History Main / RefusAlOfTheCall

*** And it goes past Jesus, beginning from Peter ("Before the rooster sings, you'll thrice deny me") to Paul ("Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?)

[[folder:Religion and Mythology

* In Literature/TheBible, Moses initially refuses God's call to go back to Pharaoh's court and demand the Israelites' freedom. (His excuse: he's a stutterer - literally, his "lips are sealed." Also, the fact that he's wanted for murder might have something to do with it. God's response? Moses still has to go, but he can bring his brother Aaron along to make the speeches.)
** Jonah is literally called by God to deliver a message to a city. Jonah doesn't want to do it, so he tries to run away on a ship. Of course, trying to run away from an omnipresent deity doesn't really work so much. God causes a storm to come up at sea that threatens to sink the ship. Jonah knows why the storm is happening and tells the crew to throw him overboard to save themselves. They reluctantly do so. and that's where the titular giant fish comes in. Making this OlderThanFeudalism.
** Very popular for Biblical prophets, actually. Everybody from Abraham ("What if they kill me to get my gorgeous wife?") to Jesus ("Okay, being executed really sucks") does it.
* This also featured into the founding of Islam; some historical traditions hold that Muhammad initially refused to receive Literature/TheQuran because he couldn't read it - and later on, contemplated committing suicide, for fear of [[GoMadFromTheRevelation becoming a madman]].

** This was a serious matter during the period of ''FushigiYuugiGenbuKaiden'', where a superstition was placed on the Priestess of Genbu and her Genbu Celestial Warriors. Indicating them as a curse, and by having them around will destroy the country. So whenever the priestess Takiko found one warrior and tries to persuade him to join, that warrior would automatically refuse the calling, simply because being awaken as a Celestial Warrior has put their own lives into jeopardy for as long as they can remember.

** This was a serious matter during the period of FushigiYuugiGenbuKaiden, where a superstition was placed on the Priestess of Genbu and her Genbu Celestial Warriors. Indicating them as a curse, and by having them around will destroy the country. So whenever the priestess Takiko found one warrior and tries to persuade him to join, that warrior would automatically refuse the calling, simply because being awaken as a Celestial Warrior has put their own lives into jeopardy for as long as they can remember.

* After a dramatic buildup, Gary in ''TeamAmericaWorldPolice'' abruptly decides not to join Team America. Of course, after a montage sequence of visiting American monuments and listening to a hilarious satire of patriotic country music[[hottip:*:"Freedom isn't freeeeeee, Yeah there's a hefty fuckin' feeee..."]], he eventually changes his mind.

** It continued into the founding of Islam; some historical traditions hold that Muhammad initially refused to receive Literature/TheQuran because he couldn't read it - and later on, contemplated committing suicide, for fear of [[GoMadFromTheRevelation becoming a madman]].

* In issue 50 of ComicBook/{{WITCH}}, the Oracle shows the Guardians an AlternateUniverse where Will rejected the Heart of Kandrakar when Yan Lin offered it (something that really freaked out the girls). Inverted later on in that world as that Heart is ''very persistent''...

** Jonah is literally called by God to deliver a message to a city. Jonah doesn't want to do it, so he tries to run away on a ship. Of course, trying to run away from an omnipresent deity doesn't really work so much. God causes a storm to come up at sea that threatens to sink the ship. Jonah knows why the storm is happening and tells the crew to throw him overboard to save themselves. They reluctantly do so. and that's where the titular giant fish ([[IAmNotShazam not whale]]) comes in. Making this OlderThanFeudalism.

* Pretty much what ''LivingInOblivion'' is all about. Who would want [[http://notmydesk.com/npc/nondrick004.jpg this]] guy's face on any coins, anyway?

* In ''Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'', John Connor refuses to be the leader of the resistance against Skynet and even at one point threatened to commit suicide in front of the T-800. This is mostly because he knows that his being leader of the resistance means that billions of people will die to nuclear holocaust. By the end of the film, he takes up this responsibility one way or another.

