Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (Full Version)

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trappedinamuseum -> Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 10:45:19 AM)

So this morning on the Metro I meet some nice tourists from Michigan.  I strike up a conversation with them, trying to be the nice hometown girl who moved to the big city and it was going well...until they found out what town I was from.  The woman immediately said, "Oh, are you a Christian?  Have you found a church yet?" Now, I understand that I grew up in the bible belt of Michigan, but this was ridiculous. I attempted to answer without explaining my beliefs, but faltered miserably.

Has this ever happened to you?  How would you have responded?



pahunkboy -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 10:47:16 AM)

I tell em I already have a church- then state it. 

If they are too nosey I make up a church.



mnottertail -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 10:47:42 AM)

Ma'am, I am tonight.

or

No, I am going to change the name of sons of norway to sons of bitches, raise the entrance rates and let all you christians join, so you all get rounded up in one place to make it easy to slaughter you.

Ron



trappedinamuseum -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 10:57:37 AM)

Awww...but Ron, a sweet little girl like me from Michigan couldn't say anything like that....

Yeah right.  I'll remember the slaughter bit.  It comes in handy when dealing with undergrads.

Trapped



LotusSong -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 11:01:30 AM)

I'd counter with "Why do you ask"? then direct them to whatever church comes to mind.  It moves the conversation back on them and answers their implied question.  Anything other than that, I'd just smile and ask them what THEY are.  Ah, the skill of conversation.
 
If all else fails, tell them you are a Scientologist.



trappedinamuseum -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 11:09:14 AM)

They'd have apoplexy...then tell me I was going to hell....probably was a good thing I did not tell them I was a practicing Catholic.

I just got flustered...I'm no good at conversation...hence the anti-social museum career. 



SeanPony -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 12:39:04 PM)

I tell them I belong to the sword of the fucking lord ministry.

That either gets laughs or they get worried and back away.

Just livin it up!




FullCircle -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 1:01:22 PM)

I just think it’s nice that strangers still talk to one another in some parts of the world.



popeye1250 -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 9:26:29 PM)

"Why yes, I belong to The Church of MAXIMUM Orgasms, we hold services every friday night if you'd care to attend."



Vendaval -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 9:33:02 PM)

My standard response is that half of my family is Catholic and half is Protestant so I avoid these discussions entirely.  [;)]



Termyn8or -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 10:20:42 PM)

Believe it or not, as much of an asshole I am, and as bold as I am I probably would've said "considering". Then the push comes, considering what ? "Well I don't discuss that openly, it is a personal matter". After that they can offer you a card or whatever, then you have the option to put it in your pocket or throw it on the ground.

It is all in what you want to say by your actions. Alienate people who try to do right, believe they are doing right, but are just annoying you now ? Is that what you want to do ?

I would think not. I am polite with the Jehovah's Witnesses when they come. My Father invites the Mormons in to discuss issues, wrought from their own book. Sometimes they have to leave, consult the Grand Poobah or something, but they come less and less. Perhaps the answers were not forthcoming, especially on bigamy.

The oldman is not a complete fuddy duddy, if three, five, whatever people want to orgy all day, or night, and be what is now known as Poly, he cares not. He does not choose it, but swearing to be faithful to one and violating your word is not OK.

There are some moral points existing in the world. Some people try to meet goals and obligations, others do not. Some people are straight with others and treat their friends right, others are homeless. Some people have a work ethic, even if they are not punctual they take care of business, others need public assistance.

That is where it starts, and that is where it stops. I will never yield my own logic to any religion or dogma of any kind. I decide what is right and wrong, and so far so good. I've had adults try to get me to "accept the savior" when I was a kid. It happened more than once and I dreaded it. What I thought was 'how am I going to get this motherfucker to leave me alone ?'.

To accept another into my most personal thoughts and feelings, things I do not even share with my closest family ? Absurd, ridiculous. I say that now, but back then it was scary. I was little, they were big. Let me say this, if I ever have any kids, I don't want any of them around, period.

Those people who bring it up out of context like that are indoctrinated, not taught. All they care about is satisfying their evangelical drives, and that is encouraged by the "churches".

Ironically, it is different if they come to your door. You know they want to say something. Then this. I mean in public, just meeting, that makes everything dependent on faith, that is wrong. I wonder if these people have any real friends at all.

If they put it that way within minutes of meeting you, stay out of it. Even the Jehovah's Witnesses I have talked to wouldn't do that. It might get mentioned that they are JW, but they would not bring it up that way. They have alot more tact than that.

When you get people who really feel the need to put it in your face, make an excuse and get out of there. Don't give any clues as to your work, home, or anything. Evengelism is a compulsion, and in irrational one at that, get away. Be friendly, but get away.

T



SusanofO -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/2/2007 11:26:16 PM)

Once I got into a long conversation with a woman who didn't allow her children to go Trick or Treating, because she thought Hallowe'en was a holiday devoted to '"witchcraft".

She made it a point to emphasize, that she wasn't allowing it for her children, because she didn't want their young souls "corrupted" via celebrating Hallowe'en - because, she said - it didn't co-incide with her religious beliefs -

Kinda like the parents who think Harry Potter is the devil's relative - despite the fact he is a totally fictional character,(and also that some of these same types of folks seem to have zero objection to promoting the myth of Santa Claus to their kids.)

