Are Christians creepy?

[coffeeveritas]

Wow, so nice to have time to ask a question on here, finally back among friends.

My question to you tonight is, do you automatically think someone is creepy when they say they are a Christian, or is it just when they try to convert you? I myself am massively creeped out by the Bible Network and several real-life Christians I've met. I believe I mentioned earlier that it triggers my fight-or-flight reflex.

Follow up question, how would you react to someone "telling you about the Gospel" in a nice way? Is it always offensive/enraging/however it makes you feel? I know a lot of churches have Evangelism classes, but one of my favorite professors says they "teach people how to be socially inappropriate." What if someone took the time to get to know you, then tried to subtly bring up the Gospel a lot? More or less creepy?

This is really interesting for me, it usually produces good stories. I know I have a couple. Thanks in advance for replying!

[Minimalist]

"Creepy?" No.

You'd have to define creepy.


"Fucked Up?" Yes.


As to the question of what happens when someone tries to tell me about their bullshit 'nicely?' I usually tell them, equally nicely, that there is no evidence that any of their bullshit ever happened. It is their reaction to that statement which then determines how the conversation proceeds.

Usually, they don't react all that well.

[KichigaiNeko]

Wow, so nice to have time to ask a question on here, finally back among friends.

Hey True Coffee, good to see you again.

My question to you tonight is, do you automatically think someone is creepy when they say they are a Christian, or is it just when they try to convert you? I myself am massively creeped out by the Bible Network and several real-life Christians I've met. I believe I mentioned earlier that it triggers my fight-or-flight reflex.

Not exactly "creeped out". My first response is "Oh you poor thing" as if they had just declared that they have an incurable cancer or medical condition

Follow up question, how would you react to someone "telling you about the Gospel" in a nice way? Is it always offensive/enraging/however it makes you feel? I know a lot of churches have Evangelism classes, but one of my favorite professors says they "teach people how to be socially inappropriate." What if someone took the time to get to know you, then tried to subtly bring up the Gospel a lot? More or less creepy?

Not really...I get impatient with them. It is after all just a fairy-story. More often than not I find myself trying to tell them about the Dragons, and Flying spaghetti monsters or the lovely Pink Unicorn I just recently saw. I really get disappointed if someone says "I'll pray for a good outcome for you" it is like guaranteeing that my outcome will be totally fucked.

This is really interesting for me, it usually produces good stories. I know I have a couple. Thanks in advance for replying!

You're welcome

[ABierman1986]

I actually enjoy when I talk to Christians about their beliefs. I have absolutely no reason to believe in God, have seen no evidence for God, and don't believe that any religious concept of God could ever describe a presence that would be "God", even if some such being did exist.

That being said, I've studied lots of religions and learned as much as I can about them, they influence so much of the way people think and act. I don't enjoy talking to the argumentative or uneducated religious adherents because in my experience they don't react well to critical questions.

I don't approach the conversations in a rude way, or a polite way, but in a critical, and receptive way. I don't think that there is any real possibility of convincing a true believer their ideas are wrong, that is something that would have to come from themselves. So I ask probing questions that made me realize the whole thing was batshit crazy, and then I don't try to argue with them.

These people also aren't necessary illogical or irrational in most aspects of their lives. Again, from my experience religion seems to be able to cordon itself off in sections of people's minds, allowing them to at once hold a completely unfounded belief in God while at the same time being able to critically and rationally explore the rest of their world.

I think that simply setting the seed of the question in their mind is the most I can do, and I always hope they are able to actually teach me something I didn't know, at the very least it lets me understand someone else's perspective, and there is nothing better to help breed cooperation than understanding other people's POV.

[Justtristo]

Wow, so nice to have time to ask a question on here, finally back among friends.

My question to you tonight is, do you automatically think someone is creepy when they say they are a Christian, or is it just when they try to convert you? I myself am massively creeped out by the Bible Network and several real-life Christians I've met. I believe I mentioned earlier that it triggers my fight-or-flight reflex.

Follow up question, how would you react to someone "telling you about the Gospel" in a nice way? Is it always offensive/enraging/however it makes you feel? I know a lot of churches have Evangelism classes, but one of my favorite professors says they "teach people how to be socially inappropriate." What if someone took the time to get to know you, then tried to subtly bring up the Gospel a lot? More or less creepy?

