# Knowing when to shut up **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 28, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969 "2019-09-28T22:44:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/141 "2019-09-30T21:12:29Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > You’re never alone with Jesus! > > The thing is, I’ve never ever ever been approached by any other religion except Christian-flavoured idiots. Ever. Non-religious idiots (like salespeople) usually get the exact same treatment. Which is a polite “no thank you” followed by an increasing level as hostility the more they insist. I have. I’m a pretty ordinary, mainstream, church-going Catholic. I don’t preach, I don’t proselytize, I don’t really care all that much about what you or anyone else (except maybe my children) believes or doesn’t believe. But I’ve been cornered by militant atheists, who can be, believe me, just as obnoxious as the Christians described in the OP. And we get the Tony Alamo people working the NYC subways once in a while. They’re pretty bad. Actually, they’re kind of fun to engage, given that they have a serious bee in their bonnets about the Catholic Church. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/142 "2019-09-30T21:28:50Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > But I’ve been cornered by militant atheists, who can be, believe me, just as obnoxious as the Christians described in the OP. 1. I have never seen this happen. 2. Taking for granted that this happened, what in your mind makes them “militant”, and do you call Christians who do the same thing “militant”? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/143 "2019-09-30T21:40:26Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > If you lived in Thailand you wouldn’t need to be told as the something is very common knowledge in that country. So, at best, you’ve visited Thailand, but you are not a permanent resident. > > OK… _::: scratches off one item on list :::_ … Angry Hamster does not live in Thailand. > > This is fun - anyone else have Significant Questions by which to narrow down Angry Hamster’s location? Let’s play twenty questions! I just love that game! 😃 [Here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia#Sovereign_states)’s a list of countries in Southeast Asia (I reformatted it for, the non-[del]annoyed[/del] stupid, should be an obvious reason): [ul][li]Brunei[/li][li]Cambodia[/li][li]East Timor (Timor-Leste)[/li][li]Indonesia[/li][li]Laos[/li][li]Malaysia[/li][li]Myanmar[/li][li]Philippines[/li][li]Singapore[/li][li]Thailand[/li][li]Vietnam[/ul][/li] > [@Annoyed](#): > > Or you can simply kiss my beautiful white ass. Let’s hope you’re not in Singapore either. Stunts/comments like that can get you arrested there. > [@](#): > > If I was in Thailand (which I am not, you fucking moron) why would I take your bait & answer a question that could get me arrested if answered in a certain way. Again, where did I ever say you were in Thailand, you simpleton? > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I don’t think you are in Thailand because your mom probably wouldn’t have a basement for you to live in in Thailand. Hah! > [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > Lol, you probably have family members who won’t speak to you. “Here comes drunk Uncle Annoyed again with his crazy Old White Guy bullshit.” I would not be surprised if he has family members who deny their relationship. “That drunk guy? Nope, he’s not my uncle. No relationship whatsoever. We’re not even related through Adam.” > [@Broomstick](#): > > More like “here comes nephew Annoyed again - when will he give up the emo-goth phase bullshit and get a real job?” My mother was pleased as punch when I went out and got my first job (paper boy, as it was called at the time) when I was ten years old. His mom? Poor lass is likely hoping he’ll just go out and not come back. > [@nelliebly](#): > > I’m a Christian, but I don’t believe in evangelizing, and it irritates me no end. When a guy came up to me on the street and asked if he could talk to me about Jesus, I said eagerly, “Sure, right after I talk to you about our Needle Beach time shares in Florida!” He rolled his eyes and turned away. Years ago, when my best friend and I got off the train in Ebina, Japan, a young Japanese man came up to us and said to us, “I am Christian. Can I pray for you?” So, I told him, “Sure. Go for it. We’re Christians, too.” When he blocked our way, I then told him, “Look, friend; you can pray for us over there. Get out of our way.” I wonder if that response changed his planned prayer. > [@Atamasama](#): > > This is important to note. I too am a Christian but that doesn’t make us immune to evangelists. We get pestered same as anyone else. Either we’re not the right denomination, or we don’t go to their church, or whatever. Even if you answer, yes I believe in Christ and have been saved, you’ll get the same spiel as a non-Christian. > > I had it happen to me a few years ago when my car was in the shop and I needed a ride from a coworker, I was waiting in a parking lot where we’d agreed to meet up and some guy comes up and starts preaching. I am stuck and he knows it and I am enduring his crap for a good 10 minutes or so. I’m trying to politely fend him off but it’s doing no good. > > To me that’s evidence that these people aren’t even doing it for the reason they claim. They’re not “saving souls”, they’re salesmen for whatever church they’re representing. I’m guessing the real goal is to get donation money from people who they can add to their congregation. Like I’d join a church that pesters strangers on the street. You see, those folks completely misunderstand the bit about not hiding their light under a bushel. To me that means you should let the