Jehovahs witnesses

[Draka]

Hey Rick, I've done that bit about offering to tell them of my religion. The only ones who have taken it up have been Mormons. They asked if I had some time for them to tell me about their religion and I said "sure, if you have time for me to inform you about mine." They asked what religion I was and when I told them Wicca they practically jumped at the chance. They were all smiles and said sure they would love to. In fact, most of our conversation was them asking questions about my faith than we ever talked about theirs. In fact, one of the two guys even came back to my place with a different guy and we talked again. When they were leaving the original guy said to the new guy something about "see, I told you you'd learn something here."

So far, no other religion's missionaries have taken up the offer. In fact, they seem put off by it.

 

[zomg]

As a missionary I never knocked on doors before 10 AM. If that's too early on a Saturday...*shrugs* I ignored the No Soliciting signs for the most part. I wasn't selling anything, all pamphlets etc were free.

I spent a lot of time knocking doors the first 9 months. What a waste of time. After that I talked to people out on the streets and other methods. Much more success.

I hate knocking doors...never knew who would be on the other side. Met a lot of crazy people.

 

[Smoke]

As a missionary I never knocked on doors before 10 AM. If that's too early on a Saturday...*shrugs*

When I lived in Jersey City, Jehovah's Witnesses thought nothing of knocking on my door at 8 am, and that's too early on a Saturday -- especially if you work nights, as I did.

I ignored the No Soliciting signs for the most part. I wasn't selling anything, all pamphlets etc were free.

But you were soliciting. That's why the signs say "no soliciting" instead of "no door-to-door salesmen."

I spent a lot of time knocking doors the first 9 months. What a waste of time. After that I talked to people out on the streets and other methods. Much more success.

The missionary who engaged me in conversation for the longest was an Evangelical who struck up a conversation once when I was spending a free afternoon in the park. In other words, he didn't catch me when I was in the middle of doing something, as missionaries do when they come to the house.

 

[invisible chzbrgr]

I spent a lot of time knocking doors the first 9 months. What a waste of time. After that I talked to people out on the streets and other methods. Much more success.

How did you choose who to approach?

I hate knocking doors...never knew who would be on the other side. Met a lot of crazy people.

Goes both ways - never know who gonna be on the other side of the door knocking. Yay for locked gate.

 

[Enoch07]

I did eventually/unintentionally figure out a way to keep one witness from coming back. I was alseep on my couch one day. Heard a knock at the door so I woke up and answered. It was the Jehovah Witness lady. She was acting weirder than usual and didn't talk very long, before she hurried off, and I was like wow... that wasn't too bad. Then I realized I was butt naked haha. She never did comeback after that.

 

[zomg]

How did you choose who to approach?

Anyone and everyone for the most part.

Goes both ways - never know who gonna be on the other side of the door knocking. Yay for locked gate.

Touche and very true!

 

[whatistruth07]

Jehovah's witnesses do not preach to be annoying to people, that is the last thing that they want to do. But we feel that we have such an important message for people that we may attimes call at times that are inconvenient. But why do we preach and call at peoples homes? First of all it is a commandment “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”—Matt. 24:14.Matthew 28:19-20 Also For the same reason Jesus did. He said: “I love the Father.” (John 14:31; Psalm 40:8) Above all, we are motivated by our love for God. (Matthew 22:37, 38) As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we yearn to share in exposing Satan’s slanders and in sanctifying God’s name before mankind. (Isaiah 43:10-12)

We recognize our responsibility to declare the good news, since it is God’s will that “all sorts of men should be saved.” (1 Timothy 2:4) However, we perform our ministry not only out of a sense of duty but also out of compassion. If we feel deeply for people as Jesus did, our heart will move us to do all we can to continue sharing the good news with them. (Matthew 22:39)

 

[lister185]

O.K, i respect all religions, i have nothing against them....

But what i don't like is when religious people, (I.E. Jehovahs witnesses), come knocking your door to teach and preech to you about their religion and possible try and convert you.

Should they honestly be allowed to do this?


Whats your views on this?

IAA

I was a JW for 28 years and did the door to door thing, now i dont agree with everything the JW's do but they are following the instruction in the bible and go from door to door to preach the word and save lives.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

You could always have pamphlets sitting next to the door from the Lucifarian church.

Or maybe some Kiss Hank's Butt pamphlets.

I spent a lot of time knocking doors the first 9 months. What a waste of time. After that I talked to people out on the streets and other methods. Much more success.

Really? Personally, that bothers me more. When I'm at home, I have a front door I can close when I don't want to continue the conversation. If I'm waiting for a bus or the like, I don't have that option.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Jehovah's witnesses do not preach to be annoying to people, that is the last thing that they want to do.

But you realize that this is inherently disrespectful, right? The whole idea behind proselytizing (which is not something that's limited to the JW's) is to declare that your spiritual and religious conclusions are so superior to mine that I should abandon mine in favour of yours. And usually, this is done without any regard to what kind of spiritual exploration or reflection led to that person's position.

I understand that you have faith in what you take to be God and what you take to be God's word. But when you ask me to throw away my beliefs and believe as you do, you take your flawed, human understanding of things and elevate it to the point where it's beyond questioning. God may be perfect, but are you? When you knock on my door, you don't give me God's word directly; you give me a pale reflection of God's word, because that's all a mortal human is capable of posessing. Is your pale reflection better than mine? How do you know?

We recognize our responsibility to declare the good news, since it is God’s will that “all sorts of men should be saved.” (1 Timothy 2:4) However, we perform our ministry not only out of a sense of duty but also out of compassion. If we feel deeply for people as Jesus did, our heart will move us to do all we can to continue sharing the good news with them. (Matthew 22:39)

The Bible also declares that people should rely on God to meet their needs. In taking on this responsibility, don't you think that you at least in part deny the sovereignty or sufficiency of God? After all, is your God not capable of spreading His own word Himself?

