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It am (hardly) working today at home. The boss lets me work from home every Friday and I usually spend the time goofing off on the Internet.
Anyway, here I am sitting home all alone with not much going on and the door bell rings. I get up and at the door is one of the most wholesome polite young men you would ever see with his white shirt and tie. He must of been maybe 18 years old. He was a missionary from the Mormon Church.
It is my understanding that the young men from the church have to spend a year or so doing missionary work. Knocking on doors spreading the faith must be the toughest job out there. I suspect many people are quite rude and many will even slam the door in their face. But of course they did not ask to be disturbed from their daily activity.
I told him I was on the phone and was a little rude. (I lied) I feel guilty. I had nothing important to do but am afraid that if I invited him in my home or listened to him I would not heard the end of it and would get the hard sell.
How would you respond. I only attend Church on Holidays and go to the Luthern Church but am not a member.
I enjoy sitting down on the front step and sharing the gospel with them.
So now you're claiming to know what they "all" do.
Yes. You seem to be so well informed on every subject so I take my lead from your play book.
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Yes, I'm sure you've been involved in every church, ever, that was, everywhere.
Yes, in my town, they all sing from the same song sheet.
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I've been scammed in my life also, but I don't get so emotionally bitter about it that it clouds my judgment.
You don't like my counter-evangelism do you? Tough.
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So bottom line is that based on your anecdotal evidence you expect others to believe (via your barrage of mixed metaphors and cliches) that all of Christianity operates the same way and uses mass hypnosis to extract money from people.
Eventually it all comes down to the $$$$
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I've had crazy bums on the streets of Manhattan give me more plausible theories than that and with better evidence, too.
Well I guess that explains the crappy apologetics you present here.
I am usually polite and tell them I am not interested. Things start to heat up slightly if they persist with second and third sentences, which is when I simply shut the door.
Same here.
It does _not_ pay to explain further -- or to "discuss" religion with anyone who's committed enough to argue, evangelize, or just strongly identify with some faith.
In fact, it's a complete waste, since _no_ religion/belief is provable, except via self-referential texts, and spins thereon.
People believe what works for them or dispels their anxieties (whatever their anxieties might be), whether it's some mainline religion, cult, astrology/New Agey thing, or generic magical thinking (a/k/a "there are no coincidences").
Every time I have had a LDS or Jehova's Witness at my door I find that if you simply say that you are not interested, they generally go on their way. I've never had anyone debate me or try to talk me into anything or argue.
But I always smile and am respectful of them. After all, they are only doing what they think is the right thing to do. You can't fault them for that.
It does _not_ pay to explain further -- or to "discuss" religion with anyone who's committed enough to argue, evangelize, or just strongly identify with some faith.
In fact, it's a complete waste, since _no_ religion/belief is provable, except via self-referential texts, and spins thereon.
People believe what works for them or dispels their anxieties (whatever their anxieties might be), whether it's some mainline religion, cult, astrology/New Agey thing, or generic magical thinking (a/k/a "there are no coincidences").
It evidently is worth discussing religion since people convert to various new religions and belief sets every day. If mormon missionaries didn't get converts, they wouldn't do what they do. Same go for missionaries and proslytizers of every religion or ideology.
Debate and argument is always worth spending time on. It is extremely influential in how people form beliefs and make decisions, from major beliefs to small ones.
I never make the kind of absolute generalizations and blanket statements you have made here.
Apologies for that, when I clicked, another poster was the latest poster - I should have checked.
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So it went from "all" to now having the modifier of "in [your] town".
It should be obvious that one does not search the world over to see the same con game being played and yes where I was there were many international preachers from all over the world, same song sheet, same con and all with links back to the USA.
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I wouldn't mind counter-evangelism so much. What I don't like is your intentional, spiteful attempts at deception.
Apologies for the "tough" comment but what have I said that is lies? I asked you to point out what I stated was untrue and all you state over and over is that no all churches require money yet fail to identify which demonination (spelling deliberate)
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No, you're wrong. There are plenty of churches that require no money.
Such as?
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What apologetics? I haven't provided any apologetics here. Why do you fabricate things?
When I encounter Mormons I usually try to engage in debate with them about how they are wrong and the Catholic Church is right.
Mormons believe that there is truth in all religions. (I was a Catholic myself.) The missionaries are not there to debate and argue with you or to bible bash, they are there to teach their own beliefs to those who are interested in learning more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I had nothing important to do but am afraid that if I invited him in my home or listened to him I would not heard the end of it and would get the hard sell.
That's exactly what would have happened. He's a salesman, and a brainwashed one. Don't waste your time with that. I tell them that I have absolutely no interest in religion; they do recognize a lost cause.
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