The New Christian Attempt to Convert–”It’s Not a Cult”

Sorted under religion on June 20, 2009

A few days ago, the boyfriend and I were heading into a store. As we got out of the car, the moment the boyfriend closed the car door, a woman appeared in front of him as if out of nowhere and yes, it was super creepy. And as if that was not creepy enough, she was carrying pamphlets.

Now the difference between me and the boyfriend is that while he isn’t religious and has no belief in a higher power, heaven, hell, or the like (but still refuses to call himself an atheist), he is still very cordial with people who attempt to convert him. I on the other hand, have made up my mind about my religious views and have settled on a clique in which I can identify with (that being atheism), and through the years of people coming up to me in attempts to convert me, I have had enough and admittedly am rude from the beginning of the conversation. The reason for my anger towards religious fanatics who refuse to accept that there are people who do not believe in the same deities as they do is because these people have to know that they are not the first people to ever try to convert me. Christians and Catholics alike pride themselves on their attempts to convert as many people as possible to their “side” and I have really just had enough of it. The first time I had been propositioned to change my religious beliefs was in a mall in my hometown while hanging out with my friends when I was in the ninth grade and I am willing to bet that I would have been propositioned sooner, had I ever left my house. Seven years later and I have really had enough of it, having been propositioned in that same mall several other times, in my place of employment twice, and on miscellaneous streets, parking lots, and so on, all of which while minding my own damn business.

So when this lady held out a pamphlet that she assumed my boyfriend would merely take, thank her for, walk away, and move on with his life, he let out this weird groan/word vomit slew of ‘uhhh’s’ which he described as the sound that he makes when there are just way too many thoughts going on in his head for him to be able to form a coherent sentence in, um, English. Upon hearing this weird groan/word vomit slew of ‘uhhh’s’ the woman then proceeded to tell him to take the pamphlet, that it was full of “good stories” and closed the deal with “It’s Christian, it’s not a cult or anything.” (!!!)

Very unlike the boyfriend, I have no problem telling these people that they will not spark the interest of either of us; that we are both pretty logical folks and that hey, we think, feel, and believe differently than they do. And I bet that if she did not use the line “it’s Christian, it’s not a cult or anything,” that I would have informed this woman of exactly those sentiments in an eloquent manner, but since she brought up the whole cult thing, I had a bit of a mindfuck myself and could not contain the anger I had inside at the mention of her trying to lead someone to believe that religion is not a cult.

And so I told her that why yes, Christianity is in fact a cult. I also informed her that we were non-believers and to put that shit away.

This experience has shown me yet again that religious people firmly and sincerely believe that they are better than all other people on this Earth and they believe that they are surely better than non-theists. This frame of mind that the religious right has, that they are owed something, whether it be your attention and your conversion to their belief system or the respect to let them down gently is completely deluded. There is no way to let these people down gently. They do not take no for an answer; they are very much like a business person on crack; they believe that they are entitled to your attention so they can rack up a number of converts to feel good about themselves or the fact that they need confirmation in their own religious beliefs.

I have never in my life told someone that they should be an atheist. I simply accept that I have my own point of view and I have my own personal beliefs. I am a human being with a life, morals, and principles and I happen to not believe in a higher power and I’m okay with that–I suggest the religious right become comfortable with themselves as well.



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  • @Marriage
    "So try to be a little more patient with them. In their minds, they're trying to help you."

    No, they are not trying to help me, they want me in their church.
    I am a hard core atheist (still respecting other views, of course) but I don't like when anyone interferes in my life, especially telling me how I am going to burn in hell and that I need to change. That's not the freedom of speech, that's an insult, because only bad people go to hell, thus, they say that I am bad.

    I am from Croatia, and I am glad that we don't have many people chasing others around for a conversion. Well, we have Jehovah Witnesses though, but they are pretty calmed down. They used to come to my door when I was a teen, but my dad drove them off. When I see them approaching me I just ignore them.
  • Consider that if a Christian believes in God and knows that you don't...then they believe you are headed for Hell. It's not that they would believe you're a bad person and that's why you're headed for Hell, it's that you don't have a relationship with God. So many approach you because they care about people and don't want you to be "lost" if they could reach out to you and lead you to God to be "saved."

