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My little sister just sent me this text:
"I'm trying to study outside on campus but Christians keep coming by to try and convert me. I think it's because I'm sitting down. They must not like moving targets. I've been confronted by 3 groups so far!" She said she's been saying, "Yes, I know the Bible - I went to Catholic school. No, I don't want to join their Bible study group, I just want to study for my midterm. Thanks."
That's a very sweet response but it doesn't seem to be very effective. What would you guys do?
Oh, and she's in BOULDER if there's anywhere you'd think this wouldn't happen it would probably be there!
That is really annoying. It happens a lot on college campuses, though--people promoting their groups/organizations, trying to 'rush' you, etc.
Wear headphones! Even if there is no music, lol. And ignore them...and say "sorry i'm busy studying, thanks" then put them back on.
When all else fails, just be blunt and tell them you're not interested. Repeat: "i'm not interested" and if they pester, tell them they're interrupting your study time and they're being inconsiderate.
I would leave out the bit about being Catholic, etc. Defensiveness usually only leads to more conversation leads to justifying...
When I was in school I stuck with, 'Sorry, I'm really busy," and went back to whatever I was doing. Minimal eye contact is key.
And if they persist she can certainly be short with them. It's rude to interrupt a person who clearly wants to be left alone.
avoid eye contact and simply ignore them.....its less rude when headphones are on like ejs suggested :)
Wow thats crazy - I would be really upset if someone did that to me on campus!
I get them coming to my door at home though and I just tell them I am an atheist and they leave me alone LOL! So even if you aren't this could work!
I live right next to a Potbellys, a super-popular spot for groups to canvas/evangelize/survey/etc. It's so annoying because every day they say something like "Do you care about the environment?" Hearing it twice a day every day gets uber-duber annoying.
So I guess that doesn't help much - I need advice myself! :)
I asked her about the headphones and she doesn't have any with her. And now she seems mostly amused by it. Maybe the distractions from studying really aren't all that unwelcome. :-) I was certainly approached a handfull of times when I was in college but NEVER when I was sitting down obviously interested in something. That definitely surprised me since we had some very ...enthusiastic people come through town.
@FutureMrsMartin - I would usually blame it on the dogs. "Sorry, they're not very friendly." And the dogs would usually oblige by barking and looking big and scary since we weren't letting the people in. Word must have passed around pretty quickly because after the first few months we never got anyone else!
@mssnapdragon - With those I usually say, "Actually, I just signed up/donated with you guys yesterday!" That usually stops them pretty quickly. :-)
caitlanc: OMG, I went to Boulder!! On top of bible study, I wonder how many times she's been asked if she has a minute for Greenpeace??
The headphones are a GREAT tactic. But my favorite was a sign I brought with me that I safety pinned to my backpack. (I think I even still have it somewhere, I had it laminated so I could reuse it all the time...) My sign said:
"NO! I do not have a minute for:
GREENPEACE
JESUS CHRIST
ANY PETITIONS...SERIOUSLY.
VOTER REGISTRATION
Please leave me alone so I can study."
I used to get asked about that crap ALL the time in the quad. Another option would be if she chose a different place to study. She's probably right outside Alferd Packer grill by the bookstore. That's where all the trolls roam. She could move to the library (not too far of a walk) or just outside the library on the lawn. Boulder has the most annoying/persistent trolls ever! Thus my sign...
How about:
"I'm sorry but I'm studying right now and would really appreciate if you let me concentrate on that. If I do want more information, I know where to get it. Have a nice day" and immediately go back to books.
@MightySapphire - That's too funny about the sign! Rather clever. And I guess my assumption was wrong. I went to CSU and NEVER had anything that bad! I really shouldn't be surprised though. Boulder is full of crazies from all walks of life! ;-) So how is living in the Springs working out for you? I haven't spent much time down there but it certainly has a reputation for this sort of culture.
I usually go with a polite but curt "sorry, I'm not interested." Repeat if necessary.
caitlanc: I live in the Springs and don't have a problem---well, unless you are downtown and then you get harassed by the homeless people so I avoid it. I agree though, Boulder definitely is it's own little world. I think people who don't even live there and only visit once know it's just a place of it's own for sure.
@Curlysue - Actually, I guess it would make sense that there is more evangelizing in Boulder (viewed by some to be nearly Sodom or Gomorrah, I'm sure) whereas Co. Springs would be more akin to preaching to the choir. Ok. I retract all surprise that she recieved this sort of attention in Boulder. It now makes perfect sense. :-)
Oh man...I went to Fort Lewis in Durango and was always hounded by those groups. I agree with leaving out the Catholic part. I tried that once, only I told them I was Mormon and oh man did they jump on that. Then they really wanted to "save" me and convert me to Christianity. That's about the time I replied, "Uh, thanks...But I am already Christian." Surprisingly, they always stayed away. I always thought they would have tried harder. Very happy they left me alone though!
I think the headphones & backpack sign are genius! I probably wouldn't have been brave enough for the sign, but I definitely would have used the headphones!
Haha I love the comment about moving targets. Someone tried to convert me at Tyson's Corner in Washington, DC. It was some strange offset of Christianity where they worship the Virgin Mary instead of Jesus or something. They wouldn't take no for an answer either, so annoying.
@caitlanc: I went to UCCS and I was never ever approached by anyone about that sort of thing. The Springs was actually less religious in my experience.
We get this all the time for Cru, which was oh so ironically called "Crusade for Christ" originally. (Um, history lesson anyone?)
