I heard a knock on the door, and...

by rebel8 17 Replies latest jw friends

  • Tornintwo
    Tornintwo

    i'd love the opportunity to say this, somewhere where people don't know me, I 'imagine' it would go like this...

    JWs - standard crappy halfhearted presentation

    Me - oh you believe Armageddons coming don't you, and that god will sort things out on earth?

    Jw- yes thats right!

    Me - its a lovely hope. who do you believe will survive?

    Jw - oh well, we hope as many as possible, it's not us who judge, jehovah is the judge....

    Me - oh that's funny, I've definitely read in your watchtower magazine that you believe your's is the only true religion.

    Jw - well yes...

    Me - and that you have to be in that true religion to survive the end...

    Jw - well, like i say, jehovah is the judge...

    Me - no it definitely says, the JW organisation is the only safe haven, that it's like the ark in Noahs day and we have to be in it to be safe...so for example if armageddon came tomorrow then on this street for example, you would survive, but no-one else would. thats what your publications say...

    Jw - well, ummm. of course, Jehovah wants as many people as possible to survive, that's why we are preaching.

    Me - Oh, ok, he is giving everyone a chance, is that right? Thats nice

    Jw - yes, theres a scripture that says, 'he is patient because he doesn't want anyone to be destroyed but wants all to attain to repentance'

    Me - oh okay, yes thats nice, patience....hmmm, last I heard there are about 700 people baptised as witnesses every day, thats very impressive.

    Jw - yes isn't it!

    Me - hmmm, but do you know that the world population grows by over 220,000 every day, thats even after deaths have been taken into account...

    Jw - wow really! I didn't know that

    Me - yes so what you are saying, that for every day that Jehovah delays because of his loving patience, he will then have to kill another 220,000 babies at Armageddon. That's right isn't it. What a loving God, and I bet you are just hoping for Armageddon to come very soon.

    Jw - errr, anyway , we better be going......

  • krejames
    krejames

    I've often thought about what I would like to say if they called. In my head I think of them as being a bit patronising and deserving of "a few home truths". But the reality if whenever I've met them in the street or on the off chance is that they're always genuinely nice, friendly and respectful to me. We just chit chat and move on. I know it might be a form of love bombing but what the heck, life's too short for bitterness. If I ever got the chance to say anything it would be in a friendly rather than confrontational way as I think that is the only hope of getting through.

  • LoveUniHateExams
    LoveUniHateExams

    Do you feel a need or desire to help or talk to cultists for any reason? In most cases, I don't.

    Generally speaking, I don't either. If I had close family and friends still in, then it'd be different.

    I think calmly saying "no thanks", asking to be put on a Do Not Call list and shutting the door in their faces is best.

    Although maybe talking to them with the objective of wasting their time so that they don't call on others has merit, if you have spare time & can stomach it.

  • done4good
    done4good

    Rebel8 - Do you feel a need or desire to help or talk to cultists for any reason?

    (My first paragraph just disappeared, so the last two did not make much sense)....

    No. I have learned some time ago that people only accept reality when/if they are ready to.

    For those that are in the process of waking up however, and seek help in doing so, I am more than willing to provide some insight and assistance in general. It is a unique opportunity to assist one in exiting a cult, so I consider it a matter of paying it forward, having successfully done so myself.

    I have only seen the JWs in my development maybe two times in the almost seven years we have been in our house. I politely tell them I am not interested. I don't discuss my JW past with them.

    d4g

  • rebel8
    rebel8

    I am decidedly not non-confrontational. I just fail to care about helping a current cultist who believes it strongly enough to engage in recruitment.

    Mainly, it's because I know the help-one-person-at-a-time approach is SO much less effective than prevention efforts.

    I suppose I am helping the individual a little bit by having a firm answer instead of just not answering the door or saying, "No thank you." She certainly knows I object to her message, at least.

    Also, it was in the middle of my workday.

  • problemaddict 2
    problemaddict 2

    I dont know. I can't say anything to people that come to my door, because word would get out very fast. If I wasn't near a place everyone knew me, I would probably have one pre "UN"witness presentation to give them. Something short and sweet. I could tell them my mother was one of jehovahs witnesses, and the thing that got me was______. One thought.....in and out. Then ask them to please place me on the do not call list.

    When done with kindness and respect, it works. Someone talked to me in a way that got me thinking. i try to do the same when appropriate. the sweet old 90 year olds.......they get a pass and a smile.

  • LongHairGal
    LongHairGal

    REBEL8:

    I don't think it's about helping cultists necessarily, but getting things off our chest depending on what kind of mood we are in if the door should knock.

    Normally, I would not answer if it were JWs I knew because I might end up saying something nasty like:.."yeah, the religion is looking for money and people to do favors and they'll get NEITHER from me."

    I also would feel a little frustrated if it were a younger JW because they have no idea what I went through back in the day when I was criticized for having a full-time job and not viewed as "upbuilding" association because I didn't "pioneer"...So, I don't want to hear anything some naive individual has to say.

    Witnesses who go door-to-door have to realize that there are a lot of people out in the "field" who walked away from the Witness religion, and we know more about it than they do!

  • nugget
    nugget
    One called by accident 6 months ago and instantly regretted it. It was just after the Royal Commission findings and the elder was woefully ill prepared.

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