To tell you that Jehovahs Witnesses have a list of people not to call on again?

[name0284629505]

The Jehovahs Witnesses come to my house every 6 weeks or so. It's annoying for various reasons but lets just say I work nights and am sometimes asleep in the day. The last time they came I told them not to come back and was told I'd be put on a list, like I've been naughty or something.

They've been deviating from their usual pattern of Saturday morning recently and they've come back today, they bypassed my house!! There really is a List! So if you don't want to be disturbed then ask to go on the list 😁

My granny was a protestant and had a particular topic she'd always ask them about that scared them away. Can't remember what it was.

Jehova is Jesus right? In which case I know him, I love him and vice versa. But JWs still tell me I'm wrong.

I’m going to take a punt here, cos i think i think Openmouth has internalised homophobia.
Why else would you, as a lesbian tolerate that attitude?

@Openmouthinsertfood

You’re worth much, much more than that. You really are.

But even if you do look at it this way, God is still not all-loving. Heinous murder, torture and rape are carried out in his name every day and this all-powerful, all-loving being does nothing to stop it or to protect his followers.

I'm aware he gave us free will and told us we had to make our own choices, but does anyone have "the free will" to be raped, murdered, and tortured?

He is at best apathetic and lazy and at worst a pyschopath.

@User454545454546565

You said that all theocentric religions are cults.

The majority of pagan religions are indeed theocentric, albeit polytheist rather than monotheist.

We never get them where we live. Perhaps we’re already on their list!

@Frequency

This is partly why I think the "problem of evil", as it is described, presents less of a problem for pagan polytheism than it does monotheism.

In pagan polytheism, the general view is that all gods and goddesses from all pantheons/religions exist (so as a pagan polytheist myself, I accept the existence of the Abrahamic God, I just think he is one of many.)

But pagan polytheists have a totally different framework of understanding deities. Deities are not viewed as all-powerful or all-knowing or all-loving. So evil can easily exist in a world where deities don't necessarily know everything, don't have absolute power and (in the case of some) may not be all that concerned with what goes on with the mass of humans in the first place. In pagan polytheist understanding, it's also possible for deities to be in disagreement and conflict with each other.

In a nuanced and diverse theistic environment such as that, the existence of evil makes more sense, I think.

@Anarchy99

Polytheistic pagan religions are not actively recruiting people.

Why Pagans Don’t Proselytize | John Beckett

Here is John Beckett's explanation of why pagans don't proselytise.

"So we publicize. We write books and blogs. We record music and make videos. We hold public rituals and we talk to anyone and everyone who asks questions. We let people know “here we are – you’re welcome if you want to join us.”

[Yes, some Pagan traditions are still secretive, and I’m not saying we should change that. Not everything is for public consumption. But some things are.]

But we leave the aggressive, invasive, fear-and-guilt based, religious salemanship to others. It’s simply not a part of Paganism."

Exactly. My personal view is that it's important for me to be nice to them, particularly if they have young people with them so they can see that world outside the control of the church is a friendly and welcoming place and allow them to question the narrative.

This makes more sense to me. I don't necessarily believe the same, but this line of thinking feels a lot more realistic to me.

give me a break, I'm trying not to type essays on the phone so using shorthand occasionally and also posts get deleted if you say what you think.

The I one and the C one and the bood transfusion refusing ones - in my humble anarchic opinion - are dangerous cults, is that clearer?

Trust me you might still not be on the list! That didn’t work for me! I was recovering from surgery so hobbled to the door on crutches and thinking it was my Amazon parcel. I said ‘Oh FFS, bloody Jehovahs!’ I thought this might have been the end of my visits but they returned a few weeks later. I heard them talking on my ring doorbell and one saying that ‘They believed we were a challenge sent by Jehovah’ 😂 I told them that they were unhinged and that if there really was a Jehovah that he’d know there wasn’t a chance in hell that they’d convert me’ I then mentioned their cover up of abuse of women and children (big local scandal here) and asked to be removed from their list. I didn’t know that they actually had a list but it’s good to read on here that they do. They haven’t been back since so fingers crossed I actually am on the list! 🤞

@User454545454546565

Yes, that is clearer, thank you.

I remember them knocking on my boyfriend's door once, and I thought it was his mates pissing about. I asked who it was through the door, because I was still in bed and it was a flat, so the front door was right by the bedroom. 'Jehova's Witnesses' was the reply, so I answered 'it better bloody hadn't be if I come to answer this door!' And they said 'sorry, we'll go then' 🤣🤣 and promptly left 😆. I felt a bit bad but I was only 17, and thought it was people messing about 🤷‍♀️😂

No. they believe Jehovah is God. Their view of Jesus doesn’t hold with mainstream traditional Christian belief. They believe Jesus was created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael before the physical universe existed. They view him as a spiritual being and God's agent, but distinct from God himself. They reject the doctrine of the Trinity, teaching that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not equal to God the Father And they do not worship Jesus because they believe only Jehovah is the Almighty God.

I'm on the list.
I've always been polite with them (if they catch me) and have had the odd conversation... but the last time they asked me my beliefs I answered truthfully that I was an atheist with pagan leanings. They literally turned and ran off down the drive and have never returned.

These days, whenever they visit our street they stride past our house as if it isn't there.

Granted, we do have ceramic pumpkins and a pentagram on the door which also helps.

The world isn’t a friendly and welcoming place - inside or outside the church.

Someone bothering me will get cold politeness unless they push it. Then I have been known to tell them not so politely to go away.’

I've told this before, but our neighbours opposite were a lovely older Polish couple, I think he came over to fight during the war and although good his English wasn't perfect by any means (much better than anyone elses Polish though) He was a staunch Roman Catholic.

He was also retired and I think a bit bored and when the JWs came round, he'd throw the door open and engage them in theological debate, while they stood on the steps to the house, backing down slowly.

It became clear that they tried to sneak past his house commando style after a bit, but never seemed to succeed through, as he had a 6th sense about them, he'd open, greet them and talk to them for hours.

RIP Mr Dubronski.

I never get JWs at my house. At my old house, I did get hand written letters from the local JW centre every 6 months, which i felt was very bizarre.

why do we not get angry about this? Im atheist. Im always polite if approached by any religion but i dont have time for it. Coming to my door to recruit for their cult is offensive. Imagine the uproar if muslims did this. Why is this allowed because its historical?

JWs need to do a certain number of hours 'witnessing' that includes door knocking but also letter writing and standing around with cart full of leaflets.

Be a proper MNetter and don’t open the door 😂

Similar happened to me. They caught me just after the birth of my first baby when I had severe PND. I invited them in - god knows why! They obviously kept coming back after that until my husband had a 'polite' word that suggested they never darken our door again!

I’ve literally never had a JW at my door, they must really like you OP.

TBF they are one step up from trick or treaters who knock on the door despite no decorations. At least you can tell them to fuck off if they are annoying