A little piece of me
I work as a manager in an R.V. park... It's a nice job, the park is full of mostly older people... One of my new tenants, Troy, in his mid to late 30's is married, and quite the chatty person. While he comes up to check his mail or pay his rent and what not, he'll babble on about whats new in his life... particularly on Sundays before he goes to church, I find him up here.

"I've started being a good boy since I met my wife, and started going to Church and it's done wonderful things for me."

I didn't mind at all that he shared this with me, and I think a positive thing in anyones life is good for them, and am happy they found something good for them. Then he chimes in like every good Church goer...

"You should go to Church too..."

All I can do is smile politely and say well it happens that I have to work. Instead of course telling him my beliefs and explaining why... he didn't ask about it there for I am not sharing it. Of course to jinx me I get next Sunday off, and worked Monday... here comes Troy... "Well did ya go to Chruch?"

"Nope I sure didn't... I stayed in bed, and slept in, a favorite thing to do on my days off...."

He finally came to ask me why I hadn't gone to Church, or why I won't go to Church... cuz it's a good thing to do...
I told him politely
"That he probably wouldn't be comfortable with my views and told him that I didn't believe Church was necessary.." and tried to leave it at that. A lot of christians or religious people as a general get offended when you turn them down and say you don't share their same beliefs...(but yet it's ok for them to continually with out invitation try to pressure me into going to chruch or being saved.)

He continued to press me and wanted to know why I hadn't said anything about my beliefs... and I simply said....

"That's the difference between your beliefs and mine... I feel everyone has the right to their own opinion, and I also feel the same for ones beliefs, and I don't think it's necessary for me to push or try to pull anyone into believing what I do..."




Comments
on Feb 28, 2005

It is the same reason why you stop hanging out with your friends who have "found Amway."

That sort of stuff should be kept personal, regardless of whether you want to be "evangelical."

on Feb 28, 2005
You are certainly more gentle about these sorts than I am...
on Feb 28, 2005
I make sure that no one knows my beliefs unless they explicitly ask for them. That way, I won't be the rude one in telling them.
on Feb 28, 2005
Being someone who likes to talk religion, I'm also willing to (and usually glad to)hear others thoughts. However even I find times (and people) that I'm just not in the mood.

When someone continuously asks me why I go to the church I do (as opposed to the one they attend), I invite them to come to church with me. Since most people with strong religious beliefs aren't so hip to hear others' (much less spend 3 hours on Sunday at another's meetings), they usually shy away from the topic for fear I'll actually plan on them joining me the next Sunday.

Sometimes a good offense IS the best defense! ;~D
on Feb 28, 2005
This is cool... my second article and I get replies... thanks for commenting
on Feb 28, 2005
"This is cool... my second article and I get replies...."

And the replies were polite and even on topic. Don't get used to it...just the calm before the storm!

(Only kidding and welcome to JU!)
on Mar 01, 2005
I'm aware I've been reading on JU long before I decided to post anything.... so most of you are familiar... especially parated2k...
Looking forward to posting again... even if it is the calm before the storm
on Mar 01, 2005
Well, glad to see you quit "dipping your toe into the JU cement pond"and joined "us swimmers"!!! Link. There seems to be more than enough "snipers", glad to see you have what it takes to offer yourself as a target, as well as a shooter! ;~D

I'm also glad to see that I'm no stranger to you.

Be Strange, but don't be a Stranger!!!
on Apr 18, 2005
In the Christian faith spreading out the word of God is one of the most important jobs on Earth. All though it may have seemed rude to you that the man continued to ask you why you did not attend church he felt that it was his duty to God to do so. Just like you (or the past you) believes that keeping ones ideas about religion to oneself is how things should be. Now it is probably hard to find someone that gets upset or annoyed with you for keeping your religious ideas to yourself because it is your belief so why do you (or more towards others that become very upset when this sort of thing happens because you seemed to have handled the situation well) become annoyed when someone asks why you didn't go to church when he/she believes that getting God's word out is what he/she is supposed to be doing? I don't know if this makes sense....haha....It made more sense in my head but maybe just another way to look at things when someone asks about your beliefs.