I usually don’t argue religion, it’s a pointless, profitless exercise but my Buddhist wife has just been set upon. Verbally attacked and seriously frightened by a screaming, spit-spraying, Baptist evangalist who took exception to her wearing a small jade Buddha on a necklace. This happened during a picnic in a public park.
That scum-sucker attacked a harmless, friendly, non-English speaking woman and subjected her and her religion to verbal abuse and accusations of demon and idol worship, as well as going into gloating detail on her probable destination in the here-after.
Unfortunately, this happened while I was away and after I caught the SOB he pleaded ignorance of why the poor misguided woman would be in hysterics from his impromptu sermon and used his age to avoid the ass-kicking he deserves.
I am utterly baffled by the brass-balled presumption of those who, having a direct line to their non-existant diety, are called upon to abuse total strangers for their choices.
Damn the man, along with his religion, denomination, holy-writ, and all his associates. May he and all his ilk rot in the hell they so lovingly describe and so richly deserve.
Wow. A Buddhist assult by a Baptist in Saudi Arabia? Who’d thunk it? I’m surprised Buddhist and Baptists are allowed to express their religious opinions so openly in a park (featuring the ample shade of the majestic oaks and pines) in Saudi Arabia.
Naah.
This happened in Columbus-Belmont state park. A nice park (physically, anyway) in Western Ky. Plenty of majestic oaks and a few pines as well.
Regards.
Testy.
I apologize for this poor example of my faith (IMHO) from the bottom of my heart.
Please tell your wife that for me and hug her…from me, okay?
Thanks. Sorry.
Scotti
In the more logical side of my mind, I like to think I would have called the police and had the little bastard arrested for assault. It sounds as though he did make your wife fear for her safety with his harrangue.
The more realistic side of my brain knows that I would have probably been the one charged with assault by the time I confronted the shit for brains, assuming of course Mrs. Angel left anything for me to deal with.
I remember when we were dating. We were going to a ZZ Top concert on campus, and there was a fundamentalist nutjob standing at the end of the sidewalk leading up to the concert hall.
He stepped in front of us and yelled, “You know you’re going to hell. Turn back.”
The future Mrs. Angel put her arm out, caught him in the shoulder and moved him out of the way (without breaking stride) and said, (in the most conversational voice possible), “Been there. Your mom said to tell you hello.”
I knew then I wanted to keep her around for a long long time.
As to your situation, I think you showed remarkable self-restraint in not sending all or part of this asshat to meet the god he so obnoxiously believes in.
Testy whatcha doin in western Kentucky?
I grew up there.
Albeit not in Hickman County (where C-B SP is).
Beautiful park, ain’t it? Back in the old days you could walk through the trails and root around a bit and find old shells from the war but once metal detectors came out people cleaned the place up.
Um, I have a question.
Your wife doesn’t speak English, according to the OP. So how did she know what the raving Baptist was saying?
I mean, I believe you and all but having trouble putting the pieces together.
Hey Scotticher.
Thanks for that. I know that guy wasn’t a representative of all Christians. More a nut job than anything else and the wife is OK now.
Fallen Angel.
I thought you only went to hell for listening to Black Sabbath. Has ZZ Top been added to the list? I wanted to assault the guy but he was over sixty so I would have been ashamed, no matter what the old guy had done.
Hey WV_Woman.
I grew up in Carlisle county (Arlington) but CBP was a great place to hang around. Walk on the chain and listen to the recorded stuff in the museum. I should have said that the wife speaks English poorly. She understands most things just fine but the old guy raving at her for no apparent reaon just freaked her out. I figure she was understanding about one word in three but she got the jist of it allright.
What made it worse is the respect most Thais have for older people. She just couldn’t understand why someone who should be wise and caring was unloading on her like that. Oh well, it’s over now and we’re back in Saudi.
All the best.
Testy.
I don’t think you have to speak English to realize someone is harassing you. An angry tone and a mean facial expression should be fairly recognizable, or at the very least, his flying spittle probably let her know he was yelling at her inappropriately.
Hey,
I made a thread about my situation, where my schoolmates would subject me to racial slurs, and harass me, calling me “an osama lover”.
Of course, I screwed up and made it seem like I was prejudiced against arabs. Oh well.
There’s not really much you can do. Ignorant bigots will be ignorant bigots.
Testy:
If you grew up in Carlisle County, I guaranfreakintee you that we are somehow related. My roots there are deep, I’m talkin like 5 generations. I’d be interested in hearing which surnames are in your family tree if you’re comfortable with that.
FYI I grew up in Ballard County. I ran far far away, though, and I’m glad to say that I’m feeling MUCH better.