I just politely say, "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in hearing what you have to say." I try not to give any details about my beliefs, etc, because it's not their place to know. I don't answer "short questions" etc.
Not exactly the same thing, but I had a friend in high school who told a group of door-to-door Christians that he worshipped Satan to get them to leave.
@dana - haha! That's great. I'm increasingly tempted to give them the quote "I contend that we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all other gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours" just to see how they react. Alas, I don't usually have the time for that.
This happens to me ALL THE TIME in Tallahassee when I go to Walmart. They stand outside and hound you as you walk in. I just say that I'm atheist (which I am) and apparently they're not used to that answer because they just stop walking/talking.
Not that polite, but she could say she's a satanist & try to scare them off. I also tell people I'm Jewish and not interested (which unlike the satanist thing is for the most part true). There's the occasional group out there that feels that converting the Jews is super important, but a lot of groups stay away - they think you're not a totally adrift heathen, but also not an easy convert from a similar (but in their eyes totally wrong) form of Christianity.
My response is always: "I don't discuss my religious beliefs with strangers. They're very personal to me."
My parents one year had over 6 visits from Jehovah's witnesses, so the last time they came to their house, they took the pamphlet from the Jehovah's witnesses andhanded them their own, which was "Top ten reasons to be atheist"
it was pretty funny, and they never came back again.
Yeah... I tried to avoid all eye contact and walk quickly whenever I had to deal with that on campus. It really is an annoying place to do that.
Whenever I try to study in Washington Square in Philly, I am constantly harassed by every manner of evangelizers (sometimes by two different people working for the same cause twice in one day). It's such a peaceful place to work but the petitioners/religious proselytizers/etc. are the worst! I have found that if I'm wearing headphones it dramatically decreases their likelihood of approaching me, but I can't wait to try some of the suggestions in this thread.
I clicked on this to find out what a "PROSELYTIZER" was! Not at all what I expected! I thought it was someone who makes plastics! hehehe....
@VirginiaMarie - Ha ha! It is an odd word, isn't it? For any one else who hasn't run across the word before:
pros·e·ly·tize (prÅs'É™-lÄ-tÄ«z')
To induce someone to convert to one's own religious faith.
To induce someone to join one's own political party or to espouse one's doctrine.
To convert (a person) from one belief, doctrine, cause, or faith to another
I know this thread is old, but I thought of it today and smiled. There's a "street preacher" who hangs out in the town where I went to high school and freaking corners you going "Jesus loves you, the devil hates you! Pray and be thankful!"
I had to smile and think of this thread, because otherwise I would have been really pissed.
Haha the only time these people have ever pissed me off was the only time they didn't actually approach me in person. Someone left a pamphlet entitled "Are you Saved?" tucked under my car's windshield wiper, and it sprinkled for several hours. By the time I got back to my car, the pamphlet was glued to my windshield better than my student parking sticker. It took a half hour with a metal spatula and some dish soap to get that thing off!
@jenbrandner - oh my goodness, I hate that! It happened to us with some obnoxious strip club flyer. Who wants that on their car?!
At my old house when I was about 15 I made a sign to put on the glass near our front door. it read-
"This house is home to- Lesbians x2, Teenager dabbling in witchcraft x1 Obnoxious tweenager x1 Cat x1. All are very happy and none are interested in the following- Hearing about Jesus Christ, Answering questions for survey companies, changing telephone/gas/water/power suppliers, or updating our pay TV subscriptions. If one of those is why you are visiting, please leave our property before we turn the sprinklers on."
Mum said it was rude and took it down. Then some Jehovah's witnesses came and told her we were all going to hell or something so she put it back up and turned the sprinklers on.
I don't bother being polite with those people. I just tell them to keep their Jesus to themselves.
Have her tell them she is a wicken.
JK- I would jus tlook at them straight in the eye and say "NO! I'm not interested!" Sometimes politeness needs to be backed up with a little vocal authority.
This is a funny thread. I live in the Tenderloin in San Francisco. I don't get people trying to convert me, but you can't walk down my street or any of the adjacent streets without a ton of people trying to ask for money. Whenever people try to stop me on the street or in public, I just walk by like nobody is talking to me. I completely ignore them. The environment people are way worse than the Christians, am I right?
Marinara - I think it totally depends on where you live. Some Greenpeace people have been really bad in my neighborhood, but they don't actually chase you. We don't get much in the way of religion around here, except sometimes on Halsted where they try to convert the gay "sinners." Freaky crazy Bible thumping pastor in my parents' old town will literally chase you down yelling things about how you have to be gracious of God's gift to you, or the devil hates you so why would you want to go to hell?
So far I've been respectful and silent and tried to push away because I don't feel like arguing with a lunatic.
@Marinara - I have a much easier time with environmental people because I can just say, "Actually, I'm working with another group. Thanks though!" and they've always left it at that.
Once one of my friends who is a very devout Christian approached a group that had come to our campus with huge signs explaining all the various reasons we were going to hell. She just wanted to chat and explain as a Christian she felt that yelling at people wasn't the best way to convert people. They told her she wasn't a Christian. She said she was. They said, "Well if you really were, you wouldn't be in college."
I guess they had their work cut out for them!
I honestly cannot stand it when people try to convert me.l I understand why they do it but to me, someone which a rich religious background who has made my religious choices very deliberately, it's insulting.
When people try to start the conversion conversation I immediately say "I'm not interested" and if they continue, so do I. Until they leave.
Thank you friends and family for trying to save my immortal soul, but I've really got it all under control!
Sorry. That probably won't help your sister!
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