We’ve all run into this awkward situation. You’re out and about minding your own business when someone decides it’s up to them to save your soul.
My personal worst experience with this was on a Good Friday. I was walking my dog past a church that had a live reenactment of Jesus being flogged by centurions. A man handed me a pamphlet and asked if I’d been saved. Only wanting to enjoy my walk, I chickened out and said ‘yes’ and went about the rest of my walk. Another time I was at the grocery store when I was approached by some nice-looking young men to ask if I wanted to donate some money to help needy children. I gave them a dollar and basically had to run away because they kept pushing a cross in my face.
Then there’s this gem from Mardi Gras:
What, as responsible atheists, are we supposed to do in these situations? Is it better to ignore them or should we explain our position in a polite fashion before going about our business?
I haven’t run across this situation for a long, long time, which I find strangely disappointing. ;-)
However, I think that my reaction would be based on a couple factors. First, if my 8-year-old daughter was with me or if I was with a group of friends or family, I’d most likely just bow out and avoid the situation. Second, if I was in a hurry or on a strict schedule, I’d also take a pass.
If, however, I was by myself and in no hurry, I’d be more than delighted to start up a friendly chat with those of an evangelistic nature and see where it leads. I do the same thing with telemarketers sometimes just for fun. ;-)
Last time such people knocked on my door, I simply stood there and debated them. It was quite a bit of fun, especially the bits where I used their own bible to show that god is, in fact, an amoral bastard and certainly not worthy of any sort of worship.
They were unable to respond to that, left stammering vainly trying to find an answer as they flicked madly through their little book.
Oddly enough, they have yet to return.
Depends on the situation for me..
Accosted? Yes, say something.
Silly people standing there with a sign? Ignore them.
If they have a Bible, I make them read Leviticus 25:44-46 to me, and make them try to explain why that bit is in there at all. Mark 9:1 is a good one as well. Then I berate them and make them feel stupid to the best of my considerable ability. This is of course just my way of overcoming my crippling shyness.
Unfortunately, I live in a country where English is (ab)used all the time, especially in business speak and advertisement, but most people barely have any command over the language. But I soooo would want to shove a
“Well, Jesus saves, but I just rolled another D20” into their faces.
On the other hand, the most fundamentalist people I can encounter here are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and they just leave you alone as soon as you show no interest in what they want to tell you… It’s kinda sad, sometimes :D
I have a t-shirt with
“JESUS SAVES”
on the front and an image of him but with a mace in one and, saying underneath
“AND TAKES HALF DAMAGE”