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Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
#21
RE: Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
(July 27, 2019 at 4:36 am)zebo-the-fat Wrote: Pin 'em down with details and ask for repeatable and testable evidence for their claims

They won't know what you're talking about. JW's don't do science. They read what they're told to read and think what they're told to think.  Dodgy
"The world is my country; all of humanity are my brethren; and to do good deeds is my religion." (Thomas Paine)
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#22
RE: Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
I had one come by several years ago. I didn't have time to talk with him then, but I agreed to an appointment to meet with him and talk. Then I agreed to a follow up and he brought another JW along. Then we met at the local Kingdom Hall and there were three of them, one was the main guy at the Hall or something. I remember having a long conversation about whether Isaiah was a biblical source for the Earth being round when he talks about the 'circle of the Earth'. They pointed out that circles are round. I pointed out that circles are flat. It was quite a sticking point.

Finally the main guy commented that he didn't think I was really interested in the JWs. I pointed out that I told the first guy that I was an atheist and had never said I was interested, just willing to talk.

I've never had a JW at my door since, and I think that was 2010 or so.
I'm not anti-Christian. I'm anti-stupid.
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#23
RE: Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
(October 9, 2018 at 8:37 pm)Dr H Wrote:
(October 8, 2018 at 7:25 am)Gwaithmir Wrote: This is a continuation of a thread I started on The Thinking Atheist. I would like to hear about and discuss any recent or past encounters that participants here have had with JW's who showed up at your door or who you have met in public places.

JW's usually ring my doorbell twice a year. There are two Kingdom Halls within a half hour's drive of my house. I seldom see the same faces more than once and it has been well over a decade since any of them have been willing to come inside to discuss and debate religion. I let them know immediately that I'm an atheist and present them with atheist tracts and my atheist business card, which they always refuse to read. Read
Y'know, I don't believe I've ever given you one of my better JW stories.  

One afternoon, I was improvising electronic music against some pre-recorded tracks, preparatory to a gig I had coming up.   The music was of jazz-fusion character, and very loud.  It was a hot day, and I had the windows open, and was wearing next to nothing -- just some gym trunks.  In a pause, I hear a determined knocking at my front door.  Since the neighbors are all cool with the music (some musicians themselves), I thought maybe it was a delivery I was expecting.

The walkway up to my front door hosts a number of concrete icons made that friends have donated over the years.  These include:  a grasping hand holding an egg; a skull; some basic geometric shapes, and an inverted pentagram.  On my front door, at eye level for an adult of average height, is a Darwin fish.

On the living room table immediately in front of the door were the remains of a visit I'd had the evening before with some buddies -- a sea of empty beer cans and shot glasses, and a half bottle of single malt.

Given the prevailing sights and sounds, I personally can't imagine a less promising place for the JWs to make their pitch, yet when I answered the door, there they were.  They tend to travel in pairs, and I was faced with two conservatively dressed women, one in her early twenties, the other perhaps nearer forty, with an armload of stuff.  Apparently undeterred by my near nakedness or the litter on the table, they asked if they could have a few minutes of my time.

I said "sure", invited them in and offered them a seat on the couch, which they accepted, and a shot each of single malt, which they declined.  Poured one for myself, and sat down.  They then produced booklets and leaflets and notebooks, and began earnestly informing me of the "crisis in our schools regarding sex education".   We chatted for a while, me assuring them that I was as concerned about the matter as they, although my priorities might be somewhat different.  They handed my a "Watchtower" with several passages underlined in red.  

I told them that I would need to read the document carefully, but that if they would leave it with me I would give it my full attention.  I then invited them to come back in a week so that we could discuss what I had read, and they seemed to think this would be a great idea.  

I offered the single malt again, which they refused again, and on the way out I handed them printed copies of the Noble Eightfold Path, as interpreted by the Hwa Yen school of Buddhism, and suggested that when they returned the following week, we could spend come time meditating on the ramifications of the issues they had raised.  They seemed a little uncomfortable about this, but thanked me for my time, got in their car -- without even visiting my neighbors -- and drove off.

They failed to show up the following week, and for some reason, I never saw them again.  In fact, this was several years ago, and I've not had a JW come to my door (at least while I've been home), since.  I do spot them in the neighborhood occasionally.

Do you suppose they've forgotten about me?  

Should I try approaching them and renewing our acquaintance?

I'm sure there are still some poor JWs who haven't heard the Good Word of the Buddha.

Or Lagavulin.