The fact this might make her kids feel like odd-balls at school, because all the rest were celebrating by being in costumes, having fun, and trick-or-treating didn't matter to her. Her conviction that her kids not participate in the "Holiday devoted to worshipping demons" mattered more. I thought she was a selfish _itch, for doing that (I know they weren't my kids. But still....)

You don't want to know what I said. It was along the lines of:

"To each their own, but what do your kids think of this decision of yours? Do they resent it? Does it make them feel like big weirdos? What if they grow up hating you for this? Ever consider that? Do you let them believe in Santa Claus? Because he is made-up too - and therefore could have a detrimental effect on them" etc., etc.

I said all this in a pretty diplomatic way, actually (despite how it might sound). But - I get tired of people like this really fast. For one thing - I had not asked her opinion of Hallowe'en, I just said in passing that I was making some Hallowe'en cookies, and she launched into a 10 minute diatribe on her feelings about: "Hallowe'en: The Demon holiday" - she had no idea if she was offending me, and she didn't seem to care, either.

I figured telling her what I thought, in return, was fair game (plus, I wasn't in the best mood that day, as I recall). I remember the other option I considered was giggling at her, saying: "Hmmm. Really? Interesting. You're probably not alone...."
 
She asked me if I had children, and I said no, but that I had nieces and a nephew that loved Hallowe'en. She told me that if I had children, that I would surely have understood her decision.

I said maybe she was right, I didn't know (and maybe, I was thinking as I said that, so are the millions of parents who don't want to single out their kids as weirdos among the other kids, or deprive them of a single night of fun once a year - just because this year, their mom got a stick up her behind about believing Halloween is "Satan's holiday", with absolutely no proof of that being true, or not. 

- Susan   



Lashra -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/3/2007 4:37:43 AM)

I tell them the truth, I am not christian, but pagan. I usually get some very strange looks or they attempt to give me a lecture in which case I hold up a hand and say I'm perfectly happy with my religion just as you are with yours. That usually stops them in their tracks.

~Lashra



farglebargle -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/3/2007 10:06:17 AM)

BUFFY: Great. I was gonna stay in and veg. The one night a year things are supposed to be quiet for me.

XANDER: Halloween quiet? Oh, I figured it'd be a big old vamp scare- apalooza.

BUFFY: Not according to Giles. He swears that tomorrow night is, like, dead for the undead. They stay in.

XANDER: Those wacky vampires! That's why I love 'em! They just keep you guessing!



nyrisa -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/3/2007 5:02:23 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: trappedinamuseum

The woman immediately said, "Oh, are you a Christian?  Have you found a church yet?" 



If they seem like nice people, I would say, "That is a personal matter, but thank you for asking." Then I'd smile and change the subject.

If they had annoyed me, I would ask the man if he has had his yearly digital rectal prostate examination? And does he do monthly self examinations for masses or changes in his testicles? And helpfully remind him that the best time to do this is during a hot shower when the scrotum is relaxed and allows the gonads to hang low and loose.

If a woman, I ask if she does monthly breast self exam after her periods, has she had a mammogram, and does she get a yearly pap smear for cervical cancer?

There is nothing more likely to slam the door on further conversation. If they act offended, just tell them you are as concerned about their health in this life, as they are in your healthy after-life. I consider educating someone about healthy exams to be my good deed for the day.



samboct -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/3/2007 5:18:47 PM)

Years ago, when the Jehovah's Witnesses darkened my door,  a mother and daughter (she was about 15) enquired if they could talk to me about God.  I responded, "No thank you, I'm Jewish."  The daughter piped in, "I've never seen a Jew before." so I bent my head, and rubbed my hand briskly over the top- and said "Look- no horns!"  They fled- never to darken my door again.

Sam



freyjasdottir -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/3/2007 9:10:39 PM)

We used to have Baptists he would go door to door in my neighborhood.  They stopped one day when my dad was on the porch, and to make the long story short he had them believing we were Druids due to the giant tree in the front of our house that touched the two houses next door and one across the street.  That was in the 80's to this day they cross the street to avoid our house.  He was worse to the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons.



probablyknowme -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/3/2007 9:45:00 PM)

My mother always told me to never, neverm never discuss relision, politics, or sex with people...just not polite.[sm=biggrin.gif]But then she also told nice girls didn't....go figure![:D]



MadameDahlia -> RE: Interesting Encounter on the Metro today (10/3/2007 10:18:25 PM)

The only Jehovah's Witness types that I've ever encountered threw the Good Book at me... literally. I'm not sure if he was trying to knock me unconscious or if it was to ward off the evil that he figured must be wafting from me like some sort of foul perfume. Thankfully he has piss poor aim.

In retrospect, I guess they didn't like the mention of a *B.Y.O.S. to the BBQ on Thursday, our holiest of days. I had to state in no uncertain terms that marmosets and dwarf hamsters were not considered good eats - and that we'd have to respectfully ask them to leave if they couldn't bring something more appropriate - like imported wildebeest.

*Bring Your Own Sacrifice



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