When you find yourself confronted by a Christian waving their faith in your

[AndyS]

face try Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

If that doesn't work try Matthew 10:14

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

They hate having their Bible quoted at them.

If that doesn't work remind them that religion is like a penis; it's okay to have one and it's okay to be real proud of it but it's NOT okay to whip it out in public or shove it down other people's throat.

[alwaysinasnit]

1. I like to think that if these people have to proclaim themselves Christians, then obviously

they haven't convinced anyone based on their actions/behavior that they are, in fact, Christians.

[KentuckyWoman]

19. Christian trades people

I will not hire anyone who makes a point of marketing as a Christian business. If they were any good at whatever it is. They would not need to troll business based on religion.

Yeah fine. Deacon in your church. That's great. But can you get the tree roots out of my main sewage line without tearing up the whole yard and then vanishing with the job half done?

[alwaysinasnit]

22. +1000

[Ocelot II]

2. Also remind them: "Your religion tells you what *you* can't do, not what *I* can't do."

[onecaliberal]

3. I don't know what Bible you read.

I read the one that says help the poor, feed the hungry, care for the homeless and love your neighbor. That is what people who follow Christ do. It’s not my words, Jesus says it. If you’re hating and banning people, that isn’t Christian.

[Wonder Why]

11. Exactly! They never seem to quote Christ - only the Old Testament. One

does not need to be a Christian to do that but has to live by the New Testament to be a Christian.

It is only their claim that makes them "Christian" but it's just a lie.

That's why we have "Christians" preaching hate.

That's why we have "Christians" of "The Church of What is Happening Now" (Flip Wilson comedy routine) which teach that being rich means you are blessed by God and being poor means you are not. Those types of churches (with hundreds or thousands of parishioners) are as bad as the haters because they encourage members to consider they are blessed so there is no need to help their poor neighbors who are being punished by God. They make the parishioners feel good about how much money and property they own and make them want to hold down the poor or the poor will make the rich have less (and be less blessed).

[onecaliberal]

45. Otherwise known as the prosperity gospel. Another "christian" lie.

It is sad that they are so gullible. They might be surprised to find out who ends up in hell with them.

[AllaN01Bear]

16. friend of mine who is my church was at a local big box churh.

of that ilk . she was talking with them on what they do for the poor ( 500 people each / 3 services ). they go, oh , them. out of her mouth goes , it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven and the words just poped out of her mouth and the other church was flabberghasted .

[LastDemocratInSC]

33. I always thought that verse was...

It's easier for a rich man to stick himself in the eye with a needle than for a camel to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Now, I stand corrected.

[AllaN01Bear]

42. lol

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

34. Funny. I read the one that endorses

Kidnapping

Rape

Slavery

Murder

Mass Murder

Genocide.

And lots more horrible, evil stuff.

I also how all that stuff supposedly about the poor and loving your neighbor? No demigod necessary for that. It was already in the older part of the book before him.

Really.

Just like all that love the neighbor stuff from the demigod is right up next to his promises of "follow me or I'll torture you forever." Or the promises to bring divisiveness, not unity if people don't follow him. Or, hey, how about that part where he beat the crap out of people for a non-violent offense. I've seen people here *brag* about him doing something so monstrous, as if it were a good thing, when it was simply sick and violent and flat-out evil.

Those of us who have actually, you know, *read the book*--all of it--know that it has far more hate and violence in it than it does kindness. Over 1600 incidents of injustice in the book. If averaged over the page count of a modern printing, that would work out to one incident *PER PAGE." The book also has over 1400 incidents of cruelty or violence. Again, about one incident per page, if averaged out over a modern printing. And then there are the well over 700 incidents of intolerance.

Now compare the 3700+ incidents of injustice, violence and intolerance to the 398 incidents of good stuff in the book.

https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/categories.html

And your demigod is the purveyor of the most evil and violent idea ever conceived, the idea of hell, a permanent torture chamber for those who disagree with him.

And you call that person good? Kind? Someone worth following? Are you absolutely mental?

Do you have even one iota of an idea of how much hate and violence and utter cruelty it takes to torture someone for five minutes? Now think about how much it takes to do it *forever.* Only the most evil and hate-filled being would or could think that way. Good grief, name your worst villains of history, and not a single one of them was that hideously evil and cruel.

But that guy--he's the one you call good.

I don't know about anyone else, but anyone that advocates hurting people forever is not a good person in my book, and certainly not worthy of being heeded--about anything, never mind worshiped. I wouldn't trust my worst enemy to be safe around a person like that.

I'm simply too moral and decent to worship someone that cruel and evil. That's not hubris talking. It's reality. I may be an idiot about a great many things, but I know for a fact that I would never want to hurt someone forever, never mind attempt it.

For any reason.

That's why it scares me that you find him moral and good and someone worthy of following.

[onecaliberal]

46. Yes, the Old Testament. Before Jesus.

If you read the whole book, you know he doesn’t advocate torturing people ever, let alone forever.

[canetoad]

4. Or Canetoad 1:7

"I've told you lot before. Fuck off and don't come back."

[Bristlecone]

7. Lol

[malaise]

8. Hehehehehhe

Sounds like me

[hatrack]

13. I am SO stealing that!

[GP6971]

17. Excellent!!! n/t

[KentuckyWoman]

21. Answer the door in undies.

Or for the brave ... nekkid.

My husband got sick of telling the evangelical door to door people to stop knocking on our door. He decided next time they would get hom in all his glory. They skipped our door after that.

Later I found out that is "a thing".

