So due to a recent career opportunity I was flown out of state... Some issue at the hotel ended up having me room with another one of the job candidates, though he was going for a different position. No issue because the room was really nice and we essentially had our own rooms except for the common areas like the bathroom and kitchenette.

Overall, I have to be honest - the guy was an uptight asshole. A lot of his views were really concerning... he believed things like:

-One needs to be religious, specifically Christian, to be a good person

-Tattoos make someone immoral and are "against god"

-Violent games and music cause real life violence

-Sagging your pants makes you a thug or a hoodlum (apparently it's not just a fashion thing)

-Black people shouldn't like or listen to rap music

-Gospel music is the only acceptable music to listen to

-One should surround themselves with only religious thoughts, materials and people

The list goes on and on. Of course, he slowly eased me into a lot of these topics, and while I actually agreed with him on a lot of different topics at first (we talked a lot in those five days), but any time the subject approached anything concerning religion or morality it took a hard turn for the worst.

It makes me wonder how many religious individuals are just like this... He didn't really seem like a bad guy, but he was just a very weird, uptight individual with a lot of strange ideas. I didn't necessarily dislike him, but I can't say I'd care to sit down and have coffee with the guy.

Anyone else have experiences like this?

I have learned to distance religious people from me, usually by a measurement of at least six feet.

(October 9, 2019 at 8:41 pm)EgoDeath Wrote: Anyone else have experiences like this?

Yes, I often spend weeks at a time in a confined space with strange men. Why do you ask? 

Did he tell you what flavor of christian he was? Did you tell him you were atheist?

(October 9, 2019 at 8:52 pm)Fierce Wrote: I have learned to distance religious people from me, usually by a measurement of at least six feet.

It's gotten to the point where I no longer see a reason to interact with Christians when it comes to the topic of religion. The issue is, many of them will often relate any conversation they're having back to the topic of god, as if everything somehow relates to their faith in Jesus. What's there to be gained from it? I've thought about these issues for years; I don't claim to know everything, and in fact I'll be the first to admit that I know very little. However, this is one issue I've thought about quite a bit, so what's the point in talking with someone who's never so much as read Genesis, but claims to be a Christian? I don't see a point anymore.

(October 9, 2019 at 9:15 pm)brewer Wrote: Yes, I often spend weeks at a time in a confined space with strange men. Why do you ask? 

Really? Why would you do that? Do you live in a dorm or something

(October 9, 2019 at 9:15 pm)brewer Wrote: Did he tell you what flavor of christian he was? Did you tell him you were atheist?

He was an Evangelical Christian. And no; normally I'd have no issue saying I'm an atheist and taking him to task on his silly comments about morality and god, but being that this was something for work, I figured I'd politely avoid speaking on the topics where we differed, which I did successfully. I'd essentially just listen politely and nod, and give general comments like "that's an interesting idea" or some other vague response to avoid an argument. He was a pretty opinionated guy and I didn't feel like spending my time arguing with him until they got me my own room, which they eventually did.

Sometimes, actually, most times, arguing simply isn't worth it, which is why I chose to respectfully bow out of those conversations by refusing to give my thoughts.

I'm less about talk and more about action. You believe in Jesus? Okay? Cool? Go to church, don't tell me about it, cuz I don't really give a shit. He picked up on this and would quickly change the subject after he saw I wasn't interested in talking about it. Sometimes the indirect approach is better.

(October 9, 2019 at 10:34 pm)EgoDeath Wrote:

(October 9, 2019 at 9:15 pm)brewer Wrote: Yes, I often spend weeks at a time in a confined space with strange men. Why do you ask? 

Really? Why would you do that? Do you live in a dorm or something

A dungeon, filled with many stimulating devices. 

(October 9, 2019 at 8:41 pm)EgoDeath Wrote: So due to a recent career opportunity I was flown out of state... Some issue at the hotel ended up having me room with another one of the job candidates, though he was going for a different position. No issue because the room was really nice and we essentially had our own rooms except for the common areas like the bathroom and kitchenette.

Overall, I have to be honest - the guy was an uptight asshole. A lot of his views were really concerning... he believed things like:

-One needs to be religious, specifically Christian, to be a good person

-Tattoos make someone immoral and are "against god"

-Violent games and music cause real life violence

-Sagging your pants makes you a thug or a hoodlum (apparently it's not just a fashion thing)

-Black people shouldn't like or listen to rap music

-Gospel music is the only acceptable music to listen to

-One should surround themselves with only religious thoughts, materials and people

The list goes on and on. Of course, he slowly eased me into a lot of these topics, and while I actually agreed with him on a lot of different topics at first (we talked a lot in those five days), but any time the subject approached anything concerning religion or morality it took a hard turn for the worst.

