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Veteran's Day and an Etiquette Question
2003-03-07 - 12:03 p.m.
Religon and Zealots
I've been debating on writing about this... but I decided I would anyway... on Friday, my love and I had to go to the homeshow to get some advice on our "experimental" septic system. We'd been there for a couple of hours and we were just about to leave when my love announced quietly that he had to "go". After walking around for a few hours, my back was hurting, so I found a place to sit and wait for him near the restrooms. I was sitting there minding my own business when this "girl" (I couldn't really call her a woman, she didn't look to be older than about 16). The first thing I noticed about her was her hair. She had it all pinned up under a piece of black lace. Her clothing wasn't anything out of the ordinary other than the skirt she was wearing was pretty close to ankle length and she had a blue fleece jacket. She looked to be about 120 pounds and very non-descript (no curves to speak of)... anyways.. I'm sitting there and she approaches me with a religious tract. She flashes them at me and asks if I'd like something interesting to read. It took me a second to realize what she was trying to give me (I thought at first that she was handing out brochures from one of the companies in the homeshow). When I realized what it was, I smiled sweetly and said "no thank you." Thinking that she would move on and that would be the end of it.
She didn't. "Will I see you in heaven"? She asked. I looked up at her again and said "I'm sorry, I'm not interested. Please. Move. Along", said just like that... with spaces between the words and by this time the last three words were a bit loud. (At this point my back has seized up, so I can't get up and move away on my own. In short, I was trapped there.)
"All I want to know is if I'll see you in heaven. I'd really like to see you there."
I thought of blackbear and the fist of death. My temper went off the scale. "I told you I'm not interested, MOVE ALONG NOW!"; rather loudly and with more force (I didn't know that was possible). By this time, my love had come out of the restroom and had seen me talking to this person. He heard the words "Move ALONG" and decided he'd better come see what was going on. She saw him making his way over to me and she disappeared into the crowd.
For the rest of the evening I was beside myself over this exchange with her. Religion is a personal choice, and I don't think I'm the only one who really dislikes having those religious tracts scattered all over the place. If I want to know about your religion, I'll come and ask you. I don't push my beliefs on you, don't press yours on me. There's nothing wrong with a "you're in my thoughts", or "you're in my prayers"; heck we can even sit down and discuss theology, but if I tell you now is not the time, BELIEVE me.
And this was just before we were to leave and deliver a cheesecake to Karin, Finnr's wife and I just wasn't prepared to deal with an exchange.
I was surprised at myself though. Usually, I'll just take the tract and throw it away rather than get into a discussion with them; I'll usually be very polite to them and hang onto it until I'm out of their sight. That night, I just didn't want to. My spirit was already frayed at the edges and I already had enough questions of another sort going through my heart, I didn't need anything else muddying up the already stirred water. I was amazed that I stood up for myself and didn't take the easy more non-confrontational way out; but I stated my preference and stuck with it.
I don't normally talk to children (and compared to me, she was definitely a child); but at the same time, I could tell she'd been taught really well. As I thought about it, I dissected the entire conversation and it made me even more angry. She saw me sit down, she was close enough to hear the yelp of pain when my behind hit the chair, there was no mistake I was in pain and I couldn't move, and there she was. I was a sitting duck.
When I finally got my wits about me and my back pain lessened a bit I was able to stand up and we started to make for the exit. ON the way out, I found a person who was part of the running of the homeshow and told him what had happened. He looked at the officer who was standing there and said that soliciting of any sort that wasn't a direct participant in the home show was considered to be unauthorized and he would do his best to find the girl and escort her out.
I dislike religious tracts about as much as I hate people who leave "lose weight NOW" pamphlets in the handicapped stalls of bathrooms. I mean seriously.... that's definitely one place that you're trapped! I use those because sometimes my knees just don't want to bend that much and the toilets are just high enough so it doesn't hurt. But the last thing I want to do is thumb through a religious tract or look at a weight loss pamphlet. The weight loss pamphlet sends a message that says only fat people use the handicapped stalls. If that's not the case, why aren't they in ALL of the stalls? Hmmmmmmmmmmm?
Of course, I'm also the person who found religious tracts in the file room at work. Someone (we have no idea who); left them sprinkled through out the empty shelving. I found it offensive. I mean, come on, Joanna (Ms. Religious Zealot from Survivor), if you love your religion, that's fine and wonderful and I'm happy for you, but please please please for the love of God, it doesn't necessarily mean that I want you to share it with me.
If I give you an indication, even just a small inkling, that's one thing. But
don't take it as "gospel" that everyone needs your brand of "saving".
I'm a Christian, I have been for many years. I've been told that as a christian it's my responsibility to 'save' sinners. If that's the case, that's where I fall down on the job in a big way. I just think that it's a personal decision; and no one religion should be forced onto another person.
Does that make sense?
Here we go again... thanks to another "female issue" I have yet another appointment to see one of those masochistic ob/gyn/oncologists. I really wish this was over. Who knows... maybe it is. I'm truly not sure what outcome I'm hoping for at this point.
Please don't forget to answer my survey... it's research for a small business idea... all comments appreciated, no reasonable offer refused!!! It won't take five minutes, I PROMISE!
