*edit*. the bible.....ugh.

Let me start out by saying, I have no problem with anyone being religious, believing in god, or anything like that. I don't know how I feel about evolution, I really have my own personal beliefs. It's fine with me, but I could not believe any of it for all the money in the world.

Alright, today at work ( I work at a grocery store where ALOT of old people shop) an older lady came up to me and asked if I prayed today.

"um no?"

Then asked if I believe in god.

"nope"

Then acted completely shocked out of her mind. Like she has never seen anyone ever that doesn't believe in god.

She then told me to wait while she goes to her car to give me her bible to read.

I said, "No thanks, I dont read that, I never will ever again"

She goes on. and on and on. About what will happen to me if I dont find god.

I tried politely multiple times to leave the conversation but she kept following me around!

Finally I said " I apologize, but this is none of your business, I do not want your bible, I don't want ANYTHING to do with it and I think that God is absolutely ridiculous, Please leave me alone"

 

THEN she went and talked to my supervisor about it.

I know I was at work, and I was not rude to her at all, but seriously I don't want people talking to me about religion! It's totally inconsiderite.

 

Agreed?

Disagreed?

I always really find this one hard to deal with. If you take the bible, they'll usually go away but that's being really dishonest since you don't plan to look at it.  I did this once at work- someone wanted to thank me for something and give me a "gift" (which I don't care for in the workplace) only it turned out it was some thing designed to get me interested in Mormonism!  I was so startled, I just said "thanks"...and had a good laugh later as any number of improbable things are likely to happen before I would convert to Mormonism (pigs flying, snowballs in hell, you get the idea).  I think she was actually interested in the fate of my soul (I have found that many proselytizing types seem to be trying to earn brownie points with God).

 The only other way to get rid of them is frank blasphemy or something with shock value like your "God is ridiculous" comment.  Or, "Oh, no, I can't accept that. Beelzebub said he'd burn my hand off if I touched one.  Sorry"

I agree that atheists can be just as bad about the proselytizing as any religious zealot and can be very insulting to religious people.  Hey, I believe in electrons on the basis of science that I don't fully understand, and I can't see them, so in a way I think that's not so different from religious beliefs- both rely heavily on faith and the "proofs" of others.

lol.......too funny  (aristotle comment)

I generally believe that god will find you if your holy enough, its not something that should be forced upon people. but you could interpret her actions as a sign from god I mean its pretty random for someone to walk up to you and ask if you believe in god, ignoring her was probably the wrong thing to do, but atheists are necessary to fulfill the scriptures they are the Antichrists and spread misery amongst the earth when their terror becomes unbearable god will surely save us.

Original Post by enzyme1:

I generally believe that god will find you if your holy enough, its not something that should be forced upon people. but you could interpret her actions as a sign from god I mean its pretty random for someone to walk up to you and ask if you believe in god, ignoring her was probably the wrong thing to do, but atheists are necessary to fulfill the scriptures they are the Antichrists and spread misery amongst the earth when their terror becomes unbearable god will surely save us.

Or maybe she was just an overzealous christian woman with no manners.

Really, your comment is so obnoxious. OBVIOUSLY the attention was unwanted, or why else would she be posting about it? It's people like you that we're talking about in this thread; you just can't resist going into a lecture about YOUR beliefs even when you are completely uninvited to do so.

edit; And no, isn't random at all. You know how many freaks come up to my door trying 'save' me without even knowing who I am or what religion I am? Are you saying god is telling me to get a different religion every month? Okay; I'm so enlightened.

Original Post by dnrothx:

i no longer want to be associated with christians at all because the majority is extremely conservative and close-minded, which is nothing like me.

Aristotle would have a field day with this statement.

 glad to hear it..?

I used to work at the corner store / pub. A gentleman who lived upstairs would come in often. He usually ended his transaction with 'God bless you', and I'd always say 'thanks'. Then one day as he's about to santer out he turns and looks at me and asks if I believe Jesus was born and died for my sins. I answered him "I believe its a possibility, but unlikely" (I am agnostic), he then asked me what it was I believed. The store I worked at was really quiet, so I took the time to explain to him agnosticism and why I chose that religion. He immediately took it upon himself to save my soul.

He brought me several books from the bible, gospel music CDs and other Christian aids. I took them, never saying I'd read/use them. And soon he added me to facebook, and since then he's been trying to convert me. I am always frank about how I'm set in my ways and I don't believe any of his arguments are at all logical. (Really... nothing about the Christian religion makes a lick of sense, except the morals it tries to instill), and I write right back trying to convert him away from Christianity.

So, thats how I deal with these people. I'm not the type of person to ever push my religion onto others... unles sthey first do it to me. Some of them actually 'click' and realize that me trying to change their strong belief structure is just as ridiculus as them trying to do the same to me. Others never seem to catch on.

agnostics are just as bad if not worse than atheists, But I'm embarrassed because of the extremists soiling a perfectly good religion but I think its just the Christian society responding to the Muslim threat. Christians are trying to better themselves and in church we are told to help others "convert them" so they to can share in the joy of jesus and god, but really if people think they dont need god to be happy and be a good person then fine but in our eyes you are now evil, psalm  14, and 1 john 2:22. and christians should not try and convert people who dont want to listen matthew 7:6, 

My personal thought on this:  religion, spirituality and politics are extremely personal. I love discussing with family and friends but not with strangers, and especially not with co-workers. I was complete shocked when I moved to Dallas from the east coast (Washington, D.C.) and the first question someone asked at my new job was "What church do you go to?" It's very much a cultural thing. No one is trying to be rude. But it took me a while to learn that.

