Outside the shopping centre (or mall, to all you US dudes) in my hometown there is a Christian man who sometimes stands and preaches from the Bible at the top of his lungs, trying to show people the right way to salvation through Christ. Which is fair enough, he believes in something special, so let him preach it. However... During a recent shopping visit, I walked past the preacher, and his friend was standing near-by handing out leaflets. I realised at once that I knew his friend; a guy called Bill with whom I sometimes sit in my favourite coffee shop. He knows that I'm a musician, and so he's usually bugging me to come and play the hymns at his church, even though he knows that I'm a Buddhist. Anyway, Bill stopped me for a chat and handed me one of his leaflets entitled "How To Be Saved And Know It." Much to my dismay, he then began to tell me how misguided my current beliefs are, and how the only possible way to salvation is through the Bible and Jesus Christ, who he assured me will be returning soon. He told me, I should go to church and pray to Jesus because I'm a nice young lad and he doesn't want to see me "going down the wrong way." I smiled and nodded a lot, untill I could walk away. I just wondered, would it really be so unreasonable for everyone to decide their own beliefs, without constantly having the Bible shoved up their noses, being told that they're wrong and that they'll burn in Hell for it? Some of you guys must have had similar kinds of experiences, and feelings about it. Let me know what you think.
yes I think thats so stupid! If you push your religion on someone then it can just drive that person further and further away... and you can't push your religion on someone who doesn't want it. I remember at school (and it was really close to easter) for airband this one girl went in front of everyone and was talking about christ and stuff and saying the "true" meaning of easter and that it wasn't about chocolate and stuff like that... and to make everything worse and stuff she got everybody to bow their heads and prey with her... It was so stupid... a couple people made fun of her while she was up there... and the stupid thing is is that we arn't allowed to practice our religion in school... we arn't even allowed to bring tarot cards to school. and she got away with it because the teachers love her... also she took out all her peircings because she said that god told her to and that she would go to hell if she didn't... She told everyone that.. and told everyone that god speaks to her... and she always tried to push her religion on everyone.
Jehova's Witnesses, I think, believe the body cannot be altered, because it's perfect how God made it. I assume there is some scriptural support for this somewhere. So piercings and tattoos are wrong. A coworker, a JW, is having all his tattoos removed at a huge expense because of this. However, one must wonder why, if things are perfect as God intends them, why he cuts his hair, remains clean shaven, and wears clothes. Also, why did he get lasic surgery for his vision? I'm not one to point these things out, because I like him and don't want to pick a fight, but it's something to wonder about.
The best one of these guys I've ever seen is the guy on the corner by Camden Town tube station, he just seems to ramble and tell every single person there that their a sinner (keeping in mind that Camden is the 'alternative quater' of London and you cant see far for all the spikes, studs and mohawks
also didn't someone say that he believe that people are perfect in any way, shape or form... so wouldn't he think people are perfect no matter what they look like with peircings or without? i don't believe in "god" or "jesus" i'm just speaking from my dad's perspective... he usually ends up preaching to me and it's so fucking annoying...
I nearly always end up being talked to by these people. Must have that kind of face/aura, possibly owing to the fact I will listen (religions have always intrigued me). Got talked at by a mormon recently. Now I'd make the world worst mormon, and when he asked if I believed in God had to go through my mental index of dieties to work out which he meant (Osiris, Thor, Lugh .. oh no wait, Yahweh). Now I could have said something pretty shocking, certainly he'd have a fucking heart attack if they knew what I actually did/believed (lifetime heretic, recent covert to paganism) and/or let rip and lectured him back. I didn't though, just smiled and nodded. To humour him really. They do utterly believe what they say (otherwise why waste a saturday stood around preaching it), are genuinly afraid for us and want to save people from hell. Put like that it seems pretty damn decent thing to do. So he got to be a good mormon missionary, and I was a thoughly decent human being. Everyone went home happy. Especially me chuckling about 'do not suffer a witch to live'. There's no one true way, and I'm all for religious freedom. Which yes works both ways. If they were silenced then I would have to be too. Which is not a good thing, last time I checked that involved being fed to lions or burnt at the stake. It perhaps wouldn't be so drastic today, but the principle still holds true.
Beacause its good for the organizeation's image.You see we feel that we have to put on a good image to people. It helps them see how we are diffenrt form everyone else. As for the eyes....that was more than likely a personal dession.
you don't need to put on a good image for people. you want people to see how different you are from everyone else?? everybody (or most people) already see how different you are from everyone else... expecially when people stand up on buildings and preach on and on and on to people trying to push their religion onto others. i think a lot of people already has got it through their heads that your different from other religions.
I'm not to sure what you mean by standing up on bulidings. As for going to door to door.We just want to help people to see the light.Really if we did not have to we would not.I would rather sleep in on saterday but because we want others to become close to god we do so.We keep coming back because situations change and people change.
Im a Christain, and I dont push my views on any one, these pushy preachers do more damage than good if someone wants to become a Christain thats there choice, god gave us free will, people are not puppets, I wouldn't want a buddhist pushing there religion on me .
i was being sarcastic... I meant preaching out in the streets... and why are you going door to door? it just annoys people. if people want to know about chrisitianty or want to become a christian or any of of that then they can go to you (meaning the christians) or they can read about it in books or something.
of course it's your free will to do whatever you want. and if people want to become a christian then it is their choice... I agree with you on that. but when they start going door to door then it's really annoying. And sometimes they just don't take a hint so i end up having to close the door on them.. or just don't answer the door at all. nobody would want anyone pushing their religion onto someone.
I know what you mean lil sis, them Jehova Witneses come around every saturday and they don't take no for an answer so I have to be rude to them and slam the door in their face.
aw, now, he sounded like he was being nice about it...i wouldn't be offended. people doing what they feel to be a spiritual necessity never really bother me unless they get mean about it. look at it this way, the man likes you, despite what he thinks are your failings or misguided views, and put in his 2 cents because he truly believes you're going to suffer and wants you to avoid it and be happy for eternity. nod, smile, thank him for his caring, then do whatever you will. now, if one of them starts screaming at you and being a psycho, throw a burning sack of dogshit at him.
You make a lot of sense, your right that it's okay when people are nice about it. It's just a little irritating when they're so in your face and insistant all of the time, you know? Anyways, I don't think I could ever throw a burning sack of dogshit at anyone. While I remember though, there was another slightly similar situation a while ago. I was wearing a shirt with loads of fat Chinese Buddhas on it (my mum bought it for me on Wesak) and this Mormon dude at college said something like "what's so good about Buddha anyway? He's just some lazy, fat, bald guy." I tried to explain that the Buddha was an enlightened being, but I just got a confused, disapproving expression, so I said nevermind and walked away.
