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Yep! Once when a particularly ardent pair of religious folk arrived on my doorstep to share their rapture with me and were ignoring all my polite but firm comments that I wasn't interested I eventually stated that we all worship Satan just so I could close the door.
Seemingly that got the message across much better than repeatedly stating I am an athiest. They packed up fairly quickly after that and scurred away looking deeply perturbed. They've not been back.
It's a shame what you have to resort to sometimes.
Haha, that would give me laughs for quite awhile. Some folks are very persistant about it and feel they need to save souls. It comes across as very dilusional when they can't accept the possibility that there is nothing else after we die. (opens can of worms) or accept the possibility that there is something after we die and we better repent.
Me, I choose the only logical conclusion, we can't know. *ducks*
Haha, that would give me laughs for quite awhile. Some folks are very persistant about it and feel they need to save souls. It comes across as very dilusional when they can't accept the possibility that there is nothing else after we die. (opens can of worms) or accept the possibility that there is something after we die and we better repent.
Me, I choose the only logical conclusion, we can't know. *ducks*
Yeah, like I said it's a shame but I really don't like doing transactions or having in depth philosophical discussions on my doorstep.
Just the fact that a stranger is on my doorstep attempting to find out what I think about anything is irritating but I do my best to be polite but yeah, don't be persistent with me when you've bailed me up in my own home or likely I'll do whatever it takes to get you to go away.
I've also been known to employ the "we don't have electricity here" excuse, when confronted with the cable tv salesman and this works equally as good with the telecommunications people as well. I love the look on their faces!
Sometimes if a person insists on continuing after I've said no thank you, I'll just say please don't force me to be rude.
I have to wonder just how effective these doorstep conversions are and what the "success" rate is, although I'm sure if I asked they'd not supply me with stats.
Yeah, like I said it's a shame but I really don't like doing transactions or having in depth philosophical discussions on my doorstep.
Just the fact that a stranger is on my doorstep attempting to find out what I think about anything is irritating but I do my best to be polite but yeah, don't be persistent with me when you've bailed me up in my own home or likely I'll do whatever it takes to get you to go away.
I've also been known to employ the "we don't have electricity here" excuse, when confronted with the cable tv salesman and this works equally as good with the telecommunications people as well. I love the look on their faces!
Sometimes if a person insists on continuing after I've said no thank you, I'll just say please don't force me to be rude.
I have to wonder just how effective these doorstep conversions are and what the "success" rate is, although I'm sure if I asked they'd not supply me with stats.
I'd like to know what the stats are as well, but I must conclude that the majority of them don't know what statistical analysis is and how to do it.
Oh here's something interesting... if off topic; a girl who I was attracted to and was religious actually told me she wanted to practice arguments so she could talk about Christianity to the smart people on campus. (I looked at her dumbfounded) What's interesting is she claimed to have a 3.7 GPA and she was a junior level petroleum engineering major. How can you be so nieve and yet be able to make decent grades? Maybe she's just very good at doing what she's told, just like in her cult.
Last edited by PsycAnima; 10-24-2008 at 06:57 PM..
I've never lied about it, and I've been a little disappointed no family member has ever asked me. Most automatically assume I'm a christian. I've been an atheist for about 10-15 years.
So recently I moved to FL, and now my fundamentalists aunt has been bugging me to go to her church. So I decided to stock my bookcase in the living room with all my "offensive books". At the top is ancient religious texts. After that comes the christian/medieval/pagan section. The comes the occult section and finally the evolution and atheist sections. So when someone sits on the couch, which is an odd angle, they are eye level at the occult section. I keep books like "Misquoting Jesus" and my biblical archeology books in the back, so no one will get the wrong idea.
Since I started doing this, it's been amusing to watch people's reaction. The bookshelf has been like a magnet. The reaction to the books, pretty much mirrors the person religious beliefs or personal interests. My aunt reaction was to ask if I owned a bible - I said no. So far she hasn't returned. There is hope!
I normally don't lie if someone ask a direct question, but I won't bring it up either. My husband is Christian and so is his family. The family are what you would consider hardcore (over half of them are ministers.) I'm not going to volunteer to his family that I'm agnostic, but my hubby know if they ask, I won't lie. He also understand that I'm not in the market to be converted either, so that the first time one of them get started trying to save my soul, I'll politely decline the offer. The second time, I'll have to drop the polite veil.
It's the same thing at work. When they insist on praying before the meal at each company gathering, I stand polite aside and do not interfere with the rituals that are apart of their belief system. If they ever become adamant about me bowing my head and participating, then we will have a problem.
Yep! Once when a particularly ardent pair of religious folk arrived on my doorstep to share their rapture with me and were ignoring all my polite but firm comments that I wasn't interested I eventually stated that we all worship Satan just so I could close the door.
Seemingly that got the message across much better than repeatedly stating I am an athiest. They packed up fairly quickly after that and scurred away looking deeply perturbed. They've not been back.
It's a shame what you have to resort to sometimes.
HAHA!!! One thing to do to get rid of the JWs is say "ah would you like to come in for some coffee and sex?" and when they stammer say "what you don't like coffee?"
I've done it quite often. Most of my family members are horribly stubborn, so it's best for me to just say a sentence or two and quickly change the topic. However, most of these lies are technically half-truths; for example, I will often answer "I don't go to church" and leave it at that.
Most recently, I stayed with my recently converted fundie father and his wife (who rubbed some of her fundie-ness off on him; it's crazy how relationships change people, but that's another story) during part of the summer. If I had a nickel for every time I claimed to be a Christian or had to fake a prayer...
As an agnostic I was faced by a difficult decision recently, usually people never ask my religion (lack of), but a week hence I was in a friend's grandparents house and it came up.
I claimed presbyterian (parent's religion). It was probably a good choice to keep the peace, and would have no doubt lead to more questions if I answered truthfully, so it saved a lot of grief. I live in Texas in a town with a very large proportion of baptists.
Have any of you ever claimed a religion to avoid conflict?
Yes I have. At a funeral I did, because it didn't seem like the time and place to bring up controversy, so I just went along with it and did a Hail Mary like I'd seen my very Catholic Grandfather do a 100 times in my life and did a little farewell prayer (for the deceased) and moved on. Day went without a hitch. No one was the wiser, and no one was harmed and no tensions flared due to my "being honest". There's a time and place to be honest, and sometimes it is just easier to tell people what they wanna hear at that moment. Honestly its really no one's business.
When an atheist says "God bless," does that count as a lie?
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Yeah, like I said it's a shame but I really don't like doing transactions or having in depth philosophical discussions on my doorstep. 
excuse, when confronted with the cable tv salesman and this works equally as good with the telecommunications people as well. I love the look on their faces! 
