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Meeting with a christian
trendybuddha
Explorer
Generally I have had good expiriences with christians, but this time around the woman seemed shocked that I could have different opinions than her. I was kind and open to her, she started to ask me if I had heard stories about Jesus and that I could join her in church. Even after I had explained to her that I had found something that worked for me and that I don't believe in God. I tried to explain her the Dorje Sempa meditation, and she was all like: "so, you pray to this being" in a slightly insulting way. I tried to explain to her again that the Buddha-aspects aren't fully Gods. She continued after this to invite me to her church, all I could say was: "Thank you I am sure that could be fun". I also told her that I had respect for Jesus, but for me he is just a man that did good things, I don't believe that he is any supernatural being. This was at work so I can't really avoid her, and the reason we came into this was because I was reading about ngöndro, I will be sure not to bring any more buddhist books to work. I just find that when it is quiet at work it is a good place to read. I don't want to preach to anyone, or discuss too much.
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At my school, a teacher who preached religion was fired.
Religion does not belong in the work place.
you name the religion i've pretty much been in a center of it's faith.. except maybe the pastafarians.. I haven't found a temple for them yet. If you are secure in your own path then speaking with others about theirs should not be an issue, even if they are very missionary about it.
I don't know anything about these buddha aspect gods and such being a Theravadan, but even in the old texts there were devas(deities) and yakkhas(demons) and the like, all impermanent beings like us.
as a Lion once said to me, 'christians are an aquired taste'.
How open are we to the needs of the ignorant and the beastly? If you meet her again . . . perhaps she can answer some questions for me?
Does god still have teeth, as Jesus does . . .?
Were Mary and god married?
. . . is the coin in the fish mouth 'miracle' available as a conjuring trick?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coin_in_the_fish's_mouth
. . . . is god still available for wrestling?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_wrestling_with_the_angel
Apparantly he thinks I am chosing the easy way by protecting myself from people who don't give me positivity without even knowing why I choose to do that. I as a being find it more fruitful to be with people who give me something and like me for who I am, than being with people who try to change me because I am not their cup of tea.
The things that are dear to your heart or even things that just interest you are none of anybody else's damn business. They are yours. You need not defend yourself. Minimizing before others some things you may really believe in at the workplace is a good way to stay out of troubling complications. At the workplace you really do sell the company your body, so try to keep what you can for yourself.
I respect a person's beliefs.
I respect their right to have those beliefs.
I don't always respect how/when/why they choose to communicate or transmit those beliefs.
Just my perspective.....
But I believe the score is different in some parts of the US where even your job could be threatened if your co-workers/boss found out that you were an atheist. I was listening to a podcast where a lady was saying she is on a six-month contract, she lives in the Bible belt, her boss (and everyone else) she works with are Christians. She doesn't dare tell anyone she's a Buddhist because she fears her contract would not be renewed.
But overall, yes, I agree with "I don't like to talk about religion at work." The other day some baptists came to my door. Elderly folk, invited me to church. I didn't see a need to say "oh, i don't believe in God." I just said "thank you for the information, and the invitation" and left it at that.
I'm not going to sit and quantify, analyse and dissect every comment I make. Let's just take it in the context of this specific topic, okay?
There may be exceptions, but I'm not going to start hyper-analysing every one simply to satisfy the rules and reg's of specifics, because that's a whole different thread.
I've had many, many discussions with various Christians about religion. Every single time it's gone markedly better when I focused on what I did believe rather than what I didn't.
Evangelists are sometimes hard to deal with, but it's those moments where our practice matters and deepens.
It simply reflects back the exact opinion you assume she has.
Christians are under a mandate to convert the unconverted. They understand that mandate in various ways and exercise it in various ways, but the mandate is in place. But just because someone else is under a mandate is no reason for me to agree with or succumb to that mandate as well. I am willing to be polite for exactly as long as anyone extends a similar courtesy to me. Insisting on saving me after I have made it clear that their version of salvation does not appeal to me ... is no longer polite: It is intrusive and self-serving.
My own most effective day with a door-knocking Christian came on a sunny Saturday. I was in a very good mood when two immaculately-clean men bearing literature stopped by the front of the house. The older man, who seemed to be tutoring the younger, asked me what I thought of the state of the world. I gave some easy-peasy answer ... which was all it took for him to launch into the answers provided in the Bible. I let him go on a bit and then gave him my biggest smile: "I am so happy you have found something that answers all your questions!" I said. "You are extremely lucky."
