Something just happened that creeped me out

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

A customer called, saying that one of our service techs had said he'd be back, and he hadn't seen him. He didn't know the tech's name, so I described our two techs--one is really tall with grey hair, the other very short with dark brown hair. The guy said, "I don't remember, but I know he was a good Christian. Are all your techs good Christians?"

I was flustered and said, "Oh, it's probably the tall guy," and went on with setting up an appointment. But I wonder how long before "Christianity" is going to be a litmus test for people--plus the fact that the tall guy maybe goes to church, but other than that--reminds me of a used car salesman in town who would just as soon cheat someone as deal honestly with them who told me he knew how to "talk Christian" to the gullible buyers so he would get a sale.

[SoCalDem]

1. Poor little fundie.. The guy probably yelled JESUS CHRIST, when he shocked himself

:rofl:

[omega minimo]

35. LOL

:spray:

[The Straight Story]

2. At least the customer knew there was a difference between good and bad christians :) (nt)

[BOSSHOG]

3. I love the ads in the paper

"Christian Women's house cleaning service." Either wack jobs who think because they are christian they are better housecleaners or shrewd businesswomen preying on the weak of mind, just like those in the pulpit do. The last thing a person in retail needs to do to me is start spewing their religious beliefs.

[AllegroRondo]

6. I always avoid those

If a business needs to advertize how "christian" they are just to get business, they dont need mine.

[BOSSHOG]

10. Roger that teammate

A wonderful quote (and I don't know who the originator is) Maybe it was a bumper sticker.

- don't tell me you are a christian, let me figure it out for myself.

[WiseButAngrySara]

19. Oh this is delicious! I'll be using it in the future. ....n/t

[GoneOffShore]

14. I'm one of those people who won't use somebody who advertises that they're a "Christian"

Call me crazy, call me predjudiced, but they really bother me. My dad was always suspicious of people who "wore their religion on their sleeve." And so am I.

[cdnwannabe]

18. Exactly the way I feel about it...

practice your religion on your own time!

[Greyskye]

20. I'm with you

I never use anyone who advertises their religion along with their services. Of course, the ONLY ones that I've seen doing that are the Christians. Not sure how I would react if I started seeing images of Buddah, pentacles, etc., in the yellow pages as well. Probably a lot more positively than I do the little fish symbols and crosses. Yeah, guess I'm a prejudiced hypocrite as well.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

21. when I see the fish bumper stickers

I say "The fish in the water's not thirsty" a paraphrase of a saying the the poet Kabir.

[NanceGreggs]

25. I'm with you ...

I always wonder why people who claim to have a "personal relationship with God" insist on making it public knowledge at every opportunity.

[Arugula Latte]

33. Me too. I avoid those like the plague.

The fish might as well say "DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS" to me.

[niyad]

4. find out if your community has a christian yellow pages directory and grab a copy. next time

somebody asks you that question, you might want to say, "no, we're all techno-pagans here, have to be to understand this stuff" and pass them on to somebody in the directory.

I have called the local directory and thanked them for providing me with such a handy list of businesses to AVOID.

[cdnwannabe]

11. Hee hee, great idea!!! n/t

[TlalocW]

5. I work in a small company, and my boss is pretty conservatively Christian

But he doesn't throw it in your face or use it as a selling point for anything.

The conservative fundie who's an account manager will though, letting potential clients know what a good Christian the boss is. That always sets my teeth on edge. It just seems wrong somehow.

TlalocW

[cdnwannabe]

7. Something similar happened to me in Dallas...

I was on a business trip and had an accident with the company rental car. A woman who worked for a collision company happened along after the accident and helped get the car towed and even arranged for a doctor to check me out. However, when we got to their office, one of the first things she asked me is if I was christian. I no longer practice christianity but was afraid to answer in the negative. She then led a prayer with her office people and myself. Completely freaked me out!!! I really don't want to be in the same country with these people. Of course they are basically good people, but why does religion have to enter into everything for them?

[TlalocW]

15. When I first moved to Tulsa after leaving Grad school

I went to a bunch of placement agencies for computer programmers. At one of them, I sat down with not just the guy who would be "handling" me but the owner. After some chit-chat, the owner said, "Well, I think we'll be able to place you somewhere, and I pray that you have good luck and make wise career choices." To me, he was wishing me good luck in a quaint manner as he was an older gentleman, and I was about to thank him when he started praying for me. I had heard about Tulsa, but I was still shocked. So they stopped and looked at me, and I just had this big grin on my face to cover up my shock so they started praying again! The second time they stopped and looked at me, I said, "Uh, Amen?" That stopped them. Needless to say I mailed my timesheets in even though I found an apartment close by.

