Jehovah Witness

New converts are usually on a mission. Just tell her politely that religion is not up for discussion.

Some ideas are bad ideas and we should certainly condemn bad ideas.

Mrs Mopp, why take her ideas seriously? JW is not completely evil but your friend is unable to see your religious point of view. Can you tolerate the boredom until she changes her mind or finds something else to talk about?

Ah well, at least you are not dealing with that ghastly Scientology spaceship religion.

They are a very organised religion. Members have to complete timesheets on their proselytising efforts each month. Lots of things they can't do e.g. birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Mother's Day, Valentine day, the list goes on.

i read somewhere that mormons have to wear prescribed underwear, both men and women, a kind of shorts and t-shirt.
does anyone know if that's true ?

Unfortunately, your friend's conversion probably signals the end of your and her friendship.

Everything other posters have said about Jehovah's Witnesses being obliged to convert others is true, as is the fact that they believe that none of the rest of us will get into heaven.

All you can do is to tell her kindly that you are not prepared to discuss religion with her, but she is welcome if she will keep off the subject.

If you like, you can offer to accept a copy of their magazine and then quietly throw it out after she leaves. By accepting it, you are helping her fufil her duty to try to convert others.

welbeck

i read somewhere that mormons have to wear prescribed underwear, both men and women, a kind of shorts and t-shirt.
does anyone know if that's true ?

Not if the morman I knew was anything to go by.

Mormon!
My phone wanted to write Morrison's!

I have found that having a fierce dog is an excellent deterrent to people approaching with literature in hand.?

welbeck

i read somewhere that mormons have to wear prescribed underwear, both men and women, a kind of shorts and t-shirt.
does anyone know if that's true ?

Yes, it is

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_garment

JWs believe they have to convert a certain number of people or they will not be allowed into heaven but have to remain on earth with the rest of us. So they are not concerned for your soul, just their own place in the afterlife.

The latter day saints are a pretty extreme offshoot from Mormonism.

We live in a cul-de-sac in Leigh-On-Sea, Essex.

There are about 40 x 1930's houses all packed tightly together, in a narrow road.

Parking is conducted on the basis that we all 'share the road', which is really good, so there is no 'squabbling' over who parks where.

In fact I am thinking of swapping my aged sports car for an
Amish style buggy, clearing out the garage, and keeping my horse in there.

That would ensure that I have 'no worries' about the rising
cost of petrol, and that is what this road was designed for when these houses were built.

The only downside is that many of us, me included, are
interested in everyone else's business (I own up)

Which leads me to my reason for writing this post..

My next door neighbour, who knows everyone in the street,
suggested to my wife, that she buys me a particular herbal
spray, designed to help with arthritic hip pain.

My wife was good enough to heed his advice, although I am pleased to say, the hip in question has now been successfully operated-on.

Anyway, this neighbour seems to go out of his way to be kind and helpful, and it may be that is great in this 'day and age',
and it is rare, to find such a person.

However, he has mentioned that he is a devout Christian,
and my wife and I don't question his motives, or get 'drawn'
into the subject of discussing religion.

Then we receive a letter, delivered by hand, from the local
JW.Org.

So my question is, whether he is trying to proselytize for this religious organisation, without making this obvious.

I don't know on what day the Jehovahs' Witnesses celebrate their Sabbath, but this neighbour does appear to get dressed-up to go to church sometimes.

I shouldn't be 'curious', but I do wonder whether he is genuinely friendly and kind, or whether he has an 'ulterior
motive'.

So anyway, I don't really know what to think, and if anyone
reading this post, has any views or ideas on this subject
I would be glad to read them.

Stewart. [grin}

Stewpot9 Because of CoVid, JW congregations stopped doing their visiting tours, and sent out letters instead to all the houses that they would have been visiting. Your letter was probably one of those, and nothing to do with your neighbour. He may or may not be one of them, but I think that the area they visit is not the one they live in.

I don't think you should reject the help that you are offered by this neighbour. If he is a JW, he is also a Christian, and helping him. is an obligation.. If you don't want to discuss religion, say so as soon as the subject is raised - he will respect your choice.

I have a relative who joined the JWs. She stayed in contact - loving contact - with her family, and regularly visited her mother, while she lived, to cut her grass (with a hand-pushed mower) and to do things for her. She had fallen out with her mother well before she joined the JWs, but regarded it as her Christian duty to help her nevertheless. She didn't try to convert her, not her other siblings. Very early on, they ignored her conversion and treated her the same as ever, so the relationships have stayed the same.

She has always got on well with her neighbours and their children, chatting and laughing with them, and helping when she can She loves children but has none of her own. As far as I know, she doesn't try to convert family, friends and neighbours, but saves her religious discussions for when she is "working".

So stay friendly, and don't suspect him of only doing it to convert you until and if he does try to.

PS Their Sabbath is the same day as any other Christians - Sunday.

That "him" in "and helping him. is an obligation" shouldn't be there.

But that's not true at all, my husband is a JW and even when his parents "rejected" him for becoming one, he kept contact going and eventually they came round. We were both relieved to be able to help and support them until their passing. It seems often the case to me that it's their families that do the rejecting, not themselves!

Rubbish - my DH is one and I know this simply isn't true.
I find it sad that people make comments like this without actual evidence. They do not "have" to make a certain amount of converts, he's been a JW since the 80s so I've had plenty of time to observe what goes on in his religion and to speak truthfully about it "up close and personal"

Lovely, balanced response thank you for being sensibly honest

Wrong!
My DH a JW and so I know that in actual fact, they don't believe that they themselves are going to heaven but will live here (on a 'cleansed' earth). Such a shame people relate these inaccuracies which only serve to spread intolerence of other peoples faith. I always wonder if Muslims would be so berated?

MOnica But that's not true at all, my husband is a JW and even when his parents "rejected" him for becoming one, he kept contact going and eventually they came round. We were both relieved to be able to help and support them until their passing. It seems often the case to me that it's their families that do the rejecting, not themselves!

We lived next door to a JW family for 17 years. The man was a priest or elder or whatever. Have to say they were pleasant neighbours and never interfered with us. I don’t agree with what they believe and I think it is a worry that they shun ex members. I have direct experience of this through my daughter’s best friend who left the church when she was a teenager. Quite cruel.

They are simply propagandists for a load of twaddle and should be shown the door.

Savvy

I'm not sure I would want anything to do with any religion that happily accepted Peter Sutcliffe as a member.

I don't suppose he told them when he joined that he was planning to be a serial killer.

Mrs Mopp, JWs are usually very good at knowledge of holy scripture. If this interests you too , then you would have a topic you enjoy together. There is no need for you to argue about doctrines.