Door to door religion
Discussion
Ari said:
I have an elderly aunty who was something in the Methodist Church and who, late in life, met a devoutly religious and extremely well read gentleman whom she went on to marry.
At their house one balmy summers afternoon there was a knock on the door and he found Jehovah's Witnesses wishing to talk about religion. They were immediately ushered in and joined us for tea on the lawn, unable to believe their luck! Initially at least...
As I say, this guy (aunties husband) was extraordinarily well read and every sentence they started was met with a very polite 'I'm afraid that's not quite right. In fact...', or 'that's rather been taken out of context, here, let me get my bible, I'll show you', or similar.
It. Was. Brilliant! They stayed for ages (maybe they're not allowed to leave till they've converted or been thrown out, and he was happy to chat all afternoon) and they sat there utterly bamboozled by this elderly chap gently querying, correcting or clarifying everything they tried to say!
I don't think he actually converted them to Methodism, but they eventually left looking very dazed!
Yet two wrongs don't make a right.At their house one balmy summers afternoon there was a knock on the door and he found Jehovah's Witnesses wishing to talk about religion. They were immediately ushered in and joined us for tea on the lawn, unable to believe their luck! Initially at least...
As I say, this guy (aunties husband) was extraordinarily well read and every sentence they started was met with a very polite 'I'm afraid that's not quite right. In fact...', or 'that's rather been taken out of context, here, let me get my bible, I'll show you', or similar.
It. Was. Brilliant! They stayed for ages (maybe they're not allowed to leave till they've converted or been thrown out, and he was happy to chat all afternoon) and they sat there utterly bamboozled by this elderly chap gently querying, correcting or clarifying everything they tried to say!
I don't think he actually converted them to Methodism, but they eventually left looking very dazed!
A good friend of mine is a JW, he was converted by a family member around 6 or 7 years ago. He is very good in that he doesn't do anything to try and force the religion upon me, and indeed, you wouldn't know of his religion if you didn't really know him. We used to have good discussions when we used to work together, although I've never been interested to be honest. However, it is interesting to see why they believe in what they believe.
He goes door-knocking in my area (and enjoys doing so, despite the conversion rate being less than zero ), but wisely chooses to avoid me
He is now thinking of reducing his 5 day working week to 4 days, so he can spend one day dedicated to his religion (seriously!). His boss (a good family friend of mine who I worked with for a few years) was extremely frank with him
He goes door-knocking in my area (and enjoys doing so, despite the conversion rate being less than zero ), but wisely chooses to avoid me
He is now thinking of reducing his 5 day working week to 4 days, so he can spend one day dedicated to his religion (seriously!). His boss (a good family friend of mine who I worked with for a few years) was extremely frank with him
austinsmirk said:
My father was a rather too intelligent intellectual type. Interested in religion but only to critique it. He would happily invite them into the house. Welcome them into his study and spend literally hours quizzing, if not lecturing them.
We had the lot
Jehovah's
Moonies
Mormons
A monk. I kid you not. Google the Bradford Jesus man.
Eventually they'd stop calling.
When I was at university I lived in a rather bohemian shared house for a couple of years. One of my housemates was a very intelligent, very intense and very verbose physics student. He was very atheist, so when the JWs came knocking he invited them in and argued religion with them for a good two hours. We had the lot
Jehovah's
Moonies
Mormons
A monk. I kid you not. Google the Bradford Jesus man.
Eventually they'd stop calling.
Eventually he needed the loo, and when he came back they'd legged it.
I remember a bunch of JW's spending about 2 hours at mine discussing creationism, I was providing evidence for evolution, the usual debate. However they returned the following weekend with backup. They brought a school teacher with them who teaches secondary school science and was therefore qualified to tell me I've gotten the whole evolution thing wrong! She basically had the view that the theory of evolution was bunk and pointless purely because it doesn't include Abiogenesis. I asked her that presumably Newton was there short-sighted with his work on gravity as he'd not included electromagnetism.
That was enough to get them to leave.
That was enough to get them to leave.
jdw100 said:
You can also ask them why the world didn't end in 1914, 1918, 1925 or 1975, as they had predicted!
Some of the young ones might stare at you a bit blank-faced at this question as a lot of references to these predictions have been removed from their official libraries and documentation.
Another question I like to ask is why - when you are all so holy - did you shun a relative of mine who had marital problems due to being raped and then gossip about her behind her back? Basically removing her support network at the time she needed it most.
That being the case why do you still insist that you will either go the heaven or live in paradise on Earth but my mum and dad, who took her in and looked after her, are destined for hell/no resurrection as they are atheists?
Funnily enough they often retreat at that second question. tts.
Or you could just close the door, instead of having an emotional breakdown on your own doorstep. Your choice.Some of the young ones might stare at you a bit blank-faced at this question as a lot of references to these predictions have been removed from their official libraries and documentation.
Another question I like to ask is why - when you are all so holy - did you shun a relative of mine who had marital problems due to being raped and then gossip about her behind her back? Basically removing her support network at the time she needed it most.
That being the case why do you still insist that you will either go the heaven or live in paradise on Earth but my mum and dad, who took her in and looked after her, are destined for hell/no resurrection as they are atheists?
Funnily enough they often retreat at that second question. tts.
Edited by jdw100 on Tuesday 30th September 10:49
Frankly, I respect them more than you regular Imaginary Friend apologist.
If you believe that going to heaven is the most important thing then surely you should be spending every waking moment of your day trying to take as many people as you can with you (by converting them).
Hence missionaries and the like.
If you are some sort of Christian accountant or some other profession then you are just a selfish git who has as much chance ingratiating yourself with the man upstairs as I do. i.e. none.
So not only are you a self-righteous smug prick - but you are a hypocritical one too.
At least JW practise what they preach.
If you believe that going to heaven is the most important thing then surely you should be spending every waking moment of your day trying to take as many people as you can with you (by converting them).
Hence missionaries and the like.
If you are some sort of Christian accountant or some other profession then you are just a selfish git who has as much chance ingratiating yourself with the man upstairs as I do. i.e. none.
So not only are you a self-righteous smug prick - but you are a hypocritical one too.
At least JW practise what they preach.
walm said:
Frankly, I respect them more than you regular Imaginary Friend apologist.
If you believe that going to heaven is the most important thing then surely you should be spending every waking moment of your day trying to take as many people as you can with you (by converting them).
Hence missionaries and the like.
If you are some sort of Christian accountant or some other profession then you are just a selfish git who has as much chance ingratiating yourself with the man upstairs as I do. i.e. none.
So not only are you a self-righteous smug prick - but you are a hypocritical one too.
At least JW practice what they preach.
Surely that's counter-productive given that they also believe there's only room for 144,000 people upstairs so trying to recruit additional JW's would reduce the likelihood of you getting a place.If you believe that going to heaven is the most important thing then surely you should be spending every waking moment of your day trying to take as many people as you can with you (by converting them).
Hence missionaries and the like.
If you are some sort of Christian accountant or some other profession then you are just a selfish git who has as much chance ingratiating yourself with the man upstairs as I do. i.e. none.
So not only are you a self-righteous smug prick - but you are a hypocritical one too.
At least JW practice what they preach.
qube_TA said:
Surely that's counter-productive given that they also believe there's only room for 144,000 people upstairs so trying to recruit additional JW's would reduce the likelihood of you getting a place.
I didn't realise the numbers were limited!In that case they should be out there encouraging a life of debauchery and hedonism.
Muppets.
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