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Vaguely disgruntled

(134 Posts)
Eglantine19 Wed 30-Aug-17 16:59:09

Over the weekend I was invited to a tea party by an acquaintance, a friend of a friend. It was a lovely day, we were on the lawn, three tables of six, chatting about all sorts of things.
Then after a while some little leaflets were deposited on the table, inviting us to join a Bible study group. One of the ladies on each table talked to their table about what their faith meant to them, five minutes maximum.
On leaving I was asked again very nicely if I would like to come to the Bible Study. I said no and thank you for a lovely time and off I went.
It was all very gently done. So why am I feeling a bit - used, I think is the word. I need one of you to soothe me over!

TillyWhiz Thu 31-Aug-17 09:26:56

Apparently all faiths have 'targets figures' now so sadly possible recruitment will go on in the most inappropriate gatherings.

Anya Thu 31-Aug-17 08:35:52

I'm afraid I'd have made an excuse and left, but then I'm that sort of person.

Too often these kind of people take advantage of our good nature and our reluctance to be impolite.

illtellhim Thu 31-Aug-17 07:42:35

Jehovah's Witnesses, don't call at our house, they call at the other houses in the close but miss ours out. I wonder if it was something I said. grin

Eglantine19, this tea party wasn't in the church grounds was it.

Imperfect27 Thu 31-Aug-17 07:38:27

By the by ... l quite like a bit of vague disgruntlement ... sometimes it is good to be taken out of our comfort zone, especially when we can follow up with a touch of righteousness indignation. Hah! I am obviously in a provocative mood today , which is perhaps just as well as l need to advocate for a family member at the drs. Taking on the woeful lack of mental health care in a new burrough today. Whoopee!

Imperfect27 Thu 31-Aug-17 07:03:13

blush How awful ... but funny to look back on ... grin

NfkDumpling Thu 31-Aug-17 06:55:36

grin

fiorentina51 Thu 31-Aug-17 03:37:01

*it

fiorentina51 Thu 31-Aug-17 03:36:20

Three weeks after our wedding DH and I were invited to a party by one of my work colleagues. This was after a chat about our respective spouses and a general remark about how broad minded they were.
We turned up to what appeared to be a nice summer party and we're introduced as the newly weds..... I soon became evident what kind of party it was. ?
We made our excuses and left.... We weren't THAT broad minded!

Imperfect27 Wed 30-Aug-17 23:25:11

For 30 + years l was a fully involved member at church, including leading prayer and Bible groups, but would never have tried to evangelize as OP's host did and would have felt uncomfortable myself in that situation so l don't think it is just a matter of religious or not. Rather, the sense of false pretence would have annoyed/ saddened me too and to be held captive because of the occasion ...yuk! Phoenix ... on form tonight grin.

FarNorth Wed 30-Aug-17 22:50:50

If it just came up in conversation and one person chose to give their views, I'd think that was all right. But arranging it, as they did, seems sneaky whatever the topic was - religion, politics, a charity, a local club.....

BlueBelle Wed 30-Aug-17 22:49:28

Sorry deceitful not decisive

lemongrove Wed 30-Aug-17 22:48:09

It wouldn't bother me BlueBelle I would be surprised but not bothered. We are all different.

lemongrove Wed 30-Aug-17 22:46:29

Another thing to put down to experience.smile

BlueBelle Wed 30-Aug-17 22:46:28

Lemongrove of course it would bother you church is not supposed to be decisive and cunning makes it worse if anything

lemongrove Wed 30-Aug-17 22:45:40

Awww! ?

Eglantine19 Wed 30-Aug-17 22:44:28

Well generally speaking I can see some things that make sense to me in all religions and some things that don't. I'm not sure what that makes me but I've been quite happy to participate in a number of things Ive been invited to like Christenings, Passover or Diwali. So I didn't know why this "ruffled" me. I think Bluebell put her finger on it. I thought I'd been invited for my perfectly lovely self and found out I was just a potential recruit. Ah the blow to my ego grin

lemongrove Wed 30-Aug-17 22:39:31

Yes, of course, but if you were a practising Christian am guessing it wouldn't bother you unduly.You might even join in.

GracesGranMK2 Wed 30-Aug-17 22:36:39

It's nothing to do with religion surely lemongrove. If you are invited for tea and it turns out someone is selling something you should have been told.

lemongrove Wed 30-Aug-17 22:16:14

I suppose it all depends on how religious you are yourself OP.If an atheist /agnostic/a different religion then I can see you would be put out.If you are a practising Christian anyway, you may have been surprised but not bothered by it.So, it does depend, obviously, but I do see an underhand element anyway about it.Never mind, you won't be going back, and you had cake.??

kittylester Wed 30-Aug-17 22:05:45

I would have been livid!

Dgd1's best friend is from a very evangelical family who invite people to bbqs at there house and then try to persuade them to join their church. How to explain the issues involved to an 8 year old.

varian Wed 30-Aug-17 22:01:18

Sorry about the typos. Fat fingers.

varian Wed 30-Aug-17 21:57:16

I once went to an old school reunion and as we were all about to leave one old girl, who is very religous ( both her father and her son were clergymen) suddenly made a littld speech, saying " you've all heard that my husband is very ill. I just don't know how we would have got through these last few months without our faith" Then she handed out some religous tracts, which made manh of us uncomfortable, but of course nobody actually objected . We felt sorry thar her husband was ill ( he died soon after) and we all knew she had a strong faith which must have helped her when she was bereaved. Even so, I don't think she should have brought her little leaflets to that reunion. It was inapropriate and made most of us uncomfortable.

phoenix Wed 30-Aug-17 20:09:46

Thanks for the responses to my rather frivolous post!

I suppose that if such an occasion did occurr, and there was a guest of a sort of "maiden aunt" disposition, they might be persuaded that the item was designed to put a froth on your cappuccino wink

Luckygirl Wed 30-Aug-17 19:42:20

Many many years ago I did host a Tupperware party and my new husband (a medical houseman) was inevitably there. He caused a bit of a stir among the ladies when the much-vaunted free plastic gift was produced by the rep (heaven knows what it was) and my OH said it looked like something to hold your uterus up!

Eglantine19 Wed 30-Aug-17 19:35:32

Can I have an invite to Phoenix's next party? Much more m kind of thing!
Thanks everyone. I'm over it now. Wonderful what a few people on Gransnet can do!