Jehovah's WItnesses

PS in case you think I'm overreacting, please understand that I'm not good at describing what it's like. I've had other religious stuff through the door before. This one is exceptionally offensive. If I hadn't already torn it up, I'd take a pic to show you.

... I'm sorry, but I can't help but think of this:



... Anyway, I must admit that is fairly offensive. I haven't been all that religious for a long time, and this doesn't improve the chances of me being moreso once again.

And what do you think this thread will do to solve your problem?

You just can't simply ignore them?

Personally, I have fun with them when they come to my door.
I invite them in, and within 15 minutes I never have to worry about them again.

A. - probably not related.
B. - Too true in some cases, but I'll not mention names.
C. It is, and you should be scared if you are on the wrong side of God.

Paint me pink and call me grandpa! Its happening everywhere, they came in droves through our town (I live in the UK btw). Do you think that every year someone says "Hey, maybe the end really is nigh this time". I am not religious whatsoever, but I still found the leaflet they left very condescending, oh well, once recycled it'll make great toilet paper someday.

Oh and btw, the end has been nigh for about 2006 years now.

lol @ the comic   

Well, it made me feel better to rant a bit, and it was an exceptionally cheesy and bad message.

A few years ago there used to be an old man who went around our town wearing a placard saying the end is coming. He's dead now.

And what do you think this thread will do to solve your problem? You just can't simply ignore them?

Agreed.

Bashing of recognised religions isn't going to be tolerated here.

OMFG!1!1!

Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on your door and gave you evil propaganda! How can you continue living?

Please kill yourself.

Weell happened to me some of the times when i was living in a student dorm.
If you want Jehovas witness not to knock on your door, there are some
simple steps to follow: 1)[/B] Take a black or very red button and nail it on your door.They should ignore your door completly...to make things even safer:[B] 2) Take some red vial that resembles blood in appearance and spill some in hallway or infront your door, just enough that is visible.They seem will shun your place...

Once I spilled some water from jar filled with rødbeter(damn, I forgot name on english)...they were walking around those spots and looked at me as if...hmmmm..I got feeling deadman walking...superstition is so silly

Edit: Great comic..very funny

You all need to respect Kryo's authoritae!

It is dangerous to attempt to engage in reasoned dialogue with religious fanatics.

Unless they're ten year olds, in which case it's amusing.

As moosetek said (much as I think he's talking rubbish for point 3) invite them in. Heh, my dogs HATE strangers. Ten minutes of them growling and baring their teeth is enough to make sure that they don't try it again. But yes, those pamphlets they pass about are hypocritical tripe.

And what do you think this thread will do to solve your problem? You just can't simply ignore them? Personally, I have fun with them when they come to my door. I invite them in, and within 15 minutes I never have to worry about them again.

lol- I'm with ya, I like debating other religons with them and quiz them on there understanding of there own book, which I have found that there knowledge of in most cases is limited. Sometimes its even quit illuminating. I had one Jevohah Witness that use to come over all the time, his friends didn't like the debate so they'd stay in the car... We blew 2 hours one day just watching TV and BS'ing about the world in general. (I get the feeling he didn't like going door to door...)

Now if I can only find a Muslim thats going door to door trying to convert people... And hopefuly one with a good grasp on the Koran and its meanings...

C. It is, and you should be scared if you are on the wrong side of God.

What did Lennon say? If you tell me there's no heaven I'll pray that there's no hell?

Jevovah witness coming to your door is the sign of freedom which cost many their lives. I dare to say those who wanted freedom of religion didn't agree with JW and probably saw them as a cult. Yet they also believe it wasn't their or the governments place to force them to serve a state church or any religion. You should thank God that we and well as JW have this freedom as long they doesn't break any laws (murder,stealing,etc.).

No, I really don't. They can get the hell out of my street and stop being evangelistic prats.

NO-ONE has the freedom to tell others what they will believe. I don't give a crap whether that's been fought for or not, it's utter hypocrist. Freedom to remove freedom? No thanks.

I'll thank God when he deserves it.

My uncle was a JW. He was generally a smart man, but was attracted to the religeon for some reason. Unfortunately, he got sick and did not recover. In part, because his beliefs prohibited him to accecpt a blood transfusion. I don't know, but I think any religeon that can result in somebody's premature death over something as common and life saving as a blood transfusion doesn't deserve to be called a religeon.

A few years ago there used to be an old man who went around our town wearing a placard saying the end is coming. He's dead now.

That gave me a good laugh, thanks Evil Muppet

Freedom to remove freedom? No thanks.

Uh, I know it's kind of lame when fear-mongers 'assault' us with silly reasons that we should pick their religion instead of the thousands of other equally valid religions or else go to hell; but the same rights that let people TRY to convert you also give you the right to tell them to bugger off (so long as you don't use cuss words), and that let you engage in political debate and dissent(usually).

I actually had a JH leaflet crammed under my door recently too. I looked it over and crumpled it up after a few minutes. Same ol' homophobia. Some of my best friends are gay, and I'm not so blind that I can't see some relationships are good, some relationships are bad, regardless of the genders therein.

