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Aug. 17th, 2006 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
labellementeuseThe following text is taken almost verbatim from my work this evening.
Scene: reasonably quiet petrol station of the multinational flavour, about ten o'clock. Staff: one (moi), young woman of the cheerful persuasion, willing to go the extra mile for her customers (some of this is a lie.)
CUSTOMER OF THE 30 YEAR OLD MALE PERSUASION: *walks in* Can I get a gas bottle* filled?
*I don't know what these are called outside NZ... LPG bottles? Anyway, you plug them into barbeques or heaters or small stoves. They contain a flammable gas. Filling them entails me leaving the store and going outside to the pumps (leaving the store unattended.) For this reason, many petrol stations won't fill after a certain hour. But my station is *special* and more concerned with sales than with the safety of its staff, so we fill them 24/7. This is not too bad as long as customers come at a quiet time, as this one did.
FRIENDLY LOCAL CREWMEMBER (hereafter FLC), IE ME: *checks forecourt; it's quiet* Sure, I can do that for you now, sir.
CUSTOMER & FLC head outside to the filling station, set up, etc. CUSTOMER leans on car, observes FLC.
CUSTOMER: So, how old are you?
FLC: (Mildly surprised, only slightly skeeved) Uh, 19.
CUSTOMER: Ah, quite young!
FLC: (Jokily) Oh, not so young!
CUSTOMER: Hm. Have you heard of Jesus?
FLC: (slightly more skeeved, but maintaining even tone) Ah, I'm sorry, I'm atheist.
FLC clearly expects this to be the end of the subject. And a note: CUSTOMER appears to be a foreigner, although his English is really pretty good; he sounds to FLC more like a first-language English speaker from a country where other languages are also spoken, like India or, I dunno, parts of Africa or Canada or something. His next remark is therefore surprising:
CUSTOMER: Ah, atheist. What does that mean?
FLC: Um, I don't believe in any god.
CUSTOMER: (Clearly warming to his subject)But don't you find that something of a risk? You know, it doesn't matter whether or not you believe in God; He believes in you!
FLC: (Thinking: so if it doesn't matter, why don't you shut up? But retaining polite tone, because I am an *excellent* retail worker) Um, it's a risk I'm willing to take, seeing as how I don't believe in him.
CUSTOMER: [something I've forgotten about heaven, etc]
FLC: well, you know, I don't believe in that. But I'm sure if he does exist and I die and I show up there, any good God will understand that I've lived a pretty good life. (This is true! Today I fetched water for an old woman in the haemotology clinic. Good deeds for all! ;))
CUSTOMER: (In the tones of one playing a trump card) Ah, but you see, that's not enough for Jesus!
FLC: (Shutting down LPG fill, which has finished; STILL with polite, even cheerful tones) Well then he's a pretty bitchy god.
FLC walks back to store, followed by CUSTOMER after he's put the bottle in the car and gotten his wallet. It is a measure of the extent to which the FLC is pissed off that she didn't put the bottle in his car herself.
FLC: (smiling) That'll be $19.50, thank you!
CUSTOMER: Ah, maybe I've tempted you a little bit, huh?
FLC: Um...
CUSTOMER: Well, think about it, okay?
FLC: (Thinking: NO. FUCK OFF. In tones of great finality:) Have a good evening, sir.
ARGHOMFG. Okay, look, there are a lot of religious people who I know and respect and love. But believe me this method of attempting to convert me wil not ever work and will merely confirm me as more stalwartly atheistic. It's also THREATENING. DON'T FUCKING DO IT. I'm a young woman working alone until 11 pm; I've left the store to fill your bottle; I'm actually kind of at your mercy. PISS THE HELL OFF WITH YOUR EVANGELISTIC CRAP, and oh, here's a hint, if someone identifies themselves as atheist, what they mean is I'm not interested.
*sigh* I should have just kept repeating "atheist!" in gradually riding volume until he got the message, I know.
Okay, really I just wanted to say? I love this episode a LOT. I downloaded it today because I basically felt like perving on Faith - I get this a lot, it's kind of like a sickness, but at least I share it with, like, everyone with eyes - but I realised halfway through that it actually has some of my favourite Wesley moments ever, as well. Um, not the crappy ones with Wesley breaking Faith out of prison - that's typical piss-me-off Wes - but the moments with Lilah's body. So he thinks Lilah's been killed by Angelus, so he has to chop of Lilah's head in order to make sure she doesn't go all vampy. And there's this really long scene that I actually kind of love where he's looking at Lilah's body and he starts hallucinating Lilah, chatting away at him about their relationship (and there's a signed dollar bill proving that's the right word to use, BTW). It's just... a good scene, and canon Wes in this period tends strangely to annoy me (or actually. I couldn't stand the characterization that wouldn't let him get over Fred, EVER. It ruined a lot of the dynamics of the later seasons for me, especially after this showdown with Lilah.) but I like this bit of him a lot.
