TL;DR: Experiences with people trying to recruit you into their religion

So I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday reading a Michio Kaku book and enjoying my tea. Next thing I know an incredibly friendly woman and her friend ask what I'm reading. We have a friendly chat about science which somehow ends up leading to religion. She shows me a picture that was supposedly taken by the hubble that she thought was a picture of the kingdom of heaven. I suggest that it's photoshopped, but she seemed entirely convinced it wasn't. Anyways, the conversation eventually leads to how the two women were "theological students". Interesting. The talkative one goes on about how she was raised Catholic, but wasn't into it until someone showed her interesting things in the Bible.

The main thing she talked about was how the 6th seal was supposedly WWII. How stars falling from the sky represented jews and so on. She showed me all sorts of passages in the Bible to go along with it. Toward the end of the conversation, (which she gracefully leaded to) she talked about how true Christians are supposed to follow Passover because Jesus said so. Again, she showed me the passage. By doing that, we would receive the "seal" and be one of the 144,000 that were supposed to be saved when the 7th seal opens and all hell breaks loose. She mentioned when the next passover would be (apparently it used to go by the lunar calendar so the date is always different) but I forgot what it was. She asked if I would keep the passover so I said sure.

Here's where the conversation got really odd. She said that something could happen (like WWIII breaking out) before then so unless I had received the seal NOW, I'd more or less be fucked. She said I would be able to receive the seal as long as I was baptized - but apparently christians have been doing it wrong because "Father, son, and holy spirit" is wrong. Instead, it needs to be in their actual names (Jehova, Jesus, and whatever she said the name of the holy spirit was). So she said I could fix that by getting baptized NOW. At 11pm. At some random church with some random people I've never met.

I said no thanks.

Damn, you coulda been one of the 144,000 and you passed it up? I've had those guys (same set) showing up at my door for eons. Have had some interesting chats, mainly about whether there will be blackflies after the rapture, what will lions eat with all those canine teeth- you know, important stuff. Never have I been offered an administrative role and I even made them tea. I thought that anyone could be saved but you had to be someone special to be among the 144,000 that ascended to administer with Jesus. Told them I don't do religion. They keep coming, we keep talking. Nice enough people, just not my worldview, don't think I'll make either cut but I don't look good in pastels anyway.

Posted by Oryx TL;DR: Experiences with people trying to recruit you into their religion So I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday reading a Michio Kaku book and enjoying my tea. Next thing I know an incredibly friendly woman and her friend ask what I'm reading. We have a friendly chat about science which somehow ends up leading to religion. She shows me a picture that was supposedly taken by the hubble that she thought was a picture of the kingdom of heaven. I suggest that it's photoshopped, but she seemed entirely convinced it wasn't. Anyways, the conversation eventually leads to how the two women were "theological students". Interesting. The talkative one goes on about how she was raised Catholic, but wasn't into it until someone showed her interesting things in the Bible. The main thing she talked about was how the 6th seal was supposedly WWII. How stars falling from the sky represented jews and so on. She showed me all sorts of passages in the Bible to go along with it. Toward the end of the conversation, (which she gracefully leaded to) she talked about how true Christians are supposed to follow Passover because Jesus said so. Again, she showed me the passage. By doing that, we would receive the "seal" and be one of the 144,000 that were supposed to be saved when the 7th seal opens and all hell breaks loose. She mentioned when the next passover would be (apparently it used to go by the lunar calendar so the date is always different) but I forgot what it was. She asked if I would keep the passover so I said sure. Here's where the conversation got really odd. She said that something could happen (like WWIII breaking out) before then so unless I had received the seal NOW, I'd more or less be fucked. She said I would be able to receive the seal as long as I was baptized - but apparently christians have been doing it wrong because "Father, son, and holy spirit" is wrong. Instead, it needs to be in their actual names (Jehova, Jesus, and whatever she said the name of the holy spirit was). So she said I could fix that by getting baptized NOW. At 11pm. At some random church with some random people I've never met. I said no thanks.

Were they hot?

Posted by MutantMandias Were they hot?

My thoughts exactly.

Also: the Photoshop comment was awesome.

