Losing My Religion

Disclaimer : The following entry is of highly sensitive nature. The opinions expressed are purely mine, and i urge you to exercise discretion in reading and interpretation.

Last evening, i left work and headed home. I was waiting at the tram stop, to take my short 2-stop tram ride. Beside me were 2 very well dressed Caucasian males. A business suit, tie, and a name-badge that i couldn't quite read. I assumed they were business students... Until one of them (lets call him BWAWA, with no further need to expand the acronym) made conversation with me.

BWAWA : Bonsoir, vous allez bien? (thick american accent)
S : Oui, mais si vous voulez, vous pouvez parler en anglais !

BWAWA : You speak English?
S: Yes

BWAWA : Well?
S : (probably better than you, idiot)
Yeah, quite well.

BWAWA : I'm a missionary, from America
S: (yeah, i figured from your nasal accent)
I see, how long have you been here?

BWAWA : 7 months, and you?
S: 6 months now.

BWAWA : So what religion do you follow?
S : (aha, come on, now i'll kick your ass.... come on Swaroop, tell him you're primarily a human)
I dont practice.

BWAWA : I know it's difficult to believe in God, given all the things that are happening in the world today.
S: Are you a Mormon?

BWAWA: (stunned) Yes ! How did you know?
S: I know about Religions, and i know about Mormons, and your book, and Joseph Smith.

BWAWA: (totally stunned, jaw dropped) We're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ, part of the Mormon faith. So do you think God exists?
S: Tough to say.
(what are you talking. your founder supposedly saw God in a dream and wrote a book the next morning!)

BWAWA : So why dont you practice any religion?
S : Because, its a free world, and thats my choice. I like to believe in things i can see and feel, and trust my own abilities.

BWAWA : But you must have the desire to have faith.
S : (you idiot, do u know how stupid you sound right now?)
Well, i have the desire to do a lot of things.

BWAWA : It is a matter of priorities.
S : Seems like my priorities are quite different from yours.

BWAWA : I'd ask you to have some faith, and to believe, and to pray.
S : Well, i just said the existence of God is tough to prove, whom do i pray to?

BWAWA : (cornered, no answer)
S : This is my stop, and i must be going.

Well well well.... I remember "the brethren" knocking on my door once in Bangalore, and reading some verse from the Bible about the second coming. I think i was quite rude and direct when i told them that i am not interested in converting, given that i dont follow a particular religion to really convert from ! These guys had a puzzled look on they're faces, before i told them about my religious roots (which i am very very proud of, and very happy about). They left in a hurry...

Give me a break. Religion, faith and belief is a very very private and personal thing. Let me keep my faith, let me believe what i want, and i will let you keep your faith. That is the concept of co-existence. Unfortunately, some people don't understand that.