Other things I like about the episode: okay, this is the fourth season, so we're about to plunge into the whole Evil!Cordelia Jasmine mess (this is also the episode where she tells Conner she's pregnant... god, I hate, hate, hate that subplot. Grrargh.) But I still like the bit where Faith puts the smackdown on Conner, and of course, Faith is a breath of fresh air, I think because she comes from *outside* of the total crack (and not in the good way) that is S4/5 Angel canon. She even comments on it, getting a kind of metatextual role that's really sort of fun and not the kind of thing Faith tends to get used for often.
Scene: reasonably quiet petrol station of the multinational flavour, about ten o'clock. Staff: one (moi), young woman of the cheerful persuasion, willing to go the extra mile for her customers (some of this is a lie.)
CUSTOMER OF THE 30 YEAR OLD MALE PERSUASION: *walks in* Can I get a gas bottle* filled?
*I don't know what these are called outside NZ... LPG bottles? Anyway, you plug them into barbeques or heaters or small stoves. They contain a flammable gas. Filling them entails me leaving the store and going outside to the pumps (leaving the store unattended.) For this reason, many petrol stations won't fill after a certain hour. But my station is *special* and more concerned with sales than with the safety of its staff, so we fill them 24/7. This is not too bad as long as customers come at a quiet time, as this one did.
FRIENDLY LOCAL CREWMEMBER (hereafter FLC), IE ME: *checks forecourt; it's quiet* Sure, I can do that for you now, sir.
CUSTOMER & FLC head outside to the filling station, set up, etc. CUSTOMER leans on car, observes FLC.
CUSTOMER: So, how old are you?
FLC: (Mildly surprised, only slightly skeeved) Uh, 19.
CUSTOMER: Ah, quite young!
FLC: (Jokily) Oh, not so young!
CUSTOMER: Hm. Have you heard of Jesus?
FLC: (slightly more skeeved, but maintaining even tone) Ah, I'm sorry, I'm atheist.
FLC clearly expects this to be the end of the subject. And a note: CUSTOMER appears to be a foreigner, although his English is really pretty good; he sounds to FLC more like a first-language English speaker from a country where other languages are also spoken, like India or, I dunno, parts of Africa or Canada or something. His next remark is therefore surprising:
CUSTOMER: Ah, atheist. What does that mean?
FLC: Um, I don't believe in any god.
CUSTOMER: (Clearly warming to his subject)But don't you find that something of a risk? You know, it doesn't matter whether or not you believe in God; He believes in you!
FLC: (Thinking: so if it doesn't matter, why don't you shut up? But retaining polite tone, because I am an *excellent* retail worker) Um, it's a risk I'm willing to take, seeing as how I don't believe in him.
CUSTOMER: [something I've forgotten about heaven, etc]
FLC: well, you know, I don't believe in that. But I'm sure if he does exist and I die and I show up there, any good God will understand that I've lived a pretty good life. (This is true! Today I fetched water for an old woman in the haemotology clinic. Good deeds for all! ;))
CUSTOMER: (In the tones of one playing a trump card) Ah, but you see, that's not enough for Jesus!
FLC: (Shutting down LPG fill, which has finished; STILL with polite, even cheerful tones) Well then he's a pretty bitchy god.
FLC walks back to store, followed by CUSTOMER after he's put the bottle in the car and gotten his wallet. It is a measure of the extent to which the FLC is pissed off that she didn't put the bottle in his car herself.
FLC: (smiling) That'll be $19.50, thank you!
CUSTOMER: Ah, maybe I've tempted you a little bit, huh?
FLC: Um...
CUSTOMER: Well, think about it, okay?
FLC: (Thinking: NO. FUCK OFF. In tones of great finality:) Have a good evening, sir.
ARGHOMFG. Okay, look, there are a lot of religious people who I know and respect and love. But believe me this method of attempting to convert me wil not ever work and will merely confirm me as more stalwartly atheistic. It's also THREATENING. DON'T FUCKING DO IT. I'm a young woman working alone until 11 pm; I've left the store to fill your bottle; I'm actually kind of at your mercy. PISS THE HELL OFF WITH YOUR EVANGELISTIC CRAP, and oh, here's a hint, if someone identifies themselves as atheist, what they mean is I'm not interested.
*sigh* I should have just kept repeating "atheist!" in gradually riding volume until he got the message, I know.
