The Ranting Room

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Snap, Crackle and Pop(e)

Geck0 wrote: No offense to religious people (particularly Christians), but... Christian preachers who accost people in the street! I was in Swindon town centre yesterday, when I got accosted in the street by a Christian preacher guy who normally stands around preaching from the bible.  He asked whether I was "Christian" or "not sure" and I said I was an aetheist (which I am), but that didn't help... he still continued on to annoy me.  He then tried to offer me a CD to listen to, that may change my mind and again, I said no.  I then started to walk away... he started to follow me! I just couldn't get rid of him and he continued to try and convert me.  I said I was happy and he said it wasn't about happiness... grrr!  He had an answer for everything.  Anyhow, I kept saying no and he finally looked defeated and skulked off. Maybe I should have said I was a Satanist or something?  Hmmm. Has anyone else had similar situations? It's not only a breach of my peace, but I'm sure the fact he started to follow me is illegal.  I hope God is looking down on him frowning and cursing his name.

Thankfully no, but a friend of mine has been stoped in the street by a Scientologist before, she's there every week so we know to avoid her.
In that situation I would probably have lost my cool and ranted at him about religeon being "the root of all evil".

Edited by sleeper - March 28 2007 at 12:40

Geck0 wrote: Now a scientologist I could have coped with.  Chris Judge Smith, original member of Van der Graaf Generator was a Scientologist for a while, before he realised he was being silly. Isaac Hayes and Tom Cruise are into Scientology too.  Weirdos.

Scientology actually suits Tom Cruise though.

Geck0 wrote: No offense to religious people (particularly Christians), but... Christian preachers who accost people in the street! I was in Swindon town centre yesterday, when I got accosted in the street by a Christian preacher guy who normally stands around preaching from the bible.  He asked whether I was "Christian" or "not sure" and I said I was an aetheist (which I am), but that didn't help... he still continued on to annoy me.  He then tried to offer me a CD to listen to, that may change my mind and again, I said no.  I then started to walk away... he started to follow me! I just couldn't get rid of him and he continued to try and convert me.  I said I was happy and he said it wasn't about happiness... grrr!  He had an answer for everything.  Anyhow, I kept saying no and he finally looked defeated and skulked off. Maybe I should have said I was a Satanist or something?  Hmmm. Has anyone else had similar situations? It's not only a breach of my peace, but I'm sure the fact he started to follow me is illegal.  I hope God is looking down on him frowning and cursing his name.

Those people can bug me too (). Its worse when Mormons (in USA of course) come to your door. THats when no soliciting signs come in handy.

Geck0 wrote: Yes, but you're Christian, you can probably easily sneak away without much of an issue.  For an aetheist like myself, well, they just don't understand. Surely a tenet of Christianity is to accept all religions and non-religions?  Seems not in this guys case.

It is to tolerate to an extent, and not try to force people to convert. Christians should not do stuff to drive people away (like following them! - how rude!)

Haha, funny story about annoying Christian preachers like that....  Well, not really funny, more like annoying.

My friends and I were in New Hope (for whatever reason), which is a place right across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, and we ran across people a couple people who were preaching their form of Christianity.  And man, were these people serious about their beliefs.  They believed that having saints was blasphemy because people would worship them or something, and the same went for Mary.  I think they also said something to the effect that the Catholic Church was going to hell... or something like that.  And them of course, the typical "evolution is false" thing that never fails to p*ss me off.    And they even had PAMPHLETS about it!!!  Anyway, my friends would try to say stuff to disprove their beliefs, and of course they had an answer to everything, even if it didn't make much sense.  And this went on for 45 minutes.  I just walked away after a while with one of my friends and I got in my van and drove over there to hurry up the rest of my friends.  

The point is, I'm amazed at these kinds of people.  How can they get their point across when they're so obnoxious?! 

On a side note, that night this creepy guy walked past us and he stared at us as he walked by... really creepy....

darkmatter wrote: Haha, funny story about annoying Christian preachers like that....  Well, not really funny, more like annoying. My friends and I were in New Hope (for whatever reason), which is a place right across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, and we ran across people a couple people who were preaching their form of Christianity.  And man, were these people serious about their beliefs.  They believed that having saints was blasphemy because people would worship them or something, and the same went for Mary.  I think they also said something to the effect that the Catholic Church was going to hell... or something like that.  And them of course, the typical "evolution is false" thing that never fails to p*ss me off.    And they even had PAMPHLETS about it!!!  Anyway, my friends would try to say stuff to disprove their beliefs, and of course they had an answer to everything, even if it didn't make much sense.  And this went on for 45 minutes.  I just walked away after a while with one of my friends and I got in my van and drove over there to hurry up the rest of my friends.   The point is, I'm amazed at these kinds of people.  How can they get their point across when they're so obnoxious?!  On a side note, that night this creepy guy walked past us and he stared at us as he walked by... really creepy....

Hmm if I was a bit more zealous I would be that type of person up there saying that having Mary to worship is wrong (as I understand it she is the supposed mediator between man and Jesus but Jesus is the mediator between God and man and another mediator is not needed) Obnoxious? Pffft you were the one being obnoxius by going up to them and encouraging an argument about stuff. Ironic that you consider them to be obnoxious...

I was trying to think a word other than worship, sorry.  Revere I guess? 

And yes you're right, sorry for describing them as obnoxious.  I didn't think that through very well.  I just don't like people trying to impose their own religious beliefs on me.  I'm a Catholic, and I found their view of Christianity to be very, very narrow and strict.  

I apologize if I offended anyone, I didn't mean to.

I phrased some things incorrectly here.  This wasn't an angry exchange, I don't think most of my friends were deliberately trying to irritate them (although I think a couple of them were, but not in an obvious scathing way), but rather they were just questioning what they were saying.  It was a civil exchange, it's not like anyone was throwing insults at one another (I do have to respect those two people, they had a lot of patience).  To be honest, I don't remember actually participating too much, just a few things here and there. 

I just want to make it clear that it was a civil exchange, I think we just walked by them and some of friends wanted to listen to what they had to say.  It just turned into a 45 minute exchange.  

Why oh why oh why do some toddlers feel the need to run round in circles in public places shrieking loudly??  and more to the point why do their parents just sit back and laugh rather than calming them down?  and even more to the point why is it illegal for me to kick the little f**kers until they shut up?

Edited by Heavyfreight - April 04 2007 at 04:34