching the rest of the world, much less converting the world to their beliefs. The primary two which have that as a cardinal doctrine are Christian and Muslim. The Muslim method of accomplishing the "converting" of the world has historically been done by first conquering nations and tribes and then forcing the entire population to "convert", accept Muslim Sharia Law and bow and pray toward Mecca, the birthplace of their founder, Mohammad. After their forced conversion to Islam, it didn't take but one or two generations for a conquered, occupied nation to become entirely Muslim. That is a matter of the history of Muslim expansion to include over one billion converts.
To be fair, Catholicism, for a time, did a similar thing during the so called (Roman) Crusades, though not as bloody as the Muslim methods which continue to this day. The Catholics have pretty well ceased compulsory conversions, except within families ... which were no true conversions to Christ anyway.
Whatever "religion" employs forced conversions, within families or states, they are equally in violation of both human nature and Holy Scripture. "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Mk.8:34.
"And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev.22:17.
"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." John 5:40.
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Rom.14:12.
Do not miss the salvation requirement of the personal, inner will of each person, to be saved.
True conversion has to be voluntary, a sincere change of heart, repentance toward God and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It has to be the personal, inner will of the person, not someone else's will. Anyone convinced against their will is of the same opinion still. Christian Salvation is a very personal thing between one person and the one and only God of the Bible. You, yourself, must ..."....Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...." Acts 16:31.
There are not several ways to be saved. There is only one way ..."Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:10 & 12.
That being true, the one and only way to be forgiven of our sins, spiritually born again, saved for eternity and guaranteed a place in God's heaven is to personally believe and accept it into your life.
If the Bible is really God's word, and it is, then heaven and hell are real too because the Bible says they are... And if the Bible is true, Christ's great commission is also truly our calling ... to keep people out of hell and see them saved for heaven ... "And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mk.16:15. That being the case, doing our part, in Christ's church, to reach "all the world" with the good news of Jesus is not only reasonable but absolutely compelling. Not to do so is totally without excuse. To not share the only way to be forgiven saved and secure, in Christ, is what is unreasonable. RB
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