I think I'd have tried to convert him back into Satanism.

"Join me after this flight. After the nightly coven, we're going to dance the next day around the Maypole like a good pagan." :D

yeah, something like that ;)

Ok, I don't actually know too much about Satanism (I know a little bit more about Wicca), but I'm sure I could have come up with something good :D

If I get pasta in a flight I will have to say a prayer to his noodliness the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
rAmen!



Maybe the person would be more interested in the Invisible Pink Unicorn. We know she is invisible b/c we can't see her, and we have faith that she is pink.

Whenever someone asks me if I have found Jesus I reply in 1 of two ways

1) Why did you lose him?

or

2) I don't need to find him, I know where he works. Just the other day he served me pancakes and coffee at IHOP.

That usually shuts down the conversation quite nicely. :)

I think proselytizing is inherently rude and disrespectful, and would treat this as I would anyone who was rude and disrespectful.

First attempt: "I'm sorry, I'm not at all interested."

Second attempt: "You're crossing the line from merely annoying to actual harassment. I'm afraid that, if you keep this up, I'm going to have call the FA."

Third attempt: "Excuse me, FA, this rude person keeps bothering me. Can you please change his seat?"

I'd also consider smiling pleasantly and saying, "P!ss off!", and then just ignoring the idiot. Fortunately, I've never had to deal with something like this while flying.

Never directly, but sat in front of one once. Thank <insert supreme being of your choice here> for ipods and headphones.

Forget that. I'm all about the purple oyster.

Mike

Here's a few more:

"Ich kann Sie nicht verstehen" - I can't understand you

"Ich habe keine Ahnung wovon Sie reden" - I have no idea what you're talking about

"Es hat keinen Zweck mit mir zu reden, ich verstehe Sie sowieso nicht" - there's no point in talking to me, I can't understand you anyway

It'd be just your luck for the guy to be fluent in German as well though. ;)

the #2 one is pretty damn funny! I never would have thought of that!..

Once it happened to me by some 7th day people.. any how it was two young guys who were extremely cute.. they were going on and on

I finally said "well do cute guys like you go there or even younger than you?" (mind u they probably were not a day over 20)

that pretty much ended the conversation dead in its tracks.

"I'm sorry, I'm beyond salvation."

I've never had the opportunity to use it on a plane, but I have at my front door, as the man (husband?) tried to shove me literature and the woman (wife?) was gasping in disbelief.

Or you can ask in return: "Sorry, I am OK with my religion. But let me ask you, are you in need of a circumcision?"

Slightly OT, I had the honor and pleasure to sit next to the Cardinal from NY on a recent flight from ORD-LGA and we had terrific discussions about many topics, including religion. And although I am not a Catholic, I felt honored to be in his presence.

That's something quite different from proselytizing. I once spent a very enjoyable hour or two at the America West club room in Phoenix, speaking with a Catholic priest who, I suspect, was quite senior (though I didn't ask his position). Our conversation ranged over many subjects, and I count it as one of the most interesting club room visits I've ever had.

I agree 100%, and that is why I pointed out that it was slightly off-topic. I guess I wanted to make the point that there can be great conversations on similar topics/in similar settings as well as what the OP experienced....^

Tell them you're Jewish. ;)

And go on to say you're not interested. Honesty always/usually works.