to wish I could complain to someone about the bloody rude religous callers who keep appearing at my door?

[ThePhantomPlopper]

I'm a practising Buddhist, I don't do religion.

So why in this day and age is it acceptable for people to stand on my door step and tell me I'm going to hell? I even have a sign on my door saying "no religious callers" after I had trouble with another group last year.

I'm not rude to them, I politely tell them I'm not interested, but they just go on and on, I hate the thought of slamming the door in someone's face but I was so tempted earlier, this man didn't just tell me I was going to hell, he went on and on about how I'm responsible for the Planets problems and was starting to yell. I told him he was scaring my daughter, made my apologises (why did I do that?) and closed the door.

I'm raging and I want to complain to someone, but I don't know where, so I'm afraid you lot will have to listen to my rantings.

ThePhantom- who are you btw? there's triple mufins as well.... don't know who anyone is any mroe! they just taunnt me with 'you know me under another name...' PMSL

Slug and EllieG have the same degree as me BTW

Oh and do remember I think that whilst the JW's are a PITA if you don't want them, they genuinely 8do* beleive they are doing you the ultimate favour.

DH reminded me alst time one came here I ended up talking her through sattementing procedire for her adopted son. Whooops PMSL

The PA at work is a JW, and usually quite nice as long as we keep off religion (at which point I bang on about being a committed CofE person). She does have some seriously funny ideas about Israel / Palestine which are actually pretty offensive, but I don't know if that is JW stuff or her.

Anyway today she asked where I was going and I said (not thinking about it), "Oh I'm off to give blood. It is my civic duty." Oops - obviously sounds v pompous there. Anyway, her face was very

JWs come to my door sometimes and they are always incredibly polite and unpestering. Sounds like the ones who visit you op are just not very nice people.

I would always thiink of Buddhism as a religion. Partly because even without gods it has a supernatural element -- I mean an element that goes beyond what we think of as scietifically accountable phenomena, namely the soul and reincarnation. Isn't any system of beliefs a religion if it weds a belief in extra-scientific phenomena with beliefs about transcending the conditions of our lives to achieve something like redemption or salvation or nirvana, and also with beliefs about right action and our spiritual fellowship withn other people?

Death at the simplistic level Buddhists are Atheists as they are without God. However, we canvassed for definitions of religion (operational as opposed to language absed) at Uni and of 30 students got 30 answers.

There are even those who argue active Atheism is a religion after all.

What I think Buddhism is probably equates to soemthing of the bridge between philosophy and faith. but in its purest form (so you're looking at the Dhammapada etc) it's Atheistic

Or could be a religion if it doesn't believe in any extra-scientific phenomena, perhaps -- so long as it maintained the value of some special sort of extra-scientific discourse, which might be something like a discourse about an irreducible importance of a special sort of experience of the world as rich in value and meaning, or an experience of unity, one which is attainable by a special sort of reflection or meditation or ritual.

Sorry, x-post. I wouldn't like to call atheism a religion. Apart from anything else, it has no rich content, it is a simple negation, a single proposition?

But I suppose on the def of religion I waffled out just now, I wd be committed to saying that there are atheist religions.

I have nearly got myself to the position of saying that there is a god, but that god is just located in the experience of unity with a world that ispossessed of meaning and objective value. But that might be better expressed by saying 'there is no god but religion withstands the absence of god'.

Shall I knock annoyingly on people's doors and say that?

I have a sign on my door for unwanted callers, part of it reads;

NO RELIGIOUS CALLERS, we are happy as we are.

At the bottom it reads,
IF YOU IGNORE THIS NOTICE, THE DOOR WILL BE CLOSED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER EXPLANATION!!

This has worked for all unwanted callers. I had one JW knock before reading the sign, he read as he was waiting for an answer. As soon as i opened the door. He was full of apologies and couldn't get away quick enough, He looked petrified!!!

I will add that to the bottom of my note.

Deathworm - as long as you don't tell me I'm going to hell or start yelling like a loon, you can knock on my door and say whatever you like. It will be refreshing break from the JWs TBH.

Most operationaldefinitions we have used though would classify that as a philosophy though Death- albeit a prcatical one utilising meditational focus and ritual as a way of accessing the asnwers.

Remember that Buddha didn't teach an awfullot of what is represented in Buddhism today; what is out there now- that's really a religioon absolutely. It's also very unlike (sorry if I offend anyone- i;d say the same about many faiths) the original Sangha. When Buddhas passed it was an absolute, by the time we had Amitabha Bodhisattavas are able to return for humanitarian reasons.

Which sounds like I don't like Buddhism now: I do. In fact I tink its a great religious philosophy with an awfullot of truths in it, esp.impermanence, etc- and if you beleive in the Bodhisattva then that's a pretty awe inspiring and inspirational figurehead. But there's a wide evolutional trail between day 1 and now.

As there is in Christianity of course- what we have now is The Church in the main, back in the time immediately aftewr Jesus it was the Jesus Cult.Life'slike that, everything evolves. Whether that'schinese Whispers or hard earned divinely inspired understanidng is the personal bit

I was skimming through threads and saw Peachy's name coming up and was a bit that someone like Peachy was saying "Death to the Buddhists"
Then I actually read the thread! Am most relieved to see she was only talking to you, Deathworm!

''there is no god but religion withstands the absence of god'.
'

Ah now, you could found an entire new philosophy on that, and even maybe your own cult if you're after a career change?

'I was skimming through threads and saw Peachy's name coming up and was a bit that someone like Peachy was saying "Death to the Buddhists"'

PMSL CM

Anyway- thought- if you wish death to a member of a reincarnation focussed faith, is it actually a big problem?

Or just the gift of another opportunity?

Exactly! Could be a whole new opportunity to make up for past wrongs!

When I get callers like this, I open the door and vey loudly say 'FUCK OFF!!!' and close the door again.......they don't come back.

I do the same with cold callers aswell

Thanks v much for that clarification Peachy, that's v interesting.

Lol at death to the buddhists.

'Death' is only in my name as a result of tedious permutations on the threadworm theme each time I de-reg and re-reg. It makes me sound kind of grim, doesn't it, but I don't mean to be.

I bet they don't.

(that was to TinyPawz)

Was it Dawkins who said "Atheism is a religion in the same way that not collecting stamps is a hobby"?

Snorbs, I like that, whoever said it.

That's terrible!
I noticed a few weeks back the the JW's went to almost every house in our street except mine.
I wonder if it was because last time I forced my beliefs on them!
I hate anyone trying to sell me anything at the door. It is such an intrusion! I have all the signs up, they are ignored.
Your 'religious caller' sounds like a vile man!

So embrassing bit

years ago, when Dh as ill and ds3 was small, the JW's gave up on me after vsiting many times and handing me finally a leaflet about how homes should be kept imamulate for god then leaving

(things better now though I promise PMSL)