    It's more the equivilent, in their minds, to you walking across the street and a bus flying at you that you don't see. They might wave their hands, yell, jump up and down or SOMETHING to get your attention so that you'd move out of the way of the bus and not be killed. It doesn't have anything to do with thinking you're a bad person because you're in the way of the bus.

    So try to be a little more patient with them. In their minds, they're trying to help you.
  • The first time I had been propositioned to change my religious beliefs was in a mall in my hometown while hanging out with my friends.
  • I have never in my life told someone that they should be an atheist. I simply accept that I have my own point of view and I have my own personal beliefs.
  • Anny Juan
    the sad thing is God loves us all whether you believe in Him or not. I live for my eternal glory and to do what is right in God's eyes while I'm here. It has made me a better person than I was before I believed. YOU live for the here and now which is just a speck in the grand scheme of history. Like it or not, bash it or not, we are a spirit and soul in a temporary body. How do you choose to live your eternity? How do you choose to spend your days on earth? I don't understand why I have to tolerate you and you have no respect enough to tolerate my beliefs. tolerance goes both ways. I'll be praying for you, afterall, God loves you too.
  • What makes you so sure that there is a God to begin with? Have you seen him? Has he talked to you? Or are you just taking the word of some book of fiction?
  • Anny Juan
    what makes you so sure that there is no God? You don't need to physically see something to know it's there. The Bible is his inspired word...it's history that has been proven physically many times over. Too many times to write about here. He talks to me through his words in the Bible. I assure you it isn't fiction. Read it and check the historical facts. Jesus did live and roamed the earth. Moses was not fiction...ask any jew. I am a messianic jew. The old and new Testament are not only true but have been proven. Many doubters have tried to deny it, but it can't be done. Lee Strobel, a well known atheist years ago set out to prove it's invalidity and came out the other end a believer. He couldn't prove that God wasn't real and the facts in the Bible were false. I'm not being intolerant. I'm not even angry like many on this page seem to be. God loves you and me. I'm grateful for that. That isn't intolerance. I hear intolerance being used if I don't believe what you believe. Why can't we believe our own thing without getting angry and calling me intolerant? I'm only tolerant if i see things your way? hmmmmm.....i would say that's intolerance. Don't be so angry. The happiest days of my life are when I first became a believer and saw that God loved me no matter who I was. I fall and get up and God still loves me. We keep on going with life but my perspective is that God is in control. No matter how hard I try to work at things, when I let God take the driver's seat, things always get taken care of. It is not on my strength, but in His. A pole vaulter gets much higher than a jumper because he puts his faith in a pole to hoist him up. God is my pole. I put my faith in Him and I get much further. I see nothing wrong with praying for those who may need it. Statistically, did you know that those who pray are much more apt to heal quicker than those who don't? why? because they are relying on a greater power (God) to heal them...not in their own strength or power. God bless!
  • Well when you insist upon saying that you will be praying for me and that god loves me too, that is not called tolerance. You clearly have no tolerance for those who don't believe in god, who don't believe that we are spirit and soul in a temporary body, and who believe that all there is to life is the here and now. Don't say that you are tolerant of those who don't have the same belief system you do if you're not.
  • From my experience, Catholics don't try to get more people for their 'side'. We've actually never been pressured to get more 'recruits'. However the fringe Christian groups are always pressuring and trying to get more. I swear the more they convert the more points they get or something.
  • Christian fanatics just go overboard sometimes.
    What I hate about them is that they keep on saying that they are the ones who will be "saved."
    Now we know we're screwed for not being Christians.
    Too bad for us, huh?
  • I would have told the woman to take her religion and shove it. I don't tolerate people pushing their views on me.
  • Yes, It's true. All of us, have our own beliefs in life. We believe in who we think is our lord. Or rather, we believe in who or what we want to believe into. So, never the people who wants to convert us and make us confuse! right?
  • Very interesting religious topic....it is the matter of different experiences in different circumstances.
  • themother
    Card carrying atheist. I have these disagreements all the time with my family. My boys are non-theists, but they haven't developed the anger that I have toward the Christian cult. They'll learn; they're young.

    Hubby hasn't quite given in. He's still stubbornly clinging to his Jewish tradition, even though he knows it's totally irrational.

    When those grand do-gooders come up to me? I usually let them have it. Amazingly, these experts in their religion have NO understanding of the documentary hypothesis, the historical background, or religious synchretism. Of course, they don't believe me, anyway. So it's wasted breath, but I feel better.
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