I'm irritated by pushy sales clerks who keep pestering me while I'm trying to decide what -- or even whether -- to buy. I'm forced to deal with their agenda (to get me to spend my money) instead of being able to concentrate on mine, which is to sort through my needs and wants for a particular shopping excursion. That's why I appreciate car dealerships being closed on Sundays, remnant of our blue-law days it may be. I can comparison shop and narrow my choices down to a few, which I can then research on my own and even ask the salesman about, if I want to, later.
I feel the same way about proselytizers whose high-pressure sales tactics are aimed at getting me to spend some of my faith capital on their particular set of beliefs. What I believe has been arrived at and adjusted and refined based on a lifetime of experience and observation. And a belief is just that -- it's not a theory that we accept or reject after a thorough study of the relevant facts. In the end, we either believe or do not, have faith or do not. So leave your pamphlet with me, and I'll get back to you if I have any questions.
At least the religious proselytizers are understandable. Most religions even require it. The ones who find the "true path" are obligated to steer others to it. I don't understand so much the current crop of "secular humanist" advocates:
A monthlong billboard campaign set to begin in Indianapolis on Monday will tell motorists they "don't need God" to live fulfilling lives.
[. . .]
One of the messages reads: "You don't need God -- to hope, to care, to love, to live."
"With this campaign, we are aiming to dispel some myths about the nonreligious," Ronald Lindsay, the center's president, said in a statement. "One common myth is that the nonreligious lead empty, meaningless, selfish, self-centered lives. This is not only false, it's ridiculous. Unfortunately, all too many people accept this myth because that's what they hear about nonbelievers."
You're can't persuade people to not believe any more than you can to believe. All you can do is make those who don't believe feel better about themselves so they can come out of the closet and face the wrath of the faithful. Maybe that's all this is. The president of the group that put up the billboards says they're not trying to get people to give up their religion. But you don't shout for this much attention with hoping for a few converts.
At least this is relatively low-key. I don't have to tell somebody to get off my porch so I can go back to watching "Jeopardy!" Just put that billboard in my driving path, and I'll get back to you later if I have any questions.