This is really interesting for me, it usually produces good stories. I know I have a couple. Thanks in advance for replying!

I have never had close enough friends who were evangelistic minded Christians, that means I cannot answer your question I am afraid. Although if I had say an evangelistic minded Christian friend, who brought up the Gospel. I would reply politely and logically, why I cannot believe in what they believe.

[Faith No More]

Whenever someone talks about the gospels I am saddened and I wish that I could free them from their superstitionl

[Zen Badger]

Some of the best friends I've had have been good christians.

So, no.

[Gawdzilla]

I'll give everyone the benefit of a doubt. My late wife was a Christian, but never went to church. My cousins go to church a lot, but apparently they don't listen to the sermons because they don't act Christ-like at all.

[thesummerqueen]

My question to you tonight is, do you automatically think someone is creepy when they say they are a Christian, or is it just when they try to convert you? I myself am massively creeped out by the Bible Network and several real-life Christians I've met. I believe I mentioned earlier that it triggers my fight-or-flight reflex.

The only Christians I automatically consider creepy are the ones who ride on little bikes up to my house - first of all, I think it's rude on many secular and religious levels (Jews don't proselytize, so it grates all the more now that I'm a heathen) and second of all I think that's a fairly dangerous thing to do. Although I'm sure they'd argue that God would protect them. Then again, I notice (living on the cusp of the crack-baby area and historic rich section that I do) that they never move past MY neighborhood into the poorer sections either.

I've said it before - one of my absolute best friends in the world is an elder, or deacon, or something, at his church. While it's true that most of those closest to me are atheist, or at least agnostic, this man and my best girlfriend still identify as Christian. I don't hold it against them. It rarely comes up with her - and she's married to a Turkish Muslim. It only comes up with him ever-so-often, and he actually listens to my point of view. We got into a debate about children receiving sex education in school and I actually changed his mind about a few things. I think the difference is that instead of saying he does things in Jesus' name, he lives as he believes Jesus would expect him to live...which I could argue with him that he'd be that way with or without the invisible friend but I doubt it would change his mind. It's not worth the friendship.

Do you know who I automatically think is creepy? People who come up to me and are wearing those "power bands" or "hologram energy bands".

Follow up question, how would you react to someone "telling you about the Gospel" in a nice way? Is it always offensive/enraging/however it makes you feel? I know a lot of churches have Evangelism classes, but one of my favorite professors says they "teach people how to be socially inappropriate." What if someone took the time to get to know you, then tried to subtly bring up the Gospel a lot? More or less creepy?

The last time anyone tried to "nicely" tell me about the gospel, it was right after she accused me (without foundation) of having an affair with her husband...so...probably a little biased there. I know that it's supposed to be a Christian's job to "spread the word" so I wouldn't hold it against them unless they didn't understand that "no means no". I'm confused, however, about what you mean by teaching people to be socially inappropriate.

Also, none of my Christian friends have ever tried to convert me.

[Cinjin]

Most of them, I find, fall into one category for me - repugnant. Stupidity has a label ... WWJD.

However, there are a few who definitely fall into the category of tolerable .... only because they understand the rules of social etiquette and know how to keep their mouths shut.

But of course, I do run into the occassional creepy fuckin christian. Can't really put my finger on it ... but I speculate it's usually the rare combination of biblical doctrines and genuine high intelligence that sets my "alarms" off.

I think this rare type of christian knows that it's very likely that what they're selling is lies and hate masquerading as truth and love and they just don't care. Perhaps christianity gives them something they could never accomplish without it. Who doesn't like being looked up to and respected? You don't have to be a preacher to be a prominent member whom others deem well educated in the faith. Week after week, one could enjoy the "benefits" of an entire congregation that considers you a "pillar of the assembly." Many people cannot get this kind of validation in either their work or their home lives and it seems to me that since the majority of christians are sheep, it would be rather easy for a person of intelligence to invade that community and use it to feed their own needs.

There's several other facets to this argument and I wish I could better explain who I am talkin about, but as I aforementioned, I can't always put my finger on it.

But yeah ........ creepy christians, they pop up here and there.