Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Jehovah's Witnesses trying to convert vulnerable people

102 replies

nobodyknowsimhere · 13/10/2015 21:07

First AIBU and I'm aware I've potentially chosen a hot topic, so I'm bracing myself.....

I work in a residential project for vulnerable women and their children. We get a lot of donations from local individuals and groups, some of them religious, some not. Occasionally they come with cards saying 'happy Easter/Christmas whatever from x congregation'. I'm not a fan of organised religion or religious charities but whatever, it has no impact on the women and children concerned so it doesn't bother me.

What did bother me, though, was when the Jehovah's Witnesses rocked up the other day wanting to leave copies of the Watch Tower in our foyer for people to pick up. My colleague was the one who saw them and didn't realise they were leaving religious tracts, which they described as 'magazines'. We're we being unreasonable to chuck the, straight in the bin once I showed up and explained what they were, and would I be unreasonable to call them up and ask them not to come again?

OP posts:

LilaTheTiger · 13/10/2015 21:09

Not unreasonable at all.

JWs are a nasty cult and shouldn't be allowed near anyone, especially the vulnerable, which is sadly where they get all their new members.

I'm allowed to comment as my parents are in. That bastard religion destroyed my family.

honeysucklejasmine · 13/10/2015 21:10

I suppose it's difficult, because from their point of view, being a JW is a good thing and will help the people, so they are trying to be supportive and caring.

I wouldn't see a need to remove the materials. I presume people don't have to take them. Although I might try to balance them out with other religions, philosophy or ethical system.

SurlyCue · 13/10/2015 21:15

My best friend's mum was converted by JWs when she had just escaped from a DV marriage with her 3 DC. She is still in the religion but she is open about the fact she knows she was preyed on because they could see she was vulnerable and that she would have joined any religion at that moment in time if they'd turned up and said they could help her.

Laquila · 13/10/2015 21:15

I guess theoretically you might be unreasonable, unless you did the same for any and all religious organisations that left literature for your service users.

However on a more practical level, it might be not be unreasonable to reason that the more evangelical the religion (in the sense of mission), the less appropriate it is for them to be approaching your vulnerable users. Then again, whether leaving leaflets constitutes "approaching" is another matter.

CalleighDoodle · 13/10/2015 21:19

JVs came knocking at my Door this weekend. I enjoy it probabky too much. Ive a masters in theology and like to reapond with their carefully selected quotations with ones that say something different. I probably need to get out more.

hiddenhome2 · 13/10/2015 21:20

They don't just leave the leaflets, they return to 'see how you got on with it'. They then try to engage you in conversation and hook you.

They're a cult. They should not be permitted to be anywhere near anybody vulnerable people.

They all need de-programming.

LilaTheTiger · 13/10/2015 21:55

Also, don't think for a second they'll help you out with donations or anything at all.

The only people they help is themselves.

mumofthemonsters808 · 13/10/2015 22:04

I have JW who call on me and they are lovely people, I really enjoy our little chats. THey give me a copy of the Watchtower and wish me well. I'd say, they have been calling on me, every month for about a year and never once have they tried to convert me to anything, they are just nice, kind people.

notquitehuman · 13/10/2015 22:06

I've had friends destroyed by the cult of JW. YANBU.

YakTriangle · 13/10/2015 22:07

It's sick that they prey on vulnerable people to swell their ranks. I know a woman who joined up after one of her DC was sent to prison. They caught her when she was very down and in turmoil.

celtictoast · 13/10/2015 22:11

YANBU. I'd have no problem with a discreet poster in the foyer giving contacts for a few mainstream religions locally, say if there was a noticeboard of various local information and events. But not a pile of evangelical booklets from a cult.

tiredofbadwifi · 13/10/2015 22:11

I'm glad you threw out the leaflets, I am deeply religious but would NEVER think of doing that to such potentially vulnerable people. It's wrong, and sneaky. Please please keep throwing out any leaflets like that, and maybe brief everyone else who works there about it too?

Summerwood1 · 13/10/2015 22:13

When they come knocking about my door I say "sorry can't talk right now,I'm about to go out to give blood"!!

Justmyluck1 · 13/10/2015 22:14

Well it depends doesn't it.

In my view organised religions can be wonderfully supportive and empowering for some and equally damaging and terrible for others.

The word 'vulnerable' is so subjective because some people can be in very dark and dreadful places and are massively helped by religions while others feel they have been brainwashed and used.

I can't see the difference between Catholics/C of E or JW to be honest.

I think it's up to adults what they choose to do about religions and I think you shouldn't particularly target JW leaflets anymore than any other.

Justmyluck1 · 13/10/2015 22:17

Many women have been destroyed by the Catholic Church though haven't they too.

C of E has an equally dire record of covering up child abuse.

