What to do when your interlocutor is nuts?

[lucybeebee]

The other day, I was at the gym, which is at a public recreation center. I was on the treadmill minding my own business when the two guys next to me starting talking about how the Catholic Church forbad people to read the Bible. I interjected, saying that that was not the case. They kept saying that it was and when I asked from what source this information came from, they ignored me. Then one went off saying how the Catholic Church was responsible for slavery, how they found the KKK (in Greece!) in the 1300s, and something about a Pope Paul which seemed to be a reference to St. Paul of Tarsus. He said that to get this knowledge he didn’t even have to read the Bible, as the Holy Ghost told him. There were so many historical and theological errors that it makes my head hurt. I pointed out that most Catholics in the world are non-white and certainly a large percentage are black, but they didn’t believe me. So what do you do when the people you’re trying to debate have a total disregard for facts?

 

[First_of_9]

People like this are best to avoid. They are either totally clueless OR they they get their kicks pulling other people’s chains.

My bet is that they were “having fun” with you.

 

[paidion]

The other day, I was at the gym, which is at a public recreation center. I was on the treadmill minding my own business when the two guys next to me starting talking about how the Catholic Church forbad people to read the Bible. I interjected, saying that that was not the case. They kept saying that it was and when I asked from what source this information came from, they ignored me. Then one went off saying how the Catholic Church was responsible for slavery, how they found the KKK (in Greece!) in the 1300s, and something about a Pope Paul which seemed to be a reference to St. Paul of Tarsus. He said that to get this knowledge he didn’t even have to read the Bible, as the Holy Ghost told him. There were so many historical and theological errors that it makes my head hurt. I pointed out that most Catholics in the world are non-white and certainly a large percentage are black, but they didn’t believe me. So what do you do when the people you’re trying to debate have a total disregard for facts?

The only thing one can really do is pray. They’re not interested in a true dialogue. G-d is the only one who is going to get through to them.

shalom**

 

[Gamera]

The other day, I was at the gym, which is at a public recreation center. I was on the treadmill minding my own business when the two guys next to me starting talking about how the Catholic Church forbad people to read the Bible. I interjected, saying that that was not the case. They kept saying that it was and when I asked from what source this information came from, they ignored me. Then one went off saying how the Catholic Church was responsible for slavery, how they found the KKK (in Greece!) in the 1300s, and something about a Pope Paul which seemed to be a reference to St. Paul of Tarsus. He said that to get this knowledge he didn’t even have to read the Bible, as the Holy Ghost told him. There were so many historical and theological errors that it makes my head hurt. I pointed out that most Catholics in the world are non-white and certainly a large percentage are black, but they didn’t believe me. So what do you do when the people you’re trying to debate have a total disregard for facts?

When someone tells you that the Holy Spirit told them the Ku Klux Klan was founded in Europe in the 1300’s, we’re out of “Apologetics” territory and into “Mental Health” territory. You can’t debate this kind of illness any more than you could debate a cancer. All one can do is to pray for him.

Incidentally, the Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1865 (not the Middle Ages) in Tenessee (not Europe) by six guys sitting around in a living room, three of whom were lawyers (not in the halls of the Vatican by the Pope and some Cardinals). Although its main purpose was anti-black terrorism from the beginning, it also has been anti-Catholic since day one. I recommend the book “White Terror” which gives a detailed and horrifying look at the history of the KKK and its spin-off groups.

 

[DanteAlighieri]

Let’s not forget that Catholics have also been the target of the KKK’s vitriol.

It’s not a historical source, but the movie Mississipi Burning depicts a KKK member denouncing “Papists” because “they bow to a Roman dictator”.

Peace,
Dante

 

[Church_Militant]

Luke 9:5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.

 

[strngrnrth]

After years of debating people who pay no attention to reality and whose reactions have no logical connection to what goes on in the real world, I realized they were the very definition of the word “psychotic” and that arguing with them was just like walking into a beehive and trying to talk the bees into becoming kittens and letting me hold them. Stay far away and don’t give insane strangers any reason to remember you.

 

[vern_humphrey]

The other day, I was at the gym, which is at a public recreation center. I was on the treadmill minding my own business when the two guys next to me starting talking about how the Catholic Church forbad people to read the Bible. I interjected, saying that that was not the case. They kept saying that it was and when I asked from what source this information came from, they ignored me. Then one went off saying how the Catholic Church was responsible for slavery, how they found the KKK (in Greece!) in the 1300s, and something about a Pope Paul which seemed to be a reference to St. Paul of Tarsus. He said that to get this knowledge he didn’t even have to read the Bible, as the Holy Ghost told him. There were so many historical and theological errors that it makes my head hurt. I pointed out that most Catholics in the world are non-white and certainly a large percentage are black, but they didn’t believe me. So what do you do when the people you’re trying to debate have a total disregard for facts?

