I work retail. We have a regular customer who gives people little cards with religious sayings on them. They’re very nice, I think she makes them herself (they have calligraphy/ small drawings), but I am not interested in them because I am not religious. I think they would be wasted on me and should go to someone who would actually want something like that.
Last time she offered me one, I politely refused to take it. Just a simple "No, thank you." When she pressed me to take it anyways, I refused again, saying that I wasn’t interested. I feel that both refusals were polite. She seemed really shocked/offended that I would refuse, and since then she has come in a few more times and seems very cold towards me.
Luckily she has not offered me another card, but AITA for refusing in the first place? Should I have just taken it?
NTA: as you stated, you were polite in your refusal. She needs to be an adult and respect that.
NTA. She’s forcing her beliefs upon you in the form of a seemingly insignificant gift. But the bottom line is that her hope is that you will come to accept and be influenced by the things she’s writing on those little cards. No one has the right to force such things upon you.
You’re fine, my family does the same all the time and are ShOCkEd!! I tell you, when you decline. NTA
Religious predation is always an asshole move. I’ve been on the receiving end of those types of “gifts” and the weird strings that you find out are attached later. Like how sometimes its done as a test to see if you’re “worth” being friends with or respecting, based on whether or not you participate in their religion. My refusal to accept a precious moments bible as a gift from a co-worker almost got me fired once, because it resulted in them spreading rumors that got out of hand.
Nobody is obligated to take a gift, and “just smile and pretend” is, to me, a toxic behavior and enables/justifies the behavior of pushy or predatory peers. You can so no thanks, and they can accept that rejection.
Religion is deeply personal. It isnt a simply holiday card or random cookie bag, its an entire identity and lifestyle that obviously not everyone will have the same opinions on. If someone cannot see past their own belief structure and chooses to lash out at you for not participating/wanting religious items, they are a predatory person and are extremely entitled.
NTA. No means no, and they should know better than to pry or push or become resentful.
NTA religious people are the worst. They claim to hate things being shoved down their throat and yet that’s exactly what they do with their fairy tale
I don’t like when overly religious people ‘innocently’ push their religious beliefs on you. They know exactly what they’re doing and feign shock and disappointment when their attempts are rebuffed. It’s always a good idea to be just as shocked and offended when someone tries to engage you in their religion. Like that guy just recently who decided to entertain a whole plane full of people while he stood up playing a guitar and forced them to listen to his proselytizing. I would have stood up and demanded the attendant to shut him down. NTA
People say you should accept gifts with gratitude, but it depends whether it’s well-intentioned kindness or proselytizing, and I find proselytizing rude. You were polite, and her offense gives the impression that it was perhaps proselytizing after all.
NTA
Nta. These people need to recognize that others are allowed to have boundaries
Nta. Shoving religion down people’s throat ain’t right
NTA. Also, most stores have policies about accepting gifts. You can always lean on that (even if other employees accept them). But saying “no, thank you” should be enough. The fact that she pressed and is now acting cold about it makes her an AH.
“I’m sorry I’m not allowed to take gifts from customers. I’m on camera and I could lose my job”
NTA. You were polite once but the religious junkie wouldn’t take no for an answer and you were polite once again.
You are under no obligation to appease anyone’s obsessions.
This is religious proselytization, especially when it’s repetitive, aggressive, and they refuse to take no for an answer.
I might have humored them 20 years ago thinking that it was harmless but these days religion is trying to infiltrate the government in order to force religion into our way of life against our will. This is dangerous, they are dangerous. They don’t believe that we should have freedom to practice any religion we want or even freedom from religion.
NTA. I don’t know why people are saying you’re TA for not accepting her oh so thoughtful gift, but this is so so so common in retail and it’s ridiculous. You’re allowed to set boundaries and say no thank you, just as if it was any other gift that wasn’t religious. These people are never used to being told no thank you and take it very personally. You recognize she puts work into the art and calligraphy on it, and don’t want it to go to waste as you said you’re not religious. You were polite, all she can do now is control her own reaction which isn’t your problem. Remember you’re a person first and have the right to say no and you didn’t do anything wrong.
NTA religious people proselytizing “nicely” and then being mad when you don’t accept… 🤣 annoys me.