Any Jehova's witnesses I can ask about the missionary thing?

[iris lilies]

I probably see JWs here about 4-5 times a year? Not often enough to be pests, often enough to recognize them when they cone by.

The last pair was a girl about ten years old and a woman, I assume her mom or auntie. The girl did the spiel, it was short, she asked " do you think there will always be suffering?" And I said "probably" and there wasnt much discussion after that. They were very sweet, handed me a pamphlet, and left. They were very dressed up.

In the past year I got a copy of The Watchtower in the mail from someone
I didnt know. they included a scribbled note as a greeting. That was odd.

[razz]

In my mother's later years a JW woman came visiting on a biweekly basis which was very important to my mother. I don't know if they ever really discussed religion beyond the initial visit but they became great friends discussing everything going on in the world. When my mother needed a dress for a wedding, that friend loaned her one since they were similar in size.

These days I see them occasionally and offer to exchange religious publications but that is always declined and we part in peace.
I have decided that I am responsible for my behaviour and choices not another's and so I try to be firm, respectful and polite, repeating as necessary to get my point across if approached.

[Tybee]

When we lived on an island in SC we lived in a black neighborhood, and the only people who would really speak to us (we are white) were the Jehovahs witnesses (the church was a couple of doors down.) I thought that was very nice of them.

[JaneV2.0]

My mother used the (apparently) magic words "We're Catholic" to squelch the JW pitch (not strictly true, but three of us were baptized). If that didn't work, she'd launch into an impassioned discussion of various discrepancies in the Bible, which usually did the trick. My mother was a character.

[catherine]

I am LDS (Mormon) and it is gratifying to see members who share the true love of Christ and bless the lives of others.

Gandhi famously said something about if Christians acted like Christ, India would be Christian--there'd be no Hindus left. Yes, Gregg, "your people" definitely walked the walk, which is the real deal when it comes to Christianity. Dogma is just window dressing, or at least it should be.

PS--nice to see you again.

Here's the mat that I have outside my front door, from dogmt.com

No Dogmas allowed.jpg

[LDAHL]

My mother used the (apparently) magic words "We're Catholic" to squelch the JW pitch

That has always worked for me. My usual line is "I'm Catholic. I leave religion to the professionals." I don't know much about their theology, but they seem to hold Catholics in particular odium.

[JaneV2.0]

That has always worked for me. My usual line is "I'm Catholic. I leave religion to the professionals." I don't know much about their theology, but they seem to hold Catholics in particular odium.

See, I thought "awe." But you may be right.

[LDAHL]

See, I thought "awe." But you may be right.

I don't know. Maybe we burned their founder at the stake or something. It wasn't personal. Just business.

[JaneV2.0]

I suspect some of my relatives were tortured to death by the church--we have a history of being outspoken females who talk to cats--and I know the SOs were--at least some shirt tail relatives. He says his (Mexican-American) father hated the Church with a passion--I think it was a kind of genetic memory. My genealogical travels turned up a relative named St.Olga of Kiev, who was a veritable barn-burner (how did psychopaths get to be saints, one wonders...) I'm hoping that connection is bogus. So the JWs are probably right to be wary.