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Thu 28 Feb, 2008 01:56 pm
As some of you know, I have a large contingent of born-again Christians in my family.
They look at me as if I'm somehow broken and need to be fixed. Usually I can just ignore it, but just this week, I got a four-hundred page book sent to me by one of my aunts, entitled, "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist."
Jesus Christ. I can barely stand to even hear them talk about religion, and now they're giving me reading assignments!
I'm thinking of sending my aunt a link to the Sam Harris book, "The End of Faith" along with a note that says, "I'll read the book you sent me as soon as you finish this one."
Anyway, the point is, I believe that born-again christians who try to save the souls of others are the most annoying people on the planet. What do you think? Is there another group of people in the world that are even close?
those kids on the door to door bicycles come to mind...
Re: Born-Again Christians: Most annoying people on the plane
kickycan wrote:As some of you know, I have a large contingent of born-again Christians in my family.
They look at me as if I'm somehow broken and need to be fixed. Usually I can just ignore it, but just this week, I got a four-hundred page book sent to me by one of my aunts, entitled, "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist."
Jesus Christ. I can barely stand to even hear them talk about religion, and now they're giving me reading assignments!
I'm thinking of sending my aunt a link to the Sam Harris book, "The End of Faith" along with a note that says, "I'll read the book you sent me as soon as you finish this one."
Anyway, the point is, I believe that born-again christians who try to save the souls of others are the most annoying people on the planet. What do you think? Is there another group of people in the world that are even close?
http://www.able2know.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=71145
Rockhead wrote:those kids on the door to door bicycles come to mind...
What, you mean cub scouts? Yeah, I hate those little bastards too.
Re: Born-Again Christians: Most annoying people on the plane
kickycan wrote:As some of you know, I have a large contingent of born-again Christians in my family.
They look at me as if I'm somehow broken and need to be fixed. Usually I can just ignore it, but just this week, I got a four-hundred page book sent to me by one of my aunts, entitled, "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist."
Jesus Christ. I can barely stand to even hear them talk about religion, and now they're giving me reading assignments!
I'm thinking of sending my aunt a link to the Sam Harris book, "The End of Faith" along with a note that says, "I'll read the book you sent me as soon as you finish this one."
Anyway, the point is, I believe that born-again christians who try to save the souls of others are the most annoying people on the planet. What do you think? Is there another group of people in the world that are even close?
Well, I find fundies of any group kind of annoying...like Moslems and such too.
I think converters appear in most enthusiasms (I know I see it in myself about some work type methodologies and stuff...)
But I am very sorry that your relatives show no sign of returning to sanity and manners.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((Kicky))))))))))))))))))))))))))
kickycan wrote:Rockhead wrote:those kids on the door to door bicycles come to mind...
What, you mean cub scouts? Yeah, I hate those little bastards too.
depends on how you cook 'em....
Re: Born-Again Christians: Most annoying people on the plane
kickycan wrote:Anyway, the point is, I believe that born-again christians who try to save the souls of others are the most annoying people on the planet.
I've met very annoying people, but (should I say happily?) I don't even remember meeting a born-again christian.
What they look like?
Re: Born-Again Christians: Most annoying people on the plane
dlowan wrote:I am very sorry that your relatives show no sign of returning to sanity and manners.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((Kicky))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Thanks. When my family first started to get all fired up about this crap, a friend told me that this was only a beginning phase, and within a year or two they'd mellow out and stop being so aggravating about it.
Stupidly, I believed that. And now it's been at least five or six years since all this started and they still make a cake and have everybody sing "happy birthday" to Jesus on Christmas, and are still trying to save my soul. There seems to be no end in sight. In a lot of ways, I feel like I've lost my family.
they look just like you or me. that's part of their insidious plot.
Have you found Jesus?
Why? Was he lost?
Well! I know at least six people I'll be praying for tonight.
Take the high road Kicky.
Learn to ignore it.
Look, they have discovered the equivalent of cold beer and want to spread the good news. No harm in that. Sit them down, tell them how happy you are that they have discovered something so cool, but to please keep it down. With as much good cheer and affirmation as you can muster keep hammering home the point that you are not interested. Give that a couple of years, if this does not work you will need to get more aggressive.
Gargamel wrote:Make that seven.
Hey, you can pray for me every night, thank you.
Tonight I talked to my mother about this on the phone. I was going to just keep it to myself that my aunt had sent the book, but my mother asked me about it. And then once I started talking, I couldn't help myself, I got a little bit testy and went on a minor rant, telling her that I understand that my aunt is trying to "help" me, but I hate talking about religion, and that I don't want a reading assignment, and that it's a 400-page book about something I hate...
Now I feel guilty, because that may might have hurt her feelings. I wish I could express what I feel about this stuff to them without feeling like no matter how good my intentions, I will always end up saying something to offend them. I can't completely control my anger when it comes to this topic.
Now I'm going to write an e-mail to my mother to ask her not to repeat any of that stuff I said when she talks to my aunt, because my aunt is insanely sensitive and gets hurt very easily.
And then I'm going to write an e-mail to my aunt thanking her for the book. I will probably not mention how I really feel about it, because I don't want to cause a commotion.
Whatever.
If you thank her for the book, that's greenlighting her to send more.
How old are you again?
You have to treat people like this as you would someone with a mental illness. You are not going to make them better by telling them how crazy they are. I don't blame you for being annoyed, having anything crammed down your throat is annoying. However, getting angry with them is not going to make anyone feel better. I suggest you start chanting "Serenity now, serenity now" when things get overwhelming.
(By the way, I totally take back my advice of three years ago where I encouraged you to move back to your home town. I was wrong.}
Tell your aunt that, in a happy coincidence, the paper the book was printed on is two-ply.
Send your Aunt a copy of some Anton Le Vey literature. she'll leave you alone after that i bet.
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