The guy handling me dropped me off at my first day of work at the company they placed me at and told my manager, "Brother TlalocW is ready to work!" After I sat down with my manager for some orientation, he asked me if I had any questions, and I asked, "Is everyone going to call me, 'Brother Tlalocw?'" He laughed and said no - that was just the wacky placement agency, and then he said to get used to it as the first two questions most people in Tulsa will ask you after meeting you is, "What church do you go to?" and "How many kids do you have?"

TlalocW

[cdnwannabe]

17. Wow! Thanks for sharing....

and I'm sorry, but I could never live in a community like that!

[eppur_se_muova]

31. "How many kids?" "Pfffft ... God knows, I don't even try to keep up anymore."

or "None that anyone can prove"
or the old classic ... "Why, what've you heard?"

[TlalocW]

34. What's funny is that one of my two best high school friends

Went to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri (Falwell is an alumnus) when we were in our late 20s. I went to visit him, and I sat in on classes (only guy not wearing a tie and slacks) including a Spanish class. One of my degrees is in Spanish so when the class was split up into groups to do an in-class assignment, "my" group got done first, and one of the guys started chit-chatting me.

Him: "So, where did you go to college?"
Me: Pittsburg, Kansas and then some grad work at Oklahoma State.
Him: Ah, Oklahoma State and Eskimo Joe's.
Me: You know Eskimo Joe's?
Him: Yeah, my friends and I would go there when there was a good band. I'm originally from Tulsa.
Me: Oh, that's where I live now.
Him: What church do you go to?
Me: (Forgetting where I am) Oh, I don't attend church.
Him: (Stunned silence for 10 seconds) Well, if you're interested, there's a good church on 121st and...
Me: That was YOUR church, wasn't it?
Him: Well, yeah.
Me: (Realizing how to shut him up - mention Catholicism) Well, actually, now and then I do go to St. Francis de Guadalupe, which is primarily a Mexican Catholic church to practice my Spanish and see friends.
Him: Oh. (Didn't talk to me for the rest of the class)
My friend: (Softly chuckled throughout the conversation)

TlalocW

[SharonAnn]

24. Why do you say "Of course they are basically good people"? Not all of them are.

[cdnwannabe]

30. I was saying specifically these people, but I was just....

giving them the benefit of the doubt, since I didn't know them really.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. Good response.

Flustered or no, the customer's question did not deserve an answer for just the reason you mentioned -- there should be no such litmus test.

The neighbor had his roof replaced by a "good Christian" roofer. Company name and logo, vanity plate, Bible sayings all over the truck -- no doubt that he was selling his faith as part of his value. I was home and the windows were open. Let's just say that if I were keeping score, Christian vs. unChristian behavior in the way that he treated his workers, Satan would have won that match.

[TlalocW]

9. You should have said

Well, it can't be Bob... he works all day with Unix and Daemons (Eunuchs and demons).

TlalocW

[ieoeja]

26. I started off my career taking care of the Wangs.

Then they got rid of all the Wangs leaving with me Unix to take care of.

[Bitwit1234]

12. Why would a true christian run around and tell customers that.

Some people think their private life is private. Do they want you to tell them how many times you go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, sneeze etc. Why don't the follow bush around and ask him how many times he has lied.

[demrabble]

13. Ewwwwww.

Your story creeps me out as well.

The customer could not remember whether the tech was tall or short or had gray ir brown hair, but was only able to remember that the tech was a "good Christian".

It sounds to me like the customer was really trying to find out whether all your techs are "good Christians" or not.

Creepy. Very creepy.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

22. know what's really funny?

The "Christian" goes to church--also drinks alcohol, chews tobacco, and gambles. I do none of those things. By appearance, a lot of folks think I'm a "good Christian"--so sad they can't just say "good person". I learned long ago, though, not to correct their perceptions. They tend to browbeat you in trying to convert you.

[Cleita]

16. People often leave their business cards in our mailbox for

various services, like maintenance or housekeeping. I have noticed a majority of them are now claiming to be good Christians. This would not influence me either pro or con, but maybe it's necessary to get clients these days.

:shrug:

[notadmblnd]

23. we had a couple of businesses around here

that had up big signs that they were a "Christian" business. Apparently their god wasn't helping them. They are now defunct.

[ms liberty]

27. 'Round here the "Good Christians"....

They're the ones who go across the county line to buy their alcohol, so that no one they go to church with will see them buying it. Of course, they're always having to circle the block at the liquor store, because they recognize a car in the parking lot! Hypocrites.

:rofl:

[johnaries]

28. The mechanic that ripped me off was a "Good Christian". nt

[populistdriven]

29. Catholic friends of mine were at a mall with new baby and some old hag

came over and was admiring the baby and she asked - you are raising her as a arent you?

The parents were shocked and then explained that they were on their way to their "satanic class"

her expression was shock and horror

:rofl:

[leomcgarrysghost]

32. For some reason this makes me think

of the preacher from Poltergeist. Did he sound like him?