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When I fly, I generally use the time to study some subject by reading a book. I'm always annoyed if I get seated next to an over-talkative passenger, since that time is useful to me.

It doesn't really matter what the other passenger wants to discuss. I'm not interested. I have stuff to do. Generally, just telling them that I'd prefer to continue with my reading lets me get back to my book.

Not always, though, and I remember one specific time when the person sitting next to me decided to "witness" to me about Christianity. I told the person that I was busy and that I preferred to study than to discuss religion.

Didn't work. The individual continued to interrupt me with his "good news." I repeated my request to be left alone. That led to this "christian" telling me all about what I would face if I didn't "follow Jesus." I asked once more to be left alone to study.

Still didn't work. The individual got more and more persistent and more and more annoying and personal with his description of the nature of his "hell."

After about an hour, I finally grew terminally annoyed at his constant interruptions and very, very quietly said:

"In the name of Satan, I curse you and your household."

Very quietly. Now, I'm an atheist and don't believe in any Satan any more than I believe in any other deities.

Sure shut the guy up, though. He turned white and never said another word for the rest of the flight. I got my studying done just fine.

Rude of me? Sure, and I probably shouldn't have done that. But, I could find no other method of shutting this rude individual up.

But after all is said and done, what if you are wrong and he is right? You are perfectly within your rights to b left alone and not be annoyed, but if I were heading toward a path of eternal torment and damnation, I'd sure hope that there were mobs of people trying to get my attention no matter how rude they were. The real question is whether or not the substance of the message is correct and true.

"His" hell may be The Hell. What if it is? If not, (and I was not there to hear his description, of course) then how do you know it is not?

Not always, though, and I remember one specific time when the person sitting next to me decided to "witness" to me about Christianity. I told the person that I was busy and that I preferred to study than to discuss religion.

You probably know why if you've read True Believer by Eric Hoffer.

A powerful way to validate our beliefs is to proselytize others. Somehow our brain thinks that the more people believe a concept, the more accurate the concept is.

Furthermore, the crusader's beliefs are solidified the more he talks about them, whether he has a willing audience or not. His internal cognitive dissonance takes a break during the proselytizing process.

That's why you can see Jehovah's Witness duos trying to pass their magazines to unwilling pedestrians walking briskly to work at 6 AM and 20 degrees. The JW goes home feeling stronger in his faith, since he was persecuted by the devil that morning (ridiculed by some bad-tempered pedestrians) and got a chance to talk to his fellow crusader about how strong his faith is (his faith sustains him in this uncomfortable environment)