Is there no getting away from the fundies in this town?

[Ladyhawk]

I can't go out without overhearing conversations about God and Jesus and church. I don't want to overhear other people's conversations, but I can't seem to screen it out.

I haven't been out of my apartment in days because of back pain. Today I couldn't stand it anymore and went to a prompt care clinic. I was treated to a conversation between the doctor and his patient (and possibly a receptionist or nurse) in which they discussed plans to proselytize a "stubborn" non-religious person. I felt like walking out of my room and telling them to keep their religious views to themselves and STOP HARASSING folks who don't believe.

Will they never stop cramming religion down other people's throats? :mad:

[Tux]

1. They have to

It's like what my uncle asked me (guilt trip but he lost): If you don't believe then what does my beliefs amount to?

They're scared that if others don't believe, then thier beliefs aren't valid.

[oneighty]

2. Hmmm

"They're scared that if others don't believe, then their beliefs aren't valid."

An interesting thought.

180

[Freedom_from_Chains]

3. if others don't believe, then thier beliefs aren't valid.

BINGO!

[Ladyhawk]

6. They're especially afraid of me. I was raised on their religion...

...and I REJECTED it. I did so knowingly and in full possession of my faculties. It was not entirely an emotional decision, either. It was a decision based upon reason and logic. They keep asking me why I'm so bitter toward god and the only reason I can come up with is that I'm angry with him for not existing. Why did he have to go and not exist on me like that? Shame on him! :D

[POAS]

4. This afternoon I was visited

by two young Mormon Missionaries. I was in my basement workshop when the doorbell rang so instead of tracking sawdust through the house I went out the side door and out to the front door via the driveway.

The youngsters didn't see my approach so by loud basso "What can I do for you from just behind them made them jump a good foot in the air.

Regaining composure the first announced they were missionaries of the Church of...blah, blah, blah.

As I did a quick about face and headed back up the driveway I exclaimed with a wave in their direction, "Congratulations". Came a surprised voice from behind, "Thank you, mutter mutter."

[hatrack]

10. Reminds me of an encounter with the JWs when I was a kid

Our Dad was showing my brother and me how to safely handle guns. He had his old .45 from the AAF out on the table, and was showing us how to work the slide to make sure there wasn't a round still in the chamber.

Just then there was a knock at the door. I went to the door, but before I could even get my latest copy of Watchtower, Dad released the slide clip. Smack! Back it slid, and the Witnesses apparently remembered that they had somewhere else to be . . .

I still treasure that memory! :evilgrin:

[Renew Deal]

5. They will never stop.

Because fundamentalists are obsessive, regressive people. They will take us all down with them.

[Bellamia]

8. Another "they will never stop".

because they are basically immature & frightened that maybe they haven't got the answer, and to shore themselves up they babble to others and they are really just talking to themselves, trying to convince themselves. Sure is annoying tho, I agree.

[silverweb]

7. I hear you.

I went to a new dentist a couple of years ago and the very first time his hygienist got me in a headlock with my mouth stuck open, she started telling me all about her particular version of "what the Lord wants." I got out of that office as fast as I could and never went back.

Like you, I'm thoroughly offended by people who force their religious views on me. I don't give a damn what they believe and it's none of their business what I do or don't believe -- and I find absolutely no reason anymore to be polite about letting them know it.

[rzemanfl]

9. We need to start taking out full page ads that say:

HEY! RELIGIOUS NUT-BALLS! PROVE THAT ONE SINGLE SHRED OF YOUR RELIGION IS TRUE. PROVE THERE IS A GOD. THEN PROVE THAT YOUR GUY IS HIS/HER/ITS SON, PROPHET OR WHATEVER. OTHERWISE SHUT THE HELL UP AND KEEP IT TO YOURSELVES.

Really, if God is all powerful and all knowing, don't you think he could have found a way to put a little copyright sign in some inconspicuous place on living things to eliminate all this debate? Or that he/she/it could have arranged a group of stars to say "I'm watching you" or "I'm over here?"