This wasn't what he wanted to hear, so he tried again by asking what I thought about pornography. I told him in softball terms what I thought and again he was off to the biblical races. When at last I could get a word in edgewise, I said again how fortunate I thought he was to have found something that gave him the answers he wanted. He was very fortunate. I did not contradict him and I certainly didn't honor him by mentioning Buddhism. As I say, I was in a good mood and I was in no mood to have it wrecked. After my second response, the two men ambled up the street looking for more responsive red meat.
I have to admit I was rather pleased with myself.
They are serious.
Our meetings at work, start with prayers, end with
prayers, and so do e-mails.
I work in a fed building, mind you. :grumble:
After me and the other 2 non-believers have been
having 'problems' being harrassed, I recently requested
someone needs to visit the building about the topic
of diversity. No one has showed up yet, and the day
after my request, my cubicle was filled with Jesus pictures,
and the three of us were lectured about how we need to respect
their rights and remember that we are not the majority here.
We need to stop 'rocking the boat'.
The three of us are in constant battle, not againest
'them'...but our right not to be made to be one of
'them'. Or at least the assumption.
I am very sorry if this offends...but my experience
here has not been a good one. Just my experience.
As far as the OP....avoid religion topics if you can.
Depends on the crowd.
shameful
Shameful whenever dictorial 'religion' impinges on someones freedom to read the 'wrong' book.
I am fortunate to live in a country where I can tell visiting Jehovahs Witnesses I am an [insert blank] or see Islam, Hindu, Christian, Atheists and Pagans live side by side. Long may it continue.
Sometimes we do not wish to expose ourselves to the bigots posing as open minded. Sometimes the bigots surround us. If we are mindful and independent we do not succumb to the tendency of mob misrule . . .
Be as kind as you can but not a doormat for the agenda led . . .
Can I read my book now?
http://www.equip.org/perspectives/christian-meditation-is-meditation-biblical/
The archetypal evangelical is not someone you discuss this with at all in fact you are lucky to get a word in at all if not to open them up to a whole new line of Bible quoting, In my own experience Mormon missionaries are far more pleasant to exchange with even if they are looking to convert, But then again these guys around my neck of the woods are always very polite and keep well away from the Hell and damnation topic as a method of fear mongering amongst the weak.
One day I was coming out of the veterinarian's office that I worked in....
and as I walked towards my car I noticed and older woman in her late 50's standing right near the back of my car.
Her husband was saying something to her as he was getting into the driver's side of the car next to mine- so obviously they were parked next to me.
As I came closer, she seemed to get a little taller - and a little more belligerent - as she stood near the trunk of my car with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked pissed!
I looked at her, smiled and said, "Hi, is something wrong?"
I thought maybe her husband parked too close to my car and she couldn't get in... or something.
She glared back at me for a second or two and asked me "Is this your car?"
I said yes it is.... and then she announced that she was "very upset to see a certain bumper sticker on this car- a bumper sticker that promotes Satan Worship and insults all Christians, Jesus and God!"
My mouth kind of drops open, (wow - didn't expect this, at all), and I look down at my "Pagan & Proud" bumper sticker, which She Had Tried To Peel OFF My almost-brand-new Car!
Excuse me? Did you vandalize my car?! I asked her.
Her husband is now visibly nervous and pissed at his wife, and said something to her like "Get in the goddamn car."
Well this woman stood there, in all her Glory-be-to-Jesus-Save-The-Pagans attitude and informed me that she could do what she did because that Devil Worship stuff "insults" her and all Christians.
You'd think she would have been totally embarrassed to be caught red handed, wouldn't you? Most normal people would be... but not her- she was ready for a confrontation! She was vandalizing another person's car because she felt (religiously) justified to do so!
WTF? I thought to myself....
Well, I quietly, but firmly, suggested she get her ass in her own car like her husband said, because I was about to go back into the office and call the police. I also told her I just memorized her license plate and could easily get her name and address from the files in the vet's office. (I'd seen them in there a few minutes earlier). Her husband got out of the car and lead her away from my car and into her own. He seemed embarrassed and pissed as well.
This is what religious fervor does to some people; mixed with intolerance and IGNORANCE about other people's beliefs, and you can find yourself in situations with nutbags like this. There are MANY "Christian" people with this woman's attitude in America.
I have seen - and been the target of- a whole lot of intolerance and ignorance during my 35 years as a practicing Pagan- who refused to hide out of sight and refused to deny my own beliefs to others.
However, I still know not to judge ALL Christians because of these nutbags I've encountered. But let's not pretend they don't exist at all, because they certainly do.
If they feel comfortable enough to 'challenge' you about your beliefs at work, in public, etc, you can be pretty sure they are exactly the type of person you shouldn't be discussing religion with - at all.
I am perfectly willing to have a serious and civil conversation with anyone about spiritual life. I consider it neither serious nor civil when the best anyone can do is try to convert me or insist that I agree with them.