For example, you put yourself through university by studying hard and working full time. Then someone says, you should thank god for giving you the strength. Like wtf do you mean, I busted my ass day in and day out but I’m supposed to thank god for it?
So fucking irritated my dude. I know in their minds they’re doing it out of a sense of trying to help other souls to find the correct path, in theory. But when you look at it from a secular point of view it literally just feels like them asserting their worldview constantly in the most smug possible way, like get fucked fr. Humans just don’t know how to stop themselves from convincing everyone around them of whatever fairytale horse shit they desperately need for themselves to not fear death. I don’t mind them believing whatever the hell they want, I just wish they would shut their ass about it. If it’s the truth thing everyone on Earth has the same access to it and I don’t need somebody constantly reminding me that what’s true is true. Things that are true don’t need to be constantly repeated
I would push back on the idea that humans inherently want to push their religions on people. In actuality that behavior is an effect of the memetic construction of more modern religions. Memetics being the concept “viral ideas” or contagious ideas. Where an idea becomes a thing of its own and spreads without outside interference. (yes like memes). The polytheistic religions were generally not so inclined to spread their religion to others. They’d show up in a forgein land and see other peoples worshipping gods and either think those were the names for their own gods here or think that these are just the gods of this land. The Greeks for example would make offerings to Isis while in Egypt.
The more recent idea of “An imperative to spread” is an invention of christianity that was picked up by Islam as well. Over time much like our societies evolve the ideas we have evolve too. It’s natural selection. Given enough time any idea that has baked into it the imperative to spread will overtake ideas that do not. Hence the death of paganism in Europe and the dominance of Islam, and Christianity in that region by comparison over the last few centuries.
Eventually (As is already happening to some extent with political ideologies imo) a new memetic construct will come along that outcompetes christianity. Just as the christians before it absorbed paganism (Arch Angels and Demons are literally just pagan gods given new names) this new one will absorb christianity and outcompete it and the other religions into near extinction. This may be a new religion of its own, it may be a political movement, it may be something else. Whatever it is it will better fit the material conditions of the current world than the now quite outdated christianity which was more suited to a medeival time period. Giving it an advantage and leading to inevitable spread.
I do appreciate your lofty conveyance of these concepts and your insight on historical context. I suppose I just tend to put sociopathy on all strangers these days. I’m not necessarily saying it’s like an imperative to spread their religion, more like people generally tend to not mature or grow in their lives, but rather to justify their own behavior to themselves instead. It’s relatively common, because of this, that people are subconsciously using religion to justify their own antisocial behaviors instead of improving themselves. And that inherent narcissism is the actual reason people will inject religion into every conversation and try and push it on to those around them. Maybe I’m cynical, though, and applying my anecdotal experience to more of the population than it actually fits with
Well it is actually true that an integral part of Christianity itself is the imperative to spread or proselytizing. It is baked into the religion itself. Originally this was an idea to convert all Jews to the new religion, but it was Saul of Tarsus, or the Apostle Paul, who introduced the idea that this should apply to all peoples, not just Jews.
In the words of the Bible itself: Matthew 28:19–20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
So while you may be correct that there is a psychologal aspect to it as well, it is also true that it is simply a part of their religion. They are taught that they should do this. It is generally seen as a holy duty to convert others and save their souls.