To not want to discuss religion while walking my dog?

[listsandbudgets]

Not working today, beautiful morning so decided to walk dog on beach

Almost no one down there expect a couple of other dog walkers. Having a lovely refreshing paddle with dog when a man came over asked me where I was spending eternity and shoved a leaflet in my hand before I knew what was happening.

I politely tried to pass him the leaflet back but he asked me again so I told him most likely hell and he said I should repent of my sins and he could pray with me now.

I pushed leaflet back in his hand told him I was looking forward to spending eternity in hell woth the interesting people and right now all I wanted was to walk my dog in the sunshine

He set off towards rhe other lady on the beach who gave him short shrift.. she told me he was a Jehovahs Wotness.and had form.for this.

Honestly flabbergasted.. anyone want to join me in hell ?

If they're young I try to remember that I was once a 'true believer' that belonged to an evangelical church and really thought that trying to convert strangers in the town centre was a matter of saving them from the fires of hell.

I was a lonely unhappy teen desperately trying to find somewhere to belong and wanted to show my church just how hard I was trying to do right. My religious fervour was my ticket to belonging.

I've been an atheist for quite some time now, largely down to life experiences in a difficult profession that led me to think that I could not believe any being would allow the things I saw happen to people and if they did, I didn't think they deserved to be worshipped.

But to answer the question, no it would be a major pain in the butt when I was peacefully enjoying my day to be disturbed in this way - for any reason really.

Two women marked my daughter as an easy target while waiting on her own at the bus stop, and baled her up. They asked her about her beliefs, and if she ever went to church. She said, yup, back in NZ. They asked her why she didn't now. She said to them, because the church got totalled in an earthquake and she took it as a sign - then quickly made her escape as they sought to find a way to come back from that one!

Momma was so proud. . .

Take the leaflet, say thank you, and they will leave. Bung it in the bin on your way home.

It's not difficult OP.

I can't abide the God Squad in any of their guises. I used to live in the same student house share as one when I was at uni back in the eighties. Nice enough girl, but could be a pain in the arse as she had somehow swallowed the Bible.

Isn't it the work of every Christian to spread the word of God? Same with Islam I believe. I don't think either religion is supposed to keep the "good news" to themselves and it is their duty to try to convert others.

So the poster upthread who said their vicar evangelised to people in queues at the supermarket etc was actually doing what he is supposed to do.

I live in a pretty multicultural area & the local evangelicals stand in the high street on Saturday afternoons with their megaphone, shouting about how people who don’t commit to Jesus are going to hell & handing out leaflets.

Apart from anything else it feels so bloody rude when so many of the locals aren’t Christian.

I was walking through there a few weeks after my non-religious mum died & they were shouting as usual. Suddenly it really hit that they were talking about people like her.

A woman was approaching me with a leaflet & I had to duck into the shopping centre & out the back way, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to help screaming at her to fuck the fuck off and that the vindictive bastard with the megaphone was yelling about my mum going to hell.

Obviously that would have been completely U, so I just avoided the area althogether on Saturday afternoons until I could trust myself not to do it. But if people are going to do that kind of thing they should be aware of the effect they could be having on vulnerable people.

Edited to add that I haven’t changed my views on the bloke with the megaphone being a vindictive bastard. I’ve just got my self control back.

I’m an atheist, I can’t be doing with all the brain washed religious shite. If I was to be interested I’d approach them, not be accosted in the street or worse knock on my chuffing door!

And yet I have never been bothered by anyone of the Islamic faith or any other religion when going about my day. Yes there are sometimes Muslims in my town with a stall, but they’re never pushing leaflets (or free bibles as it was today) in my face or screaming into a microphone about us all going to hell. It’s only ever Evangelicals or JE who seem to believe they have the right to push their beliefs in any way possible. Awful people to be honest, don’t understand how they believe that they’re truly convincing anyone to turn to Christianity with their methods.

I talk to them about evolution, my gay brothers, the absurdity of the mad rules for women they have, the lunacy of believing 144k souls will be saved only when there are millions of Jo Hos world wide. They can't scurry away fast enough 😂😂😂😂

They may be forced to go and actually hate it. As a teen I became christian and went to an evangelical church and we had to go door to door, so I went to someone's door with leaflets. I was very shy so I just offered one and for the rest didn't say a dumb word. Lol that woman said: Where are you from? You're not a JW because you're not neatly dressed. I just walked around in some sloppy jeans.

Ages ago we'd go evangelize with a group from church at a mall. Well we, they. I didn't join. I had to go up the stairs and there was only one and they stood exactly in front of it to bother everyone. I didn't wear my glasses and didn't recognize them. I just saw a bunch of ppl staying there and thought: How irritating can you be to go stand there? Leave me alone. So I put up my grumpy face, no eye contact, ignore, walk straight past them. Renske! Renske! That was my MIL.

"I'm a heathen, loud and proud" said very confidently and with my best retired school mistress voice and face, usually gets them off my back.

I can't bear evangalising. If I wanted to be religious I know where the churchrs/mosques/synagogues etc are.

I do feel sorry for the young JWs who are in town with an older partner in crime, but if you ask them about any support they have if they want to escape from the cult they clam up. I think it's abuse in broad daylight quite frankly.

You were rude to him. He shouldn't have approached you and should have accepted the leaflet back but you didn't have to take it in the first place and didn't need to be rude by talking about hell.

Oh interesting maybe the lady got it wrong.. have to admit i took her word fir it and didnt do more than glance at the leaflet. Still I suppose they can't be the only religion that evangelise

My parents weren't JWs but similar, and my dad was expected to go out leafletting, and hated it.
I think they see it as their duty to 'save' people, or at least preach about salvation to them. Maybe they do get hits every now and then.
I've had some interesting conversations with JWs, - yes, the 144k! - but I do always tell them I go to a church and won't be going to theirs. That's probably the best approach - tell them you have your beliefs and are happy with them and won't be changing.

@KreedKafer First time I ever went on a plane I was 10 years old flying as an unaccompanied minir from Bristol to Cork to visit my aunt

The ane was almost entirely full if nuns. They were actually lovely to me but I still remember when we hit turbulence the elderly nun next toe put ber hand on my arm and reassured me what ever happened we'd go woth God ( or something along those lines)

That’s an excellent argument for headphones. Or a very long nap.