Apparently I'm going to hell. Which is nice.......

[Boughtandpaidfor]

So there I am in a Japanese Mr donuts minding my own business when out of nowhere this Japanese/American guy comes over and introduces himself. Nice guy no problem very friendly. But a missionary.... I know a few missionaries round here they are friendly enough and for some reason they've never entered into a religious conversation with me.

 

But this guy brought up a mutual friend of ours and we got to talking and next thing I know he says

 

"that guy wasn't Christian until he met us (his wife was there too) but he became a christian then he went back to his home country because he realised his family weren't practising the right christianity and they were going to hell".

 

Now I swear to god (no pun intended) that I have never actually heard someone say something like before (unless it was a joke) and I'm actually a bit shocked. It carried on like a normal conversation after that. I ended the conversation and he went away but then just as he was leaving he comes over and throws a donut on my table.

 

Nice of him. But I'm a bit disturbed. It was a very sweet donut and I'm trying to decipher the imagery of that still.......

 

I don't think I'm going to hell. But why is it that I have my personal space invaded and then be, quite frankly, insulted, no matter how politely or indirectly? I'm not actually angry- but I don't want to have to be rude to anyone and I was minding my own business.

 

Maybe god wants me to know that I don't have to like everyone I meet............

[skyjuice]

Hi

 

I also meet some of the christian preachers in train station or in the street.

 

They gave out flyers about christainity.

[shes2smart]

I used to wear a silver link removed necklace. It was a 5-pointed star in a circle with one point up. To me it symbolized my mantra "Whatever I can conceive and believe I can achieve." Nothing more. No Satanist beliefs. No Pagan/Neo-Pagan beliefs. No Wiccan beliefs. Just my own beliefs about my creative power & ability.

 

On a regular basis, I'd get approached by well-meaning but misguided religious folk who wanted to convert me. If they were polite and I had the time, I would explain to them what the pentagram meant to me and why I was wearing it. It had nothing to do with God (theirs or mine) or religion. Some of them got it and left me alone. Some of them were so focused on "saving" me and "spreading the message" they neglected to take into account that their message wasn't being received and as far as I was concerned, I the only thing I needed saving from was having to listen to their lecture-masquerading-as-conversation. In a conversation, there's give and take...you listen some and you talk some. In a lecture, it's pretty much one person talkin' and one person listenin'.

 

There is no one religion that's got the only path to enlightenment. I suspect every religion may have a few pieces of the truth, but no one religion has the whole Truth. I'm suspicious of any religion that requires or requests members to go recruit/convert others who are going about their own business. To me, that's less about finding enlightment and more about building the church membership...but I'm a cynical old biddy like that.

 

I think the search for spiritual enlightenment (God/Spirit/Universe/The Force or whatever you choose to call that thing greater than all of us) is something that's highly personal for each of us. While things like organized religion may help us along the way, we are the only ones who can choose our way.

 

I look at "finding God" in the same way I look at going on a road trip. Let's say we're all trying to go to Las Vegas. I can go by airplane, train, or car and I can choose any number of routes to get there. Some of them are perhaps more direct than others, and some may take me to some other interesting places first...but in the end, everybody chooses their own route although the destination is the same. I may not agree with your route, but I respect your right to choose your own method of transport and route.

 

The religious zealots usually gave up the lecture-conversation when I brought up the Road To Las Vegas analogy. Either I completely stunned them or they figured I was too far gone to be helped.

 

'Course you could always just quote the Grateful Dead ....

I may be going to hell in a bucket, babe

But at least I'm enjoying the ride, at least Ill enjoy the ride.

[Psylocke]

Yeah I've ran into these people before. I just tell them I practice Satanism and they leave me alone. No I'm not actually satanic I just love the look on their face when I say that

[Juliana]

Imaginary scenario: The other day I was approached by a Satanist. I don't know why they have to make such a display of their religion; the upside down cross, and everything. So I'm standing there, minding my own business, and all of a sudden she says "I never was happy until I became a Satanist. I think Christians are so full of cr*p."

 

Wow. Why do people feel like they have the right to just talk to me about their religious beliefs? Why would she try to make me feel bad about mine?

 

You must have left something out of your conversation with the missionary. What I heard was someone patting himself on the back for promoting his own belief. The belief could've been anything; what mattered was that he, the speaker, had changed the other person's mind. Wee little power trip there, and he was flaunting it. Somehow you got from there to being told you were going to hell; I missed that part??

 

(Satanists may lay down your arms; or not -- your choice -- "some of my best friends are Satanists" -- actually only one, but there aren't that many Satanists).

