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

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?
A witness friend of mine told me those places are pre-determined too.. so what's the point of converting people who may or may not be already pre-determined? Any JW's on here who can explain?

As well as asking contacting the local Kingdom Hall to request being removed from the list, I'd also complain that one of their members 'stole' a phone number intended for someone else, and seek their assurance that this number has been deleted from their records and all devices.

Yes. This person has gone full stalker and the congregation leader needs to know.

I worked with a couple of JWs who don't fit remotely the picture that some people have posted here. They worked in a school and did everything required of all staff at Christmas - no refusals even attempted, and they had no problems being alone with males or any of the other weird stuff that people have mentioned.
I'm entirely confident that if I told them the OP's story they'd be horrified.

@saraclara it is a shame. I mean, don't get me wrong I like to chat to people. I wouldn't have minded having a one off conversation about it. But things get taken too far so it seems, and it really does give others a bad name.

But that seems to be the thing with religion. Some just take it too far. (IMO)

I spoke to the main kingdom church in London ( info on website) and asked for my address to go on my local kingdoms list of not to knock on. It definitely worked as they walked past. Then i started again, this time I asked the witness who knocked where they came from as I was on the list not to knock. It was from the next county, a town about 19 miles away. He said he would add my address to their list

I would phone the main London kingdom and make a complaint.

They believe 144,000 people will go to heaven, the rest will live forever on a perfect earth.

I used to work with a lovely woman who was a JW. She used to socialise with her colleagues and none of us were Witnesses. She also came out with us for lunch and there was no problem about being alone with men in fact she often has one to one meetings with her male line manager! She never came to Xmas or birthday lunches or sent cards but she certainky didn't behave as many people on here say JW do.

I'm a Christian and I don't believe in pushing it on anyone. But there is a old lady and man who comes to our church who used to be JW and they told us that when you first start being a JW you think your praying to god etc and you give your blood as a symbol your devoted or something but as you get higher up in the church they realised they were actually satanist ? And once you give your blood it's really hard to get out of there!?

I shouldn't have to do that. That's the sad thing. It shouldn't have to come to me making complaints. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. What I don't agree with is inflicting it on others. Why on earth should I have to contact people to complain about being harassed?

The more I think about it the more annoyed I'm getting about their whole approach. It's wrong. If I want to be a JW I'll ask to be one.

@dmof2, some people will believe the most incredible shit.

@Alsohuman why did you leave?

Yeah weirdly actually... I hear more about JW leaving than I do those actually continuing to be one.

@MonstranceClock, it wasn’t for me. When I was about 18 I wanted sex and drugs and rock and roll! I couldn’t live with their constraints. But my experience of them is that they’re sincere, decent people. The kindness they showed me when my mum died was amazing. They filled the crematorium for her funeral and sent me cards and flowers. They were kinder than some of my friends.

They believe 144,000 people will go to heaven, the rest will live forever on a perfect earth.

Ok, so what's the point of heaven then if the earth will be perfect? 🤔

@alsohuman that is my experience of JW. Very kind and moral. Especially the ones who are eager to learn about others view.

Dmof2 makes what happened with me make sense

I had one who followed me like a stray dog, helped me lift up dog shit too while I was walking my 3.. I told him the bible stuff doesn’t work for me.. he laughed and offered to find me a good husband instead. I don’t look like a JW type.. tattooed from the neck down, at the time neon pink and blonde arse length dreadlocks and multiple visible piercings.. even regular people gave me the Jesus Christ look. I’m like what’s his plan.. find me a blind jw so he can’t see the devil spawn he’s been paired with.

@Lunafortheloveogod I'm also heavily covered in tattoos. Makes me wonder if they think we are some sort of challenge.

@Alsohuman I have only ever spoke to 2 JW in my life and that's what I was told 🤷🏼‍♀️ no reason to not believe them?

Except it’s clearly bollocks. Anyway, you know better now, @dmof2.

I opened the door once not knowing who it was. Did exactly the same as you and she kept coming back over and over again and I was really running out of ways to politely say leave me alone.
So I asked her how I could possibly follow a religion that is against blood donation when my son needed 5 blood transfusions when he was born, she said she didn't know anything about it, she had never heard anything about JW and blood transfusions. I'm sure it's the one thing everyone knows about JW. How can you be in the religion and not even know the beliefs but try to recruit others?!

I was really annoyed when she came round and presented my autistic DS with a list of JW videos to watch on his tablet . I started making eye contact out of the window and ignoring the door after that.

The lady really shouldn't have taken your phone number, that was very inappropriate for anyone. However it was also a bit dumb to put that on your front door for straight forward privacy and security reasons.

She really won't be interested in your tattoos, don't flatter yourself.
She also won't be interested in wasting time on you if you aren't interested, she has simply misread your signals. There will be plenty other genuinely interested people for her to speak to. Just because you said you are agnostic doesn't mean you won't want to chat, as you said, you chat to anyone, as many people do. Most people are quite interested in other points of view.

Don't be so defensive about it. If you don't want to speak to someone at your door: charity fundraiser /politician/ trick or treat kids/ religious caller/ annoying neighbour/ non contact relative/ travelling salesman... Just say, no thank you I'm not interested please don't come again. You can even put a sign on your door to that effect if you have anxiety issues. Or you can block up the door and use the windows to get in and out. That will really flummox these unwanted callers.

@nottodaysatanlucifer maybe they go back to wherever they go.. church/centre/office.. like “I got a right weirdo today! They’ve got xyz” like an office sales competition. Or maybe we earn them more points if we sign up.

It’s clear the last time I was involved in a religious event I wasn’t paying any sort of attention or it was forever and a decade ago.

@FunkySnidge I do have anxiety issues when it's come to confrontation yes. Guess I should block up my door then.

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 😂

That sounds like my experience. I had a good chat with them. Their views didn't exactly align with mine but they were nice enough and I didn't find them at all pushy.

They're probably on bloody commission aren't they, do jw still expect you to donate a percentage of your earnings or is that illegal now? I tell them politely that I'm a Catholic when they come here, my husband however is a bit dim and has a chat to them. There is absolutely no way we would ever convert as I do not agree with anything they stand for.

JW's shouldn't be knocking on people's doors recruiting same goes for any other bloody religion.