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ahmeerah
08-12-2008, 04:22 AM
Why do you feel like JW was a cult or that you were brainwashed? I don't view it that way at all

Me neither. It has a culty vibe because it is a culture and there's JW lingo and it can be isolating. But it's not a cult. It's more cult-like when members allow the religion to completely control their life. It's definitely it's own culture though. the brainwashing has more to do with the fact that it's not revcommend that members read outside/apostate literature and publicatioins. You're encouraged to only read material that'll strengthen your faith in the JW religion. A lot of JWs are hard-edged and judgemental towards "free-thinkers." So -- it's a borderline cult. But there's no ONE leader.

Lena
08-12-2008, 04:34 AM
Wow, you guys are mean.

I used to get door to door mormons, every Sunday afternoon, this big family. I'd spend a couple hours argueing with them every week. When their 16 year old ran away from the commune, she came to my house. :)

dangerousdiva
08-12-2008, 04:46 AM
But they are under immense social pressure to go on a mission, so I have to feel a little sorry for them.

You are correct. My family used to "turn me in" and send them to me to bring me back into the fold. I used to slam the door in their face or even worse blow smoke in their face.

Then my brother went on a LDS mission to a war torn country where we constantly feared for his life. He did amazing humanitarian work while there outside of proselytizing. I'm actually quite proud of him.

So now when they come I just answer the door wearing a tight tank top with no bra and say I'm home alone. Mormon missionaries are not allowed to visit with females alone.

If it's a Jehovah Witness knocking, I just tell them I'm Mormon :D

jaizaine
08-12-2008, 04:50 AM
When I was a teenager I was staying at my cousins house and heard a knock on the door in the morning. My cousin was in the shower and no one else was home so I answered it. It was a woman and small child telling me about catastrophes and she had a brochure about it. So I took it to be polite and she tried to charge me $5 for it. I didn't have any money and I handed it back.

I didn't even know what a JW was!!

I had two Mormon guys come to my door one day but there is no way I'd let any strange person into my house under any circumstances.

xdamage
08-12-2008, 05:35 AM
I'm guessing that most religion peddlers would swap some tales of their own if the shoes were on the other feet. Specifically if Satanists or Jews or Muslims or (long list) were waking them up offering literature and advice on why believing in Jesus is wrong, and their own way is better.

I'm not really thrilled with people using my phone, or my mail box, or my front door trying to sell me or teach me things I didn't ask for. No matter how important they think their product is, or how sure they are they hold the ONLY truth, they are WRONG to decide that it is their right or duty to intrude into my life. Nice or not, they are making a decision for me, against my will, and assuming that they know better then I do about what I want. They don't, but they are more interested in what benefits them (i.e., stroking their own egos or making money off me) then they are in me. Funny how people can get it into their heads they are being altruistic in some way when in fact their real motivation is it benefits them.

That said, my response these days is "No thanks" and I give them about 5 seconds to acknowledge I said no thanks and if they keep on talking, I hang up or close the door. No thanks means something.

phillyvixen
08-12-2008, 06:32 AM
We had some come by when i was pregnant and ALWAYS home, I never answered the door until my husband told me to just tell them to not come back.

The next time they came over i was sweaty from cleaning and only wearing panties and a t shirt with a bandanna in my hair but i answered the door anyway and informed them they were on private property and to never come back, I was nice but they looked dumbfounded that i answered the door in my panties 8 months pregnant.

They never came back :)

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 06:51 AM
Yep, I've answered the door naked before. But usually I just point to the mezuzah and explain that any home with a mezuzah is a Jewish home and they won't ever find any converts there, so they might as well not waste their time. Hopefully a few less Jews have been pestered.

I heard a bunch of JWs coming door to door and they went up my steps... slowly.. and I heard, "Oh. This house is Jewish. Look, there's that door thingy. We can't do anything here..." and they LEFT!

OMG BEST $40 EVER!

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 06:58 AM
I'm guessing that most religion peddlers would swap some tales of their own if the shoes were on the other feet. Specifically if Satanists or Jews or Muslims or (long list) were waking them up offering literature and advice on why believing in Jesus is wrong, and their own way is better.