 

[zomg]

Really? Personally, that bothers me more. When I'm at home, I have a front door I can close when I don't want to continue the conversation. If I'm waiting for a bus or the like, I don't have that option.

I know
Which is why I did it and had more success that way.

 

[Draka]

I know
Which is why I did it and had more success that way.

Personally, if someone were to do that to me, catch me in public like at the laundromat or something where I don't have the option of leaving or closing the door on them, and they were trying to preach at me, I'd preach back. I love playing "mirror" and for every point they try to make to me and can use a mirror one back at them. I find most people get so annoyed at this they are the ones who end the conversation and leave. If mirroring didn't work and they just didn't leave me alone, I'd have to get as rude as they...and tell them where to stick their precious holy book of choice.

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

You know, I really wish some JWs would come to my house. I would love to have a conversation with them about God and life and stuff.

What in a bowl of oatmeal is a "lapsed lapsed atheist?" Anyway, you bring up good points. I am preparing to go on a mission soon, and will most likely spend a lot of time going door to door. I am actually excited because I hope to find out what a lot of people believe and why. Most people aren't just dumb, they have a reason for what they think. My view is that if you want to learn about what would posses someone to spend two years and $10,000 to go out and knock on peoples' doors, great. I'd love to share. But I would also like to learn what people believe and find the common ground we share, as well as learn things I didn't already know. It seems that to be a good missionary, you would first need to be a good listener (and a real listener, not a fake one, just to be nice).

 

[Katzpur]

You know, I really wish some JWs would come to my house. I would love to have a conversation with them about God and life and stuff.

What in a bowl of oatmeal is a "lapsed lapsed atheist?" Anyway, you bring up good points. I am preparing to go on a mission soon, and will most likely spend a lot of time going door to door. I am actually excited because I hope to find out what a lot of people believe and why. Most people aren't just dumb, they have a reason for what they think. My view is that if you want to learn about what would posses someone to spend two years and $10,000 to go out and knock on peoples' doors, great. I'd love to share. But I would also like to learn what people believe and find the common ground we share, as well as learn things I didn't already know. It seems that to be a good missionary, you would first need to be a good listener (and a real listener, not a fake one, just to be nice).

You're going to make a good missionary, Davy. Let us know when you get your call, okay?

 

[doppelganger]

Do we get to supress speech just because we don't like it? No.

Ummm . . . on our private property yes, we do.

And it's fundamentally disrespectful to proselytize one's faith memes, whether it's at someone's home or elsewhere.

 

[doppelganger]

Personally, if someone were to do that to me, catch me in public like at the laundromat or something where I don't have the option of leaving or closing the door on them, and they were trying to preach at me, I'd preach back. I love playing "mirror" and for every point they try to make to me and can use a mirror one back at them.

This can be a lot of fun. Especially if you really enjoy satire.

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

You're going to make a good missionary, Davy. Let us know when you get your call, okay?

Happily.
But it won't be for about 3-6 months. It's annoying, I want to go now. But at least I can spend time becoming a better person. That's all I really want to do, help people. People are so cool. I love them. Every person has a different story. Once you penetrate the mask that people wear, you discover a real treasure. Every person I have ever met was incredible and fascinating in their own way. I wish I could get to know more people. I mean really get to know, to see inside their soul. And the sad thing is, most people feel like they have to fit to someone else's standard. They have to live up to someone else's idea of 'cool'. When everyone is inherently more cool than any social status could ever make anyone. Sorry, you set me off. And now I've completely derailed the thread.

 

[Katzpur]

And now I've completely derailed the thread.

But in a nice way. :yes: Just curious... Are you hoping for a U.S. or a foreign mission? (Don't say it doesn't matter! Everybody has a preference deep down.)

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What in a bowl of oatmeal is a "lapsed lapsed atheist?"

Simple!

First off, I'm an atheist. But you know how people describe themselves as a lapsed Catholic (or Mormon, or fill-in-the-blank) if they stop doing things like going to church and reading the Bible but still believe in God, Jesus and the like? Well, I had stopped not going to church and not reading the Bible, but I still didn't believe in God... hence the label "lapsed atheist".

But eventually, I fell out of the habit of not not going to church and not not reading the Bible until I realized that it had been quite a while since I had failed to stay away from church on a Sunday or not not read the Bible, so then I figured that I'd lapsed as a lapsed atheist.

However, in the midst of all this, I've continued to try to make my way through the Book of Mormon, and I'm not sure how that works into all this. Maybe that means I'm actually a heterodox lapsed lapsed atheist or something like that.

Anyway, you bring up good points. I am preparing to go on a mission soon, and will most likely spend a lot of time going door to door. I am actually excited because I hope to find out what a lot of people believe and why. Most people aren't just dumb, they have a reason for what they think. My view is that if you want to learn about what would posses someone to spend two years and $10,000 to go out and knock on peoples' doors, great. I'd love to share. But I would also like to learn what people believe and find the common ground we share, as well as learn things I didn't already know. It seems that to be a good missionary, you would first need to be a good listener (and a real listener, not a fake one, just to be nice).

Right. I think there's a reason why there are fewer and fewer door-to-door salespeople these days: it seems to me that it's a really ineffective way to reach people. If you can connect with people who actually have an interest in something you offer, then I think it's better all around: the person you approach isn't getting something they don't want, and you don't waste your time getting a whole bunch of 'no's.

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

But in a nice way. :yes: Just curious... Are you hoping for a U.S. or a foreign mission? (Don't say it doesn't matter! Everybody has a preference deep down.)

"I'll go where you want me to go dear lord..." :singing: