He was behind the curtains THIS WHOLE TIME

[panaili]

Okay, so this JUST HAPPENED.

A pair of women came over this morning and were very clearly missionaries. And this conversation happened:

Lady: We were just stopping by to talk about recent world events. You know how global terrorism has been a big problem lately... what do you think the cause of that terrorism is?
Me: ....... well, probably the

Comments

[missgoalie75]

I think the last time missionaries came to my house, I said I was Jewish and wasn't interested and they said that I could still be saved.

[panaili]

I always find the whole missionary experience to be incredibly awkward. Because I am Christian, and I'm very comfortable with my faith, so like, whenever missionaries come to visit, I always expect conversations to go like this:

Missionary: Have you found salvation in Jesus Christ?
Me: Yep, I'm good.
Missionary: Oh. Uh. Good! Uhh. Do you want me to read to you from the Bible?
Me: If you want, I guess. I was just reading the passage about Job, personally.
Missionary: Um. Well, I had this passage about Jesus bring salvation--
Me: No, really, I'm good. Born again, living with the light of the Lord, etc etc.
Missionary: ...that's great!
[awkward moment is awkward]
Me: You do realize that this is America, right? Jesus is pretty popular here. If you're interested in going on a mission trip, though, I can get you in contact with people at my church

[missgoalie75]

Hahahaha I was raised Roman Catholic (and I really didn't like my church, which kind of ruined religion for me a little bit), so I get relatively annoyed quite easily whenever I see a missionary/I tend to be snarky.

You're right, though - talking about "saving people" is only going to put people off. In all honesty, who actually goes along with what they have to say after mentioning that?

[panaili]

The whole "saving people" mentality is the crux of the problem for me. Because the people in my life who have had the biggest impact in inspiring my faith were not missionaries or pastors or any person sent to tell me about the Word. They were my friends, who inspired me by living out their beliefs day to day. That's it. They were just genuinely good people who chose to live their lives by the Christian Bible. None of my friends have ever actively tried to "save" me -- they did that simply by being my friend. They would have been my friend even if I wasn't Christian.

Compared to that, two-minute conversations with missionaries trying to forcefully impart beliefs are almost insulting, really.

Re: being snarky -- yeah, I always have a really strong urge to be sarcastic with missionaries, just because it seems so... silly. Unfortunately -- or fortunately, I guess -- I have a default of "super-polite" that keeps me from doing so. -_-;

[jade_mushroom]

I'm an atheist who has an interest in studying religion as an aspect of culture, and how religions have evolved with societies. some people seem to take great offense when i say that [both theists and non-theists alike actually]

western missionaries just seem so ... aggressive. in the states when i run into one [almost always mormon or jehovah's witness], they seem to take offense at the fact that I'm an atheist. or they'll see one of my HEY I'm TEH GAY buttons or stickers or tshirts and then they'll REALLY get into it. Missionaries [even Christian ones] in Taiwan seem to be very polite... unless they're white folks [obviously from the states]

[panaili]

Hm, I would agree that Christian missionaries tend to be aggressive, given the evangelistic aspect of many sects of Christianity. I don't like them much, mostly because I dislike the idea of forcing beliefs on another person, but whenever I've encountered them, I've just put on a polite veneer and usually am answered with politeness

[jade_mushroom]

LOL

[panaili]

ikr? :)

[emilianadarling]

We had some very sweet Mormons come visit when I was over at my mum and aunt's house right before the election this May. (Boyfriend and I live in a flat, and thus we do not get door-to-door visitors coming a-knockin' at all, ourselves.) My aunt was like, "Oh, my! It's either the Mormons or the Cons!", and I was like, "oh, I'll get it!"

Me: Hi, there!
Them: Hello!
Me: You must be freezing!
Them: We are, a bit, yes!
Me: :)
Them: ... so... you know... *gestures at pamphlets*
Me: Wrong house for you, I'm afraid, lovies.
Them: For sure. No worries.
Me: Good luck, though! Stay warm! *waves*

They were very sweet. :) Had they been the Cons, though, I probably would have been a bit ruder. <.< The Canadian Conservative Party are just... auuuuuuugh, and their door-to-door canvassers are usually really awful.

(Also, I enjoyed your fictitious conversation in response to misgoalie's comment, heehee. ^-^)