JW - Door knocking - how does it work?

This thread is interesting to me as my daughter has just become a JW after marrying into the faith. I'm not really happy about it to be honest - the traditional gender roles, the opting out of public life (not voting, for instance), and the fact that she is being encouraged to go door knocking rather than earning a living... Yeah, not happy. But she's happy with it, and that's what I have to respect I guess.

(Oh, the "not happy" might also have something to do with the fact that my dh is an Anglican minister LOL.)

FWIW, we get JW's knocking at OUR door and it quite clearly says VICARAGE and we live next to the church! No, we are not converting any time soon, thank you very much!

Mmmmm interesting & great that on the whole it's been kept respectful - :hug:

I am not a Christian either. I find the JW "bashing" figuritively) a bit much personally. I don't like the jokes or the way some people ae just rude. Slamming doors etc. I have only met pretty kind JW's. I have always been interested in religion and as such I guess I attract the conversation. My own mother was a "born again" Christian & I was intrigued by religion from an early age. I studied the bible out of curiosity & it intrigued me (still does!). I also studied with some JW's & Church of God, Mormans & of course other religions.

I see that the door knocking comes from a place of goodness - it's truly a belief that this is the way they are chosen to spread the news of Jesus etc etc.

I don't have an issue & I have always said thanks but no thanks. The 1 metre high Buddha at my steps is probably a give away... :lol:

If it's troubling anyone I would ask for a name as you want to make a complaint - but I would never think it's okay to turn a hose on someone or slam doors... :cry:

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I assume that there must be more fervent members of JW out there but I guess if every faith was judged by their most fervent then nearly all faith sytems could be held up for criticism in terms of pushiness.

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I have had friends who are JW - and one who was so mild we didn't know his church until he passed. I think to this day that he didn't volunteer that part of his personal life to us due to the general attitude of our members.

Every group, organisation, business and religion is judged on every representation of itself. If all one knows of a religion is an argument and disrespect shown to your own beliefs, then it is easy to generalise. My parents' house is often visited by a family group who visit in the heat of a Brisbane summer and walk the streets with their young children - my father believes these people are committing acts of abuse against their children, and now will not answer the door to them or others, unless it is to offer them water and shelter from the heat. While in my parents' house, I have had my beliefs judged through the clothing I wear by religious door-knockers - and this does not bode well for my personal views of what they are representing.

Berenice - thankyou for sharing your views and insights.

Sopdet - I am sorry you are experiencing this disrespect from visitors to your door.

DS - great thread, it is something I have wondered for a while.

Bath - you are a very lucky lady with your visitors.

I enjoy a good discussion about belief systems, and find a debate worthy when my sparring partner is educated and listens, and replies to my PoV and not to their pre-conceived ideas.

Wow, don't check BB for a few hours and look what happens! :rofl:

Sopdet: I'm very sorry for the experiences you've had. We are always told to be polite and understanding when someone tells us they have their own belief system. You're completely right, you should not be disrespected on your own doorstep, or anywhere else for that matter, not by us! I don't know a lot about your beliefs, but I think the problem is the fundamental differences in our two beliefs - I personally would not feel comfortable delving into your own beliefs as deeply as I have others, due to my own understanding of your Gods/Goddesses. Pagan beliefs are often misinterpreted by us, for the very reason. I'll PM you :hug:

For what it's worth, the particular name of the thread doesn't bother me, I am happy to answer any and all questions - after some of the reactions I've had at the doors, nothing on BB is going to offend me :)

TMTM: That's interesting about your daughter, and no doubt would've been hard on your whole family. I am curious as to what makes you feel that we're not encouraged to earn a living though? As I'm sure you already know, 1 Timothy 5:8 says, 'Certainly if anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith and is worse than a person without faith.' We are under obligation to provide for ourselves and our families first, and then to 'preach the good news of the Kingdom'. Also, you'd be surprised at the amount of fathers/pastors/vicars who are regularly visited by JW's, at their own request ;) Just having the Vicarage sign is not gonna stop us! :)

i guess maybe i'm just not a nice person. if i have an unsolicited sales person (and lets face it - they are selling the word of their God just as much as the electricity/Austar person is selling a product), they are asked to leave and continue to disrespect my wishes, i DO close the door on them. it is trespass when someone is on your property against your wishes. it has nothing to do with what their religious beliefs are, it is ENTIRELY about their lack of respect for my wishes to not have them there.

i do not care about the religious beliefs of anyone - you treat me with respect, i have no reason to not do the same for you. i see the encroachment of my time and space, when i have told you i'm not interested and asked you to leave, to be disrespectful kwim?

