When evangelists knock on your door...

Milton Platt · Aug 3, 2019

Eddi said:
What do you say when members of a religious group (such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses) knock on your door, evangelising?

I currently politely say “sorry, I already have a religion” and leave it as that

But the next time it happens I think I’m going to say something outrageous such as “I don’t need religion, I have a direct line to God” (don’t worry, I don’t believe I have a direct line to God!) or make up a religion and tell them I belong to that

I try to be civil. No need to be an *** unless they become asses.
Generally, I tell them that I am an atheist, but am open to looking at any empirical evidence they have that a god may exist. I tell them that I am not interested in hearsay, and generally view any evidence from the Bible as such. To date, everyone has left at that point.

stvdv · Aug 3, 2019

suncowiam said:
I purposely show anger or annoyance to further bring the point home.

I do the same, because it's better for myself too. This way I show respect for myself, and thereby avoiding to get irritated by them

suncowiam said:
They act nice and happy but their intentions are sinister.

Would there not be 1 exception, whose intention is not sinister?

suncowiam said:
They want you to integrate into their cult and yes I call it a cult. Why? Because we have to change our belief systems.

Cult definition: In modern English, the term cult has come to usually refer to a social group defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or its common interest in a particular personality, object or goal. Wikipedia

Seems you calling them a cult is true. Cult, according to this definition, seems different than normal, but not "negative" to me

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

Jose Fly said:
Here's one way of looking at door-to-door proselytizers....by coming unsolicited to my house with the sole purpose of converting me to their religious beliefs, they have opened the door to having their beliefs evaluated, critiqued, and debated, right?

You are right.

So if a pair of JWs knock on my door, I'm entirely justified when I grill them on their false beliefs about biology (I'm a biologist, so that's what I would focus on), their backwards views on higher education, and any other nonsense that they're selling, correct?

Yes, of course.

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

Shad said:
Only Mormons and JW visit door to door around here. They are far more community centered so topics about the city and community are often brought up. Neither are isolationist here nor quick to disparage the community. So conversations are pleasant and based on common ground. I think between those two groups and myself there is an understanding that I am not "buying" so they are not trying to "sell" me anything.

Both have recommended private schools when I asked. Most private schools are religious so they would know a few.

According to the JW high standard, they would not have recommended a school which is being supervised by another religion.
Ask @Deeje for it is written, "get out of her my people". Revelation 18:4

Shad · Aug 3, 2019

savagewind said:
According to the JW high standard, they would not have recommended a school which is being supervised by another religion.
Ask @Deeje for it is written, "get out of her my people". Revelation 18:4

It was there own school. It is in city about a 15 min drive away.

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

Shad said:
It was there own school. It is in city about a 15 min drive away.

Are you sure about that? The Jehovah's Witnesses do have a school but it is really a meeting of Bible study at their places of worship.

Shad · Aug 3, 2019

savagewind said:
Are you sure about that? The Jehovah's Witnesses do have a school but it is really a meeting of Bible study at their places of worship.

Sorry I wasn't clear. It is for my kids. I prefer private schools over public. Most private schools here are run by a religion/denomination. I am trying to find schools with the religion lessons as electives. It is balance between risks of religious indoctrination and a better education.

My ex-sister-in-law (too many dashes) was a JW. She went to one of their school when she was young but it was in a city about 45 mins away.

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

Shad said:
Sorry I wasn't clear. It is for my kids. I prefer private schools over public. Most private schools here are run by a religion/denomination. I am trying to find schools with the religion lessons as electives. It is balance between risks of religious indoctrination and a better education.

My ex-sister-in-law (too many dashes) was a JW. She went to one of their school when she was young but it was in a city about 45 mins away.

OK. I might bet that the Jehovah's Witnesses have no school anywhere, ever. But, children as young as five have joined the Theocratic Ministry School.

What I have found to be unnatural is that there is only one school and anyone may attend. A JW who can but does not attend might be looked down upon. BUT, everyone in the school covers the same material. It does not matter what age or what theocratic experience a person may have. Everyone attends the same classes. There was one each week and of course, I joined it. What is covered most of the time is how to reason about what is written in the Bible and how to communicate it.

sooda · Aug 3, 2019

savagewind said:
OK. I might bet that the Jehovah's Witnesses have no school anywhere, ever. But, children as young as five have joined the Theocratic Ministry School.

What I have found to be unnatural is that there is only one school and anyone may attend. A JW who can but does not attend might be looked down upon. BUT, everyone in the school covers the same material. It does not matter what age or what theocratic experience a person may have. Everyone attends the same classes. There was one each week and of course, I joined it. What is covered most of the time is how to reason about what is written in the Bible and how to communicate it.

