BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Atheist Atheism

While I agree about the reaction many have to having beliefs challenged by the lack of said beliefs in other people, I think that, more often than not, there is a better "weapon" than rudeness.
My mother used to say "kill them with kindness", but I prefer to replace the last word with "indifference".

I think, maybe you are right on that one.

Last weekend a very elderly woman from our local "Fire & Brimstone" street-preaching (more like street yelling) Baptist Church came to our front door. She looked close to 80 years old.

She asked me if we attended any Church and I told her no. Then she asked me if I were to die today would I know for sure if I would be going to heaven. My normal reply, even when I DID attend church was that "No, I would not presume to have any idea what plans God might have for me". But I just told her no, I didn't know.

She just really did not know what to say to me after that. I wasn't rude to her at all, but I wasn't receptive to her at all either.

Not with this elderly woman of course, but alot of times I have just wanted to pop out and ask these people some kind of really personal questions, see how they like it, you know? I mean, how much MORE of a personal question can you ask people than "How is your relationship with God?"

I'd like to just ask them "So, how is you and your wife's sex life?" Or, "So, how much money do you have in the bank at this moment?"

If you really think about it, going door to door and asking people personal questions about their spiritual lives is really quite rude.

Maybe a longer life changes your outlook. I used to be polite, but I no longer have any patience for people who want to intrude in my life with their beliefs. To the old lady's first question, my response would have been that it wasn't any of her business, and I would have shut the door. How polite are people being when they assume they have the right to come to your door and pry into your beliefs? They don't deserve your good manners. And I don't see that her age entitled her to any special consideration.

yes it is quite rude but remember that "some" of these people also have a hidden agenda.The non believers beccome their "projects" and for each one they brainwash Oops! I mean convert they get brownie points from Gwad ( or so they believe)

LOL Freespirit! Quite correct!!! It gets quite tiresome sometimes, but someone needs to tell them to stick a sock in it, don't they!!

Yes it does beccome quite tiresome like you say but you can also have a lot of fun with them <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Oh yes, indeedy, it can be fun. I'm working on a game called Cat and Mouse just for them. To be played on message boards like this one. <img src="/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't know. I think playing with them is sort of insulting (not to them, but to yourself). Why would you bother? And, in the end of it, they are (well some of them) honestly trying to help, albiet in a way I find rather silly. I know that some people can't be bothered with intentions, and I understand that stance, but I tend to consider intentions because while the outcome is the same I think there is something (I'm not sure what) to be said for someone trying to do what they think is right.

I wouldn't do it to people who are trying to be helpful and let it go once they understand they aren't going to make any headway. The game is for the truly obnoxious ones, who are both dense and ignorant, and self-deludedly proud of it. For me, the game is worth the time (but not too much of it) because it gets deeper into the pyschology of that kind of mind, which is always interesting. I probably wouldn't even play it too many times, unless a different psychological type shows up that I could learn something from. It could get boring very quickly, but there are people who do like that type of thing. After all, some spend a lot of time refuting the bible even though it's been done so often it's almost formulaic.

And what if several people on a message board played the game simultaneously with the same person? It might turn out to be a way to get them to either shut up or remove themselves altogether. Of course, some troll-types are too dense even to get that they're the [censored]. Some of ours may be like that. (edit: I see we have censorship here. Ah well. Insert "goat" and think "b.tt")

I agree that there's something to be said for good intentions, but not for insistence on those intentions when the person has been informed that they're unwelcome (not to mention completely mistaken).