Why do people who believe in a merciful God send the kids home from parochial schools when there are tornado warnings? Wouldn't it be smarter to send the drunks and sinners home from the bars and leave the kids by the church? You folks make no sense.

[walldude]

12. They'll never prove it and they'll

never have to. Their whole point is they have FAITH! Of course what they have faith in is that their religion is the "right" one and only they are going to be spared God's wrath. HA! If going to hell means not having to deal with these intolerant, ignorant, assholes for all of eternity I'm packing my asbestos...

Note to Ladyhawk: Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Hope you are taking this time to catch up on your Star Wars reading :toast:

[rzemanfl]

14. If I have "faith" that I will win the lottery, will I? n/t

[Fountain79]

13. Careful

In making a comment like that, one must realize that there are those who are Christians who do support the Democratic party. Making such statements would play right into the hands of Republicans who try to paint Democrats as "anti-religion".

[Tux]

15. True

Progressives are more pro-religion than anyone. Just not the fanatical type like Falwell and Bin laden.

[Fountain79]

16. agreed

I would agree, but often we find ourselves making statements that include all people of the Christian faith rather than just the "rapture readyist"(Is that a word?)

[rzemanfl]

19. The news is reporting that the fundies are planning to attack the

judiciary calling for cutting off funds for the courts and impeachments. Can you imaging the outcry if the headline was "Judiciary plans crackdown on fundamentalists?"

[Fountain79]

23. A danger

There is a danger in using religion to justify horrible means. There are also animal rights activists who encourage bombing research labs where animal testing is taking place. With that information do I then indict anyone who is part of the animal rights movement or simply a vegetarian?

[rzemanfl]

17. Who says I speak for anyone but myself? I prefer to think of

my views as "anti-superstition." This is a free country and a person who votes for Democratic candidates should be able to be a Druid or an atheist if they want to. Politics should have nothing to do with religion. Here's a question for you, can you name one openly agnostic or atheistic person elected to Congress or the Senate in the past 50 years? Of course not. Why not though, if this is a free country?

Look at what is being done to this country in the name of "faith" and the "culture of life." My position is, believe what you want, but if you can't prove it, don't expect me to.

[Fountain79]

20. understood

That's fine, you are entitled to your beliefs just as I am entitled to mine. Still, there is a difference between disagreement and belittlement. I may not agree with a druid or an atheist in their beliefs, but they have their right to hold those beliefs. I won't mock them for having such beliefs but I will disagree. The right is obviously guilty of mocking rather than disagreeing, we ourselves must be sure not to engage in the former.

[rzemanfl]

22. The fundies don't "mock"-they try to force their ideas on us. I

would no problem with being made fun of by morons-it would just remind me of Junior High. This is different, they are attacking the fundamental institutions of our free society, which hardly seems fair since they are all expecting to be raptured out of here. I feel perfectly free to mock people who are making huge efforts to breed a red heifer and other stupid shit to fulfill their view of bibilical prophecy.

[Fountain79]

25. Herein lies the point

You are not just mocking fundamentalists with some of your statements, you are mocking anyone who believes in Christianity. That's the problem....

[rzemanfl]

35. I guess I have boundary issues on this. Is it okay to mock a

person who believes in the rapture and the red heifer thing, but not okay to mock someone who believes in virgin birth and transubstantiation? What about Jonah and the whale? Noah's ark?

Is there an acceptable position on the Shia/Sunni issue? Should I care?

I don't care if someone believes little elves under the ground push up the blades of grass in my yard as long as they don't expect me to believe that and they don't want to kill people over it.

We expect the Muslims to somehow control the radical elements in their superstition but get all apoplectic when it comes to trying to get Christians to do the same thing about theirs.

The problem with politics today is that people who sell lies for a living have a hard time calling out others who lie for personal and political gain and Karl Rove know how to use this.

