Aversions to the word 'Evangelism'

There is a range of aversions to the word “evangelism,” and it’s not only among Christians.

Some hear the term and remember an embarrassing moment. Perhaps they had been pressured into telling a stranger about Jesus and were ridiculed. Or they’d observed another Christian awkwardly share their faith in public and hoped no one asked what they thought.

Others equate evangelism with military crusades, forced conversions, and abusive persuasion tactics. The term is abhorrent and relegated to a pre-Enlightement mindset.

Still others experience a vague sense of shameful duty whenever evangelism is proposed. Exactly what they should do to share their faith isn’t clear, but they know that not sharing their faith is a bad sign of their own commitment.