If you're like me, you probably own enough green New Testaments to almost paper mache Dick Vitale's loud mouth shut . However, I still take one when they're being handed out because the Gideons who distribute are nice enough not to waste my time.
Would you like a New Testament?
Sure, thanks.
Have a nice day.
You too.
And off I go. They let me decide whether or not to read more about it, and I respect their time since they are respecting mine.
However, some religion spreaders can't seem to grasp the concept that "sidewalk preaching" is more harmful than passing out a flyer that could be thrown away.
I ran into this very problem headed home down Riverside Avenue on Saturday after being approached by two women in shin-length dresses, which really need to be outlawed.
It all started out innocently enough with them asking where the nearest gas station was. I pointed out the Village Pantry on Dicks Street, and turned around to continue home. As I began to walk away, they asked if I had ever heard of Joseph Smith.
Crap! They never wanted to find a gas station; they just wanted a hook to tell me about their beliefs. Very sneaky, Mormons.
I figured they would hand me information to order a Book of Fiction ... err, Book of Mormon, and I would be on my way. What I got instead was a lecture on who he was and what he did after I already made it clear I knew the story, except I told it with an irritated look on my face, and they told it with big, goofy grins.
Not seeing the difference between my account and theirs, I grew even more frustrated when they gave me a small tour of the book. Roughly ten minutes and a headache later, they handed me a card to order a Book of Mormon for free, something they should've done from the outset.
Give me the information, let me decide if I want to know more, and I'm on my way. Unfortunately, that's not how it went, and it's an annoyance I've witnessed a few times on campus.
I'm sure we all remember the guy last semester who stood at the scramble light holding up a large banner and more or less telling passing students they were headed straight to Hell.
Hey buddy. I know I'm going to class; I don't to be reminded.
His gangly teenage sidekick, however, was handing out pamphlets. I took one because I honestly wanted to know what they were preaching and I wasn't going to find out by letting someone scream it in my ear.
Luckily, recent religious groups like the one promoting www.wherelove.com have taken the New Testament approach to promoting their beliefs by handing out bags of candy hearts with the aforementioned URL on them, as well as putting up catchy flyers.
I went to their site, read a little bit, and that was it. They respected my time; I'll respect theirs.
If they screamed their beliefs while pelting me with candy hearts as I bought food in the Atrium, I might not be as open to hearing what they have to say.
This applies to every group, not just religious ones. Handouts are appreciated, but badgering me and wasting my time is not.
At least it wasn't Vitale who stopped me, BABY!
Write to Ryan at rjsmith@bsu.edu
Visit www.bsu.edu/web/rjsmith
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