"I don't pray, I vote"

[robbedvoter]

I was given the chance to say those words this morning as in front of my home there was a huge banner ...not for any candidate - but for PRAYER CENTER. A number of people with flyers were aggressively accosting passers by
"have you prayed today, ma'm?" So, I happily blurted the words in the title.
"Ah, yes, she tried to get conversational - it's a very important day, did you vote?"
"I'm on my way" I said and decided to keep to myself the other thoughts.
I must tell you, I don't live in a bible belt state, but in NYC, East Village - and I have an uncomfortable feeling of being under siege when I have to brush them aside to go in an out my home.

[SteppingRazor]

1. You're under siege?

Hell, I lived in Colorado Springs for four years -- a city that boasts the most fundie Christian organizations in the world.

Point being, it could be a lot worse! ;)

[robbedvoter]

4. Gotcha. It's just that silly preconception that I should be safe from them here,

[SteppingRazor]

10. Yeah, you'd figure if anyone would be, it'd be somebody in the Village.

I mean, what's next, bible-thumpers in Berkeley? :silly:

[robbedvoter]

12. That was my point - and no, nobody is safe from them.

[fudge stripe cookays]

6. Gah.

I'm sorry you had to live there. I had never been more uncomfortable in a place than I was in Co Springs last year. I was only there overnight, but I was seriously creeped out between the soccer moms with their "Class of 200x" tote bags for the AF Academy at the airport, and all the fundie shit everywhere.

I seriously thought about heading to the "Focus on the Family Welcome Center" and taking a shit on their lawn to show them how "welcome" I found them.

[SteppingRazor]

9. I've actually been INSIDE the Focus on the Family HQ.

:scared:

[fudge stripe cookays]

15. Ewwwwwwww!

If that happened to me I'd probably burst into flames.

[SteppingRazor]

16. It was really weird...

I was there reporting on a story. At the front desk, there were two women. One was a gorgeous young blonde. The other was a severe-looking older lady. The blonde greeted me with a, "Welcome to Focus on the Family!" Then the old lady asked what I wanted. It appeared as if the blonde's sole duty was telling people "Welcome to Focus on the Family!" :crazy:

[robbedvoter]

13. Class of 200X? Please explain. Anything to do with the End of the world?

[fudge stripe cookays]

14. No...

Because the Air Force Academy is there, the moms all have cute little outfits, all accented with a "Class of 2008", "Class of 2009" etc tote bag, which they carry around with pride.

They all look like brainwashed idiots. And this is coming from someone whose dad was AF for 25 years.

[Earth_First]

2. Were these individuals DIRECTLY outside of a polling place?

If so, they are in violation of the law.

[robbedvoter]

5. No. They were not. Blocks away. The distance is quite well enforced here

In fact I remember having to take off my Clark2004 button in 2003 - event hough the election was for some local judges.

[qb]

3. Excellent response!

Recently a couple of women tried to bring the love of Jesus to me at my front door. I told them I'm an atheist and don't appreciate being bothered. They became notedly less confident and went on their way.

[robbedvoter]

7. Unfortunately these ones were still there when I returned - probably here all day

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. Maybe she was asking you to pray that your vote counts

Or pray that the machines work correctly.

Technology is such a mysterious thing only god knows how it works. :sarcasm:

[robbedvoter]

11. You know what? I was about to say "A vote counts more than a prayer"

and I kinda stopped short in mid sentence... I left that out of the OP so as to not mix topics, but good point.
And, no, by the look of her, she didn't want MY vote to count.

[wtmusic]

17. How logical of you

Don't expect that to carry any weight.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

18. Boy you sure told them

And the nerve of them to assault you like that /sarc

[Lance_Boyle]

19. Maybe someone should stand outside your house

day in and day out, to spread the Truth of the god delusion to you and your family.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

20. You live in the village

everything is 'outside of someones house' Now if they were in your doorway you have a beef, ill give you that, otherwise they were just exercising their right to free speech and from the sound of it they were not being pushy.

Like it or not free speech is protected for exactly this kind of behavior its offensive speech that has to be protected...