Church of No, Thanks Celebrating Personal Liberty since 2008

The Polite Refusal is an important part of being a practicing member of The Church of No, Thanks, but it's not the only part. It is easy to misinterpret the ceremonial importance of the Polite Refusal as simply being contrarian. That is not the point.

Yes, the Buffet of Personal Affirmation does involve giving the Polite Refusal in response to items offered, but you, as an Individual are not required to refuse everything at the Buffet. The Buffet of Personal Affirmation is your opportunity to assert your Free Will. If the gefilte fish appeals to you, by all means, accept it, but you should be prepared to answer the respectful questions of other Members as to your choice. The questioning is not intended to make the accepting Member feel uncomfortable or awkward in the company of his or her peers. It is intended to encourage the accepting Member to consider and understand his or her choice and to allow Members to get to know each other better.

The Buffet is a stand-in for the vast varieties of Peer-Pressure each of us faces every day. It gives us an opportunity to get used to the feeling of saying "No, Thanks" when we're offered (or pressured to take) something that isn't right for us. There are likely to be occasions, though, when a Member is aware that others in the congregation would refuse something offered, but that Member wishes to accept. That is alright, because The Church of No, Thanks recognizes that, if unchecked, the congregation can become a source of Peer-Pressure, itself. We seek to avoid this, by making the Buffet a dynamic event rather than a pure ritual, performed by rote.

The Polite Refusal is not dogma; it is a tool for asserting your Personal Liberty. Use it when it is appropriate to do so.