Okay, really I just wanted to say? I love this episode a LOT. I downloaded it today because I basically felt like perving on Faith - I get this a lot, it's kind of like a sickness, but at least I share it with, like, everyone with eyes - but I realised halfway through that it actually has some of my favourite Wesley moments ever, as well. Um, not the crappy ones with Wesley breaking Faith out of prison - that's typical piss-me-off Wes - but the moments with Lilah's body. So he thinks Lilah's been killed by Angelus, so he has to chop of Lilah's head in order to make sure she doesn't go all vampy. And there's this really long scene that I actually kind of love where he's looking at Lilah's body and he starts hallucinating Lilah, chatting away at him about their relationship (and there's a signed dollar bill proving that's the right word to use, BTW). It's just... a good scene, and canon Wes in this period tends strangely to annoy me (or actually. I couldn't stand the characterization that wouldn't let him get over Fred, EVER. It ruined a lot of the dynamics of the later seasons for me, especially after this showdown with Lilah.) but I like this bit of him a lot.
Other things I like about the episode: okay, this is the fourth season, so we're about to plunge into the whole Evil!Cordelia Jasmine mess (this is also the episode where she tells Conner she's pregnant... god, I hate, hate, hate that subplot. Grrargh.) But I still like the bit where Faith puts the smackdown on Conner, and of course, Faith is a breath of fresh air, I think because she comes from *outside* of the total crack (and not in the good way) that is S4/5 Angel canon. She even comments on it, getting a kind of metatextual role that's really sort of fun and not the kind of thing Faith tends to get used for often.
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no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 12:24 pm (UTC)Deeply imbeded suspicions of religion always come from somewhere.
♥
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 04:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 12:30 pm (UTC)I'm totally ordering a Flying Spaghetti Monster necklace.
Seen this, btw? http://reallyintelligentdesign.com/ it's about the ID/evolution debate, but this gets further into the problem of the intelligent designer, asking questions about its origins. Interesting stuff.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 04:26 am (UTC)Every now and then I consider making a FSM joke, like in public or in class, and then I worry no-one would get it. Perhaps a shirt?
oh, no, I haven't. I love the way they use circular logic to dispatch the intelligent designer.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 12:39 pm (UTC)If it doesn't matter if you believe in him, then upon living a good life, it shouldn't matter if he does exist. Grr. Also, how is that not good enough for Jesus? That person must not have read the same bible I did. Whoa.
I am agnostic, which means I'm pretty good either way, and am probably more likely to be interested... up to a point. Beyond that point, I will simply say that the bible is told by men back when they thought it was a good idea to place their toilet next to the river, and it shows. I can't stand the ones who don't know about their own bloody religion.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 04:27 am (UTC)I will simply say that the bible is told by men back when they thought it was a good idea to place their toilet next to the river, and it shows.
*grin*
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 05:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 06:33 pm (UTC)I definitely spoke to Christians like that before.
I've also spoken to Christians who think that it shouldn't matter because as long as you've been a good person and everything, you'll go to heaven. Assuming one exists. ^^
The former are more amusing, whereas the latter actually makes sense.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 04:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-19 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-20 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-21 03:06 am (UTC)I'm not quite sure what I am, and it's not really an important issue for me. 'Cause we'll find out when we die anyway. It's one of those mad late night discussions I had with myself. I find its the best time to get some truths about yourself xD.
I think I blame my boyfriend's influence.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 04:31 am (UTC)And then I think about you and
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 06:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 07:51 pm (UTC)You were behind the counter reading a book werent you? And when he came in you were gnashing your teeth ,I'm sure.
(This is true! Today I fetched water for an old woman in the haemotology clinic. Good deeds for all
Wow! Sainthood here I come! No really fetching little old ladies glasses of water in that clinic always good...did you give up your seat for anyone on the bus? that also gets you *carrotcake points* , Not to mention you came to see J in hospital, and cheered him up - so you have lots of points!
At least you don't look foreign, unfortunately/fortunately I do and thats a bueatiful target isnt it for preaching? doesnt help matters that my mums an atheist and my dad tends to hold the same beliefs and I've grown up a nice mix...but seriously people have there own religions or lack of them for their own reasons! Leave them alone, if they want to convert then trust me they'll do so, its human nature...if not then buzz off.... should do what a friends father does every time Jehovah's witnesses come by.."Now let me tell you about my religion" *snerk* they dont get many of thoose any more....
no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 08:14 pm (UTC)If they were really serious about saving souls, they'd go to the highlands of New Guinea. In fact, I propose we send them all there.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 08:45 pm (UTC)What is the right way to believe in Jesus? Is there a right way?
Why New Guinea ? Find a deserted Island somewhere and send them there, why torture the poor natives of some country...and if they have to go somewhere populated can there be cannibals? *please please pretty please?* or to quote Hayley *I'll give you a dollar*
no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 08:55 pm (UTC)The "right way" is always "our way". Catholicism, despite being the largest branch of Christianity, is Just Not Cool Enough for American evangelists.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 04:36 am (UTC)Shut up, I was proud of myself. ;) And visiting J totally doesn't count, I had a good time and it was great to see him. (He looked a lot more cheerful that I was expecting him to, actually.)
