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I spoke about it briefly on Facebook but I am still very mad about it so here's the full story.
Last night I got called to ring up a customer who in the middle of the transaction blurts out "Are you a Christian?" I wasn't sure I'd even heard him right because even customers in the past who start talking about their faith have never been that direct and confrontational. I ask what he said and he replies "Are you a Christian by faith?"
At this point I was too stunned to make a coherent reply. Dealing with the public takes a lot out of me and I tend to be very non-confrontational at work just so I can function. I manage to tell him that I don't talk about that. His reply was "Well I'M going to talk about it!" And he proceeds too, going off about how he's been "reading about Catholicism and boy it's interesting. It's interesting... Like, is FAITH enough or do you have to DO THINGS to be saved."
I've heard all this before, my whole life. In case you don't know there's a huge prejudice among non-Catholic Christians that Catholics aren't really Christian because they believe good works are an important part of salvation. It's a thing I was raised in and I don't want to hear about it at work.
Then this asshole starts talking about this girl that he's dating and how she's Catholic and how he has "tried to talk about it with her." It's hard to convey, but there was an implication in his speech that he is with this woman so he can convert her.
Talking to this man left me feeling dirty, like being covered with the proverbial slick of oil. I wish I hadn't been so disoriented by him. I wish I would have just told him to stop and that I couldn't discuss this, because really I can't at work. I just wish I reacted more quickly with people and could get my mind around standing up to them.
Last night I got called to ring up a customer who in the middle of the transaction blurts out "Are you a Christian?" I wasn't sure I'd even heard him right because even customers in the past who start talking about their faith have never been that direct and confrontational. I ask what he said and he replies "Are you a Christian by faith?"
At this point I was too stunned to make a coherent reply. Dealing with the public takes a lot out of me and I tend to be very non-confrontational at work just so I can function. I manage to tell him that I don't talk about that. His reply was "Well I'M going to talk about it!" And he proceeds too, going off about how he's been "reading about Catholicism and boy it's interesting. It's interesting... Like, is FAITH enough or do you have to DO THINGS to be saved."
I've heard all this before, my whole life. In case you don't know there's a huge prejudice among non-Catholic Christians that Catholics aren't really Christian because they believe good works are an important part of salvation. It's a thing I was raised in and I don't want to hear about it at work.
Then this asshole starts talking about this girl that he's dating and how she's Catholic and how he has "tried to talk about it with her." It's hard to convey, but there was an implication in his speech that he is with this woman so he can convert her.
Talking to this man left me feeling dirty, like being covered with the proverbial slick of oil. I wish I hadn't been so disoriented by him. I wish I would have just told him to stop and that I couldn't discuss this, because really I can't at work. I just wish I reacted more quickly with people and could get my mind around standing up to them.
