I meant to mention

[azekeil]

Last night, I got accosted by bible bashers. These folks seemed to be from the Church of Latter-day Saints, or, as most people apart from me already knew until afterwards - Mormons.

I was in a fairly kind mood, and they took my interest. So I chatted to the two nice clean upright young men on my doorstep for a while. One had short blonde spikey hair, cheekbones, and striking but gentle blue eyes. The other was somewhat taller and had short black spikey hair and brown eyes.

I'm sure I must have had a faint smile on my lips throughout because they were being polite and mirroring me as best they could, which lead to a slightly surreal experience. I'm sure they had no idea why I was smiling.

They asked questions about my beliefs - which I have never given serious thought to since I was a teenager - and found myself wandering what my answers should properly be. I gave some non-commital answer, but stated that I believed everyone should be allowed to decide for themselves (and I was going to add "without having other people push their beliefs on you", but chickened out). They asked about what I thought about the writings in the bible. Here I said that I didn't believe the accounts as they were written down; but that there must have been some grain of truth to them - no smoke without fire, and all that.

At some point they asked me which version of Christianity was the 'true' version - pointing out that people often follow the religion they were brought up to follow (meaning branch of Christianity) with little thought to which is the 'true' version. I asked how they had come to become members of the Church of Latter-day Saints - they said that indeed they had been brought up in the religion, but that they had questioned it on a personal level and felt calm and at peace with the answer. At this point I decided to throw in that any religion I might choose to believe in would have to accept some life choices that I have made that might be controversial: My girlfriend has another boyfriend. I think the response was 'Mmm.' Then they moved on to talk about prophets and Joseph Smith, and how to pray, before finally trying to give me The Book of Mormon - at which point I had to politely refuse stating that I wouldn't ever get round to reading it - the simple truth. I let them give me a pamphlet though.

What a strange experience. I wanted to ask many more questions, but felt they were too rude. What drives people to walk around talking to strangers about their religion? I'm sure I must live in a very secluded way, to feel that talking to strangers is abnormal. It certainly makes me question a few things in myself, although they are almost entirely non-religious questions.

Comments

[sepheri.livejournal.com]

Funnny that, we just had the Jehovah's Witnesses round for the first time since we moved here. I'd have invited them in and let them get freeked out by the decor but Rodney engaged them in conversation, quoting their own text at them and utterly confussing them.

I talk to strangers about my religion. I, like most people, believe my religion is a good one and would like people to know more about it as it is also a very important part of my life for me. The difference is, I wait to be asked.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

That is a very important difference. I could easily have said "Thank you but I do not wish to discuss my religious choices." and closed the door on them, so I'm not too bothered by them. And it has given me pause for thought - but perhaps not in the way they'd hoped.

I had a good friend in London who I used to spend a lot of time with when I was younger. She would regularly talk to me about God, trying to gently persuade me that I should become a Christian. One day after we'd talked for a while, she said, "But you live life like a Christian, but without God's help. It would be so much easier with His help." My response was "That's just it - I don't feel I need anyone or anything's help to live my life the way I choose. I respect your choices but I wish to be allowed to make up my own mind."

She looked a little shocked, but after that she never again questioned my religious choices.

[jadine.livejournal.com]

Well, young Mormon men are "strongly encouraged" to spend two years as full-time missionaries. So it's not so much a personal choice for them.

[the-mendicant.livejournal.com]

just the point I was about to make. We had some very good mormon friends when we lived with NATO in Belgium. On the surface, it seems like a very supportive community but I balked at the though of not being allowed to drink tea, and how patriarchal it was.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with tea?!

[the-mendicant.livejournal.com]

Its a stimulant. Coffee, coca cola, and CHOCOLATE are on their banned list too!

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Haha. So next time I shall ask them in for tea and chocolate biscuits... ;)

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

*laughs* That's a great plan :)

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

I'd get on well with them ;)

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

I see.

[katya-uk.livejournal.com]

I hate people like that *sighs* i consider myself a christian but i believe that as long as you try to be a good person and don't intentionally hurt others then it doesn't matter what you believe in. There is nothing wrong with the way you live your life and your not hurting anyone ;o)

peoples beliefs should not be forced upon others, when and IF the person is ready to let the lord into their heart then they will go to him themselfes. just coz someone says you should means nothing. their are many christians who go to church every week but their heart is not in it. they do it because they feel they should due to the way they were brought up or through guilt if they don't go to church. there is no point in them going to church as the words they speak are meaningless. in my opinion it depends on what road of life you are on and only when a person is ready will they truely be able to open their heart and truely believe ;o)

but again thats just my opinion, or maybe it's an excusse because i believe but hate going to church and hate what "religion" has caused in world, war, death, abuse etc.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

I feel the same, although I don't count myself as Christian. I also have other stronger negative feelings about religion in general.

[gerald_duck]

Ironically, the Mormons are possibly the Christian denomination least likely to object to a poly lifestyle — though they may have thought they were being trolled rather than believing you. (-8

My usual line, unless I'm very bored is "no thanks; I don't buy religions from cold-callers".

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

I wonder if there's a RPS, to go with TPS, FPS and MPS?

[invisigoth51.livejournal.com]

You've seen 'Orgasmo' right?? Never look at mormons the same way again.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

No I haven't. Should I?

[ev1ldonut.livejournal.com]

Orgazmo

'Tis a very silly film by (and starring) Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of South Park). Also starring Ron Jeremy. It's certainly a giggle, but not sure if it would be your sort of thing...

[invisigoth51.livejournal.com]

HELL YES!!!!!!!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004I9ON/sr=1-1/qid=1150819359/ref=pd_bowtega_1/026-1657080-7293238?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=dvd&v=glance

I'd say borrow mine but for the effort of collecting it from me, it's cheap on amazon!