Posted by Oryx TL;DR: Experiences with people trying to recruit you into their religion So I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday reading a Michio Kaku book and enjoying my tea. Next thing I know an incredibly friendly woman and her friend ask what I'm reading. We have a friendly chat about science which somehow ends up leading to religion. She shows me a picture that was supposedly taken by the hubble that she thought was a picture of the kingdom of heaven. I suggest that it's photoshopped, but she seemed entirely convinced it wasn't. Anyways, the conversation eventually leads to how the two women were "theological students". Interesting. The talkative one goes on about how she was raised Catholic, but wasn't into it until someone showed her interesting things in the Bible. The main thing she talked about was how the 6th seal was supposedly WWII. How stars falling from the sky represented jews and so on. She showed me all sorts of passages in the Bible to go along with it. Toward the end of the conversation, (which she gracefully leaded to) she talked about how true Christians are supposed to follow Passover because Jesus said so. Again, she showed me the passage. By doing that, we would receive the "seal" and be one of the 144,000 that were supposed to be saved when the 7th seal opens and all hell breaks loose. She mentioned when the next passover would be (apparently it used to go by the lunar calendar so the date is always different) but I forgot what it was. She asked if I would keep the passover so I said sure. Here's where the conversation got really odd. She said that something could happen (like WWIII breaking out) before then so unless I had received the seal NOW, I'd more or less be fucked. She said I would be able to receive the seal as long as I was baptized - but apparently christians have been doing it wrong because "Father, son, and holy spirit" is wrong. Instead, it needs to be in their actual names (Jehova, Jesus, and whatever she said the name of the holy spirit was). So she said I could fix that by getting baptized NOW. At 11pm. At some random church with some random people I've never met. I said no thanks.

i don't like it when people just randomly start talking to me... i would've just got up and left.

Posted by Livingstone Nice enough people, just not my worldview, don't think I'll make either cut but I don't look good in pastels anyway.

They were both exceedingly friendly and I really did enjoy talking to them. The girl who did most of the talking did a great job making it seem like she had just learned everything and how cool and mind blowing it was. The first thing that tipped me off was how she immediately knew exactly which places in the Bible to look to show me each of the excerpts. If she just learned this, either she has a photographic memory, or this has been something she has spoken about quite a lot. I was also impressed with how she went from subject to subject without immediately coming across as crazy. She was incredibly more graceful and eloquent than most people who have tried to shove this down my throat.

Posted by MutantMandias Were they hot?

The one who did the talking was pretty, yes

Posted by KublahKahn Also: the Photoshop comment was awesome.

Haha here's the picture she showed me: http://weeklyworld...new-hubble-images/
I asked her when the picture was supposedly taken and she said recently. "A couple of months ago". This says 1994.
Another: http://www.uctaa.n.../med13/med256.html

Posted by Samurai i don't like it when people just randomly start talking to me... i would've just got up and left.

I have almost no social life, so the fact that someone actually spoke to me was almost flattering. She also mentioned early that she went to Columbia, the school I want to go to. She definitely had a grasp of what key words to use to get people's attention. Now a few months ago when I was at Barnes, another young woman approached me about this. There was no introduction or friendly chit chat though. She walked up from behind me and randomly asked, "Have you thought about the heavenly father??" or something. That time I responded, "Oh shiiiittt" and ran.

This happens to a lot of people in prison.

http://www.theonio...retty-shitty-about,17883/

Somebody tried to convince me to sign up for some bank yesterday at stop and shop. I guess they have one in there. His main sales point was that they have a program that "helps" you save by taking any change leftover from your transactions and putting it into a savings account. As in, if your purchase was $3.55, they take the other $.45 from your account (your money) and put it into a savings for you.

I told him the same thing that would be applicable here - I don't need anyone's help with saving.

Posted by Oryx TL;DR: Experiences with people trying to recruit you into their religion

Sooo many experiences and I can only recall a few of them.

The best one was when I was in high school and a guy in one of my classes claimed to be 'born-again', I ended up talking to him for some reason not religion related and I had a cold at the time. This guy told me I was sick and had a cold because satan made me sick. In fact I was so sick the only way to get the demon out of my lungs was to become a born again christian. I never spoke to him again.

Some one at my work put a bible on my desk at work, they put it on everyone's desk and they put it there because the cover had the same camo pattern as our new uniforms. I see it when I came back from work and the person was telling me she put it there blah blah blah. I threw it in the trash behind my desk and the face she gave me you would've thought I just butchered a puppy.

Luckily, I haven't had many brushes with converters. At certain concerts I go to, I usually get the people in the lots passing out stuff, but they can be safely ignored. A few years ago I had a couple from the local catholic church come by and give me stuff. I told them I wasn't a believer, and they asked that I just read it and then make my conclusions. I said I would, but only if they promised to read something I gave them. They agreed, reluctantly, and I pulled out a Church of the SubGenius pamphlet and proudly handed it to them.

I so want to get into some hot chicks funny underwear!