It makes me wonder how many religious individuals are just like this... He didn't really seem like a bad guy, but he was just a very weird, uptight individual with a lot of strange ideas. I didn't necessarily dislike him, but I can't say I'd care to sit down and have coffee with the guy.

Anyone else have experiences like this?

Well I don't think I was ever comfortable stereotyping to that degree -- I had enough sense to realize saggy pants or tattoos or rap music (well in my day it was rock music) weren't "of the devil" even if I felt they were of questionable utility or taste. And, I wouldn't have been that assertive concerning my views. But other than that, in my 20s I probably fit the "weird, uptight and full of strange ideas fundagelical" demographic pretty well.

He's sticking to an abstraction that renders life simple and comprehensible and orderly for him. Someday, it may no longer do that, and then the pain of facing reality will be less than the pain of barking his shins on reality while living contrary to it. I wouldn't let it disturb me too much. Guys like him abound in some parts of the country.

Yeah, I had a similar experience. Years ago I had for a roommate a Christian woman. She seemed mostly normal except when she would sometimes yell at her vagina, which mostly happened in the bathroom. She would be there and I could hear her yell "No! I'm not going to do that! You're not going to make me masturbate! Oh no, no, no! I know that looks phallic but I'm not putting that in you! Oh no! Don't you dare! Uh, ah, stop it! Aaaa, you bitch!"

Her fits would especially intensify when she would come home late at night. Then I could hear her scream in the bathroom "Look what you made me do! Have sex with a guy! You think this was fun?! Oh wait till I show you Missy! Now you're getting what you deserve!" and she would take a long wooden ruler and start whipping her pussy and yelling "Ha! You see what you get when you tempt me with the devil! Ha! You like that? No?! Well then stop making me embarrassed in front of Jesus!"

(October 9, 2019 at 11:07 pm)mordant Wrote: Well I don't think I was ever comfortable stereotyping to that degree -- I had enough sense to realize saggy pants or tattoos or rap music (well in my day it was rock music) weren't "of the devil" even if I felt they were of questionable utility or taste. And, I wouldn't have been that assertive concerning my views. But other than that, in my 20s I probably fit the "weird, uptight and full of strange ideas fundagelical" demographic pretty well.

Personally never got into the whole "only listen to gospel music and hang out with church friends" type of Christianity. Though I do remember regurgitating ideas about the rapture when I was like 10 or 11, though I blame my father for that; I had no idea how insane it sounded to other kids at the time. It's a wonder I had as many friends as I did.

(October 9, 2019 at 11:07 pm)mordant Wrote: He's sticking to an abstraction that renders life simple and comprehensible and orderly for him. Someday, it may no longer do that, and then the pain of facing reality will be less than the pain of barking his shins on reality while living contrary to it. I wouldn't let it disturb me too much. Guys like him abound in some parts of the country.

I tend to agree. Unfortunately, because most people are 'polite' in some sense of the word, he'll never be challenged on most of these ideas.

(October 10, 2019 at 12:37 am)Fake Messiah Wrote: Yeah, I had a similar experience. Years ago I had for a roommate a Christian woman. She seemed mostly normal except when she would sometimes yell at her vagina, which mostly happened in the bathroom. She would be there and I could hear her yell "No! I'm not going to do that! You're not going to make me masturbate! Oh no, no, no! I know that looks phallic but I'm not putting that in you! Oh no! Don't you dare! Uh, ah, stop it! Aaaa, you bitch!"

Her fits would especially intensify when she would come home late at night. Then I could hear her scream in the bathroom "Look what you made me do! Have sex with a guy! You think this was fun?! Oh wait till I show you Missy! Now you're getting what you deserve!" and she would take a long wooden ruler and start whipping her pussy and yelling "Ha! You see what you get when you tempt me with the devil! Ha! You like that? No?! Well then stop making me embarrassed in front of Jesus!"

True story? Or joking?

(October 10, 2019 at 12:37 am)Fake Messiah Wrote: Yeah, I had a similar experience. Years ago I had for a roommate a Christian woman. She seemed mostly normal except when she would sometimes yell at her vagina, which mostly happened in the bathroom. She would be there and I could hear her yell "No! I'm not going to do that! You're not going to make me masturbate! Oh no, no, no! I know that looks phallic but I'm not putting that in you! Oh no! Don't you dare! Uh, ah, stop it! Aaaa, you bitch!"

Her fits would especially intensify when she would come home late at night. Then I could hear her scream in the bathroom "Look what you made me do! Have sex with a guy! You think this was fun?! Oh wait till I show you Missy! Now you're getting what you deserve!" and she would take a long wooden ruler and start whipping her pussy and yelling "Ha! You see what you get when you tempt me with the devil! Ha! You like that? No?! Well then stop making me embarrassed in front of Jesus!"

She sounds like my kind of roommate.