You know what? I'm getting a bit fed up with people asking me for money. It's happening more and more, usually from total strangers. It does annoy me somewhat. There's such a thing as being generous, but giving away cash to all and sundry does not strike me as a financially sound policy.

You might have guessed that this sort of thing has happened again. You're right, it did. In a sort of impatient and irritated mood already I was striding across the Granville Street car park. It's nothing special, just the site of a former housing block leveled and tarmaced. A busy stop for shoppers, seeing as it's so close to the shops, and also a handy shortcut for me when I want to go shopping.

"Excuse me mate" Said a midland accent off to one side. Huh? What? A burly chap leaned around the ticket machine and asked "Have yer got any change?"

Of all the things he could have asked me right now. This is an area infested by teenage beggars. I get asked for cash almost every time I pass through here. No, I replied, I haven't got any, sorry. And I continued on my way even more irritated than when I started.

Just to make my day complete, the man took umbrage that his request for money had been refused. I'd like to report what he said, but this is a family show. Anyway, it wasn't pleasant, and clearly he wanted to throw his weight around. Maybe I impuned his midland macho manhood in some way without realising. I've no doubt he thought I was being arrogant, but then, his behaviour amounted to verbal abuse. Threatening behaviour? Demanding money with menaces?

Demanding Belief With Menaces

I know a guy who decided that christianity was a bad idea. Christians have a problem with people like that. They regard former associates, never mind how little belief they had in such ritual and piety, as essentially their property. Seriously, they do. It amounts to slavery in everything but name. As religions go, it has a very nasty underside.

There's a number of things christians do to bring their escaped slave back onto the farm. Usually they try to convince them that Jesus cares. Or that God listens. For the casual escaped slave, that's probably enough, but then they're going to be just as wishy washy and agnostic as they always were. It's just they tick the correct box again, so that's all right.

Some people are more determined to find a more suitable belief system. Even though our country allows us the freedom of worship, christians can't accept that anything else is as relevant or emotionally satisfying to the individual. I know this because I've had the lecture myself more than once.

The more zealous and fundamentalist the christian gets, the more medieval their mindset becomes. Or perhaps it's the other way around, that they were that ignorant already, thus their religion fills the empty space in their brain. Who knows? It's impossible to talk to people like that because they are more or less brainwashed. Slaves to their religion without personalities of their own.

To them freedom of thought is akin to serving the devil. Their concept of the world is literally that black and white. Unless you're obedient and know your place in their covert pecking order, you must be an evil influence. That is unfortunately the sort of mindset that got people drowned or burned at the stake in former times.

The horrifying thing is that such intolerance continues today. That chap who decided to rebel against his overseers? His eyebrows shaved and shaped to slant upward, like Mr Spock, or better still, to suggest satanic influence. The front of his hair trimmed down so that his hair style would suggest horns from some angles. The back of his hair cut in random lengths. His goods exchanged for something less desirable, less functional. Diificulties in the workplace, problems in their personal lives. Anything that reduces a sense of empowerment, security, or self-esteem.

The christians would claim that it was a stigmata, the sign of evil, a curse of those who worship dark things. Rubbish. It's spiteful, malicious, bullying behaviour. Worship our god or suffer the consequences. So what happened to all this love and brotherhood the christians like to promote? Sorry mate, only if you sign up. And any backsliders get 'the treatment'.

This sort of thing is happening, today, in my home town. I've no doubt it goes on everywhere on the quiet. For that matter, I've no doubt that some other religions indulge in such shenanigans, something I notice is beloved of african culture. At least the moslems tell you you're going to get blown up.

It makes no difference. The gentleman who has chosen to free himself of christianity knows why all these obstacles and changes are happening. It's no use telling him that God is wreaking vengeance. He knows that these people are acting on their own base motives, trying to enslave errant members of the faith either to ensure monetary gain or simply no more than the satisfaction human beings derive from cruel behaviour. It's no use telling him the devil is responsible. There is no evil entity perverting our lives. We make our own evil. And human beings tend to be quite good at it. For that matter, there's no use telling him how superior christianity is. He already knows it isn't.