>SNIP
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>>Using the word "Force" is not warranted by the facts. Most missionaries I am familar with do not take guns or bombs with them, nor do they take hostages to force non-Christians to 'convert'. You're probably refering to the Catholic Church of the Middle Ages, the Inquisition, and the abuses of that period. In your or my lifetime, however, you can't name a single example where a group of people were 'Forced' to convert to Christianity.
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>I think there is a very strong likelihood that, as recently as today, there have been instances that might well be defined suchly. Coersion at the very least.
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>Like having food or medical supplies or other things of interest to native populations available and supplying them with pressure to convert. Possibly also relieving natives of their own 'gods' to help them in this regard. At the very least, to ridicule their 'gods'.
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>I noticed too, that Billy Graham in his sermon at the National Cathedral on Friday last, and even more so Franklin Graham as he commented before and after the service on CNN, both still used the opportunity to get "those who haven't yet accepted our Lord..." to do so now. Personally I thought it was a most inappropriate occasion to peddle to 'non-believers'.
>SNIP

39 years ago my wife and I were married my a man who earned a living painting, and preached on weekends. Darrell Foltz. His total income averaged only $15,000 a year.
20 years ago he began saving money, along with some contributions from a few others. He went to the same area of Nigeria for 6 weeks every year. He lived in the bush with the Nigerians and preached the good news. All but one of his bags was stuffed with medical supplies and money. Travel was mostly on foot, although the last couple of years he and a local villager traveled on a motercycle which Darrell had purchased and given to the man. Children were named after him. He was adopted by villages and made an honorary chieftian. Besides the gospel he taught health and santiation. He purchased clothes and paid to send kids to school. He pursuaded many villagers to stop wasting their money on ju-ju gods (little, poorly carved stones) and palm wine. Their health and prosperity increased, but a few witch doctors had to find other ways of earning their bread.
Five years ago, on his last trip he and Stephen were riding the motorcycle when they were stopped by 'robbers'. Darrell was shot in the chest at close range with a military rifle and killed. Within two days the village officials had captured the three Islamic robbers, and after a one day trial they were hanged. They mourned Darrell for several weeks and cut down one of their bigger trees and hand carved a beautiful casket, which was used to ship Darrell's body home in. They didn't seem to feel like they were exploited or 'forced' or mezmerized or any other form of persuation, except that which occurs when one man shows love for a people. They don't name their kids after despots. Darrell loved Nigera, and were it not for his wife, stricken with cancer, he would have moved there.