Comments on: Unexpected Reaction to Atheism

By: Bob Crispen

Bob Crispen — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:57:51 +0000

Are you sure you couldn’t get her to order The Big Book of Breasts? Or get Human Events magazine’s list of top 10 most harmful books of the 19th and 20th centuries and order them one by one.

Btw, if you have family out of town all you need to do is send them a present from Amazon and you can go in together on their free shipping.

Better still, find a locally owned bookstore that can feed your habit. Before long they’ll be saving books behind the counter for you. Chains like Border’s? Most of the time they don’t even know what they have in stock.

By: JoshH

JoshH — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:57:59 +0000

I would’ve said something like “Oh, well you see, I like to read up on other points of view besides my own. You know, just to see what all the fuss is about. It’s harmless.” …followed by a wink .

Saying something like that might actually end up provoking her to check it out for him/herself.

By: Kristopher

Kristopher — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:12:24 +0000

Viggo: Nope. Emos should be shunned.

By: Viggo the Carpathian

Viggo the Carpathian — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:28:19 +0000

It’s Friday and someone said ‘Have a great weekend’. What if I don’t want to have a great weekend? I think I should write her manager and tell him that she was being insensitive to my desire to go home, hide in the closet and cut myself.

By: wwyoud

wwyoud — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:26:36 +0000

I think Ray was right. although I would have started with the manager as well as the district manager. It’s all too easy for a manager with a certain viewpoint to hire those who agree with him, so taking it up a notch helps.

I would have complained for a wider reason, however–clerks shouldn’t comment in a neutral or negative way about any purchase. That’s like the pharmacy clerk making rude comments about that pack of Trojans! With all the competition from online book sales, most bookstores will do whatever to keep in-store sales; I have to remember to shop my local store once or twice a month because online is soooo easy.

I wouldn’t have said anything to the clerk–either she’s too stupid to bother with, doesn’t know better, or doesn’t care–and I don’t feel inclined to force her to change. That’s the manager’s job.

I feel that the more we can politely inform store managers and such that we have money and don’t care to be insulted when shopping, the less we’ll have to deal with such people. I’m not going to hide at home rather than face bigots, but I’m damn sure not going to give my money to a blatantly prejudiced clerk or store; I’m lucky enough to live where there’s lots of other choices.

By: Viggo the Carpathian

Viggo the Carpathian — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:26:22 +0000

I buy books on all sorts of subject just for s**ts and grins. I bought a book recently that is supposed to tell all the arcane secrets of summoning demons and ancient Sumerian gods. I thought it was hilarious. The clerk gave me the evil eye and didn’t say a word just stared with pursed lips.

Should I write a letter? No, I don’t care what she thinks. She can damn me a devil worshiper for all I care. Reactions like that of Ray’s clerk only serve to reveal what’s inside them. You shouldn’t return the favor by reacting… unless they are waving a torch or pitchfork.

By: vjack

vjack — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:06:01 +0000

He is absolutely doing the right thing by writing a complaint letter. As you point out, this would not be tolerated if directed at any other group.

By: TXatheist

TXatheist — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:50:15 +0000

I carry books around with me during my lunch outings and I’ve only gotten a couple of responses when I was carrying an atheist type book, both positive.

By: valhar2000

valhar2000 — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:29:10 +0000

Obviously, I’m trying to replace “Atheist” with various other ideological positions (and doing my best to sample a wide range of them), rather than with an ethnic designation.

That's my Jayjay, never letting up in his efforts to show us that he is not that kind of atheist! I had to say that; you make it too easy. Anyway, those comparisons are actually very good. They are more subtle than the ethnic ones, but also more informative.

By: nacky

nacky — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:39:14 +0000

It’s probably too late, but does anyone have any experience in asking someone like the clerk point blank “Why did you say that? What exactly was your intention?” This would be similar to the “That hurts” method mentioned above, but would perhaps force them to say more, probably leading to self-defending but maybe just maybe to the realization that it was out of line.
My immediate imaginary response (not actually being in the situation, where a good retort usually pops into mind when at least a half a block away) was “Too bad you didn’t, and now I would like to speak to the manager.”
Of course one could leave the store while singing “Do you really want to hurt me?…do you really want to make me cry?…”