As far as getting away and feeling better goes, you DID notice my location, right? I’ve found that 8 time-zones just is the right distance. 
Anyway, give me a note at testy_1@hotmail.com and we’ll talk about it. It would truly be a weird thing to meet some relative on the SDMB. S
Regards.
Testy
You’ve got mail 
italics mine.
Just a couple questions…and a statement.
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That guy was a total prick and should be soundly punished for his idiocy.
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You refer to his diety as non-existant. I wonder if you feel this way about all religion or just Christianity? In other words…do you respect your wife’s beliefs…or are you a Buddhist as well? Or was this said in a fit of anger? (which is COMPLETELY understandable)
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Did you have to damn the whole religion there at the end? Surely you don’t paint all of us with the same brush? I associate and live with people of all belief systems and am still able to live my Christian life in peace.
I’m sorry for your wife’s experience. We’re Not All Like That[sup]TM[/sup]
J
I read it this way:
non-existant diety = the hateful, intolerant jesus as opposed to a loving jesus.
his religion = the religion that tells people that they should witness to strangers in a scary manner
Haj
I was just about ready to post pretty much what jarbabyj said, but she beat me to it. I have a problem with the fact that the OP is angry about religious intolerance, and at the same time takes a dig at Christianity by using the phrase “non-existant diety.”
Then I read Haj’s post and what he said makes sense. I hope that’s what you meant Testy
And that guy wasn’t necessarily even a bad Christian, he was just being an asshole. Unfortunately, one’s faith doesn’t always erase the ugly aspects of one’s personality. He needs to find other avenues to express his faith, as ministry is definitely not his calling. What he did to your wife was totally out of line and uncalled for.
BTW, what brought you to Saudi Arabia?
Happy
Hi Jarbaby.
I’m a stone athiest myself and don’t really believe in ANY invisible/omnipotent beings. Having said that, I DO respect my wife’s beliefs. It would be at least presumptuous and more probably just jerkish of me to lean on her to drop her beliefs or to make fun of her because she has them. We have a Thai Buddhist shrine in the house and she prays regularly at it without any interference from me. Besides, she IS my wife and I’d surely pay for doing something like that.
As far as damning the whole religion, that was more in the way of a rant than anything else. IMHO, most religious people are nice enough. Organized religion is a scary thing. That old fart in the park was more an irritation than anything else.
Anyway, all the best.
Testy
Hi Happy.
I understand your position. I’m not any kind of believer myself but don’t generally get upset by those who are. I just close my mouth and move on to some other topic. Oddly enough, I later found out that he had been a Baptist preacher for over 40 years. A lot of his shouting was due to him being partially deaf although people later told me he always shouted a good deal during his “hellfire and brimstone” [sup]TM[/sup] sermons.
To be honest, I doubt he had ever actually met a Buddhist before (extremely uncommon in West Ky.) and would just summarize them as being “some kind of idolatrous heathen” if he was ever asked.
As far as being in Saudi goes, it was basicaly greed (the money is good:D) and a desire for change. I enjoy seeing different places and people. I don’t necessarily like them when I do, but I always enjoy learning about them. From Saudi I can be in Europe in 6 hours or in SE Asia in about the same amount of time so it’s nice. The other thing is that, believe it or not, Saudi is a pretty good place to raise kids. No crack dealers, child molesters, rapists or drive-by shootings. Those things happen but very rarely and there aren’t any second offenders. The place has it’s down sides but then most places do.
Anyway, please don’t get upset about the rant on the religion. I was basically just pissed at someone shoving it into my wife’s face and the way it was done.
Best regards.
Testy.
Testy, I’m very sorry that your wife got harassed for her religion. I’ve had similar experiences from time to time, and it would probably be extremely terrifying if you didn’t speak the language very well.
But good heavens, man, then you go and heap praise on Saudi Arabia? An incredibly reactionary and invasive religious theocracy? I’m not saying that you shouldn’t live there or enjoy it, but I’d rather be a Buddhist in Kentucky than Saudi any day.
Well, sorry if I came across as heaping praise on KSA, didn’t mean to do so and you are of course entirely correct about them being reactionary. There are some good things about the place though, as I mentioned above, just nothing to do with religion. Actually, being a Buddhist here isn’t that big a deal. The laws here are abundantly clear that anything other than Sunni Islam (and a pretty vicious sub-sect of that) is forbidden. Given that “Them’s the rules.” a reasonable person just checks his religion at the door when he goes to work in the mornings.
Generally, I’d agree with you about it being better to be a Buddhist in Ky. but right now I’m beginning to wonder.
Hope this clear it up and all the best.
Testy.