way you live your life show the goodness of your beliefs. No need to pester folks about it. > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > \ > > “Everyone is talking about me! I’m special! I am somebody important” > > It’s actually quite sad and pathetic when you think about it. It’s Trump-tastic! Seriously, that’s exactly the way Trump operates. > [@atimnie](#): > > More pathetic than sad, almost funny, but absolutely contemptible. Asshole had to drag his shit into the games forum. Got reported immediately. Waiting for her/him/it to do it again so it gets its ass banned… again. Link, please? > [@TheMightyFro](#): > > Can I see your methodology? (I’m assuming you ran a double blind experiment, and published your results in a peer-reviewed journal?) Don’t you know? He has no peer! ---
**Author:** ![atimnie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atimnie/32/11_2.png) [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/144 "2019-09-30T21:46:03Z")
_“But I’ve been cornered by militant atheists, who can be, believe me, just as obnoxious as the Christians described in the OP.”_ Where do you live that this is happening? I know YouTube atheists can be very aggressive, but I’ve never heard of this offline. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/145 "2019-09-30T21:47:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. I have never seen this happen. As an atheist who sang in various church choirs for years (b/c choral music awesome and what the rest of the congregation believes or doesn’t believe about deities is no skin off my butt), I’ve seen it happen first-hand, and more than once. Example: leaving a Saturday-night party with the comment that I need to be up early for church the next morning, and getting an impertinent question along the lines of _“Do you really believe there exists some kind of sky fairy who cares which building you sit in on a Sunday morning?”_ (No, but you can bet your ass my choirmaster cares, and he definitely exists.) _“Sorry, I don’t discuss my personal religious beliefs.”_ (Partly because I’m not about to give a rude smug asshole like you any validation for your smug rudeness by identifying myself as a member of your “team”.) _“You won’t discuss them because you know they’d be torn to pieces in rational argument!”_ _“Sorry, I don’t discuss my personal religious beliefs.”_ (Bye, asshole.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/146 "2019-09-30T21:50:36Z")
> [@atimnie](#): > > “But I’ve been cornered by militant atheists, who can be, believe me, just as obnoxious as the Christians described in the OP.” > Where do you live that this is happening? I know YouTube atheists can be very aggressive, but I’ve never heard of this offline. Did they wear uniforms? Were they carrying weapons? Did they refer to each other by rank? Or is this the weakest attempt at “They do it tooo!!” this board has seen in years? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/147 "2019-09-30T21:54:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Did they wear uniforms? Were they carrying weapons? Did they refer to each other by rank? > > Or is this the weakest attempt at “They do it tooo!!” this board has seen in years? Well, the way some of those in the Salvation Army play their instruments, the things should be considered weapons! ---
**Author:** ![atimnie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atimnie/32/11_2.png) [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/148 "2019-09-30T21:58:04Z")
\*Originally Posted by atimnie More pathetic than sad, almost funny, but absolutely contemptible. Asshole had to drag his shit into the games forum. Got reported immediately. Waiting for her/him/it to do it again so it gets its ass banned… again. Link, please?\* [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870727&page=2](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=870727&page=2) 65 and 66 are the relevant posts. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/149 "2019-09-30T22:00:51Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I just love that game! 😃 Me, too! Let’s play some more. OK, here’s the current list: [ul][li]Brunei[/li][li]Cambodia[/li][li]East Timor (Timor-Leste)[/li][li]Indonesia[/li][li]Laos[/li][li]Malaysia[/li][li]Myanmar[/li][li]Philippines[/li][li]Singapore[/li][li][del]Thailand[/del][/li][li]Vietnam[/ul][/li] Next Significant Question: **Angry Hamster, can you legally purchase chewing gum where you live? Yes or no.** _::: sits back to await answer :::_ ---
**Author:** ![atimnie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atimnie/32/11_2.png) [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/150 "2019-09-30T22:06:02Z")
\*"Did they wear uniforms? Were they carrying weapons? Did they refer to each other by rank? Or is this the weakest attempt at “They do it tooo!!” this board has seen in years? "\* Let’s give him the benefit of a doubt (what a strange phrase). Just because we’ve never heard of it happening doesn’t mean it didn’t. But if it did happen, that’s still a very small number compared to all the religious zealots going door to door, preaching on street corners and college campuses (they are seriously losing the battle there). ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/151 "2019-09-30T22:09:23Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Me, too! Let’s play some more. > > OK, here’s the current list: > > [ul][li]Brunei[/li][li]Cambodia[/li][li]East Timor (Timor-Leste)[/li][li]Indonesia[/li][li]Laos[/li][li]Malaysia[/li][li]Myanmar[/li][li]Philippines[/li][li]Singapore[/li][li][del]Thailand[/del][/li][li]Vietnam[/ul][/li] > Next Significant Question: **Angry Hamster, can you legally purchase chewing gum where you live? Yes or no.** > > _::: sits back to await answer :::_ I think he knocked that one out of the running with the offensive suggestion (offensive by local law there). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/152 "2019-09-30T22:24:38Z")
