Volunteering abroad is stupid

[Barrister]

People are fully entitled to come to your front door, and to approach you on the street.

And I am fully entitled to be annoyed at them when they do.

Sure.  But your annoyance is not justified.

[Maximus]

What annoyed me much more than the Mali thing was when Princesca's family church did a mission trip to.... Switzerland (her aunt went on that trip).  Yes, I'm sure many of the Swiss yearn to be Southern Baptists.

The church I grew up in has missions all over the world including in North America. The congregation we moved to in Saskatchewan in my early teens was a mission the the afjefallen* Mennonites .


Not sure how to spell this word. It's Plautdietsch, so I don't think it has an official spelling. It could be best translated as "fallen away".

[Maximus]

Sure.  But your annoyance is not justified.

As justified as getting annoyed at panhandlers.

[Admiral Yi]

I'm with Beeb.  Everyone gets one free line of dialogue before annoyance is justified.

[mongers]

"Hi there, would you like to learn more about Jesus Christ"

"No thank you."

"Okay then, have a nice day!"

Doesn't seem very annoying to me...

If they come to my door to say it, thats annoying.  If they say that to me on the street, thats annoying.  If they say that to someone in another country that practices another religion or another brand of Christianity that is really annoying.

People are fully entitled to come to your front door, and to approach you on the street.

Can I demand their address and turn up at inopportune times to tell them about my own 'faith' ?

[crazy canuck]

People are fully entitled to come to your front door, and to approach you on the street.

So being legally entitled to do something prevents it from being annoying?

[Valmy]

"Hi there, would you like to learn more about Jesus Christ"

"No thank you."

"Okay then, have a nice day!"

Doesn't seem very annoying to me...

Usually they say nothing they just hand me a flyer that says I am a horrible piece of garbage but if I accept Jesus I will be saved.  It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

[Barrister]

What annoyed me much more than the Mali thing was when Princesca's family church did a mission trip to.... Switzerland (her aunt went on that trip).  Yes, I'm sure many of the Swiss yearn to be Southern Baptists.

The church I grew up in has missions all over the world including in North America. The congregation we moved to in Saskatchewan in my early teens was a mission the the afjefallen* Mennonites .


Not sure how to spell this word. It's Plautdietsch, so I don't think it has an official spelling. It could be best translated as "fallen away".

But every mennonite congregation thinks every other mennonite congregation is doing it wrong.

[Valmy]

I'm with Beeb.  Everyone gets one free line of dialogue before annoyance is justified.

I was not aware there were established protocols of annoyance. 

[Valmy]

I think my favs are the Mormons.  Those kids' hearts clearly are not in it, they do not give a fuck if you are interested, they are just required to.

'So...wanna be a Mormon?'

'Nope.'

'Yeah, whatever.'

[Admiral Yi]

I'm with Beeb.  Everyone gets one free line of dialogue before annoyance is justified.

I was not aware there were established protocols of annoyance. 

At 3:26 there weren't.  At 3:27 there were.

[Maximus]

But every mennonite congregation thinks every other mennonite congregation is doing it wrong.

Not really, the more conservative reform groups, yes, but the bulk of the traditional Mennonite groups are pretty ok with someone being from another tradition. Many of them are only differentiated by the different traditions coming from different communities in Europe. Tradition is a very important factor and it is more important that you follow your traditions than that you adopt mine.

Which was why the church I was with was so offensive to these other groups. Not only did they proselytize, but they wouldn't accept the baptisms of these other groups but would require anyone who came to the church to be re-baptized.

There's some irony there if you know your religious history.

[Malthus]

Not really, the more conservative reform groups, yes, but the bulk of the traditional Mennonite groups are pretty ok with someone being from another tradition. Many of them are only differentiated by the different traditions coming from different communities in Europe. Tradition is a very important factor and it is more important that you follow your traditions than that you adopt mine.

Heh, they sound like Jews. 

[Barrister]

But every mennonite congregation thinks every other mennonite congregation is doing it wrong.

Not really, the more conservative reform groups, yes, but the bulk of the traditional Mennonite groups are pretty ok with someone being from another tradition. Many of them are only differentiated by the different traditions coming from different communities in Europe. Tradition is a very important factor and it is more important that you follow your traditions than that you adopt mine.

Which was why the church I was with was so offensive to these other groups. Not only did they proselytize, but they wouldn't accept the baptisms of these other groups but would require anyone who came to the church to be re-baptized.

There's some irony there if you know your religious history.

That's not what my mennonite buddy told me.

[Maximus]

Not really, the more conservative reform groups, yes, but the bulk of the traditional Mennonite groups are pretty ok with someone being from another tradition. Many of them are only differentiated by the different traditions coming from different communities in Europe. Tradition is a very important factor and it is more important that you follow your traditions than that you adopt mine.

Heh, they sound like Jews. 

Well the bounds are narrower, you need to be Christian, pacifist, with adult baptism among other things. For some you also need to speak German, since that is traditional and also the language God spoke.