Job Discussion Forums

[White_Elephant]

[White_Elephant]

[spiral78]

'Bible-thumpers,' like fundamentalist believers of other persuasions, do tend to be sometimes overly judgemental when they think someone doesn't agree entirely with their personal beliefs.

But, on a more interesting note: Good on yer mum!! That was a great show of understanding and support for you. Your parents probably didn't sic the friends on you - there would be some social pressure to make your family member available in such a situation. But it's really fantastic that she is clearly on your side after your bad experience.

I think you were actually very patient with the visitors, continuing to try to work with them even after the unpleasantness began.

[gaijinalways]

Very true, I think I sometimes have the same effect on my students when I complain about their work in my classes!

[White_Elephant]

[spiral78]

Yeah, you'll have to chalk up the cost of the picture to experience, I suppose. Or you could consider it postal costs for the stuff they brought you from home, I guess.
Nothing's really free!!
Anyway, while I think this has been a pretty interesting and pertinent post to one of the pitfalls of living abroad (The Clueless Visitor Who Manages to Offend Just About Everyone), I guess I think the situation has come out in your favor in the end - thanks to your mother's understanding and support. This might ultimately give your parents a little better perspective into your life and situation, and it elicited a real expression of support for you on the part of your parents. That's worth a lot.

I've had a couple of experiences with Guests from Hell, from different perspectives. Probably many of us have. It doesn't always work out so well in the end, either....

[Eva Pilot]

I would have lost my self control a lot sooner than you, you did great.

I would have ended up leaving them to do whatever they want on their own, and telling them to piss off.

[rusmeister]

[White_Elephant]

[gaijinalways]

WE, I believe you are the equivalent of some sort of saint. I think I couldn't tolerate someone like this for more than 1 minute. It's one thing to get abuse from someone who you feel is a moron on the Internet, but someone who claims to be a friend of your Mother's and then acts like this?! Like you said, people like this give religion a bad name.

As to not getting the third degree from non-Christian religions, I think oher missionaries are less common. I have seen Muslum zealots, but of course they tend to be a little more physically dangerous if you attract their attention.

[gaijinalways]

BTW, what is your religion, you seem to be a bit coy in stating what it is? Just curious, like you, I was raised Christian, currently consider myself more of naturalist, find God in nature.

[White_Elephant]

[JAppleby]

I just want to stick in a defense of Christians here. I am Christian (Catholic, grew up Catholic and Methodist), but am completely open to others believing whatever they want to. I figure if someone's a generally good person, it doesn't really matter what they believe. I think you might be using the word "Christians" when you might actually mean "Evangelicals." Not all Christians are out to impose their personal beliefs on the world.

[Sheikh Inal Ovar]

It's the smug omniscience that puts me off certain religious types ... behind it all they believe they are right ... they like to say such things as

"If there were no God, there would be no atheists."

.. despite the fact that we all know this doesn't prove there is a god ... but only a concept of god ... a concept in which atheists choose not to believe ...

[rusmeister]