Opening the Gates

Before I left Brentwood, I stopped by Panera Bread to get some food. Walking out I saw two men talking. As I got closer to my car, I had this sudden urge to look behind me and see what was going on. One of the men had his hand against the other's heart and he appeared to be praying. The one he was praying for was just not receptive at all. He was looking about, he had this "good grief" look on his face and he just didn't look like he was ready to receive this blessing this guy was trying to bestow upon him. Standing by my car, I really tried to forget about it, but I couldn't put the scene out of my mind. So I waited for the blessing to be finished and approached the two of them.

They were both shocked that I took the time to say something. It's not really the norm in a high profile town like Brentwood to just approach anyone. But I "felt" like this guy needed to know he was hindering his friend's efforts by not opening himself up to the experience.

Then I went back to my car. I still didn't want to get in. So I waited for them to part and called the blesser over to my vehicle. I love how everyone automatically assumes that the reason someone has entered into their life it is meant to be an opportunity to preach the good Lord's message and invite them to church. I let him give his speil, but on the condition he take pointers from me for the next time he decided to try blessing someone again.

I run into situations like this all the time when I begin reconnecting with my spiritual side- not necessarily correcting people, but finding situations randomly on the street where I am approached by someone seeking knowledge about some spiritual practice or finding situations where I need to use my spiritual awareness to help others, etc. I am wondering, do any of you find yourself in similar situations?

Yes. Once some Jehovah's witnesses started pestering me in front of my house as I was sitting on my wall, trying to have a drink after a long night's work. They eventually realized that their bible quotes had zero effect on me (besides a "yeah, whatever") and left. Had someone like you intervened Alethea, I am 100% sure I would have told them to leave and mind their own business, with a large selection of my finest expletive interludes.

While walking home from school, this previous year, a group of Christian high school students (it seemed) approached me and politely introduced themselves. They gave me a card, about their church, and offered to tutor me on Christianity. I thanked them for the offer but declined. I held onto the card and skimmed over it as I passed them. When I saw that they were completely around the corner - then, I threw the card into the trash bin.


In general, I've never been fond of people trying to impose their religious views onto you by acting awkwardly nice and giving you papers - all while you're just trying to go somewhere quickly.

However, I've also never approved of dissing any religion in the face of a religious follower. For example, there's this atheist classmate who, in every mandatory chapel session, constantly whispers to the guy next to him, "that couldn't happen....that's fake...that's the truth for messed up people."

I look down upon both the person imposing the religion and people who show no decency or respect to them. After all, it may not mean anything to you, but to the religious dude, it means the world. Don't crush his world...

Sean, I actually find nothing wrong with someone trying to tell you about their religion. It's how you get people to join. Go up to them, let them know who you are and tell them about it. If you aren't interested, all you have to do is say so. What they are doing is NOT forcing their belief onto you. They are simply sharing it in hopes that you will become curious. It's when they don't back off that it then becomes a problem.

While I have talked to people about my religion, I have never actively gone out with paper in hand. If it comes up, i'm more than happy to talk about it until the other person shows disinterest.

My old college roommate actually scared away some Jehovah's Witnesses once. After answering the door, he told them to hang on for a second. He turned to me and smiled, so I knew something was up. He grabbed the marker for our message board and drew horns on his forehead, stripped down to his underwear, turned the music station to the heavy metal station, turned it up, swung the door open and started yelling at them in Latin and then slammed the door shut once he saw them starting to cower away. I asked him what he was saying. "Hello. My name is Joe. I have a wife and three kids. I work in a button factory." Not sure how many of you know that kid's tune, but that's why I ended up laughing.
But anywho, while I did find it humerus, in the end, what he did was uncalled for. No matter how much you hate someone approaching you with their religion, the respectable thing to do is to politely decline and tell them you are just not interested, and would like to not be disturbed. These people are merely spreading the word of the Lord...even if they are annoying, lol. So don't waste their time or yours. Simply express your disinterest politely and move on.

Hadi Apollos wrote: My old college roommate actually scared away some Jehovah's Witnesses once. After answering the door, he told them to hang on for a second. He turned to me and smiled, so I knew something was up. He grabbed the marker for our message board and drew horns on his forehead, stripped down to his underwear, turned the music station to the heavy metal station, turned it up, swung the door open and started yelling at them in Latin and then slammed the door shut once he saw them starting to cower away.

Excuse my lapse in composure.

Ppfffffhhh PAAAAHAAAAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

....I need to stop doing last minute checks on this website....doing so may be hazardous to my poise

Melba and the Mormon

Warning, F Word.

Alethea, I'd have trusted my instincts given the situation which it sounds like you did. I believe that our instincts are in tune with a higher power but I'm a rare kind of Forceist. I also recognize that for some trusting that instinct means trusting God, the Guidance of the Divine or what have you. In that, the outcome is the best available (if not the one most wanted) but that is just my ten cents.

Lol, I think I need to clarify that these two were church friends, it wasn't a random meeting on the street. And yes, that was confirmed when the blesser and I talked.

I have no problems with people approaching me to make me aware of their faith, religion and proximity of their church, but I do think they shouldn't preach about it. Sometimes they do have something interesting to say, but generally I'm not interested in listening to preachers. I'm pretty much solidly fixed on what I believe in.
What does annoy is when they wont back down after I've been polite in the way I've told them I'm not interested. Some are very persistent. I wouldn't do it to them, so they shouldn't do it to me.

Several years ago there was one guy who every weekend would stand on the band stand of my local town centre and read versus of the bible aloud, but would have the same message every week. 'If you did not turn to Christianity and live your life by the bible you would burn in hell'.
I and many others saw this preacher as a religious fanatic, but he was given permission by the city council to do so. In the past few years my home town has become largely multi-cultured and multi-faithed and the preacher no longer has the permission to preach in case he offends the other religions. He pops up every now and then but he is quickly asked to move on by security and police.

I also think putting your hands on someone to bestow a blessing is crossing a line. If someone has asked for the blessing then fair enough, but doing it to someone who has not asked for it and is visibly uninterested in it; it's crossing personal boundaries.