Katzpur
Not your average Mormon
Or if Frank wants, he can have a hug from me, his Mormon friend, who is going to be marching with "Mormons Building Bridges" in Salt Lake City's Pride Parade on Sunday.
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Some Mormon missionaries tried to talk to me.
- Thread starter Saint Frankenstein
- Start date
Callisto
Hellenismos, BTW
I had a job where I was often approached by Mormon missionaries. I'd nicely cut them off & stated I knew what they were going to say (having heard it all before) and I wasn't interested. Then I quickly switched the topic to about them - so where are you from? How do you like this city? Etc. It always resulted in a very relaxed and pleasant commute, chit chatting and telling them about local attractions, answering questions they had about getting around etc.
Sometimes they'd get around to asking my religion and I'd tell them. With the exception of one girl they were fascinated and asked very sincere questions. The one gal immediately didn't want anymore interaction but her friend was genuinely interested. She and I spent the next 1/2 hour having a nice chat while the first one fumed and stayed silent.
They're usually really nice kids and, yes, utterly clueless about Paganism. Don't be offended by naivete, see it as an opportunity to pass along some knowledge.
Sometimes they'd get around to asking my religion and I'd tell them. With the exception of one girl they were fascinated and asked very sincere questions. The one gal immediately didn't want anymore interaction but her friend was genuinely interested. She and I spent the next 1/2 hour having a nice chat while the first one fumed and stayed silent.
They're usually really nice kids and, yes, utterly clueless about Paganism. Don't be offended by naivete, see it as an opportunity to pass along some knowledge.
Callisto
Hellenismos, BTW
Newsflash, Heathenry is a form of religion. A!so, for the record, Heathens aren't godless, they have quite a few.
The Kilted Heathen
Crow FreyjasmaðR
Oh, they noticed the jewelry alright. And if they're anything as well-versed as the many Mormons I've had knocking on my door, they know exactly what it is. And we all know full well that any motion to "strike up conversation" is purely for the means of religious challenge and attempted conversion.
Don't play innocent, wandering. Everyone knows the proselytizing game, and everyone's tired of it. And also, you're whole "what, it's okay for Heathens to question Christians, but not for Christians to question Heathens?" is crap. Christians question us every. day. Yet not once will you have a Heathen knocking on your door to ask if you've found the Allfather or the Thunderer, and tell you why you need them in your life.
Desert Snake
Veteran Member
But you wont name yours?
The Kilted Heathen
Crow FreyjasmaðR
Don't think Callisto is Heathen. However I would wager that you know several Heathen Gods already; Thor, Odin, Loki, Tyr... So long as we're having some form of contest, it is not we Heathens who lack for names, and call our deities by a simple word as though it was a name.
Confucian Mormon Buddhist
Member
I generally disagree about missionaries. I do find the practice problematic, as it creates division in the communities they visit, but from the missionary's perspective, they're basically trying to save your life. Can't hate that.
You struck a chord with me with that last bit, though. Dang missionaries got me once... for several months. I was starting college and I was really lonely (no friends, and I had hugged a girl once in my four years of high school). The pretty blonde "sister missionaries" were constantly wanting to meet, though, and I was seduced by it instantly. Felt like having a girlfriend (until I actually got a girlfriend, which was immensely better).
Where did it go, though? They went home, I left the Church (for other reasons), and now we never talk. They weren't bad people at all, but I'd sometimes think, "I wonder if they'd even talk to me if they were just members of the ward."
Ingledsva
HEATHEN ALASKAN
1. Not wanting to talk to religious proselytizers is NOT making fun of them. You insult him with this crap.
2. Interesting that you made a second insult to him, - by implying that heathens' beliefs aren't religious.
*
The Emperor of Mankind
Currently the galaxy's spookiest paraplegic
You didn't ask a question.
I get such visits every now & then. Sometimes they're young....sometimes old....black.....white. (There must be some list of heathens in need of extra proselytizing...& I'm at the top.) I just quickly explain that I'm a confirmed heathen, refuse the literature, & save them some time. Always leave'm smiling. After all, their intentions are good, albeit rather clueless & perfunctory.