[Fountain79]

40. sigh

I am not asking you to like religion, you are essentially arguing something that won't be settled. I don't expect you to believe anything.

As far as the Muslim issue goes, imagine if I started putting up posts that disparaged the whole of Islam rather than certain parts of it. That they were following a false prophet and were surely going to hell. Such a statement would quickly be deleted and I would either be warned or banned.

You yourself are acting no better than the fundamentalist you riddicule.

[rzemanfl]

42. I never have and never will stand outside a hospice trying to

prove a point about my personal beliefs and keeping people from seeing their dying relatives or sending their kids to school. To that extent at least, I am acting better than the fundies and the opportunist politicians who stir them up.

[jmowreader]

39. My department head mocks the red heifer people too

He would prefer that you not call him anti-Christian; he spent too many years getting his M.Div. to be anti-Christian. (He leads a church on Sunday and leads the lumber department the rest of the week.)

How Lew puts it: "It only counts as a sign if God did it. Breeding a red heifer on purpose won't make Jesus return."

He says this goes equally for all the man-made "signs of the Apocalypse" people are trying to create.

I like Lew's approach to Christianity: he only talks religion with people who want to talk religion. If you want to talk religion, he really knows his stuff.

[Ladyhawk]

31. I have no problem with Christians.

I just have a problem with folks who try to push their beliefs on others. I don't go out and recruit folks into atheism. I figure that each person is responsible for his or her own actions and beliefs.

[Ladyhawk]

18. The Hierophant's Proselytizer Questionnaire would make a great ad.

Go to http://www.cygnus-study.com/ , click on "The Bible," then on "Convert Me."

It's a fun read. :)

[rzemanfl]

21. Just had time to glance at this, I am exhausted from surf fishing

most of the day but have added to my favorites and will get back to it later.

[Ladyhawk]

30. In all seriousness, how could any of us have missed the Christian message?

If we were interested, we'd seek it out, wouldn't we?

[0rganism]

11. Evangelism is a big part of the religion

If you want to get away from the proselytizing fundies, you'll just have to relocate to a town, state, or continent with a lower concentration of them. There is no other remedy; there are lots of 'em and they are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

[hatrack]

24. Oh, btw, what is "this town"?

There was an article in the NYT about a year ago all about Springfield MO (sort of a large Branson for the more adventurous AG members when they're speaking in English instead of in tongues).

According to the article, even residents of this, arguably the thumpiest of all the Bible-thumping metropoli across this great land of ours, were getting sick and tired of sallow, hot-eyed and slightly moist Bible college students banging on their doors and asking them to share in the Good News. In Springfield! :eyes:

[Ladyhawk]

26. LOL...my family is from Springfield.

But I'm in the "bible belt" of California. :) Seriously, that's what a lot of people call the foothills.

[kineneb]

27. sorry to hear about the foothills

Apparently the western hills (Lake Co) where we are have less of a problem, we have our fundies but they are fairly quiet. Maybe because we have a large contingent of Adventists and aging hippies. We also have a Zen house up in the hills. Must be the influence from Mendocino Co.

I have found that telling any religious "visitors" that I am a Buddhist and am not interested generally shuts them up. Especially when I point out the Buddha/Hotai statue in our front yard.

[Ladyhawk]

29. At my last apartment, I put a "No Bible Thumpers" sign on my door.

I was besieged by Mormons for awhile. :)

[proud_dem]

28. I know that ...

you like to express your un-religious freedom by Christian and God bashing but this board is watched by the whole country and in case you haven't noticed more and more of DU articles are finding their way into the MSM in a unfavorable way (the last one just happened to be DU'ers bashing the Pope), the majority of the voting public are Christians and all you are doing with all this Christian and God bashing is reafirmming to them that Democrats are anti Christian. When the primaries for the '06 elections get underway all they have to do is start posting your anti Christian messages and say it reflects the Democratic party, Do you think the Democrats running will have a chance then? The party has enough to worry about like how to get their votes counted by Liebold, so why do you insist on adding to the problem?
Its time to wake up people and stop your back biting selfish b/s and think about what's at stake here. We need to take back the house and senate.

