Yesterday, I was house hunting in a different area and a realtor's husband spent nearly an hour talking about the "love of Jesus Christ" to me and what "real" Christianity means while driving me to different properties.
I couldn't really focus on my mental notes of the properties because I was constantly hearing this man talk about God and it stressed me out and was draining and at least twice I told him to stop but he wouldn't and went back to his "passionate" rant of Jesus and love.
I'm too nice I admit. I wanted to respect his beliefs and just listen but I was at my wits end. I wanted to scream at him.
All of this crap because I told him I am a Religious and Cultural Studies student. I had absolutely no desire to talk about Christianity.
I see now it was a form of manipulation. This is why vulnerable ignorant people get "saved" because it's like a form of brainwashing when people over and over and over "preach" about their religion to them.
Thanks to him, I hate Christianity more than ever.
Only slightly more than someone trying to sell me a material object that I am not interested in. I would consider it an imposition on my polite nature and not abuse per say. Though I have been witness to both salesmen and proselytizers that had it been me, I may have considered abusive.
I think you left yourself wide open for his "pitch" by telling him your studying religious stuff. He tried to sell you on his version. Next time you'll be a little bit more wary about giving out info to strangers. It's ok to say no.
Yes, that is mental and verbal abuse.
There is a general acceptance of behaviour in the workplace. I believe you needed to tell the person that action would be taken should he not desist. The pain /pleasure principal.
Why was the realtors husband even there? The realtor couldn't drive themselves?? I would drop the realtor and let them know why...and maybe leave a warning yelp review to keep others away from having the same preachy hour occurring to them :-/ Even if you have signed a contract with them, you can get out of it and work with someone else.
At the very least I think you are right about it being a form of manipulation. But I think that about religion in general. I see that you wanted to respect his beliefs but he wasn't respecting yours by stopping when you asked him to stop. I would report him to whatever realty group he works for.