There's a kind of person that tends to attract freaks. The kind of person people feel comfortable talking to unsolicited.

There's also a kind of person that listens to random strangers. Those who — bless their heart — want to hear what people have to say.

Unfortunately, I'm both of these kinds of people. So I'd like to share some experiences.

Adventures in the Cult(ish)

If I was ever elected to a superlative, it would probably be for 'Most Likely To Join a Cult.'

It's not that I want to join a cult. I just happen to be the sort of person that'll accidentally join a cult. I'll see them at a street corner and strike up a conversation, they'll invite me for a nice lunch, and I'll attend some meetings. And... Oops. I'm in a cult now.

This seems absurd (and it is) but it's almost happened to me before. TWICE. Thrice if you consider Mormonism a cult.

The first time this happened, I was outside my workplace and found a group advertising themselves as labour organizers. Awesome! My workplace sucks. I'd love to unionize it. I chat with them and they seem like chill people, so I give them my contact info. I look them up later and... It's a cult. They wouldn't stop calling and texting me for weeks.

The second time, I joined a Discord server for a religious community and I'm pretty sure they were a cult. Recently dead prophet, constantly smiling leader, and very little information about them online. Also a member of Aum Shinrikyo joined. Like... the terrorist cult.

Religious Studies Crankery

On account of studying religious studies, I tend to attract a lot of peculiar people. A lot of people also tend to reveal themselves when they've learned of my interest.

Usually, it's someone with relatively strange beliefs. A hermetic qabbalist here, a Messianic 'Jew' there, maybe even a weird evangelical to spice things up.

I usually don't mind these people until they make it my problem. A few examples, mostly from my University's religous studies department:

1. A Christian flat earther that accused a Jewish professor of blasphemy. Twice. She also believes that the professor is trying to trick students into not believing in Christianity
2. A Protestant woman that calls Jesus 'Yehoshua' and referred to the aformentioned Jewish professor as a 'Messianic Jew.' He is Modern Orthodox
3. Two people that pretended to be Jewish
4. A man who claimed that Jesus was capable of being the Messiah because his blood was 'untainted' by Nephilim
5. A man who told a group of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish people that they were all completely wrong about their religions because they all stem from ancient Kabbalist mystics
6. A Christian witch that believes that G-d is red-skinned and has horns. And who predicted that Bernie would win the 2020 US election

I have to interact with some of these people on a daily basis. It's great.

Chick Tracts, Pamphlets, & More

On account of being so open to religious crankery, I receive (and pick up) a lot of religious literature.

Most of it tends to be pamphlets saying that if you don't accept Jesus, you're going to hell. Which is... fine? They all tend to be the same.

The types of literature I really love though are the weird ones. Pamphlets about how the rapture is iminent, silly chick tracks, weirdly specific hateful ramblings. I want to receive pamphlets about how a capella is the only acceptable form of worship.

I also really enjoy collecting pieces of scripture. One of my favourite pieces in my collection is a copy of the Book of Mormon with White Jesus inside.

Some Concluding Thoughts

Above all, a part of me admires the chutzpah of being a proselytizer. There's something intriguing and refreshing about being so sure of your religious convictions that you share it with random strangers.

Also: usually, if you believe these sort of things, it makes sense that you'd want to spread your beliefs. If you sincerely believe that not believing in Jesus means you go to hell, then it makes sense to proselytize. I think that's lost on a lot of people who have a 'live and let live' attitude.

At the same time, I'd like get to where I need to be. Of course, the importance of my errands pales in comparison to the threat of eternal damnation. sh they'd leave me alone sometimes. I don't want to join a cult. And sometimes, I just want to But if I took every threat of eternal damnation seriously, I wouldn't have time for anything else.