Watch "John Safran Vs. God"... in an episode he actually goes door to door in Utah preaching atheism. You should see what some of the people do to him!!

jessica0585
08-12-2008, 07:03 AM
i think they attract dogs, and not in a good way. when i was younger my grandparents had a huge boxer/mastiff mix that was very protective. one time a jw came to the door and tried to open in without us opening it first and sam freaked out and chase the guy down the street. when i lived in columbus they came to my door once and my little cairn terrier tried to rip their ankles off....

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 07:18 AM
Watch "John Safran Vs. God"... in an episode he actually goes door to door in Utah preaching atheism. You should see what some of the people do to him!!


MUST WATCH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOZQsuLDqBk&feature=related Found it on youtube!!!

glambman
08-12-2008, 07:58 AM
JW are a fun lot. Over a decade and a half ago, I had 2 come a few times a week. I didn't have anything better to do, so I invited them in, and we had major debates.

In the Book of John, tell them why did they change 'was God' to 'was a God'. They went off about not speaking Latin and others translated. lol The original was written in Greek, and I suppose everyone until them was wrong, like for 1800 years.

They publish The Watchtower magazine. They have predicted the end of the world several times. We are still here.

They also left a red hard bound book on Revelation (their interpretation), I went and got a Kings James Bible, and went over the whole thing, debunking their view. One said 'What, did youpractice what you were going to say?' pretty nastily. I responded that the bible says not to 'prepare' that God will tell you what to say, and that thy were wrong.

They never came back. Some others do but not every week or month. Just tell them you are not interested, good bye.

loveandluxury
08-12-2008, 09:53 AM
One time I actually had a debate with them on my front porch. I told them I was atheist and it all went downhill from there.. We were outside for literally an hour, it was kind of fun and they were upset that I'm an atheist and there is no way I'd ever be "converted".

All the rest of the times, I answer the door and say I'm an atheist and for them not to come back.

LiveFree
08-12-2008, 11:36 AM
I never had anyone knock on my door to promote their religion!

RoseLeigh
08-12-2008, 12:26 PM
MUST WATCH
Found it on youtube!!!

I love that they quoted XTC. And I can't believe that bishop whacked him with his cane!

Also, I'm really happy I've moved back to a mostly Jewish area. So much less likely that the converters will come around.

i.breathe.in
08-12-2008, 12:34 PM
why are the JW's so less likely to try to convert jewish people?

RoseLeigh
08-12-2008, 12:37 PM
why are the JW's so less likely to try to convert jewish people?

I thought it was because they were already god's chosen people?

Bianca O'Blivion
08-12-2008, 12:44 PM
I heard a bunch of JWs coming door to door and they went up my steps... slowly.. and I heard, "Oh. This house is Jewish. Look, there's that door thingy. We can't do anything here..." and they LEFT!

OMG BEST $40 EVER!

I need one of these!

Re- JWs- all the ones I knew were very very hardcore- they were "friendly" with my family but they always let us know we were considered "worldly" and "lesser" and a big part of their communicating with us was to get us to convert. I feel sorry for their kids because they were NOT allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities (sports, cheerleading, etc.) and females were discouraged from going to college (no kidding.) The girl I was friends with was allowed to go to beauty school even though she wanted to go to regular college....:'( I am not making this up. If I had a way to help her now I would, we stopped being friends over something stupid....Her life was so hard already & being in JWs just lessened her options in life. A horrible tragedy.

scarlet_is_yummy
08-12-2008, 01:16 PM
i have had a couple of people coming round preaching to me and it annoys me shitless lol

i know they think that they're doing gods work but why dont they put their money into something real, like have domestic violence support or cancer support or any kind of genuine 'good work' ?

i find it rude and insulting that they think they can come to my door and tell me what to believe. they usually get a fairly rude 'no thankyou, i have no intrest in propaganda, pleave never come here again' lol

kandie_kitten
08-12-2008, 01:47 PM
^Well,f or one, they think that saving your soul is more important than saving the body.

Secondly, they don't get paid to do this. It's part fo the requirements of the church.

RoseLeigh
08-12-2008, 02:10 PM
^Well,f or one, they think that saving your soul is more important than saving the body.

Secondly, they don't get paid to do this. It's part fo the requirements of the church.

