lol This is a reaction to offensive proselytising messages on buses:
http://activists-in-the-news.suite10...us_ad_campaign

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"I consider all foreign cultures to be beneath us." ~ anonymous US poster

It doesn't matter that you don't consider it one. Historically, it is, and was sublimated, i.e. absorbed by Christianity and made "Christian Safe" by replacing the mythological figures with Christ and Saint Nick, etc.



Well I, for one, would never want you to abandon your holiday. In fact, I celebrate it just like you do.

But I don't think you realize how inundated society is with Christian beliefs and messages. Why freak out every time someone dares to challenge one of your many, widely held beliefs?

I often use it in a descriptive fashion, but in this instance it had a negative connotation, that's right.
But it's hardly a term to object to, IMO, perhaps you are not participating much in discussions here, there is far more offensive language used here as a matter of routine.
I certainly did not intent to cause you undue distress with it.

Ok, I apologise, I will adjust my 'tone', perhaps I have become a bit hardened by recent exchanges elsewhere.

Agreed, but I am not convinced that it is only a small minority of believers, but it seems to be a selective deficiency.

This minimises the disturbance, and I don't mind it once in a while, I have been known to invite them in as well, it depends on my mood.
But if it's just one of many occasions, like the billboards I described, and when social meetings invariably lead to me having to explain why I do not believe in God, some prayer is broadcasted via speakers at 6am every Sunday (the only day I could theoretically sleep in), it all amounts to an intrusion I can well do without (I moved to Thailand since).
So I can not help but sport a mischievious grin when for once Christians feel set upon by a sign telling everybody who wants to know or not that there is no god and avocates reason.

It is best for them if one doesn't "respond in a churlish manner", but it is not an obligation on my part.
It does not strike me as civil and considerate to go and take an atheist sign down as the article says, and cases of vandalism have been reported in several states.
Nor does a comment like "Hateful bunch of people, they are." about the organisers of bus-ads foster any desire to accomodate Christian sensitivities in me.

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"I consider all foreign cultures to be beneath us." ~ anonymous US poster

The reality of the situation is, though, that atheism is a revolutionary belief when personal theism is the standard. And just like any other belief which is different, it is ridiculed and hated by others; the protest over a simple sign demonstrates this well. In my state, I have seen billboards which state that Jesus is the "real" reason for Christmas, but do I complain about their lack of political correctness or being too "offensive"? No. I simply accept that different people hold varying opinions and that the freedom of expression is a vital human right.

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Fair enough.

I do not wish to minimize the disturbance to you, as presented by evangelizers. And I can certainly understand how one's mood, at the moment, might affect one's response.

I just hope we can all be a bit more sensitive to each other's views and preferances. (I really don't wish to sound like Rodney King here--"Can't we all just get along?"--but in this particular contest, that approach does seem appropriate.)

The circle that seems to be impossible to square is this: If one sincerely (and devoutly) believes that an unbeliever--or an adherent to another religion, for that matter--stands to be eternally lost, how can one be asked (reasonably) to view it as anything other than a moral imperative to try to proselytize those in this very precarious position?

That is surely not intended as a rhetorical question. In fact, it is really the crux of the matter. (As a rough analogy, if a 1970s-era Marxist devoutly believed that (a) Marxism is an exponentially more moral and fair system than capitalism is; and (b) that the former can succeed only through the utter defeat and elimination of the latter; then how might one have advanced a morally compelling argument in favor of detente?)

Thank you.

From a philosophical perspective, perhaps, but there often are personal issues underlying such behaviour. Frankly, I regard it as immature to insist one's own beliefs must apply to everyone else as well. There are plenty of Christians I call friends, and they respect that my path is different from theirs.

I remember the frequent street-stalls and the guys with their newsletters plotting the same spots as their colleagues from jehova's witnesses. lol
But they didn't knock on my door or told me that I need help.

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"I consider all foreign cultures to be beneath us." ~ anonymous US poster