Established religious schools that are accredited will offer the Bible as an elective (as literature) and they well set you back 15 to 30K a year or more.

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

sooda said:
Established religious schools that are accredited will offer the Bible as an elective (as literature) and they well set you back 15 to 30K a year or more.

I am talking about his post, "the JW ladies recommended private school" for his kids. And, he said that most private schools are run by a religion. Not Jehovah's Witnesses. Please, correct me if I am wrong about there being no Jehovah's Witness run private schools. If there is, knock me over with a feather!

sooda · Aug 3, 2019

savagewind said:
I am talking about his post, "the JW ladies recommended private school" for his kids. And, he said that most private schools are run by a religion. Not Jehovah's Witnesses. Please, correct me if I am wrong about there being no Jehovah's Witness run private schools. If there is, knock me over with a feather!

I have never heard of any JW private schools. Established Episcopalian are excellent. Where do you live?

Spirit of Light · Aug 3, 2019

savagewind said:
I am talking about his post, "the JW ladies recommended private school" for his kids. And, he said that most private schools are run by a religion. Not Jehovah's Witnesses. Please, correct me if I am wrong about there being no Jehovah's Witness run private schools. If there is, knock me over with a feather!

It is good for religious families to have their kids in religious schools, because they often learn more about their religion then

sooda · Aug 3, 2019

Amanaki said:
It is good for religious families to have their kids in religious schools, because they often learn more about their religion then

Al

Amanaki said:
It is good for religious families to have their kids in religious schools, because they often learn more about their religion then

Most of the "Christian" schools that popped up in the 1970s are offering a lousy education.

Jose Fly · Aug 3, 2019

savagewind said:
You are right.

Yes, of course.

I think so too, which makes the reactions of the JWs I do that with all the more strange. They basically run away once they realize that if they stay and engage me, they're going to be debating their religion's teachings on science with an actual scientist.

The kicker is when I ask them (usually on their way out the door), "How does it make you feel that your religion is sending you out to spread a set of beliefs that you can't defend or even answer simple questions about?"

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

sooda said:
I have never heard of any JW private schools. Established Episcopalian are excellent. Where do you live?

I have never heard of a JW private school either. @Shad says there are. I had never thought of it before but that the JW might run a school in some places where there is little or no education for the children would be a great kindness. But, for free. Jehovah's Witnesses are not known for their kindnesses, so no school. If there is, I'd like to know.

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

Amanaki said:
It is good for religious families to have their kids in religious schools, because they often learn more about their religion then

I might agree but the JW can't do it. Ask them! The Bible seems to them to forbid rubbing shoulders with "the world". Have you not heard that many JW parents discourage further education? The reason is the same as why I believe there are no JW schools.

Spirit of Light · Aug 3, 2019

sooda said:
Al

Most of the "Christian" schools that popped up in the 1970s are offering a lousy education.

If it is education of Christianity for them, they learn Good things.
If there were Buddhist schools in Norway i would send my kids there (when I get kids, no kids yet)

sooda · Aug 3, 2019

savagewind said:
I have never heard of a JW private school either. @Shad says there are. I had never thought of it before but that the JW might run a school in some places where there is little or no education for the children would be a great kindness. But, for free. Jehovah's Witnesses are not known for their kindnesses, so no school. If there is, I'd like to know.

Homepage | New System School
www.newsystemschool.org
They have made legal arrangements to be recognized as a private religious school. This is not a home school satellite situation, but a private religious school with a faculty and non-institutional campus arrangement. We are a non-profit, private religious school created for the children of Jehovah's Witnesses.

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

Jose Fly said:
I think so too, which makes the reactions of the JWs I do that with all the more strange. They basically run away once they realize that if they stay and engage me, they're going to be debating their religion's teachings on science with an actual scientist.

The kicker is when I ask them (usually on their way out the door), "How does it make you feel that your religion is sending you out to spread a set of beliefs that you can't defend or even answer simple questions about?"

I think that most of those people going door to door are novices or stubbornly self-righteous because after a while, thinking people learn that the door to door work is a whale of a waste of time.

savagewind · Aug 3, 2019

sooda said:
Homepage | New System School
www.newsystemschool.org
They have made legal arrangements to be recognized as a private religious school. This is not a home school satellite situation, but a private religious school with a faculty and non-institutional campus arrangement. We are a non-profit, private religious school created for the children of Jehovah's Witnesses.

OK. Thank you. But, can anyone attend those schools or only "the children of Jehovah's Witnesses"?

When evangelists knock on your door...

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