Hehe

Wear a mankini next time, is my advice.
Urbs Antiqua Fuit Studiisque Asperrima Belli

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#24
RE: Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
I haven't had any visits from the JW's in my area since the pandemic began. It appears as though they've now replaced door-to-door visits with telephone solicitation. A young woman called a couple of days ago, asking if I would be willing to have a conversation about Jesus. I chuckled and told her that I'm an atheist. This didn't deter her and she began asking me to respond to Bible passages. I replied that I recognized the Bible as a book of mythology and pseudo-history and, if she expected to accept Jesus, she would have to convince me with actual historical and/or scientific evidence. We also touched briefly on the subject of evolution. For her edification, I suggested The Tangled Web: An Introduction to Evolution by Carl Zimmer. At that point, she thanked me for my candor and said she'd call back some other time. More on this as it develops.
"The world is my country; all of humanity are my brethren; and to do good deeds is my religion." (Thomas Paine)
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#25
RE: Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
(October 8, 2018 at 7:25 am)Gwaithmir Wrote: This is a continuation of a thread I started on The Thinking Atheist. I would like to hear about and discuss any recent or past encounters that participants here have had with JW's who showed up at your door or who you have met in public places.

JW's usually ring my doorbell twice a year. There are two Kingdom Halls within a half hour's drive of my house. I seldom see the same faces more than once and it has been well over a decade since any of them have been willing to come inside to discuss and debate religion. I let them know immediately that I'm an atheist and present them with atheist tracts and my atheist business card, which they always refuse to read. Read

I smiled at this, I have never been a JW, but i have went door to door with my church preaching the message. If you are so good at being an atheist and having explanations as to what you believe, explain morality. The questions get harder as we go along. 
I suppose you refused the JWs too so its even Stevens, although according to Christian theology JWs are fake believers and they are a cult. So you would go to hell, either way.
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#26
RE: Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
(December 21, 2020 at 3:49 pm)Prycejosh1987 Wrote: I smiled at this, I have never been a JW, but i have went door to door with my church preaching the message. If you are so good at being an atheist and having explanations as to what you believe, explain morality. The questions get harder as we go along. 
I suppose you refused the JWs too so its even Stevens, although according to Christian theology JWs are fake believers and they are a cult. So you would go to hell, either way.

As other Christian denominations would probably say about your group.

Why is having the "right belief" so important? 

Surely any honest God would say "Yeah, I didn't leave any evidence for my existence or nature, which allowed thousands of contradictory religions to flourish.  Why would I make membership in any particular cult the requirement for entrance into heaven?"
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#27
RE: Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
(December 21, 2020 at 3:49 pm)Prycejosh1987 Wrote:
(October 8, 2018 at 7:25 am)Gwaithmir Wrote: This is a continuation of a thread I started on The Thinking Atheist. I would like to hear about and discuss any recent or past encounters that participants here have had with JW's who showed up at your door or who you have met in public places.

JW's usually ring my doorbell twice a year. There are two Kingdom Halls within a half hour's drive of my house. I seldom see the same faces more than once and it has been well over a decade since any of them have been willing to come inside to discuss and debate religion. I let them know immediately that I'm an atheist and present them with atheist tracts and my atheist business card, which they always refuse to read. Read

I smiled at this, I have never been a JW, but i have went door to door with my church preaching the message. If you are so good at being an atheist and having explanations as to what you believe, explain morality. The questions get harder as we go along. 
I suppose you refused the JWs too so its even Stevens, although according to Christian theology JWs are fake believers and they are a cult. So you would go to hell, either way.

Simply put, I base my morality on treating others the way I want to be treated. I subscribe to the principles of Secular Humanism.
"The world is my country; all of humanity are my brethren; and to do good deeds is my religion." (Thomas Paine)
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#28
RE: Atheists & Jehovah's Witnesses
(December 21, 2020 at 3:49 pm)Prycejosh1987 Wrote:
(October 8, 2018 at 7:25 am)Gwaithmir Wrote: This is a continuation of a thread I started on The Thinking Atheist. I would like to hear about and discuss any recent or past encounters that participants here have had with JW's who showed up at your door or who you have met in public places.

JW's usually ring my doorbell twice a year. There are two Kingdom Halls within a half hour's drive of my house. I seldom see the same faces more than once and it has been well over a decade since any of them have been willing to come inside to discuss and debate religion. I let them know immediately that I'm an atheist and present them with atheist tracts and my atheist business card, which they always refuse to read. Read

I smiled at this, I have never been a JW, but i have went door to door with my church preaching the message. If you are so good at being an atheist and having explanations as to what you believe, explain morality. The questions get harder as we go along. 
I suppose you refused the JWs too so its even Stevens, although according to Christian theology JWs are fake believers and they are a cult. So you would go to hell, either way.

Where do you get your morality?
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