I noticed a pasty fat guy standing next to the entrance doors, and out of my peripheral vision I also noted he was staring at me. He looked semi-normal--t-shirt, shorts, tennis shoes, Baptist haircut, and he was clutching something in his hand. But there was also something determined and unsettling about him, but I sensed nothing dangerous or threatening about him, plus it was broad daylight in a crowded parking lot.
As soon as I got out of my car and walked toward the store, he leaped over to my car. "Here we go," I thought, but I felt nervy and oddly revved up, ready to go at it with him. This could be fun...
"Hello, Maam, how are you today?" he said in a syrupyand slightly infuriating voice . He held up a card in his hand, "I'm just gonna leave this card with you," just knowing I would take it, not expecting any refusal.
He leaned forward to put in under my windshield wiper. "No, don't do that," I said sternly, "I'm not interested."
He straightened up from his leaning position, card still in raised arm, his eyes wide. "But it's information about our Lord Jesus Christ," he said incredulously. "Are you sure you're not interested?"
I looked at him; I felt angry and interfered with. I bore my eyes into his, cut him to the quick with my unflinching gaze. "I am absolutely sure I'm not interested," I said in a tone that brooked no argument or challenge.
He stepped away from me, as if I was the Whore of Babylon; many emotions raced across his face: surprise, chagrin, annoyance. And then he uttered something that really pissed me off.
"Have a nice day; we love you," he said in a self-righteously arrogant tone.
I stopped, wanting to stomp over to him, grab him by his stupid shirt and make him face me. I wanted to demand who the "we" he was refferring to were. Did he mean he and Jesus? And if so, what would Jesus think of this pompous, pestering unemplyed man assuming that he could speak for Jesus?
And does he truly believe that Jesus would approve of him accosting and pestering people in places like gas stations, malls, grocery stores on a Friday afternoon, passing out dumb little mass-produced cars or leaflets filled with platitudes?
Because that guy--and almost every other man or woman I've encountered who do this sort of thing--have a pompous, judgemental, and self-righteous attitude. They also have a sense of entitlement, and can get downright pushy and nasty when you don't play along with their agendas.
But, I still had unfinished errands to run, and I didn't have time to get into a theological and moral argument with someone who wouldn't listen anyway. So I said nothing.
I have no problem with Christians or any other religion to which people choose to attach themselves. But why do people feel the need to push their religious or political views on other people? Especially religious beliefs; I've always thought religion should be a private and personal thing, between God--or Gaia, or Allah, or Mother Goddess, or whomever--and you, that's it.
Maybe I should print up a bunch of my own leaflets and carry them with me all the time. They would promulgate the peaceful, women-centered and earth-loving religion of Paganism, or explain the glorious intensity and history of Voodoo.
That way, next time one of them knocks on my door, or approaches me in a parking lot, I could say, "Sure, I'll take your pamphlet, but you have to take one of mine!"