* In Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen and to a lesser extent Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon, Sam actively tries to avoid getting involved with the Cybertronian Wars; in the novelization of the former, he even cites chronic pains from the climax of the first movie. Unfortunately, TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive and he's got an overwhelming sense of duty.

* In ''Lockout'' the leading man, Snow, initially refuses the call to save the president's daughter with the line "I'd rather castrate myself with blunt rocks."

->'''Talking lizard:''' We must find and protect the princess before our enemies get to her! Then we shall fight the enemy and overcome them! First--
->'''Yuuhi:''' Did I ever mention anything about helping you?
->'''Talking lizard:''' ...Eh?
->'''Yuuhi:''' You mentioned fighting, right? Wouldn't that, like, strain me physically? You expect a normal college student to fight against people who can destroy the earth?
->'''Talking lizard:''' You'll combine your power with other warriors...
->'''Yuuhi:''' So there are other warriors? Then I'll leave it to them. But I'm not doing it. It would be great if Earth survived, but I'll just hedge my bets and watch from the sidelines.
--> -- ''TheLuciferAndBiscuitHammer'' (and then he throws the lizard out the window)

See also: AchillesInHisTent, LeaveYourQuestTest and TheDragAlong. Contrast AdventureRebuff, where [[InSovietRussiaTropeMocksYou in Soviet Russial]] the Call Refuses ''You''. Also contrast WeAreNotGoingThroughThatAgain that takes place at ''the end'' of a story where the heroes refuse to repeat their adventure when confronted with the possibility.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Ryuuken Ishida is a [[ArcherArchetype quincy]]. Not just any quincy, but an incredibly powerful one and official holder of the title [[LastOfHisKind Last Quincy]] (although nobody's quite sure [[MysteriousPast what that means]] given he's not the only quincy in the story). However, he utterly refuses to use his power and the only time he was ever asked why, his respose consisted of BlatantLies that left Uryuu angry with him for years. Uryuu's grandfather did once say his refusal to be a quincy resides with either some kind of DeclarationOfProtection or an ObstructiveCodeOfConduct but what has [[MysteriousPast yet to be explained]]. With the quincies and shinigami currently at war and Ryuuken apparently wanting nothing to do with either side, the story has made him a clear case of HeroicNeutral and a very strong contender for a NeutralNoLonger fate.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Ryuuken Ishida is a [[ArcherArchetype quincy]]. Not just any quincy, but an incredibly powerful one and official holder of the title [[LastOfHisKind Last Quincy]] (although nobody's quite sure [[MysteriousPast what that means]] given he's not the only quincy in the story). However, he utterly refuses to use his power and the only time he was ever asked why, his respose consisted of BlatantLies that left Uryuu angry with him for years. Uryuu's grandfather did once say his refusal to be a quincy resides with either some kind of DeclarationOfProtection or an ObstructiveCodeOfConduct but what has [[MysteriousPast yet to be explained]]. With the quincies and shinigami currently at war and Ryuuken apparently wanting nothing to do with either side, the story has made him a clear case of HeroicNeutral and a very strong contender for ending up with a NeutralNoLonger fate.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Ryuuken Ishida is a quincy. Not just any quincy, but an incredibly powerful one and official holder of the title [[LastOfHisKind Last Quincy]] (although nobody's quite sure [[MysteriousPast what that means]] given he's not the only quincy in the story). However, he utterly refuses to use his power and the only time he was ever asked why, his respose consisted of BlatantLies that left Uryuu angry with him for years. Uryuu's grandfather did once say his refusal to be a quincy resides with either some kind of DeclarationOfProtection or an ObstructiveCodeOfConduct but what has [[MysteriousPast yet to be explained]]. With the quincies and shinigami currently at war and Ryuuken apparently wanting nothing to do with either side, the story has made him a clear case of HeroicNeutral and a very strong contender for ending up with a NeutralNoLonger fate.