Evangelization began with Jesus Christ himself.
Evangelization is the action and effect of evangelizing . This verb, from the Latin evangelizare, refers to preaching the Christian virtues and the faith of Jesus Christ .
For example: "The evangelization of the native peoples of America was done with the Bible in one hand and a weapon in the other" , "The Argentine priest dedicated many years of his life to evangelization in Africa" , "I always considered that Evangelization is one of the most important aspects of the priestly task .
Origins of evangelization
It is said that evangelization began with Jesus Christ himself, who was responsible for spreading the word of God . Just as Jesus was sent by the Father to evangelize, he engaged his disciples in the same mission.
The Catholic Church, therefore, was born with the intention of promoting Christian truths to gain followers and build the Kingdom of God on Earth . In practice, this task involved much more than acts of faith, since evangelization was also mixed with politics and even wars of conquest.
In a certain sense, evangelization is a task that corresponds to all members of the Church , since it is one of the orders of Jesus Christ to all the faithful, as can be read in the New Testament .
The transmission of the Christian faith is the objective of evangelization.
Different views
It is worth mentioning that what is revealed by evangelization can change depending on the evangelizer. Some focus on announcing the soon return of Jesus Christ to save humanity, while others focus on spreading the word that Jesus ' sacrifice represents the salvation of all people.
In this difference in terms of the transmission of the message , or in the message itself, is the objective of the evangelizer, which often hides much more than the mere intention of converting those around him to his religion; Some people practice evangelization in an absolutely altruistic way, knowing and accepting that they will not always be able to change the beliefs of those close to them, but instead trying to enrich them and give them more tools to find themselves, to achieve plenitude through of their ideals and convictions.
Evangelization does not necessarily have to be carried out in an active and organized manner, understanding this as a preaching of the word of God through oral language and in sessions specially designed for this purpose; Many believers choose to teach by example, to live according to their own beliefs, convinced that they represent the correct path, but without pushing those around them to follow them, but hoping that their behavior will be a source of inspiration that transmits the legacy of the Church.
Evangelization as an invasion
As with other issues, the inappropriate behavior of certain believers negatively affects the entire community linked to their same religion, and generates in people outside Christianity the false idea that evangelization is an invasive and forced task, and that Christians do not accept those who are not part of their community.
We all have the right to meet ourselves and discover what we believe in, what examples we want to follow to become better people, as long as through our actions we do not invade anyone's freedom, be it a person or any other living being . If we accept this, then we must accept that other individuals think differently, unless it is someone who unjustly hurts another creature, in which case our own nature dictates us to defend the innocent.
It is important to know how to distinguish between evangelization and news about child abuse and other atrocities generally associated with the Catholic Church. It is clear that being a believer has no direct relationship with committing a sexual crime ; There are many people who try to approach religion to find peace, and who have little or no relationship with the institution, since they seek to communicate with their god without intermediaries.