Ah, Lucybeebee, did you check to see if the Son of Sam is still in prison?

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

People like this are best to avoid. They are either totally clueless OR they they get their kicks pulling other people’s chains.

My bet is that they were “having fun” with you.

Solution for the OP: don’t take that kind of thing too seriously ​

FWIW: probably what the OP mentions makes an impression only because it’s her (& our) religion. If the mistakes were about something of no personal interest (such as Muslim history or ideas), might well not be a problem. And if someone is not Catholic - why should they be expected to know anything about it ? I think the problem is largely one of expectations: one tends (I think) to expect others to be at least tolerably well-informed about the religion one holds, simply because it is one of which one is most aware. When they are not - & there is, generally speaking, no pressing reason why they should be if they are not Catholics - one can be surprised.

That kind of ignorance is certainly deplorable - but can’t the same be said of all ignorance related to religion ?

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

People like this are best to avoid. They are either totally clueless OR they they get their kicks pulling other people’s chains.

My bet is that they were “having fun” with you.

Solution for the OP: don’t take that kind of thing too seriously ​

FWIW: probably what the OP mentions makes an impression only because it’s her (& our) religion. If the mistakes were about something of no personal interest (such as Muslim history or ideas), they might well not be a problem. And if someone is not Catholic - why should they be expected to know anything about it ? I think the problem is largely one of expectations: one tends (I think) to expect others to be at least tolerably well-informed about the religion one holds, simply because it is one of which one is most aware. When they are not - & there is, generally speaking, no pressing reason why they should be if they are not Catholics - one can be surprised.

That kind of ignorance is certainly deplorable - but can’t the same be said of all ignorance related to religion ?

 

[Zooey]

The other day, I was at the gym, which is at a public recreation center. I was on the treadmill minding my own business when the two guys next to me starting talking about how the Catholic Church forbad people to read the Bible. I interjected, saying that that was not the case. They kept saying that it was and when I asked from what source this information came from, they ignored me. Then one went off saying how the Catholic Church was responsible for slavery, how they found the KKK (in Greece!) in the 1300s, and something about a Pope Paul which seemed to be a reference to St. Paul of Tarsus. He said that to get this knowledge he didn’t even have to read the Bible, as the Holy Ghost told him. There were so many historical and theological errors that it makes my head hurt. I pointed out that most Catholics in the world are non-white and certainly a large percentage are black, but they didn’t believe me. So what do you do when the people you’re trying to debate have a total disregard for facts?

Ah, yes…There is nothing like having a discussion with someone who consistently does only what the:whacky: Little Voices In His Head tell him to do.
That is not the Holy Ghost talking to him; that is the sound of :whacky: A Man Who Has Gone Off His Meds–Again.
Unless you know his psychiatrist (or his caretakers) personally, I would suggest not arguing with him. The little voices sometimes have been known to, not to put too fine a point on it, get more than a little http://bestsmileys.com/angry1/9.gifhttp://bestsmileys.com/angry1/7.gif.
I highly recommend that you run like hell for the nearest exit, before http://bestsmileys.com/hitting/21.gif happens.

 

[ricko]

Usually people like this are so far out in left field (or out of the ballpark) that they cannot understand reasoning. I found the following works real good. When I hear nonsense like that I respond “I know what you mean, did you know the bent cross that the Pope carries around is actually a Satanic symbol?”. Or, “Did you hear about the deepest hole in the world the Russians drilled when they were drilling for oil? There were strange sounds coming from it so they lowered a mic into the hole and recorded human moaning and screaming!”

 

[Syele]

So what do you do when the people you’re trying to debate have a total disregard for facts?

Don’t bother debating with them. It’s a waste of time. You can pray for them and remember…

Ecclesiastes 10:14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Proverbs 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

Proverbs 14:7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

 

[HOPEFUL_IN_UK]

The other day, I was at the gym, which is at a public recreation center. I was on the treadmill minding my own business when the two guys next to me starting talking about how the Catholic Church forbad people to read the Bible. I interjected, saying that that was not the case. They kept saying that it was and when I asked from what source this information came from, they ignored me. Then one went off saying how the Catholic Church was responsible for slavery, how they found the KKK (in Greece!) in the 1300s, and something about a Pope Paul which seemed to be a reference to St. Paul of Tarsus. He said that to get this knowledge he didn’t even have to read the Bible, as the Holy Ghost told him. There were so many historical and theological errors that it makes my head hurt. I pointed out that most Catholics in the world are non-white and certainly a large percentage are black, but they didn’t believe me. So what do you do when the people you’re trying to debate have a total disregard for facts?

Pray for them?

Lucy, you must have a freak-magnet on you, somewhere.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Arguing with them was just like walking into a beehive and trying to talk the bees into becoming kittens and letting me hold them.

Now that is an awesome image!