So, after dinner this evening, my doorbell rang. I open the door, and standing there is a young woman, bible in hand, cross around the neck. This is a surprise to me, since there haven’t been any door-to-door converters in my neighborhood forever. I already know what’s coming, and I want to be polite, so I don’t say “no thank you” and shut the door.
Me: Hello, can I help you?
Her: I’m from (a church here in town), have you accepted Jesus Christ in your heart?
Me: No, but I have found religion.
Her: Oh, which one is that?
Me: Buddhism.
Her: Buddha is a false god, there is only one way to salvation, Jesus Christ.
At this point, I am already getting tired of this conversation, since I’ve had it about a million times, and sometimes talking to a die-hard Christian is like talking to a brick wall (I’m not saying that all Christians are like this, but the nature of their religion tends not to encourage open discussion). I am now looking to end this.
Me: I respect your opinion, but I do not agree with it.
Her: Can I come in and explain to you why you’re wrong in your beliefs?
This caught me off-guard, since usually these people are not so up-front in saying “you’re wrong.”
Me: Sure, only if I get a turn afterwards to explain to you why I disagree with you, since I am already familiar with Christ’s teachings.
Her: No, I wouldn’t be comfortable with that. I hope someday you will find Jesus and allow him into your heart.
As she turns to go, I say:
Me: Why should I listen to you if you’re unwilling to listen to me?
Her: Have a good evening, sir.
Now, despite my best efforts and controlling my emotions, she pissed me off. Why is discussion of another religion so taboo to Christians? I am sick of them treating me like a child, and calling me “uneducated” and accusing me of worshipping false gods.
All I really wanted was to have a free discussion of religion, because I am open to Christian ideas, in fact all religions, since I believe they can supplement my Buddhist faith. Why does it not work the other way around, why can Buddhist ideas not supplement to a person’s Christian faith?
Once a person refuses to listen to new ideas, their beliefs become dogma, useful only to themselves and people who think like them.
I could go into why I disagree with Christianity (really, all monotheistic religions, not just Christianity), but that’s for another post.
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