[Boughtandpaidfor]

Well he was basically saying if you don't practice his branch of christianity then you go to hell. Whether he was directly saying it to me or not he was suggesting it- and I took offense to that, since he interrupted me (I was studying) to tell me it. I know he wasn't referring to me, but he definitely had every intention of displaying that opinion to me. It's not something you casually say.

[Hope75]

Well he was basically saying if you don't practice his branch of christianity then you go to hell. Whether he was directly saying it to me or not he was suggesting it- and I took offense to that, since he interrupted me (I was studying) to tell me it. I know he wasn't referring to me, but he definitely had every intention of displaying that opinion to me. It's not something you casually say.

 

My aunt is one of these bible thumpers that believes if it isn't the way she practices (which is how she believes God wants it) than you are going straight to hell, myself included.

 

I'm trying to figure out how she thinks a God who loves and forgives everyone who asks is going to send people to hell for finding their own path.

 

I like Shes2smart's analogy, and I prefer the scenic route.

[Juliana]

Sure it is, if you're that type of person. I assume you talked to him because you knew him; you mention a conversation about a mutual friend.

 

This was upsetting for you, what I don't understand is why. This guy didn't accuse you of anything, or try to convert you. He described his own belief. Why does it matter to you that this man's interpretation of Christianity says that people who don't believe what he does are going to hell? What is his opinion to you?

 

I think this is interesting, because we are continually confronted by the belief systems (political, economic, religious, sexual) of people who are convinced they are right, but who we totally disagree with. We describe the reason for our discomfort as "tolerance;" we are more "tolerant" than they are, they are "judgmental," but in fact we are just as convinced of our own beliefs as they are. I think we like to surround ourselves in a little bubble of illusion that most people are more or less like us, and that thereforeeee, we are safe, in these huge crowds of strangers, we are not going to be attacked. I think the reason this upset you was that you're in a foreign country, and here was an obvious native who completely does not believe what you do, and it disturbed you. I think there is a need, particularly when we are an identifiable minority, to bond closely with a group to feel safe, and when we feel judged, we feel singled out and threatened.

 

I don't think this has anything to do with religion, in other words. I think it has to do with feeling different -- feeling judged, and unsafe. If you have your own belief system, be comfortable with that. It doesn't threaten you, that this guy disagrees.

[Boughtandpaidfor]

I assume you talked to him because you knew him; you mention a conversation about a mutual friend.

 

I didn't know him- I guess he spoke to me because I was a foreigner. BUt we happened to know the same person. I just don't get why a stranger would just come over and say something so intense? But I guess you're right people are different and they have their different beliefs. I just wonder what is expected of me? And every time I answered that guy's questions I didnt feel like he was listening to the answer- he was a bad listener (my first impression). I wonder if I don't listen to what he has to say does that make me closeminded? Should I give all the time and just make up my own mind if that's what he wants? Or do I need to grab my time back? Should I tell him to get lost? Because I felt like he was there solely to convert me and that whilst he said he was a missionary I don't think he cared or respected me, because I wasn't like him.

 

But as for the other thing- I guess you're right, I'm a foreigner and I seem to be attracting unwanted attention more and more - especially today- it wasnt the first person who talked to me for being white- it's become a daily occurrence. I'm english practice on legs some days. Fair point thanks for pointing it out!!!!!!!

[Juliana]

Well you got a doughnut out of it. It wasn't a total loss.

 

Seriously, do you feel like you have to talk to people? Like you owe them your time and attention? My grandmother was like that; we had a vacuum cleaner salesman who d*mn near moved in with us. Talk to whomever you want about whatever interests you; I think that's what's expected.

 

By the way, all Christians are called to share the faith, thereforeeee, all are missionaries. That you felt this guy didn't respect you isn't part of the whole Christian missionary thing. He's just kind of stuck on himself, I'm thinking.

[englishwoman41]

You wont go to hell. Ignore people who preach garbage in the street.

[annie24]

hm. I never get approached by people who try to convert me. are you guys putting out some kind of vibe that encourages them to come up to you?

[itsallgrand]

Haha. That was funny, happytown. "It was a particularly sweet donut.."

 

Hey, well I grew up beside the town's leading pastor. He liked to tell me quite often how I was going to hell.

 

It was an opportunity to practice a little bit of light hearted mischief. Those people are just too easy! Targets, I mean.

 

I was friends with his daughter, united by sports, even though she too believed I was going to hell because I am not a 'complete heterosexual'.

[Boughtandpaidfor]

she too believed I was going to hell because I am not a 'complete heterosexual'.

 

It's cool dude only that part of you is going to hell- the sporty portion you will definitely go upstairs!!!!