[kineneb]

33. I do not bash anyone's religion...

unless they try to force it on me. A person's belief system is their own. They step over the line when they invade my life with their beliefs. I no desire to be proselytized by anyone, be they Hindu, Muslim or Christian. This is what the Christian (and Muslim) "right" fail to understand. If I want to join them, then I will.

Otherwise: Leave Me Alone!

[LeftyMom]

34. stfu

It is the height of hyperbole to suggest that a rather mild post complaining about the number and boldness of fundies in one sierra town on some random internet message board is goint to effect the '06 congressional contests.

Nobody with an IQ exceeding thier shoe size would interpret even the more strident atheism-related posts here as policy for the Democratic party. They're just someone's opinion, and the people too dumb to understand that vote Republican anyhow.

PS The "pope bashing" (it wasn't anyhow) wasn't reported in the MSM it was referenced by Michelle Malkin (or her husband, who apparently it the "brains" behind that outfit) on her blog. Hardly mainstream, or important for that matter.

[chlamor]

32. Here is what you say to them

[Arianrhod]

36. My response to proselytizers is 1 Kings 18:17-46.

This is a passage in which Elijah the prophet challenges the priests of Baal to offer a sacrifice to their god, while he offers one to JHWH. But the condition of the test is that the wood for the offering must be lit by God Himself. "The god who answers by fire," Elijah tells them, "He is God."

Ask them if they're willing to be put to the test. :)

[mopaul]

37. they ARE getting all worked up

they feel persecuted somehow, as if there isn't a church on every damn corner in the u.s. but right now, they seem to be getting confrontational.

[Nobody]

38. I don't mind a good religious discussion

But it has to be a GOOD religious discussion. This is when all parties listen and if they want to, discuss. Politely without trying to imply that everyone else is wrong.

I once went to an Asatru meeting with some friends because I was interested and had never heard of it before. They were genuinely happy that I was there and very friendly. They mentioned that they met at the location once a week and gave me some brochures. They didn't tell me that bad things would happen to me if I didn't join them. It seemed like going to a meeting for a club.

They did describe the ceremonies and what they did sounded interesting.

In case you're like me and had never heard of Asatru, it's following the Norse pantheon. Often, someone will feel a special bond with one of these deities, but it's optional. Following one doesn't mean cutting yourself off from the rest. It's very egalitarian; men and women are equals and anyone can serve in any role.

I also attended a Wiccan evening service and they needed someone born under an Earth sign to do a reading. I was the only one who was so I was asked if I wouldn't mind. No pressure, and they did know I'm an atheist.

What impressed me the most about both of these religions is how they accentuate the positive aspects of being human. My upbringing focused so much on the negative.

Perhaps this is why the Evangelicals and other fundamentalists get so in your face about it. They have so much negativity in their particular sects that they don't have any real selling points. Who would want to constantly be told how much of a sinner they are and how much they are in need of redemption? (Weren't we already redeemed when Jesus died on the cross? How come that redemption isn't good anymore? Do we need him to go through that again? I can certainly understand why he wouldn't be so willing a second time.)

By the way, a good book to read is "From Housewife to Heretic" by Sonia Johnson. She grew up in the Mormon faith and writes about how her political activism got her excommunicated. She was working to get ERA passed.

[Bridget Burke]

41. They have the strength of their beliefs. Do you?

Or will you sit listening meekly in public & only vent when you are at home in front of the PC.

Some people who "witness" can be turned away with a polite shake of the head or a "no thank you." Sometimes stronger verbal measures are required.

I'm sorry you're not feeling well. But does everybody else complaining about the speech of others have an excuse for biting their tongues in public?