When Their Faith Makes You Lose Yours

I am at the register at my thrift store, taking care of a long line, when a woman comes up. She puts three pamphlets on the counter and a small item from the store.

I pick up the first one to look for a price and am instead treated to a comic telling a horrifying story. I am utterly shocked and realise these are religious tracts, and that this woman is trying to hand them to me while I am working with a long line.

Me: *Deciding to be maliciously innocent* “Oh, ma’am, I’m deeply sorry for your experience! We never sell these pamphlets. I will throw these away for you immediately!”

Woman: “No, no, these are for you! To spread the love of our Lord and Savior!”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but the only thing I will do with these is throw them away. We do not allow soliciting in our store.”

Woman: *Angry* “No, you need to read them! They carry important messages about God’s love!”

Me: “Either take these with you, or they go in the trash.”

Woman: “Then I’ll just leave them here for someone else to be saved.”

She has just enough time to turn away, leaving without the one small item she had brought up as bait, when the sound of tearing paper makes her spin around. Making eye contact, I tear the tracts again and drop them in the garbage next to me.

Me: “I already told you that I will just throw them away.”

Manager: *From behind me, making me jump* “Oh, [My Name]! Did she donate bunny bedding?! Let me go get the shredder for you!”

The woman had stormed out by the time my manager returned. We got the line down, and I got quite a bit of pleasure shredding the torn pamphlets for the bunnies at our local animal shelter.

While I understand that many faiths encourage spreading the Word, these pamphlets were horrible and I did warn her what would happen.