When evangelists knock on your door...

[David1967]

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

I generally say hello. If they seem like decent folks I often invite them in for coffee and discussion of what they are representing. Kinda like I do here.

 

[David1967]

View attachment 31543

Seeing that, I would quickly remember how I never did like games like "dungeons and dragons" and move on.

 

[Darkforbid]

Seeing that, I would quickly remember how I never did like games like "dungeons and dragons" and move on.

Not like D&D, I've never heard such heresy

 

[David1967]

We take trips into the Amazon jungle by canoe......fly planes into the frozen North.....trek over mountains to reach remote villages....

So, I read a story of a group who sent a missionary to a cannibal tribe in some jungle somewhere. After not hearing back from their missionary, they wrote a letter to the chief; "How is our minister?" they asked. The chief replied; "He was delicious! Please send another." Sorry. I couldn't help it.

 

[David1967]

Not like D&D, I've never heard such heresy

Oh, give me a minute.

 

[stvdv]

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

You got me worried a bit ... in this age of telecom, you still don't have a "direct line to God"? ... you better fix that ... I have mine on "Speed Dial 9".

 

[stvdv]

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

Thanks for your thread. Next time I might tell them " I will call my God to discuss it with your God".

 

[sooda]

Chapter and verse? Please?

Mark 10:18 - Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Mark 10:18
·Only God is good [No one is good except One—God; C Jesus is not denying his own divinity, but is challenging the man’s understanding of goodness]. GNV Jesus said to him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, even God.

 

[stvdv]

You are right! I have heard about the many hours the group has put in to make only one convert. I was a convert and I suspect that at least some of their leaders know that using the door to door order is so that their people will make strong their opinion of the theology of the Watchtower because their converts are supposed to be teaching it to more people. And another reason and a good one, I think, is to learn discipline. It is not easy for most people to talk to strangers and to spend days trying to do it with what really amounts to other strangers as they travel in a group usually. I have had an experience with one JW sister who seemed to be one thing which was an excellent person but once when I disagreed with her while proselytizing she got angry which is something I never would have predicted about her. I think that the JW organization is about putting on a false front, which I think is novel worthy because they actually have the nerve to call themselves "the truth".

Thank you for sharing.

I am always curious why "God" makes people do such things. Can't be about converting IMO. But learning to speak to strangers seems a good one.

Once my Master pulled a stunt like this:
He called in 2 women. To the first one He whispered "You stand at the gate tomorrow morning and only let in the black people; don't tell anyone what I told you". To the other woman he whispered "You stand at the gate tomorrow and only let in the white people; don't tell anyone what I told you". Next day at the gate, all the 2 women did was fighting each other, because both were 100% sure they knew what the other had to do. Next day my Master called them both in and asked "How did it go yesterday at the gate, did all came in safe?". Again they started fighting about it. Then my Master calmly said "Why were you fighting? IF both of you had just done as you were told, there would have been no problem at all".

 

[David1967]

We may find their method annoying but they are just doing what all Christians are asked to do, 'go forth and spread the Gospel'.

Just imagine if all Christian denominations had the zeal that they do.

 

[Jose Fly]

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

I reach my hand through the crack of the door, take their pamphlet, say "thank you", and go straight to the recycling bin.

One time I did invite some JWs in and I started debating evolution (by comparing their talking points to the material in the textbooks I had at the time). It's amazing how differently those debates go when they're one-on-one and in person. The JWs can't ignore you, or dodge questions and info. After a fairly short bit of time, the two JWs I tried this with just stood up, said something along the lines of "we have others to get to today, so we'll just leave you with some literature", and left....and never returned.

I enjoyed it.

 

[stvdv]

I tell them with an annoyed face that I REALLY don't care for religion. Go bother other people and don't come back.

I get even more annoyed when they bring kids with them to do their speeches. I'm tempted to challenge the kids on why they're doing this work and how they've come to their belief system.

I like that. I don't like that (you send them to me)

Sometimes I try to act angry, but it's very difficult for me, and I really need to control myself not to laugh. But for the good cause I have to act this way.

 

[stvdv]

I think that being nice to them might bring them back even though he has said, "I'm not interested". Nice people are good people and so they need to be saved by the Jehovah's Witnesses. But, please don't think it is my opinion. It is just how it works. Mean, snarky people go to hell which just means dead.

Very true. When they came to me, I told them "You are welcome inside, but only if you do not belittle my faith (or other's faith). I have met a Master in India who is to me like Jesus is to you". They agreed to this deal. And they managed ca. 15 weeks to play "nice", but then they could not contain themselves anymore and had to belittle my Master and my Faith.

