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Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 11:49 am
(This post was last modified: March 9, 2016 at 11:59 am by Cyberman.)
Okay, so I'm here at my parents' house (where the internet lives), minding my own business with Facebook, YouTube etc. I wasn't really thinking of logging in here until later, if at all. Then my Dad comes in and tells me he'd like my help with a Jehovah Witness at the door, seeing as I'm more experienced at these things than he is. Bear in mind that door visits like this are so rare for me as to be non-existent. However, when he told me the guy was talking about "the circle of the Earth", I sort of had a minor prophecy of what to expect.
And I wasn't disappointed. I was given a strange mixture of softball topics, like the above circle of the Earth and "hangeth the Earth on nothing", and general limp "how do you explain this, this and this". For a start, he seemed genuinely confused when I asked him what happened to the pillars that the Earth used to stand on ( 1 Samuel 2:8; Job 9:6 - interestingly a few chapters before the "hangeth upon nothing" reference).
Throughout the exchange, I was able to keep him relatively on track, largely thanks to my experience here, and shut down his red herring deflections. More than that, I took charge of the conversation and steered it the way I wanted it to go, rather than let him lead me by the nose. He mentioned prophecy; I brought up Tyre. He spoke of evidence in the bible; I told him that's the claim, not the evidence, and asked him if he believes me that I have a solid gold 'phone. He said he might if I had evidence, to which I asked why he doesn't merely believe my claim. He said he isn't a literal creationist, as the word for "day" in Genesis is apparently similar in idiom to our saying "back in my day"; so I asked how long plants had to survive on a sunless Earth - an age, or a 24-hour period.
He did speak of the popular "water canopy", which I instantly identified as the Hovind "Theory" and said as much. He apparently didn't know who Hovind is.
All in all, it was a very amicable chat and I really enjoyed myself. It was literally my first real face-to-face encounter (I don't go looking for this stuff). My Dad was really proud of me.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:01 pm
(March 9, 2016 at 11:49 am)Stimbo Wrote: Okay, so I'm here at my parents' house (where the internet lives), minding my own business with Facebook, YouTube etc. I wasn't really thinking of logging in here until later, if at all. Then my Dad comes in and tells me he'd like my help with a Jehovah Witness at the door, seeing as I'm more experienced at these things than he is. Bear in mind that door visits like this are so rare for me as to be non-existent. However, when he told me the guy was talking about "the circle of the Earth", I sort of had a minor prophecy of what to expect.
And I wasn't disappointed. I was given a strange mixture of softball topics, like the above circle of the Earth and "hangeth the Earth on nothing", and general limp "how do you explain this, this and this". For a start, he seemed genuinely confused when I asked him what happened to the pillars that the Earth used to stand on (1 Samuel 2:8; Job 9:6 - interestingly a few chapters before the "hangeth upon nothing" reference).
Throughout the exchange, I was able to keep him relatively on track, largely thanks to my experience here, and shut down his red herring deflections. More than that, I took charge of the conversation and steered it the way I wanted iit to go, rather than let him lead me by the nose. He mentioned prophecy; I brought up Tyre. He spoke of evidence in the bible; I told him that's the claim, not the evidence, and asked him if he believes me that I have a solid gold 'phone. He said he might if I had evidence, to which I asked why he doesn't merely believe my claim. He said he isn't a literal creationist, as the word for "day" in Genesis is apparently similar in idiom to our saying "back in my day"; so I asked how long plants had to survive on a sunless Earth - an age, or a 24-hour period.
He did speak of the popular "water canopy", which I instantly identified as the Hovind "Theory" and said as much. He apparently didn't know who Hovind is.
All in all, it was a very amicable chat and I really enjoyed myself. It was literally my first real face-to-face encounter (I don't go looking for this stuff). My Dad was really proud of me. You didn't invite them in did you? Because even if you think you won this debate, you get marked for follow ups with people in their church who are 'stronger' in their faith. and they may come in pairs next time. The first encounter is like cold calling, and if you invite them in you are generally in for 6 months of saying "no" before someone gets it.
My sister did this very thing and she wound up hiding when ever her door bell rang in the middle of the day.
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:04 pm
Wish you'd given your phone to your dad to record. Well done.
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:05 pm
Did you get any free swag? 
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:10 pm
IKR, I always take a Watchtower then shut the door in their face. Hit em where it hurts, the wallet.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:12 pm
(March 9, 2016 at 12:01 pm)Drich Wrote: You didn't invite them in did you? Because even if you think you won this debate, you get marked for follow ups with people in their church who are 'stronger' in their faith. and they may come in pairs next time. The first encounter is like cold calling, and if you invite them in you are generally in for 6 months of saying "no" before someone gets it.
My sister did this very thing and she wound up hiding when ever her door bell rang in the middle of the day.
No, he didn't get past the threshold. I know that, like vampires, once they get a foot in the door it takes a stake to get rid of them. It turns out that he used to go to school with me and used to catch the same bus every day, though I honestly can't say I recognise him at all.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:13 pm
(March 9, 2016 at 12:04 pm)Whateverist the White Wrote: Wish you'd given your phone to your dad to record. Well done.
I know; I didn't think of that until afterwards. Darn.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:14 pm
(March 9, 2016 at 12:05 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote: Did you get any free swag?
No such luck. Didn't even get the ears or anything.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:16 pm
(March 9, 2016 at 12:10 pm)Rhythm Wrote: IKR, I always take a Watchtower then shut the door in their face. Hit em where it hurts, the wallet.
(October 29, 2014 at 10:20 am)Stimbo Wrote: Had a Jehovah's Witness at the door this morning. After ten minutes interesting discussion, she handed me a pamphlet and told me I'd find it useful.
She was quite right.
I scrunched it up into a ball and threw it at her.
Another prophecy! Just like Tyre!
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
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RE: Well, that was fun!
March 9, 2016 at 12:26 pm
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