But when I get uninvited guests from government, asking my family questions about any recent construction or what I do there, I'm less polite. I sternly explain they should ***** ****** ******* ****** & get their *** ****** ***** ***** because ***** ***** ***** & they ****** ******* ***** ****** their mother's ***** **** in the ***** ***** ********. As they leave I follow them closely to their vehicle, continuing the 'discussion'. These predatory ******* ***** ********* don't deserve the courtesy I give innocents. Fortunately, this happens far less often.
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I was wondering if @lostwanderingsoul was just acting stupid or that he didn't know evangelists are out to convert people? That most of them are friendly to strangers until the stranger makes it clear to them that he is not going to convert.
This is my strategy as well. It's always pleasant. Helps to know a bit about how the missionary process works, but they'll tell you if you ask.
My back yard fence is the border between my house and a missionary house. (Usually 4 are staying there) They shift every 6 weeks, so depending on a lot of conditions like weather, season, etc. sometimes I get to chat, sometimes not. But it's always amiable, Generally I let them know we're Hindu fairly soon in the conversation.
A couple of weeks back we had 4 over for dinner. I chanted our Sanskrit food blessing, and one of them said a prayer. Vegetarian chile this time. It's a bit of a treat for them, not having to cook for themselves, company. I asked about how often they get invited over, and it's rare, although one guy said he spent 6 weeks (they move and switch companions every 6 weeks) where a Muslim family fed them often, but generally it's church members. One chap was from New Zealand (I'm in Canada) so he was a very long way from home. The other 3 were from the US.
Mostly we just talk about their plans after the 2 year stint. One guy was quite funny, as he said honestly, "I have absolutely no idea." Typical adolescent, that way.
After dinner one asked to share a short scripture. It was on developing humility. Then I took them into our family shrine room, introduced them to our Gods, showed them scripture, picture ofs the Gurus, etc. So it's a mutual sharing of information, and not much else.
Over the years we've met quite a few. I admire the discipline. Things like punctuality, fulfilling commitments, purity of mind, sticking to a very limited budget, are all admirable, and are excellent training for adulthood. So they will become good responsible people on this planet, enriching the diversity of religious thought.
As far as proselytising goes, I have a sign on the door. It works. Nothing more has to be said.
Satans_Serrated_Edge
Deicidal
This week.
If they're talking to him in order to proselytize but they aren't open to being convinced of heathenry, then they're approaching the conversation in bad faith (no pun intended).
Hogwash!
They're doing what is right (in their minds).
To be open to what's "wrong" is an unreasonable expectation.
What's unreasonable is for a 19-year-old missionary to look at a random stranger he knows nothing about and assume, regardless of that stranger's beliefs, what support he has for them or how he arrived at them, that the missionary's own beliefs are so clearly superior to the stranger's that the stranger should abandon his beliefs - whatever they are - and accept the missionary's beliefs instead.
And yes: this is bad faith. It's one thing to need significant convincing reasons to abandon your current position; it's another to decide ahead of time that, no matter what the other person might have to say, you aren't open to being convinced.
Edit: someone who's convinced their religion is best should not feel threatened at all by the idea of having a discussion between equals to see which religion is better.
"Bad faith" seems an entirely wrong description.
They (all I've ever met) don't pretend to be interested in exploring the views of others,
nor in their learning something new. (They already know it all.) They're doing exactly
what they set out to do, ie, saving us heathens from the eternal lake of fire.
Their misplaced certainty in their religion is a different matter.
They don't know they're wrong.....they have The Truth.
If they were concerned with truth, they'd behave the way I describe. Instead, they behave like salespeople.
Consider their perspective....they have the inerrant truth...no question.
It would be absurd for them to not convey its saving value to others,
& it would be wrong to seriously entertain the dark side.
It's not "bad faith" (as the term is normally used).....it's "blind faith".
So they're approaching the conversation assuming they're infallible.
... and you don't think this is bad faith?