It's money going out if they're sending folks to other countries. (I don't know about the JWs, but I know the Mormoms send people abroad) I wish they would 'convert by example' by doing great stuff for the world. All those people trapsing around on Saturdays could be helping others.

cinammonkisses
08-12-2008, 02:16 PM
I need one of these!

Re- JWs- all the ones I knew were very very hardcore- they were "friendly" with my family but they always let us know we were considered "worldly" and "lesser" and a big part of their communicating with us was to get us to convert. I feel sorry for their kids because they were NOT allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities (sports, cheerleading, etc.) and females were discouraged from going to college (no kidding.) The girl I was friends with was allowed to go to beauty school even though she wanted to go to regular college....:'( I am not making this up. If I had a way to help her now I would, we stopped being friends over something stupid....Her life was so hard already & being in JWs just lessened her options in life. A horrible tragedy.
Maybe those were just the people ie. JW's in your life because in my experience they are TOTALLY opposite of everything you just mentioned.

Elvia
08-12-2008, 02:24 PM
i find it rude and insulting that they think they can come to my door and tell me what to believe. they usually get a fairly rude 'no thankyou, i have no intrest in propaganda, pleave never come here again' lol


I agree entirely.

jannisary
08-12-2008, 05:14 PM
Then, I pull out my copy of Luther's Small Catechism and start teaching them about the Apostle's Creed (which they have never heard of) and the Ten Commandments. (What does this mean ... This is most certainly true.) Usually they leave not far into this. As they go, I invite them to stop in for church on Sunday.



I have also always told them I was Lutheran and very active in my church. Never occurred to me to pull Luther's Small Catechism out on them. :D

xdamage
08-12-2008, 05:27 PM
MUST WATCH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOZQsuLDqBk&feature=related Found it on youtube!!!

Watched it. Great stuff. And really, they don't seem any happier then most of us about having someone invade their personal property and pushing personal beliefs.

happygiggles
08-12-2008, 06:42 PM
okay who's a jw? i want to know from a source cuz i think-i know i got some stuff mixed up. but from what i heard jws only believe a certain amount of ppl are going to heaven. and those people have to be a jw. so adding more jws would decrease your chance of getting into heaven......that's logic. but maybe they don't believe this at all

Flick6
08-12-2008, 06:50 PM
My totally ignorant understanding is that it is kind of like a pyramid scheme to get into heaven, the more you convert the higher grade of heaven you access... hehe but as I said that is based on total ignorance, I might even be making it up.

I like the way this thread got a bit of religion come a'knocking, made me giggle.

rooster470
08-12-2008, 07:00 PM
Also, I'm really happy I've moved back to a mostly Jewish area. So much less likely that the converters will come around.

We get the Jews for Jesus harassing us around here. No group bothers me more. There's no such thing as a Jew for Jesus; that's called a Christian.

OmgShesWild
08-12-2008, 07:48 PM
MUST WATCH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOZQsuLDqBk&feature=related Found it on youtube!!!


OMG I laughed so hard from this video I cried.....I can only say that I have had 1 group of JW guys come to my house in 10 years as a grown adult. I guess I'm just unlucky. Funny enough it was when I lived in a very well known gay area, so I really wondered why they were coming to my house.

Regardless...I hate when ppl knock on my door trying to push there beliefs on me- esp when it comes to people coming at me telling me how I should believe in "GOD"....This also branches to people who stand at bus stops and outside malls trying to preach the gospel to me. This makes me more
"ANGRY" than it does make me more "spiritual" when they try to push there belief on me and makes me more spiteful and vindictive to there "GOD" and makes me question why I should give them reasons to believe their religion.

On the other hand I don't hate them either, I can understand (KINDA) how a person feels compelled to go door to door and throw a million and one reasons back at you why they should "save" you & this religion is "bad" and that they need to "defend it." Although I don't understand the religion crap they are preaching about, I can also understand hating on there beleif enforces their religion to them even more, so its best for me to just cut it off at the first chance I get. I mean really--- its not my purpose to get them to change religions, is it??? Rather I just want them to go away....


Thats why I'm just like---- Not interested--- and shut the door.

