Hands up who’s ever had someone come up to you, hand you a leaflet and start talking to you about Jesus and the importance of accepting Christ?
Ok, from the show of hands I can tell most of you know what I’m talking about.
Now, what do you usually do when you spot someone passing out these flyers, looking to talk to you about the love of Christ? Who here just keeps walking or gives them the cold shoulder?
Still a bunch of hands up in the air. Good, good.
Ever been stuck in a place where you can’t escape, if that would be your plan of action?
Right, final question to those of you who still have their hand up in the air. This ever happen to you at WORK?
Look, I have nothing against people doing what they like doing. I’m not bashing religion. I’m comfortable with my relationship, or lack there of, with religion. I categorize you in the same merry bunch as the Greenpeace and Unicef drones who approach me on the streets. I’ll approach you if I deem it necessary. Go ahead and spread the word of God. Just please, please have some respect for those who choose not to listen to you. Forcing religion on people is not kosher (sorry about that…).
Most importantly though, don’t do it when I’m at work! I have enough whackjobs to deal with, so I don’t need a lesson in religion when I’m trying serve customers. (Especially don’t start preaching to me when you look like you’ve been living in a cave since the turn of the century. Oh, and combining this sermon with the purchase of two packs of sausages, a gossip magazine and a six-pack of beer really makes you seem like an ideal servant of God…)
This example runs along with one of the most crucial themes of this etiquette guide: respect. This behavior at the checkout counter is truly disrespectful, as you’re holding up the line, inconveniencing the people behind you, and most importantly putting the clerk into an uncomfortable situation where they can’t escape from and can’t do this job. There’s a time and a place for most things, and preaching about Jesus does not belong at a place of business.
One of the last things a cashier, sitting at the supermarket cash register, needs is someone launching into a sermon on why, right now, at this very spot, you need to accept Christ as your savior. What they need is better pay, a break and a little respect. Never heard about God or Jesus paying anyone’s bills…
Oh, and that little leaflet you shove into my hand so I can “learn to love Jesus on my coffee break”? Please don’t be dumbfounded when I give it back to you, or shocked when I throw it into the trash a few minutes later. If you see me throwing it into the trash ten minutes later, don’t come and hand me another one. There was a darn good reason why I threw it away in the first place! (the prose was substandard, and I didn’t really care too much for the lead characters…)
If you’re one of these people, or know someone who does this, here’s a short list of responses you might get from a clerk if you try to woe them into your religion while they’re on the clock, as well as what they might actually be thinking:
Jesus Loves You! = Thank you and have a nice day. Thanks, now please move along.
Here, take this leaflet so you can learn more about Jesus. = Thank you, I’ll take a look at it later. All I need you to give me is some form of payment, possibly some ID as well.
You need to accept Jesus as your savior! = Um, ok. Thank you, I’ll be sure to remember that. Do I now? Can Jesus give me a pay raise?
You must accept Jesus as your savior or you’ll burn in Hell! = Um… (No idea how to react to that.) Security!
Jesus this and Jesus that…(launching into an endless sermon about how I’m a sinner and why I should love Jesus because he’s such a *cool* guy) = Thank you for sharing that with me, but I really must get back to my job. zzzzzzzzz…
Finally, a note to religious leaders. Having nutcases bother people on the streets, at work or through the mailbox opening on doors is probably not the best image you want to portray. Neither is the crazy lady wearing a white curtain as a dress, complete with a cross on the back, telling everyone who passes by that “God makes me see things”. Hire some underwear models to spread the gospel, that’ll get peoples’ attention!
If you have a story relating to this post, from either side of the counter, let’s hear it!
The customer is NOT always right. If you agree with this, or wish to know what to do and not do as a consumer, please subscribe to this blog’s updates by the way of the RSS feed or email subscriptions. Thank you for shopping at The Consumer Etiquette Guide, now go and make someone have a nice day at work!
November 22, 2007 at 5:53 pm |
I only ran into one of these people during the year I worked as a bagger. She was fairly nice about it, all things considering — just pressed a tract into my hand and murmured something about Bible study.
I was bored that day (like every day), so I looked at it on my break. I immediately recognized it as coming from one of the major Seventh-day Adventist publishing houses. As it happens, I went to an Adventist high school; studying their sometimes absurd anti-Catholic claims was one of the things that provoked me to become a Catholic!
That’s what tract-evangelists sometimes fail to realize: many of the people they try to witness to are ALREADY Christians. And many of those are in the denomination they’re in for a reason. It’ll take more than a tract to turn them into Adventists, Fundamental Baptists, or whatever else.
November 28, 2007 at 8:37 pm |
@SLB
“many of the people they try to witness to are ALREADY Christians”
That’s a great point! And now that I think about it, how often do you get muslims/buddhists/hindus/mormons/etc try to “convert” you? the few times people of other denominations than mine have talked to me about their religion, they’ve been more understanding and less pestering than Christians… Go figure…