I can't remember too clearly (I'm not going to go drag the thing out of the kitchen garbage bin to check), but I do think I recall the anti-war stuff it opened up with. That almost got my guard down, but it's just noise, the only reason they aren't fighting holy wars is they don't have enough power and influence. With the pacifist angle I think they're trying to pick up fundamentalist christians who are becoming upset with the war and being told to support the War party by their priests.

I don't want to be bashing on Jehova's Witnesses, frankly I'm sick and tired of bashing Christians for that matter, there's quite enough people doing that on the net already. But when people knock on your door, or they put leaflets under your door, or send random mailings, they open themselves up to scrutiny. I can respect people who have different beliefs if they can stand up to scutiny and argument, be it political or metaphysical or otherwise, so I'll take the opportunity to criticize what I see and give them the chance to earn some respect.

I can respect people who have different beliefs if they can stand up to scutiny and argument, be it political or metaphysical or otherwise, so I'll take the opportunity to criticize what I see and give them the chance to earn some respect.

Yes. And nowadays, anyone attempting to scrutinize will probably be called anti-religious, not taken seriously, or told to leave. The amount of religious people who are prepared to give debate and actually understand their religion are becoming rarer, and these are the ones I respect. Not someone who's spouting the same old recycled garbage which they've never read or understood themselves.

Its not their religion we are criticising, and in a way we are not being specific to JW, we are just ranting because we are sick of other people trying to cram their beliefs down our throats sideways and generally intruding on our lives. We have had many religions come to our door and attempt to convert us, and they all get the same two word response.

Maybe some religions are too free to say what they believe if what they do with that freedom is force their religion on others thus taking away their freedom to believe what they want...ugh...its all wildly complicated.

Boiled down, people who go door to door should imagine what they would feel like if they lived on an island in a society with traditions thousands of years old, then a Christian/muslim/Jewish/et al missionary turns up and threatens all that.

Or for the slightly more nerdy door to door religious fanatics, put yourself in the position of the Jafa being threatened by the Ori from Stargate SG-1, and eventually you get the idea.

I have always found them very friendly and reasonable.
If you tell them you ar not interested, they clear off.

Not like those damn telemarketers.

They can't actually take away your right to believe what you want though. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion is a double-edged sword. People who are born into a 'bubble' where they aren't allowed to believe whatever they want to believe are the true victims.

I'm finding the pamphlets a lot easier to throw away personally, I find it really awkward and intrusive when strangers knock on my door for any ol reason.

Marcathonas:

And nowadays, anyone attempting to scrutinize will probably be called anti-religious, not taken seriously, or told to leave.

I'm pretty sure society isn't any worse now as far as squelching secular sentiment, compared to the 50's I'd say things aren't nearly as bad as they used to be. But 'polite society' still dictates a lot of what we can and cannot say at work, school, social functions and church. As religion has become less oppressive society has also become more 'sensitive', a sensitivity toward not hurting anyone's feelings that grew out of a real need but leads through an aire of paranoia about what discussions can and cannot be allowed.

Still I wouldn't be surprised if you were thrown out of a church for trying to critique or simply examine religious doctrine outloud. But if you look at conservative literature you'll see the same paranoia about having their free speech infringed. I was looking at a magazine that seemed to have a strong right-wing editorial slant the other day in the doctor's office (had nothing better to do), and a writer complained about a tenured professor whose answer to student questions was 'I've done the research, such-and-such is true, shuttup'.

My point is one of the arguments that helps sustain the conservative political movement is the belief that 'liberal society' and science is actually counter to free speech. How might they come across this? Perhaps encounters with people who were unwilling to explain why they believed X scientific theory, perhaps the people they encountered didn't have the depth of conviction and knowledge in order to argue and so put down their adversary instead of having a rational discussion. What you end up with is an adversary that is no longer willing to argue. (Of course, they might've also gotten this way from slanted media, but every 'camp' is guilty of that to some extent or another)

So what can you do? Know your stuff, have a solid understanding of evolution, of the creation of the universe as we know it, and any other scientific theory that you may feel like defending.

I think the religious faithful who are willing to have a civil discussion defending their beliefs are the only ones that actually know their stuff and =are= faithful.. and the same can hold true for 'rationalists'. If you only believe in evolution and the Big Bang because that's what you've been told then you're going to have a hard time rising above the arguments of people who only believe in magic old men in the clouds because it's what they've been told.

I've probably gotten way off topic. Spent way too long writing. Oh well

(edit) I think my main point with this post is that secular and religious, conservative and liberal people alike are encountering unwarranted hostility just for speaking their minds. Just like in any civil war of this kind the only way to calm things down is to communicate and to never sink to the level of bitter, pointless infighting. We're damned lucky that, by and large, we never get shot or blown up for speaking our minds and trying to make a positive difference in the western world.

You should thank God that we and well as JW have this freedom

I'd rather thank the human beings whose blood, sweat and tears made/make it possible. Credit where credit is due!

This is so off topic as to be really not belong here.