OK, so I've chilled a bit to try to not be an angry atheist, but this got to me. I had a garage sale (not sure what those outside the US call this - basically a purging of useless shit at a low price via a 1/2 day sale in your front yard). At the end of a particular transaction, a man I had never met, in my driveway, handed me a coin. It was a US penny with a die-cut in the middle of a cross. His message was something to the effect of "Pennies are only worth a penny, but Jesus was the one sent" (cent - homonym cleverness). I just smirked and said thanks, after which I got the standard "Have a blessed day", which I now basically (I think correctly) interpret as "have a good day unless you don't believe like me, because then, fuck off."
I don't care. I live in fucking Texas. To say people wear religion on their sleeves is like saying it gets hotter in August. And I know he wasn't being malicious. It's just the entitlement of it. Granted, he was there for a sale I was holding for the public, but this was still in my yard, someone he does not know. There are, in fact, hints this would be unwelcome, such at the "believe science" and "women's rights are human rights" signs in the yard. Still, he was bold, unapologetic and rather brash in delivering this message.
Suppose I canvassed the neighborhood (as I assume he did with his particular message) with a pocketful of Baphomet-die-cut nickels (since only Xians would be cheap enough to use pennies), since I am a member of TsT. The police would almost certainly be called. Even if it was Buddha, Vishnu, Allah or Joe Biden - here in Texas that doesn't work. Hell, I would probably be taken to jail overnight for soliciting for the wrong BBQ restaurant. But Jesus? Preach a-fucking-way.
Rant over. But I do have a question, which I apologize for, since it has probably been beaten to death here before - how do you respond to "Have a blessed day"? I'm thinking I may adopt (since I get it at work, stores, venues, restaurants, etc) something like "I'm not sure what blessed means, but you have a good day too!" Too much?
I don't care. I live in fucking Texas. To say people wear religion on their sleeves is like saying it gets hotter in August. And I know he wasn't being malicious. It's just the entitlement of it. Granted, he was there for a sale I was holding for the public, but this was still in my yard, someone he does not know. There are, in fact, hints this would be unwelcome, such at the "believe science" and "women's rights are human rights" signs in the yard. Still, he was bold, unapologetic and rather brash in delivering this message.
Suppose I canvassed the neighborhood (as I assume he did with his particular message) with a pocketful of Baphomet-die-cut nickels (since only Xians would be cheap enough to use pennies), since I am a member of TsT. The police would almost certainly be called. Even if it was Buddha, Vishnu, Allah or Joe Biden - here in Texas that doesn't work. Hell, I would probably be taken to jail overnight for soliciting for the wrong BBQ restaurant. But Jesus? Preach a-fucking-way.
Rant over. But I do have a question, which I apologize for, since it has probably been beaten to death here before - how do you respond to "Have a blessed day"? I'm thinking I may adopt (since I get it at work, stores, venues, restaurants, etc) something like "I'm not sure what blessed means, but you have a good day too!" Too much?