RoseLeigh
08-12-2008, 08:02 PM
We get the Jews for Jesus harassing us around here. No group bothers me more. There's no such thing as a Jew for Jesus; that's called a Christian.

Weeeellll, I'm not sure I totally agree, if they are just trying to avoid the stereotypes of Christians and hang on to their Jewish background. There is a difference between being a Christian and believing in Christ, IMO.

The harassing is not okay though.

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 08:05 PM
It sorta makes sense in that way I feel a lot of Christians don't really listen to the Bible or any of their supposed beliefs. They don't follow the dietary restrictions or the clothing restrictions or the little things scattered through the Bible that they so heartily raise whenever an issue arises.

I, for one, would like to see a kosher cotton wearing Christian - just so I know they're actually reading and believing the things they say.

Because frankly Christianity to me seems very "BELIEVE IN CHRIST" okay, I believe in Christ, now what? "Um... we haven't gotten further than that."

ahmeerah
08-12-2008, 08:44 PM
okay who's a jw? i want to know from a source cuz i think-i know i got some stuff mixed up. but from what i heard jws only believe a certain amount of ppl are going to heaven. and those people have to be a jw. so adding more jws would decrease your chance of getting into heaven......that's logic. but maybe they don't believe this at all

I WAS one (baptized and an aux. pioneer) for most of my life and my Mom still is.

According to JWs: 144,000 will make it to heaven. They remaining do-gooders will have an everlasting future on Earth. A perfectly restored earth after Armaggedon. The government ruling this new world will be God's son, Jesus, and the 144,000. Most JWs don't want a heavenly future - so it's totally fine. Most look forward to everlasting life in a perfect new world under God's (God's Son really) heavenly rule.

RoseLeigh
08-12-2008, 09:15 PM
^^So are they trying to pawn off Heaven on the rest of us?/:O

ahmeerah
08-12-2008, 09:21 PM
^^^ I don't understand.

When JWs go door to door it has nothing to do with getting to heaven. It's about spreading the word about God's future kingdom on a perfect earth of the future. And how to become part of it. Otherwise you'll suffer destruction in ARmaggendon. But in the door-to-door ministry, no one is taught to say you'll die in Armaggedon.

Thursday nights are the nights when JWs are usually at the Kingdom Halls learning how to be better ministers. No one is trained to tell the people at the doors (aka "house holders") that they'll die in Armaggedon if they don't become JWs. The methodology is the same throughout the world. All JWs share the same books and publications. It's uniform and organized. Because of THIS, it's kinda culty.

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 09:23 PM
She's saying they're converting so you can go to heaven and they can live on PerfectEarth... hahaha it's funny.

ahmeerah
08-12-2008, 09:27 PM
^^^ lol. OH! That would be funny, but that's not what it is.

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 09:32 PM
It's uniform and organized. Because of THIS, it's kinda culty.

You think the JWs are uniform!?

http://www.cer-online.org/images/design/ECK-photo.jpg

Hahahaha.

Andygirl
08-12-2008, 09:34 PM
It sorta makes sense in that way I feel a lot of Christians don't really listen to the Bible or any of their supposed beliefs. They don't follow the dietary restrictions or the clothing restrictions or the little things scattered through the Bible that they so heartily raise whenever an issue arises.

I, for one, would like to see a kosher cotton wearing Christian - just so I know they're actually reading and believing the things they say.

Because frankly Christianity to me seems very "BELIEVE IN CHRIST" okay, I believe in Christ, now what? "Um... we haven't gotten further than that."

I'm not Xtian, but I will say that the ones I know believe that Christ is the son of god and died for their sins. They celebrate his birthday and death date, and other holidays in-between. It's not so much believing every detail of the bible as it is believing in the 10 commandments and the basic story of Christ. The few devout Xtians I know really have studied the bible and try to practice what they preach.

I don't really get what dietary restrictions have to do with believing in God or not. But then, there are a lot of things about religion that I don't understand.

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 09:40 PM
In the bible the only reason for the restrictions are because 'God says' or because 'it is holy'. There are no other reasons. If you're going to go on and on and on about how being gay is immoral, you can't eat prawns either, IMO - they're in THE SAME CHAPTER.

