JW looking clarity followup

[KevinM1]

No, its actually not trespassing unless you put a sign up.

That is patently untrue. Seriously, you might want to look into the law yourself rather than listen to your church elders on that one.

And there are zero implications with a visit.

The implication is that someone I don't know has the gall to step on my property and proselytize in the hopes I join their religion. Homey don't play dat.

You can even ask to be put on a "do not call" list.

I shouldn't have to request to not be solicited.

Witnesses are not members of a cult.

All religions are cults. If you believe in some imaginary friend who's kind unless you don't do something he likes, where he then threatens you with eternal torture, and he has weird rules about things that may have made sense to ancient Middle Eastern peasants but really have no place in the 21st century, you're a cultist.

They are normal human beings.

The same could be said for all cult members.

If you think that it makes you superior because you feel you know something they don't and it makes you more free as a result, thats just great. But all they're trying to do is share something that could be encouraging.

The Christian god is anything but encouraging, signed, a former Catholic. Also, with the surgeries I had, the no blood transfusions thing really wouldn't fly.

And if you don't care, you can remember that they are humans. And in my opinion, ALL humans deserve to be treated with dignity.

Treating someone with dignity != letting them waltz on my property to preach to me. It means I politely ask them to leave. Or simply have my dog bark at them from inside my house until they do. If they don't, there's hell to pay.

But clearly your beliefs (or non beliefs) are important to you. Or I doubt you'd be on forums commenting on them

You'll note that I'm on an online forum devoted to atheism rather than attempting to spread the good news of non-belief to theists as though it's my mission. Maybe that's because I'm not so arrogant to think that my world view is so important that I need to go into other people's homes - virtual or not - to share it.

[Esquilax]

1. Why would this almighty god be subjected to what a human demands as proof?

You're making the mistake of thinking this is about god: it isn't. It's about what it's reasonable for humans to believe based on the available evidence. God might not be under any obligation to provide evidence, but if he doesn't then it's certainly not rational to believe in him. This sort of petulant "why should god do what you say?" argumentation doesn't help anyone.

2. Does gods creation not make him apparent?

How did you determine it was a creation, especially if your god is too proud to give any evidence at all that he exists?

3. If god popped up one day to make himself readily known as existing, would all people serve him any way?

I wouldn't, but I'd at least acknowledge that he exists.

4. If gods purpose as I have been taught, is that one day the earth will be a paradise like state with no evil. Back to its original Eden conditions. Proving that Satan, Adam, and Eve were wrong to reject gods sovereignty and humans are not capable of ruling themselves... how would it serve his purpose if people worshipped him out of fear of him killing them rather than from their hearts?

I know the last one will get a lot of flack

If god doesn't want people worshiping him out of fear, he made a terrible mistake by instituting the concept of hell, and by historically brutally punishing anyone who disobeys him in any way. You can't be all "oh, god wants us to serve him honestly, not through fear," while describing a god who turned Lot's wife to salt for turning around when he didn't want her to. Those two claims do not gel.

[robvalue]

As it happens, I put up a "no cold calls" sign today. I'm sick of being bothered. I don't have the energy for it.

It's a real work of art, it took me 10 seconds with a bit of paper, a biro and some sellotape. How I've grown since I was a useless child!

[rexbeccarox]

Rob, what's a "biro"?

[robvalue]

Oh, must be an English thing! It's a cheap plastic pen

[rexbeccarox]

Ah, thanks

[robvalue]

It's probably called an ink flow dispensing author aid in America or something

[rexbeccarox]

Hahahahaha!

Nope. It's a Bic

[Minimalist]

If Witnesses are not members of a cult, what do you believe a cult is?

A "cult" is what someone else belongs to.

[Ravenshire]

No, its actually not trespassing unless you put a sign up.

Don't know where you live, but everywhere I've lived, private property is just that, private. If you step onto private property without the owner's permission, you are trespassing. No signs required.