Of course, as per the deal, I had to kick them out. And told them "Please put this house on your black list, as I do not want to see you here again, ever".

1 year later a man + boy tried again. I said no. The man even put his foot in the door opening (I heard they had this practice like 40 years ago, but was surprised they still used it). I really had to act, like I was very mad, to get them out. But they seem to understand. They did not come back since then (ca. 3 years now).

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I focus on the good they have to tell about their God and if they broke the law of their God, they should take it with him.

How much good do you think outweighs the death of a child?

I don't know of any JW I met who been accused of raping someone.

Relatively few JWs are rapists, but many (most?) promote and defend a church structure that allows rapists to be shielded from the consequences of their actions.

The rapists themselves are more directly responsible, but the church membership as a whole shares in the blame.

Ask these JWs you know what should happen when they suspect that they think their child has been abused by a church member. I would bet good money that a significant percentage would say that they wouldn't go to the police.

More to the point: when a JW comes to your door to invite you into their church, regardless of their personal feelings on rape, they are working to promote and expand an organization where rapists and other criminals often get protected from punishment. This fact ought to be considered when evaluating the ethics of proselytizing for that religion.

Do defend their right to be religious, yes I do, do I agree with everything they say or do?. no, I don't, but that does not mean i need to treat them badly.

It's not about disagreement; it's about harm. If a negative reaction from me makes a proselytizer for a harmful religion stop and reflect on whether they're being a force for good, then I've done something positive.

 

[Spirit of Light]

How much good do you think outweighs the death of a child?


Relatively few JWs are rapists, but many (most?) promote and defend a church structure that allows rapists to be shielded from the consequences of their actions.

The rapists themselves are more directly responsible, but the church membership as a whole shares in the blame.

Ask these JWs you know what should happen when they suspect that they think their child has been abused by a church member. I would bet good money that a significant percentage would say that they wouldn't go to the police.

More to the point: when a JW comes to your door to invite you into their church, regardless of their personal feelings on rape, they are working to promote and expand an organization where rapists and other criminals often get protected from punishment. This fact ought to be considered when evaluating the ethics of proselytizing for that religion.


It's not about disagreement; it's about harm. If a negative reaction from me makes a proselytizer for a harmful religion stop and reflect on whether they're being a force for good, then I've done something positive.

99% of that they do is verygood work for the world to be better.
How many childrens have died because of JW?

Those mettings i been to with JW was all very much about God and how to be good christians, not about evil plans

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

99% of that they do is verygood work for the world to be better.

Edit: so that's your answer? If they spend 99% of their time doing good works and 1% doing things like killing kids and protecting rapists, you're fine with that?

How many childrens have died because of JW?

The numbers are hard to give precisely, but this estimate based on reasonable assumptions says that probably tens of thousands of people - maybe upwards of 50,000 - have died because of this policy since it was introduced.

Those mettings i been to with JW was all very much about God and how to be good christians, not about evil plans

Harm does not require evil intent.

As Steven Weinberg put it:

"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

 

[stvdv]

Do you mean that you listen to them out of respect for their view? Because I think it is a cold, hard fact that they will never pay heed to your speech. They listen only to plan for what they can do to contradict you.

Thank you. That is my experience also with people who believe that their religion is the best AND who are into proselytizing.
Then there is no respect, just belittling the other. And for me that is not a healthy company to be around. It kills spontaneity.

 

[stvdv]

"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

I would say:
Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes bad company

And I agree that "religion" has been many times in the past "bad company", messing up good people completely. But "bad company" can be any group.

 

[stvdv]

I have no problem with not making people feel comfortable if they're selling something that hurts kids.

I have a problem with "not making people feel uncomfortable if they are selling something that hurts kids".
I have a problem with "making people feel comfortable if they are selling something that hurts kids".

 

[stvdv]

That's right... so I wonder why you're criticizing my choice but not theirs.

Edit: I don't go up to random people on the street and criticize their religions. If I'm having an interaction with a JW about their religion, it's only because they approached me about it.

If they don't like some of the responses they get, they can always just not proselytize. OTOH, if they do proselytize, it's with the knowledge that their message will often be unwelcome. To the extent that this is a problem, it's a problem that the JWs create for themselves.

You have put this in a very respectful way.
I tell them. All agree that killing is not okay. What about emotional killing/blackmail "You go to hell unless you follow our sect?"