Roughly 70,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are converging at the Cow Palace in Daly City for a series of conventions this summer, and they'll be knocking on tens of thousands of doors along the way.
Jehovah's Witnesses are strict biblical literalists who say the Bible does not call for a celebration of Easter, Christmas or individual birthdays. Save for the commemoration of Jesus' Last Supper, the regional conventions are the most important events of the year for the faithful.
I am always fascinated by people who have such a strong belief in something that is so bizarre. These individuals are so convinced that they are absolutely correct that they are willing to go door to floor to convince others of their infallibility. I have strong beliefs myself, but nothing that I am so convinced of that I feel a desperate need to share with strangers. Unless of course you find yourself reading this blog. But remember I did not come to your house, you came to mine.
I believe that one of the main reasons that this cult has not grown very large is the whole no birthday or Christmas rule. It must be very difficult to convince little Johnny that he cannot have celebrations because God does not want him to. I think that would develop into a fairly powerful dislike for God.
I also find it sort of hypocritical when I hear about Christians dissing this group or others like it, as if their superstitious beliefs were anymore believable then the Witnesses. If you are going to cling to a silly set of rules to placate an invisible being, can you really feel superior to others doing the same thing in a different way?
Oh well, different strokes for different folks, just so long as they don't bother me with it.
Hang on I think somebody is at the door.
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"I have strong beliefs myself, but nothing that I am so convinced of that I feel a desperate need to share with strangers."
ReplyDelete"Desperate" isn't the word we would use. But I guess you're on the right track. All you've said, really, is that you are not in our shoes. Perhaps if you were convinced of something enough, you would decide to share it with others.
"Unless you find yourself reading this blog. But remember I did not come to your house, you came to mine."
It's true. I'm a confirmed (maybe even compulsive) blogger. And that's what bloggers do.
The nice thing about Jehovah's Witnesses is that, if you turn them down, they go away. They don't afterwards try to force people to their practices through legislative means, much less through violent means, both common staples of many groups. Of course, they come back in time, but even then, it's just speech, no more. In that way they set an example for how people (both religious and non) can have strong, even "bizarre" beliefs and yet still coexist without tearing apart the planet.
I completely understand that many do not welcome our calls. Usually we call without appointment. People are busy, have their own views, and it just may not be a convenient time for them. So I deeply appreciate it when folks are hospitable for a few moments. They are not required to speak with us. Some do. Some don't.
Most people have some sort of "rules," or standards that they live by. And the other guy's rules always seem "silly."
Bullshit that they go.I've had them stand and argue and ask to speak to the man of the house.We have no trespassing and no soliciting and no parking in the driveway signs and they totally ignore them.When you point this out they say they are doing the lords work. Two knocked on our door this morning.My daughter knocked on the window and flipped them off so they left.They are like cockroaches.
DeleteWell Tom I appreciate the civility of your comments.
ReplyDeleteEven though I can never wrap my head around how people believe in the supernatural, I do respect people on an individual basis.
I just have to wonder about how effective it is to go to somebodies house to try and convince them that you are offering them truth.
It seems that if something is truly valuable and worth having then people will seek it out.
You know I feel the same way about door to door magazine subscriptions.
The core creed of the Watchtower Jehovah's Witnesses of which their entire doctrinal superstructure rest is that: Jesus 'returned to power' also known as Jesus had his second coming in 1914.
ReplyDelete1914 is to Jehovah's Witnesses what the constitution is to America or what Mary is to Catholics.
1914 is a lie and all watchtower declarations,prophecies and promises are also all lies.
The Watchtower is a "fraud for God" man-made cult that lays claim to being the one true religion with NO tolerance for other beliefs or dissent among it's own followers.
Isn't one of the main tenets of the Jehovah's Witnesses that only 144,000 will go to heaven and those 144,000 will all be Jehovah's Witnesses.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere recently that their membership is over 4 million.
Why do they still recruit even though heaven is apparently already full?
Dee, they believe people will remain living on this planet.
ReplyDeleteSUMMARIES OF OVER 550 JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES LAWSUITS & COURT CASES
ReplyDeleteThe following website summarizes over 250 lawsuits filed by Jehovah's Witnesses against their Employers, and/or incidents involving problem JW Employees:
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES UNIQUE TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESS EMPLOYEES
http://jwemployees.bravehost.com
The following website summarizes 300 U.S. court cases and lawsuits affecting children of Jehovah's Witness Parents, including 200+ cases where the JW Parents refused to consent to life-saving blood transfusions for their dying children:
DIVORCE, BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, AND OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com