I was Christian a very long time. Went to sunday school and Christian school and church...

and I -still- don't get it. I never really did anything that was even remotely different from any atheists except go to church.

I mean, believe what you want, I don't care... but it just really doesn't seem like a religion to me, Christianity. It's a set of morals that can be exchanged when anyone sees fit to benefit themselves, in my opinion. But hey, do what you want as long as you don't come bashing on my door in the morning. :P

Andygirl
08-12-2008, 09:44 PM
I don't know. The Xtian people I know don't bash gays or do anything the other really judgmental people do. I can't speak for all of their beliefs, but I do know they try to go by the "love your neighbor" type of stuff. I also think there is a difference between people who preach the Old Testament and those that believe the New.

ahmeerah
08-12-2008, 09:46 PM
When I argue with my Mom about religious stuff her argument is always "the Bible says...." That's not solid evidence to me at all.

For me, religion consists of a bunch of rules that want to be broken. I'm probably more "moral" (according to Bible standards) now than I was then. I don't need to lie anymore and can just be myself.

I think some people just feel safer with religion. I don't know why.

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 09:49 PM
There's all different types of people, I agree. I'm just saying there doesn't seem to be anything to DO other than talk about Jesus or go to church and say you believe Jesus is your saviour. Like.. you just believe it, that's it? That's all that seperates you from everyone else is your belief of a man 1000 years ago? There's no clothes or foods or things you can't do other than basic stuff EVERYONE doesn't do (well... everyone who doesn't want to kill people or have affairs anyway)... there's nothing that seperates Christianity from, well, everyone else. You're just a person who believes in Jesus. I don't see people who believe in fairies (which nobody has proof exists or don't) making a whole religion on it where people who believe in fairies get together and thank faeries (srsly, renfairs don't count).

And be careful what you say about Old Testament. ;) I am Jewish. It just seems more 'religious' to me to be Jewish. Like there's actually something I have to DO. I have to eat a certain way and I have to live a Jewish lifestyle. It's very strict and -like- that. It makes me feel like I'm actually DOING something for salvation instead of just going, "yep, I believe in Jesus. I'm auto-saved!"

But that's me.

Like I said, Christianity just seems 'easy' to me. It's the religion you take on when you don't wanna DO anything, but want everything in the end. In my opinion!

ahmeerah
08-12-2008, 09:57 PM
^^^ I think it depends on the type of Xian you are. JWs, 7th Day Adventists, Born Agains and Mormons follow a lifestyle. I respect that.

Andygirl
08-12-2008, 10:04 PM
There's all different types of people, I agree. I'm just saying there doesn't seem to be anything to DO other than talk about Jesus or go to church and say you believe Jesus is your saviour. Like.. you just believe it, that's it? That's all that seperates you from everyone else is your belief of a man 1000 years ago? There's no clothes or foods or things you can't do other than basic stuff EVERYONE doesn't do (well... everyone who doesn't want to kill people or have affairs anyway)... there's nothing that seperates Christianity from, well, everyone else. You're just a person who believes in Jesus. I don't see people who believe in fairies (which nobody has proof exists or don't) making a whole religion on it where people who believe in fairies get together and thank faeries (srsly, renfairs don't count).

And be careful what you say about Old Testament. ;) I am Jewish. It just seems more 'religious' to me to be Jewish. Like there's actually something I have to DO. I have to eat a certain way and I have to live a Jewish lifestyle. It's very strict and -like- that. It makes me feel like I'm actually DOING something for salvation instead of just going, "yep, I believe in Jesus. I'm auto-saved!"

But that's me.

Like I said, Christianity just seems 'easy' to me. It's the religion you take on when you don't wanna DO anything, but want everything in the end. In my opinion!

I think what they are supposed to do is live by the 10 commandments, live a very moral life, go to church, be very giving, charitable, and unselfish (like Jesus). Obviously not all, probably not even most, of them follow this stuff, but I've noticed a very big lifestyle difference in devout Xtians and in people who just talk about Jesus a lot.

You obviously enjoy the symbolism in Judaism, but IMO that doesn't make it any more or less a legitimate religion than any other.

