Me and the preacherman..

[Rum]

I was in the town centre today doing a bit of shopping, errands and what have you and I passed by a preacher. He was standing on a box and he had a microphone on one of those head things and was giving it the right hey ho. There were a couple of other guys, one who looked particularly smug I thought, nearby handing out shiny pamphlets to anyone who would take them. I could hear the guy going on about blasphemy and how a lie was an insult to god etc.etc. There was a small gaggle of teenagers sitting not far from him gentle cajoling him, but being pretty polite.

Anyway I went on my way feeling pretty irritated but otherwise not bothered.

About 40 minutes later I came back the same way and the same guy was still spouting his bullshit. As I passed the little group of teenagers, who were also still there, I said to them 'You know he's talking bullshit don't you'? They all chuckled a bit and one of them shouted to the guy 'Hey. this guy says what you are saying is bullshit'!

The preachers looked at me and said 'Do you want to debate'?

Well I couldn't refuse and I was actually feeling pretty annoyed by now, so I went up to him.

He started on about the bible and that god loved everyone, even unbelievers (i.e. me). I kind of saw red at that point and turned into some sort a sort of a super Atheist preacher!

'This god of yours is a loving god, right? I asked. 'Yes' of course' he said.

'But everyone who does not believe him him goes to hell, is that right?'

'Er..yes', he said. He tried to distract me asking me if I had read the bible. I replied I had - all of it.

'Undeterred I went on 'So this god of love is sending all the people, good and bad over the last - what 20 - 30 thousand years who didn't believe in him to hell? To suffer for eternity, even if they have never heard of him and they were kind to other people'?

'You god is an evil god, a god of hatred and vindictiveness, I shouted at him. His mike was picking me up by now and there was a bit of a crowd gathering.

Had I had read the bible, he asked, what did Issiah ch5.3 (or something) say, he asked, cheating badly I thought. I told him I didn't have the vaguest and would not let him off the hook.

'So tell me, is your god one of love or revenge? Compassion or vindictiveness, understanding or intolerance?

I walked off at that point, realizing I didn't want to get in any deeper. The preacher shouted after me 'That's right , walk off and avoid the truth'...

I was fuming but feeling pretty good.

About a hundred yards up the road a woman who was walking near me said 'Well done. but there's no point you know'.

'I know I said' but sometimes you just have to don't you?

[klr]

Good on you.

[Atheist-Lite]

That must have been cathartic Rum? Be careful. Shout about a imaginary being and you'll be left alone but shout at a man shouting about a imaginary being and they'll soon cart you off for a few weeks in the happy farm.

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

Well done. I'm not really level-headed enough to trust myself to engage them so I normally just settle for making a "wanker" hand sign at them or something.

[anna09]

Good for you!

Although I can never engage them, I get way too angry especially when they're snotty and arrogant. If I come across any of them I just mock them or point and laugh.

[Bella Fortuna]

[Rum]

Well done. I'm not really level-headed enough to trust myself to engage them so I normally just settle for making a "wanker" hand sign at them or something.

I only did because I was invited to 'debate'. I knew it was a case of shout or be shouted at and no real debate of course..

[Thinking Aloud]

Good on you!

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

Perhaps a better tack would be to anonymously call the police and report them for breaching the peace.

[Clinton Huxley]

Splendid effort, old chap.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Troll.