Gileswithachainsaw · 13/10/2015 22:22

I don't think people of any religion should be leaving literature anywhere or going door to door

people are free to believe what they wish and live their lives how they see fit but the second a magazine or phone number or information leaves hands or lips that Imo is "receuiting".

you can't possibly know if the person who reads it is I'm full.possesiom of the ability to say no, or whether you literally caught someone at rock bottom.

by all means offer help and support as a person but leave it at that.

LilaTheTiger · 13/10/2015 22:24

I can't see the difference between Catholics/C of E or JW to be honest

Then you don't know enough to comment really.

Medical issues
Making up when the end of the world is happening
Restricted education (especially for girls)
Mysogeny
Covering up sex abuse
'casting out' children who don't agree to follow the cult.

I could go on.

Seriouslyffs · 13/10/2015 22:26

I don't think they've singled out your project. It's what they do, as other posters have said we've all had JW at our door. Like monsters I have a chat and take the watchtower; they've not tried to convert me.

Osolea · 13/10/2015 22:28

If all they've done is try to leave a few magazines for people to pick up if they want to, I can't really see your problem.

They aren't forcing themselves on anyone just by making their publications available.

fastdaytears · 13/10/2015 22:30

They are fairly open about focus sing on people at vulnerable times in their lives to convert (well they would obviously say to support) so your project would be a good place to target.

C of E and Catholic Churches aren't perfect by any means but they will allow people to take up what bits of religion they wish to and more importantly to leave if they wish to.

mileend2bermondsey · 13/10/2015 22:31

JW are equal in my eyes to any other religion. I find it strange that people think of Scientology, JW's, ect as bollocks or crazy but established religions are something to be respected. Why? Because they are old?

I don't mind JW's TBH and I am never rude to them. The only time I got really angry was when I was in college on a bus almost entirely full of college students. JW's got on and started talking to the other kids trying to get them to join or whatever. I thought that was really low targetting young people you know cant get away for the next 30mins until they reach their desination and probably wouldnt have the guts to say 'I'm not interested thanks, please leave me alone.'

BuggersMuddle · 13/10/2015 23:06

YANBU

I have known some very lovely individual Jehovah's Witnesses, but I can't stand the actual religion.

I am an atheist, so I have am not a fan of religion in general and can't quite fathom how so many intelligent people believe in myths, but I can get behind some of the teachings.

The alarms bells to me are:

Cult like tendencies
Amount of time required (not chosen) to observe said faith
Treatment of dissenters / those who are not 'perfect' in the observation of the rules of the faith

Every JW I've known (and I've known a few in multiple areas I've lived), primarily socialise with JW unless evangelising; woman's role subservient or 'equal but different' same thing; lots of time taken up with church; dissent / vocal non-observance not tolerated.

Same with Scientology really - suppressive persons?

Like I say, no fan of religion, but the CoE, CoS or even the Catholic church won't ask me if I adhere to all their rules or suggest I spend all my time with people who hold the same beliefs.

Pericombobulations · 13/10/2015 23:09

JW are very little like other religions. My grandparents were JW, and had some pretty awful views. Listening to my lovely gran talk about a small child who needed a life saving operation to live, and saying he would be better off dead and with Jehovah than live his life with a lifesaving operation put me off them for life.

When she was in her last few months of life, her good friend tried to rewrite her will to leave all her money to JW, luckily whilst she signed it, we were able to show she was no longer of sound mind and the will was overturned, and the JW's "only got" the original sum she intended to leave them.

Last time I saw JW's was on holiday, in a place full of holiday homes and no locals, and they came knocking with a toddler, who was being trained to hand out their leaflets in the hope people wouldnt say no to a sweet child.

Im pretty open minded with religion, but just cant with JW's because it is so much less of a religion and more a cult

HopefulAnxiety · 13/10/2015 23:09

Just JWs make members shun people who leave, even family. And deny lifesaving blood transfusions. They are an extremely controlling cult, far different from a mainstream denomination. Even the loonier evangelicals aren't on the same level as JWs.

Summer

HopefulAnxiety · 13/10/2015 23:17

mile Scientology is barely a religion...more like a very culty self-help group? There's not actually very much that's particularly religious which is why it's so controversial that some courts have declared it a religion. The objection that I would have to groups like Scientology, JWs, Jesus Army etc is that they are cults - cult by the way has a specific meaning and doesn't apply to all religions equally. They are very controlling groups which often practice shunning of non-members (even family), controlling things like medical treatment of members, who you can and can't socialise with etc. And of course, Scientology in particular has the Sea Org which is just slave labour. Nothing to do with their beliefs being crazy or not, but the controlling cult aspect.

Think about it like the difference between being in a relationship with someone who's an arsehole, and someone who's actually abusive - the person who's an arsehole is still awful, but isn't controlling like an abusive person.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5