At least you don't look foreign, unfortunately/fortunately I do and that's a beautiful target isn't it for preaching?
Actually that hadn't even occurred to me... maybe because a lot of the people who end up preaching to me are foreigners themselves, like this guy (and there are a lot of americans out there too.) *shrug* But I totally get that that would also be hugely sucky. :-/
no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 08:43 pm (UTC)Bastard. That is so damn rude preaching at you while you're at work. Ugh. So very, very inappropriate.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 04:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-17 11:09 pm (UTC)I think they had me scouted.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 05:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 01:44 am (UTC)Nyeh.
Also, Faith is really the one and only good thing about AtS.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 05:07 am (UTC)fondleder, touched by the hand of JESUS.*hackcoughsplutter*
I like early season Angel a whole lot, and there are bits of later season that I love, but... yeah. Faith? Definitely a BIG plus. Um. *gets mildly distracted*
no subject
Date: 2006-08-18 08:54 am (UTC)You speak the truth.
I got a rather good mark for a column I wrote about that sort of thing and how it fucks me off...
no subject
Date: 2006-08-20 10:24 pm (UTC)Ehehe, I am the token Christian on here! Yus! :P
Date: 2006-08-18 09:39 am (UTC)Hmmm, I've done a fair bit of evangelism myself in my day (bloody scary, I can tell you that much...), and even from a Christian's perspective that bloke's method of spreadin' the good word wasn't exactly fantastic. Yeah, some people do feel the need to bust out the theology goodness right from the outset, and that's grand. But me, I think it's really important to try and build up a relationship with the person you want to share your faith with before you start getting into the spiritual ins and outs. And, y'know, asking how old you are doesn't really cut it as trying to build up a relationship! :P
I am feelin' wit ya, cos it was only two years and three months ago that I was completely anti-Christian (always had believed in God, but REALLY did not dig the concept of ANY organised religion), and, believe me, if someone like your customer had started lecturing me on heaven out of the blue, then I would have told him to do unspeakable things to a lamp post. :P And I definitely agree that attempting to launch straight into sharing the Gospel with a complete stranger, within the first five seconds of meeting someone isn't exactly going to guarantee wondrous results. Getting to know someone before sharing is the way to go- hell even in Student Life (guessing the one you can't bear right?) we at least tried to have a decent conversation about life with people beforehand!
Heee, I hope I'm one of the people on your flist who you think of whenever you've reached the end of your tether! :P
Re: Ehehe, I am the token Christian on here! Yus! :P
Date: 2006-08-20 10:13 pm (UTC)Well, y'know, I appreciate that that's probably a better way to go about it, but also? To me that kind of sounds like you make friends with people in order to, you know, convert them, make them better. And that really bothers me.
he way to go- hell even in Student Life (guessing the one you can't bear right?) we at least tried to have a decent conversation about life with people beforehand!
That's the one, I'm afraid. Their behaviour's been actually atrocious this year, and I *do* have a couple of friends in SL, so I'm not just saying that, I think it's been really bad. :-/
Re: Ehehe, I am the token Christian on here! Yus! :P
Date: 2006-08-20 10:59 pm (UTC)Me personally? Actually, no, I do not make friends for the purposes of trying to convert them to my faith. I actually really suck at sharing Christianity with people, even my closest friends whom I have known since before I made the conversion. So, no, definitely not. I was just trying to think of an alternate solution to the problem, that doesn't involve people getting threatened or intimidated at petrol stations late at night. Just being my usual idealistic self.
Argghh, I'm getting all defensive again. Sorry. :( Really should work on that.
If I may ask, what exactly has been so atrocious about SL this year? The only thing I really know about is the whole "Jeremy" campaign, which sounded like a right royal debacle.
Just btw, really hope this doesn't turn into a flamewar...
JAYYYSUS
Date: 2006-08-21 06:37 am (UTC)I get them sometimes at work. This one day, a guy even wanted me to give him a discount because he was a PREACHER. A preacher! What a Jackass.
Re: JAYYYSUS
Date: 2006-08-24 02:15 pm (UTC)What a dick. Dide you give him the special preachers-only price hike? >;D
Re: JAYYYSUS
Date: 2006-08-24 02:43 pm (UTC)"Ok."
So I walked up to Sean. "Hey Sean." We started walking in the guy's direction. "This guy wants to know if he can get a computer at a discount. He wanted me to tell you that he's a preacher."
Sean stopped. "A PREACHER? That makes me want to raise the price... Sure, he'll get the special preacher price."