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AIBU?

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Original poster

To refuse to take the Watchtower and send Jehova's Witnesses away with parish magazine?

378 replies

Elasticwoman · 05/09/2007 22:34

They said: hey, you've got to take a Watchtower, it was a deal!

But I welshed on it.

Was I unreasonable, and what do other people do when the God Squad come to their door trying to sell God to them?

OP posts:
sparklygothkat · 06/09/2007 14:12

Anyway, to answer a few questions. JW believe that 144,000 will be at 'god's right hand' in heaven. People 'know' that they are one of the choosen ones. The rest will live on earth with everlasting life. After 1000 year Satan will be released from his 'cell' and anyone who chooses to go back to the bad life will be destroyed.

I know this because I was brought up as a JW, my parents are still JWs.

MellowMa · 06/09/2007 14:13

Message withdrawn

MellowMa · 06/09/2007 14:13

Message withdrawn

MellowMa · 06/09/2007 14:16

Message withdrawn

HorseyWoman · 06/09/2007 14:19

The problem is not with them believing their chosen religion; it is with them FOISTING it onto people who have their own minds and can choose whether or not to believe it themselves. I don't want people coming to my door to ask me these questions and tell me what will happen to me/won't happen to me, or to come and have pity on me. My home is MY private space which I INVITE people to. If I say I am not interested, I expect to be listened to, not receive even more pity.

SueBaroo · 06/09/2007 14:21

Mellowma, you seem a little less than mellow.

Some of us do actually know what we're talking about, and nobody has said JWs shouldn't be allowed to believe whatever they want to.

Given that it is their practice to knock on peoples doors and talk about their faith, it's perfectly reasonable for people to talk about how to answer them, what it is they belief, and it's perfectly legal to express disagreement with them. They have no problem discussing the disagreements they have with others.

sparklygothkat · 06/09/2007 14:21

just ask them to register your address as 'do not call'

Howdydoody · 06/09/2007 14:21

Good job Jesus didnt feel that way HW or Christianity would never had got started!

madamez · 06/09/2007 14:21

ALl religions are available for mockery. THat's about the only point to them as far as I can see.
ONe of my mates was actually raised JW, but at least his parents weren't too grim about it and he was actually allowed things like birthday cards and Xmas trees so he wouldn't get picked on in school too badly.

I just go NO and shut the door on them. THough I have also been advised that window decorations promoting blood donation keeps them at bay (a bit like garlic to see of the vampires).

Oh, and anyone who doesn't want Avon, etc - if you stick a note in the catalogue saying @No thanks, not interested@ the rep should not put any more through your door. Or you can stick a sign on the door saying 'no free papers, leaflets, home-shopping cataloges ETC' and bin any that ignore the sign.

UnquietDad · 06/09/2007 14:23

Oh, for goodness' sake.

They don't come and stand on people's doorsteps in order to have interesting evidence-based debate. They are interested in nothing but condescendingly telling us that they are right and we are wrong. Any attempt to grapple with the actual points of what they are trying to say is met with a patronising homily or a quote from the Bible.

Imagine for a moment that it was people asking you if you were interested in creation and then in all seriousness telling you about the stork and the gooseberry-bush. That is the intellectual level we are dealing with.

sparklygothkat · 06/09/2007 14:25

I actually have to say that many JWs I know are very bright. They truely believe their regilion and are only trying to save people

HorseyWoman · 06/09/2007 14:26

Damn right, UQD!

HorseyWoman · 06/09/2007 14:28

Jesus never knocked on my door! (Being daft, I do take your point!)

UnquietDad · 06/09/2007 14:28

I have difficulties seeing how anyone who is bright can believe all that stuff, but still...

Most intelligent people want at least to argue, debate, engage. I'm sure even a rampant monetarist and an eco-protester could find common ground if locked in a lift for three hours. It just doesn't seem to be the same when dealing with the rabidly theistic.

southeastastra · 06/09/2007 14:28

they always seen friendly to me. anyone who knocks on the door wanting a bit of a debate is ok with me

alicet · 06/09/2007 14:28

To be honest get annoyed with anyone that knocks on my door uninvited either to sell me something or to push their views uninvited down my throat. i think its an invasion of my privacy.

Having said that the last lot of JW's who knocked left when I politely said I wasn't interested and that I wasn't going to read their magazine. So I have no more issue with that than people who try and guilt trip you into giving money to a charity you don't support. Or those people who start with 'I'm not trying to sell you anything....' when they clearly are!

Howdydoody · 06/09/2007 14:28

Agree with you Sparkley. Dds best friend is a high achieving girl who goes to the High School, scarily bright. And she is a JW, very reasonable and lovely. Even wears fashionable clothes and not a raincoat in sight!!

madamez · 06/09/2007 14:34

Look, anyone who believes in gods, fairies, pixies, or fengshui is by definition a bit of a dumbfuck. But as long as they keep their silly ideas to themselves or only share them with likeminded friends, it's no big deal what rubbish people choose to believe in. But anyone who rings my doorbell and tries to sell me stuff or preach crap at me can expect to be told to fuck off if I feel like telling them to fuck off. They're come in to my territory and can take the consequences.

THough I do stop short of landmines on the path.

lisad123 · 06/09/2007 14:35

I would like to say I would consider myself bright and the suggestion that I am my intellectul levels are below normal because I have a belief very upsetting.
You are within your right to ask them not to call and ask to put down as a "do not call".
Lisa

lisad123 · 06/09/2007 14:39

mad: maybe you should try putting up a sign saying no religious callers, maybe then you could save some of those choice words.

LoveAngel · 06/09/2007 14:40

I agree with madamez.

LoveAngel · 06/09/2007 14:40

No religious callers doesn't work! My nextdoor neighbour had a similar sign. They still harangue her. Its a bit like 'no junk mail'. Nobody gives a fuck.

HorseyWoman · 06/09/2007 14:43

Why should we have to put up signs, though? Where does this notion of a given right to bother people, come from?

southeastastra · 06/09/2007 14:44

it must work for some people. maybe the elderly who are alone would love someone coming to their door.

lisad123 · 06/09/2007 14:49

HorseyWoman: I guess the only way to describe it really is: If you knew a bomb was going to dropped on a place at a certain time, would you keep it sercet? You would want to save as many people as possible and warn them. Thats what the JW's believe, they want to tell as many people as possible the message they believe will save them. It also states in the bible that they need to preach in all lands and the JW follow the bible.

Lisa

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