On the Gladly Suffering of Fools

[Chido-Wan Kenobi]

I have been cursed with the look of a reasonable, "decent" gentleman (perhaps you remember that I am a College Professor?). Because of this, I am a prime target for every clown who may be trolling the streets, looking for his/her next "mark" - specifically a target for annoying attempts at converting me to their ridiculous superstitions.

In my morning subway ride, I have learned a few corners where these bozi might lurk, and avoid them like the proverbial Plague. Precautions notwithstanding, at some point I have suffered attempts to hand me a "Watchtower" pamphlet, or to get me to "know the way of the Lord Jesus". However, despite my physical appearance, I have been known to pick up and enjoy fights with old church ladies ; I would, for instance, answer: "Sorry. I don't believe in that crap."

One day I was waiting, with a small group, for the bus that would take us to LaGuardia Airport; a huge man walked up to us and asked: "Has anyone here NOT accepted Jesus as your savior?" Hell - I am sucker for this kind of challenge. So, a youngish-looking long-haired guy and I raised our hands. As expected, the guy pounced on us, spewing quotations from the Bible in industrial quantities. Luckily for me, he mostly wanted to argue with the "hippie" (I have no hair left on my head), and he left me mostly out of the heated argument that ensued; our bus showed up within 10 minutes and I was spared the torrents of bullshit being sprayed in all directions.

My point (and I do have one) is to ask about your experiences with witnesses, missionaries and assorted buffoons, who define their goal in life as "to annoy as many civilians as possible, hoping to convert them to <insert delusion here>, in order to avoid being bored to death".

I would like to hear your opinions on what works and what doesn't.

[Doubting Thomas]

I've never been an evangelist, but as an atheist I'd say that just spouting bible verses does nothing to convince me your religion is true. Same goes for people holding signs on street corners. And I've never heard of anyone being converted by seeing someone hold a sign that says, "John 3:16" and looking up that verse in the bible. Though I do have a small collection of Chick Tracts that I've been handed on the street, the arguments inside are, shall we say, less than convincing.

[fr0d0]

I find brief and forceful works. Don't engage the crap, just show the hand and look annoyed.

[Kayenneh]

One of my best friends did a hillarious thing when the JW was calling on her door buzzer. For the sake of trolling she let them talk to her for a while, and when they asked: "If you could wish for one thing that would change the world, what would it be?", she answered: "Tolerance for gay people." There was a long silence, when one of them finally said: "Well.. Many people wish for peace, and this is what Jehova has to say about it.." Fortunately that was when the buzzer decided that they had spoken long enough and went silent, but she found it hillarious that they weren't better prepared for an answer like that.

[Taylor]

Ahaha!
Well, since Im new to Athiesim, my longing to get into a debate with a hardcore Christian or someone of reilgious perspectives will probably wear off soon, and I shall get sick of there one-sided, science lacking, mumbo-jumbo arguements, however I have decided to prolong it as long as I can.
This afternoon, after returning home from school, I find myself in the middle of one of these exact debates with the local Jevoah Witnesses who like to patrol the streets looking for 'victims'. Unfortanley, they picked the wrong house to pick on this afternoon.
After handing me a brochure, full of depressing information on how the world will end, I am asked a question by the JW, about what current reilgion I am now, and whether I would like to attend a meeting. I had a blanat answer for them:
No, I do not want to, and I am Athiest.
At this, a blank look of suprise crossed there faces before they replied with the usual nonsense of how I would not be saved, and all this other garbage. I poiletly asked them if they would like to come inside and talk about freedom of religion. They promplty ran away, telling God to save me all the way up the drive.
Well, at least they wont be knocking on my door anytime soon.

[LastPoet]

Aren't there any stickers that you can stick below your door bell? Something like "I am an atheist, if you are a Jehova's withness, dont bother ringing!".

[Kayenneh]

Aren't there any stickers that you can stick below your door bell? Something like "I am an atheist, if you are a Jehova's withness, dont bother ringing!".

Some of my friends have put a sign on their door saying: "No ads and no religious bullshit". Keeps two kinds of trash at bay

[Doubting Thomas]

I had a JW stop by my house once wanting to sell me bullshit. I told him I was busy working around the house (which I was), but sent him around the block to the house of a crazy, annoying neighbor who I and the rest of the neighborhood been having problems with, telling the JW that he was in desperate need of being saved.

[Justtristo]

The only time I ever had people from the Watchtower organisation knock on my door, I just basically said I was too busy with other stuff to talk with them.