The Judgment Day Virus

I swear, this crap is really starting to annoy me.

As I was about to head into Penn Station this evening to catch my train home, I pass by this lady, an African-American woman in her late forties or early fifties, handing out pamphlets. Out of curiosity, I stopped, took one, and glanced at it briefly to confirm my suspicions.

Yes, it was one of those pamphlets proclaiming that Judgment Day will take place on May 21, 2011, barely more than four months from now.

I thrust it back towards her and as she took it back from me, she asked me, "What's the matter?"

"That's not true!" I shot back, pointing at the pamphlet.

She insists that it is and declares "It says so in the Bible!"

"Yeah, so?" I reply.

"Because the Bible is the word of God," she says.

"How do you know?" I ask.

I don't recall her exact words, but it was along the lines of "Because the Bible says so."

I respond that it's just circular reasoning. Then she drops the bomb on me.

"Who made you?"

"Uh, my parents."

"Who made your parents?"

"My grandparents."

"Well, who made them?"

"I don't see what that has to do with your pamphlet."

And so it went like that for a few more seconds, but I had to go because I had a train to catch. In retrospect, I should have asked her "If Judgment Day doesn't happen on May 21, do you promise to come back here holding a big sign that reads 'I was wrong!'"