Lubavitcher Hasidim. They believe that trying to get as many Jews as they can to do a mitzvah will make Moshiach come faster. It’s regarded as a huge honor to be selected to go out and set up a Chabad House in some inhospitable place like Ulaanbaatar and provide kosher food to Israeli backpackers or whatever.
As for people trying to convert me, it depends on the setting. Out on the street, where you expect that every now and then someone will approach you and ask for money or try to give you pamphlets or something? It’s about a 2 or 3 level of annoyance. But somebody was circulating around trying to witness to people in line for the bathroom during intermission at Cirque du Soleil, and I wanted to smack them. I don’t expect to have to fend off those people at a specific event like that.
I get fairly pissed off, which is just above “miffed” but not quite “bonkers”.
The analogy to selling doesn’t work for me. There are a ton of consumer items that I’ve never even thought about, let alone seen in person. So it wouldn’t be ridiculous to assume I might be wooed by any given sales pitch. Especially if the salesperson’s got an awesome demonstration to show me.
But who hasn’t been hit up with Christianity before? Unless you can wow me by forming miracles on demand, it’s ridiculous to think a few well-practiced lines will convince me that you have found The Way. It’s insulting to my intelligence.
I might be interested in a new religion, though. If you’ve got a message no one else has, I’m open to hearing you out. But if you’re just going to tell me the same thing all the other proselytizers have before you, then you’re wasting both of our times.
If they are adults, they get a FOAD. Minors get a “Sorry, I’m a devout Druid/Existential Zen Buddhist/some other “religion” I feel like supporting today.”
I picked ‘‘narked’’ even though I’ve never heard that word I suppose I can guess what it means. My reaction is slightly tempered by the fact that I used to be a fundamentalist Christian (like Jr. High/early high school) and I remember that my attempts at proselytizing came from a place of compassion. I also figure I sort of deserve it for irritating all those people so long ago.
Mildly amused, at first. I’ll let them get a little into it, then, just as they reach for their Bible, I beg to ask them a question, which they always allow. The question I ask them is: “Do you believe that there is anything I could do or say that would shift you from your particular faith?” When they answer, “No! Nothing! Never!”, I ask how it is that they believe that they can sway me, or even have the right to try? This never fails to befuddle them.
That’s usually when I ask if a gay couple could marry, in their faith. Now they are confused and don’t know, with certainty, what my position is. So they weasel and waiver in a very amusing way, getting more uncomfortable, as I press them for a direct, honest answer.
Then I tell them that perhaps if they can’t even own up to their believes, they shouldn’t be trying to convert others. I sometimes remark on how their God must feel, to hear them dance around like that!
Often I tell them I am a Buddhist, which also baffles them. And I remark on how, in my faith it is not permitted any attempt to convert others, they must choose the path for themselves. And how it’s odd that I know more about their faith, than they will ever know, about mine, yet feel at ease doing what they are doing. Funny that!
I promise, when they leave my house, they are the ones who are feeling awkward or confused. At least that’s my goal.
I know what a lorry is, thank-you-very-much, but I ticked the “other” option anyway. As saying goes, don’t get mad, get even. So I adopt a strategy of taking the extreme opposite view to everything that they stand for – e.g. (actual conversation follows):
“Do you believe in God?” goes the preacher. “I’m told that She exists, whether I believe in Her or not”, says I. Preacher: “What!? So you think God is woman?”. Moi: “If God made man in his own image, then why wouldn’t She make woman in Her own?”…
I have never encountered a preacher who could continue that line of conversation without seeing that (s)he was being outwitted, so the argument ends pretty quickly.
As for my own beliefs… lets just say “Each to her own peculiar brand of superstitions”, and leave it at that, shall we?
Once, long ago, I was standing on a street corner with a couple of my then-bandmates. I guess we were looking pretty sinful, because a lady came stalking up to us and asked my guitarist “Do you ever think about dying?”
I think he said something like “As little as possible.”
She followed up with “Well, where do you want to go when you die?”
A pretty girl happened to be crossing the road at that moment, so he gestured to her and said he wanted to go wherever she was going. The lady said “Well, that depends on where she’s going, doesn’t it?”
My other bandmate piped in “Oh, she’s just going to the drugstore. See?”
The lady sighed angrily and stalked away. I guess we’re going to hell.
It really depends; If someone wants to give me a few seconds of “You know, you really should <whatever>, because otherwise I’m really worried about your soul.” sort of thing, and will politely but disapprovingly drop the subject when I explain I’m not interested, then I’m not going to be bothered at all.
If they keep pushing the issue, how pissed off I get will be directly proportional to the amount of pushback required to get them to let me live my own life.
Depends. If I’m sitting on a park bench, I’m kind of offended if someone approaches me. As though I look like some lost soul needing saving.
Occasionally I like to talk bible and stuff if people come to my door and I’m in a good mood. Sometimes amusing.
Usually I do like the other night while walking to catch a train – “can you walk and talk? good, because I’m walking.”
“If I told you I could prove God would you be interested?”
“No.”
Same way I deal with usual petitioners. “Are you interested in saving the elephants?” “No.” “Do you care about the environment?” “No.” Just how I roll. Saves everyone some trouble.
Depends a lot on context. One on one, someone starts a conversation with me to proselytize and I’m not busy or immersed in my own thoughts at the moment and am otherwise in the right mood, I’ll engage. I can give as good as I get.
In my subway car, to be PREACHED AT by some loud self-aggrandizing pompous yelling proselytizer, I get stabby in a hurry.
Lots of room in between with various shades of annoyance.
Depends on who is doing it - random stranger gets a smile and a no thanks, like anyone else trying to sell me something I don’t want or need. Not even a huff or eyeroll unless they pursue it. Casual friends and co-workers get a mildly exasperated “lets not go there”, with a mildly miffed feeling that boundaries have been tested. Anyone in my family and the huffiness goes way up because they have been doing it for 30 years whenever they thought they could get away with it.
I had to say slightly bonkers. It’s annoying as hell, but these days I amuse myself by trying to convert them to either the worship of Cthulhu or the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
I’m with muldoonthief as well. If the person takes no for an answer, I don’t get mad.
This does depend a bit on the situation, though. If I’m obviously in a hurry or doing something else and someone interrupts me to proselytize, I’ll get annoyed. Regardless of their beliefs, I’m a lot more troubled by the prospect of missing my bus because a stranger is yakking at me than I am by the prospect of going to an imaginary hell.
If the religious person is actually interested in discussing beliefs and if I have the time, I’m happy enough to exchange opinions.
I’m only mildly annoyed; if more it’s because I was interrupted at something. However, it didn’t happen more than a couple times a year. If it was more common it would be more annoying. Just moved to a neighborhood that doesn’t allow any kind of solicitation, and so now I’m never bothered.
My response is to politely decline: “No thanks! Have a nice day.” I respect their motives, if not their views.
My manager is a Mormon. I didn’t know that until he gave me a ride somewhere (to a group lunch perhaps) and there was a book in his car. Now and then I’ve ased a question about it, and he’s replied with a simple, direct, and concise reply. I respect the heck out of my manager.
(I wasn’t baiting, more of “how does this affect you as a Mormon” kind of question.)