[keithbvadu2]

5. Latest practice of Christianity::: pushing babies back in the water - Abbot, Texas border.

[anciano]

6. I don't even bother to respond to situations like that....

it's not worth my time. Just ignore them and walk away.

[usonian]

9. "By their actions you shall know them"

No need to list all the things that JWND!

Looking for "honest to God" Christians. Looking. Looking.

[MLAA]

10. I really like the last one.

[lees1975]

12. I respond by pointing out that I am also a Christian.

That usually causes silence.

My favorite thing to do is to quote scripture back at them in context. My favorite passage is in the book of Jude, verse 4, and I apply what the Apostle said there to Trump. Then reference verse 16 as an accurate and apt description of everything MAGA.

That usually ends any conversation and clears out the space around me.

[LuvLoogie]

14. Just say, "Don't know. Don't care."

[bringthePaine]

15. superb post!🤣👍

[Tetrachloride]

18. I will bring some canned food to your next food drive for the poor

and I will be happy to give a sermon at your church called Get Off My Lawn

[barbtries]

20. i must remember that last one.

i just practiced it here and was smiling. someone's gonna get it the next time they try to proselytize me! thank you

[Solly Mack]

23. I always try to work up a fart. A little stank to go along with the shit they are selling.

[Warpy]

24. I just wait until they tell me I'm going to hell

then I grab their right hand in a two fisted Chamber of Commerce style hearty handshake and say "I'd heard god was dead, but I didn't know you'd gotten the job! Congratulations!"

Works every damn time.

[Sessuch]

25. One question

"have you ever herd of the MORALITY POLICE?

[Phoenix1960]

26. Religious Narcissiists

My husband and were at a flea market. A jehovahs witness asked my husband who do you think is in control here? Huge red flag. I have zero tolerance for this. I will no longer speak to these people. I just walk away.

[Major Nikon]

27. There's nothing you can say or do that will sway a zealot who has already made up their mind

Logic and reason have no effect on someone who has been conditioned and required to abandon them, and the reality is virtually none of them have the least idea or care what the bible actually says. They just allow others to interpret it for them and are nothing more than a proxy for their intent.

[Bayard]

36. Have you tried saying--I worship Satan, and practice voodoo?

[Chi67]

28. Well

Having been in this situation many times, I just tell them to go fuck themselves. Like someone said above, logic and reason don't work. If you simply tell them to fuck off, they go away, because at that point they know they have lost. Standing up to bullies works every time.

[gordianot]

29. There is more to your first quote.

I have used it on street thumpers once and keep it handy.

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.

Overall an excellent post.

[keithbvadu2]

30. Have you noticed that those who want to share their religion with you do not want to share yours?

[Chi67]

31. Yep

many times.

[niyad]

32. My 6 foot oak staff tends to discourage them before I actually have to run

them off. If that doesn't work, "you do realize that your book is the first piece of written political pornography and propaganda, don't you?", usually silences them.

One can have fun with these self-offering human scratching posts.

[vlyons]

35. I simply tell them I'm a Buddhist, and

that there is no invisible sky god, who waves a magic wand to suspend the laws of physics, biology, science, etc. They get the most shocked expression on their faces. Some Jehova's witnesses once paid me a visit, and they never came back.

[TreasonousBastard]

37. Ask them to quote the Beatitudes from memory. Then ask them...

just what the Beatitudes are.

[Hamlette]

38. I tell them I am a third generation atheist

surprisingly, it shuts them up.

I live in Utah, Mormon missionaries used to come to the house all the time. The young ones were just tongue tied. I'm in my 70s and I think they thought it was odd that an old lady didn't believe in god.

Then they sent the old guys out. My husband was baptized as a child so they wanted to talk to him. I told them no, he is no longer Mormon. then they wanted me to give him some stuff to read. I said no, I was sure he wouldn't read it. Then they said could they leave the literature in case he wanted to read it. And I said no, I hated for them to waste the paper. I was so sweet. But didn't give an inch.

they didn't know what to do with me. So they left and no one has been back since.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

39. I just tell them to bugger off

I have better things to do than listen to a bunch of bollocks. But if they want the fight, then I only smile and start using their book and ancillary texts against them. Why, yes, I've actually read the main book, Augustine (oh dear), Origen (yawn), Aquinas (LOLOLOLOLOL), and several other of their major "thinkers"...and I know the chances are just about 90% that they haven't even read the main source book, never mind the extras.

They run away about 10 minutes in, when they realize I know their source material better than they do.

[The Wizard]

40. I tell them I don't speak English.

[Hortensis]

41. It's normally on the order of "have a blessed day," and

I always smile and wish the person the same or a good day as well. If it's something more, whether nice or malicious, or often duty to proselytize, and I don't want to listen to it, I just break in and explain firmly but nicely that I'm not a person of faith but have a nice day. We have long experience.

Quoting meaningful scripture back sounds like a good tactic as long as it's done nicely. But nicely delivered or otherwise, if it runs over a sentence it risks being cut short.

Seems to me it's just plain "not okay" in any case to whip out what's not welcome and shove it down other people's throats. Surely, where unpleasantness is intended, whether it comes draped in religious or anti-religious trappings makes no difference?

[BlackSkimmer]

43. Same here. I can't think of a time when anyone has ever tried to push their religion in my life.

"Have a blessed day" is common to hear around these parts, and I do the same thing, smile and with them the same.

[Raine]

47. I've never encounter more then that either

some people must attract that kind of attention for some strange reason.

[Swede]

44. Count to ten, then throat punch them at eight. They never expect that.

I kid, of course.