Jehovah's Witnesses

[nottodaysatanlucifer]

Interested to see what others have done in these situations or if they've even been in these situations.

6 months ago I had JW knock on my door. I answered not knowing who it was as I'm in an upstairs flat. Can't see who's at my door. I was polite, let them read their passages. Told them I was agnostic and have no faith that I believe in. I don't believe in God. They continue to return the next few weeks. Stupidly answer the door cos again, don't know who it is.

Started a job that meant I was out more. Came home to a note through the door with their number on to contact them. I ignored it.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. At home for an important gas inspection. Doorbell is broken so left a note addressed to the gas engineer with my contact number to let me know when he's downstairs. (Arranged through my estate agents so I had no contact details for him). Appointment was between 8 and 12. I'm not gonna stare about my window until he arrives.

He does the appointment, I rush off to the doctors appointment I had straight after. Then I get a phone call.

A woman answers asking if it's me. "Is this X? I see you have a gas appointment."

"Sorry who is this? I've had that appointment"

"Is this X? Your note says you're having a gas inspection. I'm one of the witnesses."

So I'm like fuck, witness to what? To a crime? Start freaking out (there was an incident that happened to me last year that involved police so I panicked that maybe someone had come forward to something).

"Yes this is X, witness to what?"

"I'm the JW"

At this point I was in a panic 😂 but annoyed she had looked at a note not addressed to her and taken my number. I make my excuses as I'm at the doctors and end the call.

Then she texts me. Asking to let her know when she can come back. Or she will come by when she's near. I ignore it.

Fast forward to today. Doorbell still broken. Someone's banging on the door downstairs loud enough for me to hear upstairs. I look out the window (while on the phone to someone) and can't see anything. Look again a few minutes later and there she is. Staring up at me shouting at the window.

"ARE YOU ON THE PHONE?"

"Yes... waves phone"

She walks off. She will be back. I know it.

WHY

I know I look like a might need saving from Hell but I made it clear what my views were.

I'm not good with confrontation. I'm always overly polite to people and kick myself for it after.

Why do they do this? I don't want to be a JW. I don't want a religion. She even brings a really old lady with her and it makes me feel terrible to want to say something to this poor old lady. I can't be rude to an old lady 😂

I'm not fixing my door bell ever. I'm annoyed she took my telephone number. (Not sure if IABU for that) and I'm annoyed that she bangs on the door downstairs. There are 3 flats here, not just me. Why disturb everyone else?

HAAAALP

@JoxerGoesToStuttgart oh I can assure you my story happened

My grandad is brilliant. He's devout Catholic and invited them in for a cup of tea and a chat. They only visited that once 😂

@Nicolastuffedone I’m an actual satanist, no nonsense here

You're on the list. You have to be asked to be taken off.

Discrepancies in stories about JW can be explained by differing standards in different congregations.

Although answering the door with a black cat...

Just say no thank you. Shout it from the window

Both

@Alsohuman and @HumptyDumptyHadAGreatFall

You might not believe me but it was my experience.

This was a firm owned by, and employing primarily witnesses. I was immersed in their culture for 2 and a half years it’s not bollocks. It all happened.

All this nonsense of devil worship, going to a coven, grabbing a black cat sent them all running away....really? A simple ‘no thank you, please take me off your list’ is all that’s needed.

Thing is... I made it clear my views. Because I was polite, doesn't mean it's ok to continue knocking/banging on my door. Or taking my telephone number and calling me. Putting me on a list I wasn't asked to be put on. I shouldn't have to bloody ask to be taken off said list 😂 it's not like I've signed up to some company and now I don't want to be a subscriber anymore. I didn't ask for any of this.

Just to add, men and women could categorically not be alone without a chaperone those “courting” would require a chaperone. Business wise it was difficult. I had many occasions, such as walking to lunch separately where it was apparent this was an issue.

When you’ve worked 50 hour weeks with witnesses for 2.5 years come back to me!

I was brought up as a JW - I’m not one now - and my mum was one for 60 years and the comment I highlighted is bollocks @FunOnTheBeach20.

Different congregations don’t have varying standards either, everything they do comes from Bethel. There are no lists. HTH.

nottodaysatanlucifer. I never said it was ok to continue knocking on your door. I was talking about the other posts where some were pretending to be devil worshippers etc.

All this nonsense of devil worship, going to a coven, grabbing a black cat sent them all running away....really

That was me that said about the black cat and it's true. She's sadly no longer with us, but she liked to sit on my shoulder. So there.

www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-dating/

To prevent their hearts from misleading them, couples who are dating can avoid being alone in tempting situations. They may choose to take such reasonable precautions as staying in the company of a wholesome group or a suitable chaperone.

Have a little read of similar situations from a JW forum. You will note they consider it “inappropriate” to be alone with the opposite sex.

www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/120193/alone-opposite-sex

I don't know if it works, or if I just don't have door knocking JW in my area, but I have one of those signs that says things like "I don't want to change my energy company; I do not buy or sell at the door; etc" it also says "I will not discuss religion".

We had a girl at senior school years ago. Her name was Beryl and was a JW. She wasn't allowed to attend the sex ed classes and told us she didn't have a tv at home. She never seemed to have any friends (probably wasn't allowed to mix with us non-JW) and always seemed so lonely. I felt sorry for her.

@Nicolastuffedone oh okay 😂 apologies!

Still can't believe I have to request being taken off a sodding list though.

@FunOnTheBeach20 am I allowed to ask why you left the JW? I’m always interested in why people leave. I’m supposes to be Jewish!

You’re not on a list @nottodaysatanlucifer, it would basically be the electoral roll, if they had one! You can ask them to record that you don’t want them to visit you.

@MonstranceClock

I didn’t leave, the firm I worked for was formed by a JW and employed exclusively JW’s who were part of the same congregation. The clients were primarily JW’s, but with the economic downturn they had to start branching out and couldn’t rely just on the congregation for business.

Also the founder of the firm, introduced his son and two others as partners to the firm. At some stage the founder had an affair and was shuned by the congregation. The founder was forced to leave and his son and his family were then able to leave but the business ties meant they were still associated by the two remaining partners. The remaining partners had family employed by the business as well as associates so probably still 2/3 witnesses now.

I didn’t know any of this when I joined the firm, but it was certainly an education!

@Alsohuman sorry, I was going by what a lot of people said about lists.

AH i meant @Alsohuman sorry @FunOnTheBeach20! Although that’s really interesting.

@MonstranceClock sorry!!

No my fault, I tagged the wrong person

JW have a very thick skin, you can insult them to hell & they don't go away. I finally got blackballed by telling them I was a practicing catholic (I'm not). They stood at the end of my path & were writing in a notebook, they have never bothered me again.

To be fair, I look like I need saving. I'm heavily covered in tattoos. Probably think I'm the spawn of Satan

I suppose they get double points if they can convert you 😂

I've always found them very polite when knocking at our door. I take their booklet and say thank you and they go away 🤷‍♀️

What I don't understand though is that they believe there's only so many thousand places in heaven, so why do they want more people joining them? More competition innit? 🤔

Echo what others said, a good friend of mine is a witness and you just need to let them know you are definitely not interested, and you will be marked off their list of visits. If you don’t make it really clear they will continue. Now you have her number, just text her and explain kindly that you are really not interested.

yeah everybody alway seems to have a bullshit 'me/mygrandparent invited them in and debated them for a week and never saw them again' story.