The Professed Tolerant

I was in Phoenix the past week and went down to Tempe to shop and then eat. I was surprised to see a 60's era 'head shop' on Mills Avenue. Head shops were prolific in the late 60's and early 70's. They usually offer marijuana smoking paraphernalia and hippie-wear. I went in to browse, avoid the rain storm, and take a step back into time. I actually bought $75 worth of merchandise: t-shirts, stickers, and posters.

While I was checking out, a woman (dressed very earthy) came in to perhaps shop but most probably to avoid the rain storm too. She breezed through the shop, did a u-turn, and then left. On the way out, she told one of the two female clerks (very sincerely I might add), "God bless you."

When the woman shopper left, the female clerk was totally incensed. She turned to her coworker and was very upset at the woman shopper. She said, "that lady was probably listening to Christian music." She acted like the lady was diseased. I thought the clerk's reaction to the shopper was frightening. Even if she didn't believe the same as the shopper, the shopper was merely projecting good will toward the clerk. Maybe the clerk preferred a "I wish you would die a terrible death" sort of goodbye? I think most people would not be offended if a Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, or deist (maybe in this case) articulated their own unique belief-based blessing. I would be flattered.

I thought how odd it was for this supposed liberal 'tolerant' generation to be so hateful to someone (maybe not even a Christian) who pronounces a blessing on them, especially at a head-shop. These clerks really know nothing about the 60's!

I know it speaks of the cultural bias against Christianity, but it also was frightening. It was frightening to see such a knee-jerk hate-filled reaction to a kind act from a stranger. It was reminiscent of how Christians were thought of and treated in the first century.