That being said.... I think a couple more things:  I think that woman was trying to be nice, and was probably lonely as many others stated. Also if she was much older she may have a different sense of what is or is not "acceptable" -- another cultural thing maybe or even an age thing... Or maybe even just a personality thing.

I also think that all sides can be equally obnoxious and close-minded: Christians, Jews, atheists, agnostics, etc. etc. Really I feel that it's not a measure of the group or religion with which one associates himself or herself. If one person is obnoxious, or several people, you can't judge that entire group of people based on that person or persons.  Well you can, of course you can. I just don't think that you should.

And also I think that there are different ways of handling folks who are intrusive and trying to press their views upon other people. I personally try to be polite and take the "thanks for the info, gotta go" polite approach. I think that our reactions to folks like this really can make the situation worse. Not saying that you did that, Schnooder. But many times folks who are aggressively trying to impress their views upon others are also looking for a reaction of some sort. (I don't happen to think that was the case with the old lady in the store.)

Original Post by enzyme1:

I generally believe that god will find you if your holy enough, its not something that should be forced upon people. but you could interpret her actions as a sign from god I mean its pretty random for someone to walk up to you and ask if you believe in god, ignoring her was probably the wrong thing to do, but atheists are necessary to fulfill the scriptures they are the Antichrists and spread misery amongst the earth when their terror becomes unbearable god will surely save us.

Hmm, I though George W. Bush was the antichrist.

Original Post by denise07:

Hmm, I though George W. Bush was the antichrist.

 Did the thread have anything to do with bush?

 

no 

He doesnt have to be brought up in EVERY discussion you know. 

 

 

 

this is not the thread for him.

I don't get why people hate him that much.

Original Post by schnooder:

Original Post by denise07:

Hmm, I though George W. Bush was the antichrist.

 Did the thread have anything to do with bush?

 

no 

He doesnt have to be brought up in EVERY discussion you know. 

 

 

 

this is not the thread for him.

Good grief.. it was a joke. Are there a lot of threads about him or something? I haven't seen any, certainly haven't posted anything mentioning him before, and don't get this reaction. But sorry, I guess.

Original Post by denise07:

Good grief.. it was a joke. Are there a lot of threads about him or something? I haven't seen any, certainly haven't posted anything mentioning him before, and don't get this reaction. But sorry, I guess.

 theres nothing to be sorry about, but yes he is brought up in alot of posts.

theres nothing wrong with bush he's just the head of a party, I think he's quite nice for a ultra conservative

 but atheists are necessary to fulfill the scriptures they are the Antichrists and spread misery amongst the earth

Boy, now I feel like a slacker.  My teenager has said I make her miserable though.

While your intentions may be good Enzyme, how open-minded are you to non-christian religions attempting to convert you?  Would it make a difference to know that Allah loves you? Way back when religion and goverment were one in the same, spreading one's religion spread one's empire. 

I find all extremists, in any belief system, tend to be rude.

It is a shame that individual basically had you "trapped," because you were at work, and was trying to shove it down your throat. If you'd met her at a bookstore, you could have simply run off and hidden somewhere else... or left. She used the fact that you are required to be nice and remain at work to try and hook you in.

Like amy_blue, I see my spirituality as very personal. I will discuss it with people that ask, but only if they seem to be (what I perceive to be) reasonable people.

I do find it rude when people assume I have never heard about Jesus (how can I not? I live in a society where such information is widespread and pernicious) and warn me that I will "burn in hell" if I do not believe as they do. To me, that is the same as a gypsy uttering a curse that I be struck blind and all my children be born lame, or worse, someone truly *hoping* I will endure torment.  :-/

I respect others' right to believe as they wish... but not when they insult me and wish me ill, and certainly not when they believe I do not have the right to have my beliefs respected.

So, while telling her that her sacred text is B.S. is not very kosher, I can certainly understand why you did.

OK, see, this is why people get pissed off at Evangelical Christians...you just told a WHOLE LOT of people that even though they are good, honest, upright citizens they're evil and going to suffer an eternity of torment.  Can you not see how that incites strong reactions?  Obviously, you have the right to believe and say such things, but that doesn't mean you should.  Convert folks by your stirling example of christianity, and judge me not!

Now that I think about it, the customer told Schnooder that she is evil and going to rot in hell. I admire Schnooder's restraint under the circumstances.

Original Post by noelle31:

Convert folks by your stirling example of christianity, and judge me not!

EXACTLY!!!

Hearing that because I dont believe I will rot in hell is the equivilant of hearing that  because I dont believe, I wont get presents from Santa. 

On the other hand, I fully appreciate that the threat has civilized the masses although Im not a fan of some of the oppression using religion as defense though.  Good and bad.   

Lorik...  I actually agree with you...   something is wrong... something is very very wrong!