[Marxism] Missionary Zeal

["Calvin Broadbent" <calvinbroadbent@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had an amusing encounter in town today. A middle aged woman approached me
with what was obviously a Christian tract. As is my custom, I smiled
politely and informed her that I was an atheist, abjuring her literature.
Usually, this puts the missionary off and they go about their business. But
not this time. The woman, who had a Russian sounding accent, appeared quite
alarmed that I was an unbeliever.

She first asked me how I thought that the Earth and everything in it had
come about. I replied that the earth had come about through physical
processes of evolution, and that the universe itself has always existed. She
replied that the universe must have a cause since nothing can come out of
nothing. I said that this was so, but that something has always existed. I
asked her what she believed god was up to before she created the universe.
She said that she did not know. She then suggested that if she did not
believe in god, she could not believe in anything. I suggested that she
might believe that 2+2=4, that water was two parts hydrogen and one part
oxygen, and that she was currently standing in the rain in front of the town
hall (I did not want to suggest what I immediately reflected, namely, that
one can easily 'believe' in nothing).

At this point the woman became quite belligerent and informed me that I
should prepare to meet god, and that I would certainly meet him. I said that
I would not prepare, that I would not meet him since he does not exist. She
said that he did exist. I said that if he did exist why does he allow such
horrible things to happen to humans and animals. She diverted the question
and asked what I believed was the cause of hurricanes and so on if not god
(I imagined god conjuring up great wind...). I said that the recent terrible
hurricanes in America and Asia were partly natural and partly the result of
man-made climate change. She then said that hurricanes were made to test
humanity's faith, and that the hurricanes were punishment sent by god for
our distantiating ourselves from his merciful grace. I asked why god had to
kill the precise amount of people he did; couldn't he have let off even one
little girl from his righteous assault? I said that if I ever met such a
gruesome bastard as god must be, I would curse him to his face, and happily
march down to hell. I then informed my interrogator that she had been
brainwashed.

So, I got up and walked off, wishing her good luck, and she told me that I'd
better prepare to meet my maker.

its not often I get the chance to argue with Christians, but I always enjoy
doing so; even though it is always a waste of time.

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