> [@atimnie](#): > > \*"Did they wear uniforms? Were they carrying weapons? Did they refer to each other by rank? > > Or is this the weakest attempt at “They do it tooo!!” this board has seen in years? > "\* > Let’s give him the benefit of a doubt (what a strange phrase). Just because we’ve never heard of it happening doesn’t mean it didn’t. But if it did happen, that’s still a very small number compared to all the religious zealots going door to door, preaching on street corners and college campuses (they are seriously losing the battle there). I’ll give the benefit of the doubt, but I still want to know what qualified them as “militant”. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/153 "2019-09-30T22:30:33Z")
I have spoken to aggressive atheists who are openly upset that an adult is naive enough to believe in “fairy tales” (you see that on this board all the time), or that will challenge you to prove your faith is “wrong” (less frequent on these boards). But what you don’t see are atheists walking up to strangers on the street to convert them to their belief system (or lack of one, that’s another debate). Nobody but evangelical Christians do that. That’s a **huge** difference. Having an opposing opinion you’re passionate about is normal. You can argue about sports teams or politics or hot dog toppings (that last one can lead to bloodshed) but nobody is accosting strangers on the street about them. (Petition signature gatherers come close I guess but they are up front about what they want from you and a “no thanks” will almost always work.) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/154 "2019-09-30T23:03:22Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I think he knocked that one out of the running with the offensive suggestion (offensive by local law there). True, but mooning people can get you on a sex offender’s list in some places in the US, too, so I don’t view it as definitive. Can you think of any other Significant Questions to shorten The List? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/155 "2019-09-30T23:11:17Z")
On the one hand I don’t care where the silly bigoted troll lives, but on the other hand this subject seems to annoy him, so as far as I’m concerned have at it. On the subject of the thread, I live in an area that is oversaturated with mormons, which seems to put a damper on other sorts of proselytizing. And at some point I convinced my local branch that I was a lost cause, so peaceful bliss! Were I accosted in a parking lot, I would of course answer any questions honestly. Including telling them I think they’re demon worshipers if they’re one of the christian/jewish/muslim types. And no, I wouldn’t be worried about reprisals or anything, because all the parking lots around here are in america. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/156 "2019-09-30T23:15:26Z")
I recently got in my car to see that someone had placed a rainbow-colored tract with the word “PRIDE” on it under my windshield wipers, and because it had rained in the meantime, it was stuck to the glass. Yeah, the JWs struck again. A while back, a friend of mine was accosted by a JW as she was entering the library where a club we’re in meets, and this woman wouldn’t get out of her way! I asked if she told the librarian about it, because they are NOT supposed to do that on public property. She didn’t, although she said the woman did freak out a bit when my friend told her that she was a practicing Christian for many years but is now pagan, and no, she didn’t want to convert back. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/157 "2019-09-30T23:15:37Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > True, but mooning people can get you on a sex offender’s list in some places in the US, too, so I don’t view it as definitive. Good point. > [@Broomstick](#): > > Can you think of any other Significant Questions to shorten The List? Oh, definitely. But I like to follow the game rules. ---
**Author:** ![atimnie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atimnie/32/11_2.png) [@atimnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atimnie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/158 "2019-09-30T23:36:21Z")
Never mind _where_ it is, let’s try to figure out _what_ it is. Pretty sure it’s not human. Maybe a mutated mockingbird, seems most likely. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/159 "2019-10-01T00:24:30Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > On the one hand I don’t care where the silly bigoted troll lives, but on the other hand this subject seems to annoy him, so as far as I’m concerned have at it. To be fair, plenty of stuff seems to annoy him. Facts, for one. > [@](#): > > On the subject of the thread, I live in an area that is oversaturated with mormons, which seems to put a damper on other sorts of proselytizing. See? There is some value to having us LDS types around. 😉 > [@](#): > > Were I accosted in a parking lot, I would of course answer any questions honestly. Including telling them I think they’re demon worshipers if they’re one of the christian/jewish/muslim types. And no, I wouldn’t be worried about reprisals or anything, because all the parking lots around here are in america. I, for one, would appreciate that. And that’s because I admire honesty _and_ America! ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969/160 "2019-10-01T00:40:49Z")
I’ve found that a really long driveway and a couple of dogs work wonders. Nobody comes to my door. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowing-when-to-shut-up/840969.md?page=9)