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is this offensive?

Angry Ayrab

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Am I the only one on Earth that goes out of my way to stand next to these angry street preacher guys and start preaching at the top of my lungs that (Insert whoever that persons god is, usually Jesus) taught love and forgiveness, and that this person is the anti-everything that he/she teaches.
 
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I think there's a difference between someone preaching the Tao of Pooh on one hand and Christianity or Atheism on the other... most people couldn't give a flying shit about the Tao of Pooh while Christianity and Atheism bring up a lot of bile in a lot of people... they have deeper, more violent histories of conflict. A man screaming on the roadside is bringing all that up again instead of leaving people in peace, as Jesus said to do. Jesus taught mostly by example. I always thought of the Gospel or Good News as something that needed to be embodied, as Christ embodied it... soap-box demagogues represent some of the worst forms of proselytism ever (aside from conversion by the sword and a few others of a more invasive nature).
 

Little Linguist

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I would be just as discombobulated by someone shouting and ranting about Atheism as I would Christianity...even someone shouting about the Tao of Pooh!

Definitely. I will stick with my Avatar. No loud screaming, I promise. :wink:
 

prplchknz

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When I was younger I would get offended by things, but as I've grown I've learned people are going to think and believe what they want, and unless they're personally chewing me out or attacking me or picking on a specific person it doesn't bother me. It's like fine you think I'm going to hell? ok you think that but I don't believe in hell, so I can laugh later about this. We just got back from the store and they're was a lady on the bus preaching about Jesus and god. Since she wasn't in anybody's face it didn't bother me. Then when we were waiting for the bus to come home we saw her again walking down the street ranting on about religion. That and I've been on an amtrak train with a crazy lady and we had to listen to her for hours talk about god and people going to hell eventually the conductors locked her in the bathroom and kicked her off at the one of the stops. I mean she was insane and I figure if I can survive the rantings of someone going through a psychotic break for a few hours I can survive ten minutes.

so maybe this is why I have a hard time grasping my room mates reaction?
 

swordpath

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If this startles or offends someone, they need to get out more. I'm from san fran and you can pretty much bet you'll run into one or two of these people on any given outing down town.

I like to stop and talk to them on occasion. I like to hear their theories and what not. I find it mildly entertaining. The people that do this suffer from mental problems and probably years of drug abuse. I don't see it as someone trying to force religion down my throat, just a sick person doing what they feel convicted to do given their impaired state of mind.
 

proteanmix

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There's a guy who shines shoes in my building who greets everyone saying "Praise Him!!" or "Peace, blessings, and grace to you."

My first reaction even though I'm Christian, was damn, I don't want a bible thumper in my face guilting me into saying good morning. But then after awhile I started to notice how good natured he was and he wasn't attacking people, it was just a simple greeting. I've even had a couple of conversations with him and he's not crazy.

OK, then you have the crazy person on the street doing this which is a slightly different circumstance. Some of these people are severely mentally ill. I guess I'm kinda foolish in circumstances like this because I like talking to crazy people unless they seem violent, the likelihood of which increases depending on how close you are to your local VA hospital.

I find the more urban and used to city life you are, the less this offends you. Especially in DC where some of everybody gets up on their soapbox in front of the White House or Capital and starts "preaching." I'm especially fond of the Black Israelites, they draw quite a crowd!
 

prplchknz

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There's a guy who shines shoes in my building who greets everyone saying "Praise Him!!" or "Peace, blessings, and grace to you."

My first reaction even though I'm Christian, was damn, I don't want a bible thumper in my face guilting me into saying good morning. But then after awhile I started to notice how good natured he was and he wasn't attacking people, it was just a simple greeting. I've even had a couple of conversations with him and he's not crazy.

OK, then you have the crazy person on the street doing this which is a slightly different circumstance. Some of these people are severely mentally ill. I guess I'm kinda foolish in circumstances like this because I like talking to crazy people unless they seem violent, the likelihood of which increases depending on how close you are to your local VA hospital.

I find the more urban and used to city life you are, the less this offends you. Especially in DC where some of everybody gets up on their soapbox in front of the White House or Capital and starts "preaching." I'm especially fond of the Black Israelites, they draw quite a crowd!
Yeah I talk to crazy people but you can sense if they're violent and if I think they might be I try to get away from them as fast as I can. but people are like I can't believe you had a conversation with that person.

The person on the bus had some serious mental issues, I mean she was talking to someone that wasn't there. actually shouting at them. which can be frightening if your in a certain mind set at the moment. Same with the train, I think for me the train was worse cuz it was the first time I had experienced that and it was a long time I was on the train, this wasn't an innercity train like the el or the metro or whatever the hell they call in dc it's the train that goes from New Orleans to Chicago and their is often a good 2-3 hours between stops. But after that experience it's not as frightening to me. I guess I'm one of those people that once they experience something they tend to begin to understand things slightly better.
 

ceecee

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Offensive? No. Sad and somewhat funny, yes. It's just noise to be ignored. Unless they are the pro-lifers that like to stand outside this woman's clinic not to far from my house next to the 7-11 I stop at frequently. I sometimes feel like throwing one of those dark colored Slurpee's at them but...I like my Slurpee's more than I dislike them. I occasionally remind them that the 7-11 is often hiring and maybe they should find something more constructive to do like get a job.
 

swordpath

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gotjesus.jpg



I've had this in my photobucket for forever. On the topic of forceful witnessing... heh
 
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If this startles or offends someone, they need to get out more. I'm from san fran and you can pretty much bet you'll run into one or two of these people on any given outing down town.

I was in a San Francisco cable car and this guy in the back just started pleasuring himself... whipped it out and was jerking it with great glee... Californians are soooooo funny... everyone was oppressively uncomfortable and yet so passive that they simply shifted aside and got out as soon as they could... I left after a few stops but for the few minutes I was aboard, no one said anything (including me)!

In New York he would've gotten his ass whooped by one of the Italian-Americans.
 

Little Linguist

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I suppose this person got really ticked off because it upset some kind of moral or value that she holds dear.

Personally, I think these people are kind of weird. However, it doesn't offend me. Dang, we need a little entertainment now and again.

Weird people can be amusing if you look at the situation objectively and with enough distance.

Of course weird people who hurt themselves or others need to be locked up.
 
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