Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Difference Between Christianity and Judaism

Okay, this story happened yesterday on my way to class. Before it's told, my dear readers, you must know why I titled this what I did.

In Judaism we do not believe in proselytizing. We believe that if somebody wants to convert or even join our culture then they can come do so of their own free will. We do not believe in trying to convert people by walking up to them and preaching, or do whatever other religious sects believe in doing.

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Okay, so, as y'all know I attend a private Christian university in Texas. This university is quite conservative, and very religious. However, they don't press their religion onto you if you ask them to stop or make it know that there's no hope for them to convert you.

Unfortunately for an elderly gentleman outside of the chapel yesterday, this knowledge was not very well known, well, at least to him. Here's what happened:

I was walking towards my 9:00 class and decided to cross the chapel and then make a straight line ro the science building (where the class was being held). As I cross the street I see this man, who's clearly in his late 50's early 60's, handing out small copies of the New Testament. When I pass by he asks me if I would like one. I politely tell him I'm Jewish. This is when our short, yet oddly funny, conversation started off:

Proselytizer: Young man, would you like a copy?
Me: No thank you, I'm Jewish. (I was being quite polite for so early in the morning.)
Proselytizer: Well then you especially need one!
Me: (I begin to walk away to 1)hide my laughter and 2)get to class)
Proselytizer: You need to read this to know how the REAL Messiah died on the cross for you! (He yells this out loud since I am a good distance away by this point.)
Me: (I am now irritated by his ignorance due to the fact that: 1) it's early in the morning and I can only be so polite for a few seconds at this time and 2) I was nice enough to say no thank you) I'm sorry, I'm led to believe by my bible that the Messiah has yet to come. The man you're talking about was just another Jew who we sold out for 16 silver pieces!

Needless to say, this was a terrible, terrible thing to say on my part. However, I don't care. Most people on campus know to take what I say with a grain of salt. However, this old man did not. Apparently.....neither did the freshman I was walking next to when I shouted this. His reaction though, was defintiely worth my outburst. The only way I could even begin to accurately portray what he said would be to look up to the sky and mimic him:

Unknowing Victim/Freshman: WOAHWOAHWOAHHH!!! OH NO....YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT! DID YOU?!

Me: ......Welcome to [Christian University]! I'm Mike. (Then I walked off to class.)

1 comment:

  1. I probably would have said teh same thing to that old guy. :3 Hehe.
    I get that all the time from people [the whole 'Join our religion! It rocks!' thing] cos I'm atheist. It's preeetty annoying.

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