Lysondra
08-12-2008, 10:06 PM
I think what they are supposed to do is live by the 10 commandments, live a very moral life, go to church, be very giving, charitable, and unselfish (like Jesus). Obviously not all, probably not even most, of them follow this stuff, but I've noticed a very big lifestyle difference in devout Xtians and in people who just talk about Jesus a lot.

You obviously enjoy the symbolism in Judaism, but IMO that doesn't make it any more or less a legitimate religion than any other.

I didn't ever once say it wasn't a legitimate religion. I just said it seemed the easy way out.

All I'm saying is a lot of people believe to live a moral life to be giving and to be charitable... from any religion. I'm just saying not much seems to seperate your basic Christian from, well, everyone else - except a belief in Christ. While many other religions decree an entire change in lifestyle.

RoseLeigh
08-12-2008, 10:11 PM
She's saying they're converting so you can go to heaven and they can live on PerfectEarth... hahaha it's funny.

LOL yeah, that's what I meant. I think I'd take it though. Not sure how perfect PerfectEarth could be.

cinammonkisses
08-12-2008, 11:20 PM
I WAS one (baptized and an aux. pioneer) for most of my life and my Mom still is.

According to JWs: 144,000 will make it to heaven. They remaining do-gooders will have an everlasting future on Earth. A perfectly restored earth after Armaggedon. The government ruling this new world will be God's son, Jesus, and the 144,000. Most JWs don't want a heavenly future - so it's totally fine. Most look forward to everlasting life in a perfect new world under God's (God's Son really) heavenly rule.


^^^ I don't understand.

When JWs go door to door it has nothing to do with getting to heaven. It's about spreading the word about God's future kingdom on a perfect earth of the future. And how to become part of it. Otherwise you'll suffer destruction in ARmaggendon. But in the door-to-door ministry, no one is taught to say you'll die in Armaggedon.

Thursday nights are the nights when JWs are usually at the Kingdom Halls learning how to be better ministers. No one is trained to tell the people at the doors (aka "house holders") that they'll die in Armaggedon if they don't become JWs. The methodology is the same throughout the world. All JWs share the same books and publications. It's uniform and organized. Because of THIS, it's kinda culty.
Glad you were here to clear up any misunderstandings.

UtahMike
08-13-2008, 10:46 AM
In the Book of John, tell them why did they change 'was God' to 'was a God'. They went off about not speaking Latin and others translated. lol The original was written in Greek, and I suppose everyone until them was wrong, like for 1800 years.

Interesting. The LDS have made that same change, in the "Inspired" translation of the Bible, which Joseph Smith had partially completed before his assassination. It was supposed to correct the errors in translation.

But. I have a minor in Latin, and you can't have a minor in Latin without learning some Greek, so I know this: "a God" CANNOT be a correct translation, because in Greek there are no indefinite articles (a, an, and the).

The prologue to John is one of the strongest statements of trinitrianism in the Bible. I suppose that is why they changed it.

xdamage
08-13-2008, 11:15 AM
As a total side point... I was watching a show last night on the Koran. As was pointed out, the amazing thing is there is so much tension in the middle east among Jews, Christians, and Muslims who in theory all worship the same God, but like here, the beliefs are split hundreds of different ways. An interesting point made... Muslims have killed far more muslims then Jews or Christians.

Personally I'm an atheist or at best agnostic, but I think it's just good old Human ego that drives religious diversity, and absolutely ego that drives people who come to my door and want to save me. It really isn't for me. It really is just for the them so they can feel more righteous and/or get a better deal in the after life.

Maybe we need like a new religion... Sorry guys, there is no reward. Help others just because it is the right thing to do and pays off in future generations. For you, no bonus, no reward, no extra special after life. Maybe then we'd see who the true altruists are among us.

UtahMike
08-18-2008, 10:11 PM
http://www.tom-phillips-r.info/r-rated/images.r/funny.1/image.02.jpg

Probably will keep the Mormons away, too. But say goodbye to your Girl Scout Cookie salesgirls.

i.breathe.in
08-18-2008, 10:25 PM
http://www.tom-phillips-r.info/r-rated/images.r/funny.1/image.02.jpg

Probably will keep the Mormons away, too. But say goodbye to your Girl Scout Cookie salesgirls.

hahaha thats awesome!!!