Jehovah’s witnesses at the door, what do you say?

[singsong]

I believe in god but not from same pov as Jehovah?s witnesses. I have no complaints about people choosing to follow this religion, I think it?s everyone?s right to make their own choices. Also I?ve nothing against Jehovah?s witnesses as people, we had some lovely family friends once who were Jehovah?s witnesses (although they have now moved away). But I?m not really very keen discussing these issues at the door with a complete stranger. Had a lady come round today (very nice polite lady) who was ?spreading the word? I did what I normally do in this situation which was be polite and have a short conversation with her about the issue in her magazine (avoiding talking about it from a religious pov but just life in general) and then said goodbye. My mum on the other hand is quite rude to them and tells them to go away quite abruptly. It?s really not in my nature to be rude but I?m worried that by engaging in conversation in this way I?m maybe misleading them into thinking I might convert and join them in their religion.
What do other people say?

there was too much here for me to fully get into, but the 1914 thing, I've just remembered something and wondered if any practicing JW can confirm.

Once the last person, born in 1914 dies, is that when armegeddon's going to happen?

Sorry. I did say that I never listened during bible studies...

LOL!

I figured if miam could do it could too!

somethign like that. i didnt listen either.

a lot's happened since I went to bed last night!

must email my brother and ask about that witch of endor thing...

and if the 1914 thing is true... well, it's a bit depressing isn't it?!

Let's just take up every religion to keep all bases covered.

but why feel that you couldn't just come out with it, me, misdee and oatcake all admitted we were Jw when we are younger and someone else has said that their parents are JW and they believe it!

lol oatcake.

Oatcake, no the 1914 thing talks about a generation that will by no means pass away, if you think about say Napoleon's generation it large time period, it's the same with the generation who saw 1914 (a date not specifically mentioned in the Bible but through Bible texts can be pointed to as a significant year, try putting 1914 into the official website search engine).

I spoke to my mum about this recently, I got confused can you carify it for me Demented.

off to eat dinner now back soon

staffs

back later - picking son up (even though it's piddling down). keep up the good debating.

potty1... as in potteries???

That's me oatcake

mieow, I have always felt that the internet is a difficult forum for discussing my beliefs. We all know how wrong we take posts as we cannot see facial expressions etc. I would never want to do anything that would put my religion in a bad light either, so concerned that the picture some may have of me from MN (being a snapshot of someone' life, not an accurate representation) may not be what they would expect from a JW. Also I don't have a lot of time for big debates and have generally steered away as I know I would get too involved ( like today). There are 101 things I should be doing right now as we have a meeting tonight and I'm nowhere near ready!

I escaped. too many jehovah's witnesses

down south now.

Just seen your post Mieow, and looked at my explanation of 1914 and it's a bit disjointed.

Basically there is no date, it's not a case of waiting for the last person who saw 1914 dying.

I am mega pushed for time but there is some really good info on the website, honest!

lol Demented at being 'outed'!!

Can I just say that as a mother the post that said we do not celebrate "christmas, birthdays, easter and anything that is remotley fun..........." concerns me most. Yes we don't celebrate these things but we do have parties, give presents, have family meals, friends round etc, etc, etc. I only spent part of my childhood being brought up as a JW and my fondest memory of a gift giving incident isn't of Christmas day or a birthday (IMO anti-climaxes) but is of the day I came home from School to find a pair of much covetted roller-boots sitting in the living-room (my Mum was in bed ill with shingles) and going up to my Mum to ask her about the roller-skates, I couldn't believe they were mine, they were delivered from her catalogue when I was at School and I had no idea she had even ordered them.

Yes now I really am going!

my parents used to do the same. i remember finding a parcel of toys hidden behind the stereo system.

I loved getting pressies at a whim,My parents used to celebarate anniversaries of their wedding and engagement. So we had fun and pressies, didn't need birthdays and christmas. Just been to my parents to pick something up and they are getting ready for their meeting too

A friend who knows more about religion that I do told me once that JW's are not supposed to read the Bible on their own. They are only to be guided through it by the elders (is that the correct term?) through the Watchtower literature. Is that true?

no, I think thats wrong.

no as far as i know.

May I ask, out of pure interest, why birthdays are not celebrated?