This has been a really interesting read, thankyou Berenice for sharing things from your perspective :)

We used have the JW's visit our farm, and they were the only people who ever came to the front door, the step was over 1/2m high and we always had to hunt for the key to even open the door :lol:

But my question is we would always get a carload to come out and visit, but it was always the children sent to our door to spread the word, not once did the elders in the car ever come.... is there a reason why it was done this way or was it just perhaps how they chose to do it in our area?

We did know on occassion when they were coming as one of our neighbouring farmers would call to tell us, and we had hidden from them on occasion :redface: but it didn't matter how many times my mum told them we were not interested (Baptised Anglican but were attending the local uniting Church, so we had our own path as such), they would keep comng back, which is why we hid.....

TIA xxoo

You're 100% right BG :hug:

Beema - there wouldn't be a specific reason as to why it was always the younger ones. The only thing I can think of, since you were on a farm, is they were doing 'rural witnessing', and often you can be stuck in the car for ages before getting to the next house. It was probably just a coincidence that it was always the kids that got out at your place, they were probably the ones whining the most ;)

The reason we keep coming back if someone says they're not interested but doesn't specifically ask us not to come again is that attitudes/circumstances/householders change. The magazines that we most often present are released monthly, always with different topics - what appeals to one person may not appeal to the next. Many times people have said for years that they're not interested, only to have something drastic change in their lives, and they get to a place where they want to ask questions, and they become more conscious of their own spiritual need.

Just before I say goodnight I just wanted to thank Berenice again for answering these questions with such grace. :thumbsup: Personally I don't mind my own faith being challenged, infact I welcome it, but I still don't think it's right to assume that everyone welcomes challenge especially on a forum where words can come across quite harsh.

You've been an admirable ambassador for the JW faith Berenice and while, like TooMany and others "There will be no conversion on my behalf anytime soon" I will always defend any faith that I feel is alligned to Love and Light. Also, like Inanna I am saddened when any faith is the brunt of jokes and stero-types (as the JW sometimes are).

Maybe I, like Kazbah mentioned, have "been lucky" not to encounter pushiness on my doorstep but I guess i also have never felt any more annoyed by a JW than any other salesperson and find it relatively easy to say "thanks but no thanks". Slamming of doors and hosing, I think IS unnecessary. I don't like unsolicited calls, as I have said, but maybe if an unsolicited call just saves one life then maybe it's worth it afterall :dunno: *thinking aloud now* But I do think that people (myself included) have to be careful that their annoyance at being disturbed doesn't outweigh the "crime" of disturbance IYKWIM. At what point does the rudeness of the occupant - in response to being disturbed - outweigh the rudeness of doorknocking? Maybe that's the question we have to ask ourselves?

Thanks for a thought provoking discussion Dianne! :)

Thanks Berenice for answering :)

What an interesting thread. Thanks Berenice for taking the time to answer all the questions so eloquently.

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The reason we keep coming back if someone says they're not interested but doesn't specifically ask us not to come again is that attitudes/circumstances/householders change. The magazines that we most often present are released monthly, always with different topics - what appeals to one person may not appeal to the next. Many times people have said for years that they're not interested, only to have something drastic change in their lives, and they get to a place where they want to ask questions, and they become more conscious of their own spiritual need.

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The repeated calling on the same houses even though people say they aren't interested is something I've never understood (and I admit it annoyed me). But now I totally get the JW point of view and understand what might motivate them to do this.

Wow great thread!

I had a lovely JW couple come to my door back in Feb, yep i did show some interest and yes they did come back quite a few times!
I didnt mind though, they were lovely people and always remembered the kids names!.. although i was a little uncomfortable at the fact they spent alot of time talking about the 'no sex before marriage' when they knew i was a single mum to 2 kids.
But anyway, after a few visits i told them that i appreciated them coming back to speak to me but i didnt think that it was a path id like to take and they respected that!

I try not to take offence to any faiths. I don't expect anyone to automatically understand or believe what I do, and just because they might not understand doesn't make them ignorant or means they are attacking me personally. And I think there are gentle and polite ways to explain that without being forthright and offensive. We have Jehovas Witness' here all the time I am just polite and say no thank you, it doesn't matter what you believe if you're not interested you're not interested. I can't hardly expect them to remember my house especially when a lot of the people that visit are different. At the end of the day whatever faith a person is we are all made of the same flesh and blood, and if we expect tolerance from others then I think we should offer it up freely ourselves. If someone is rude to you then sure speak your mind or stand your ground but if not you are only causing more grief for yourself. I think if we automatically think that the world is out to get us, or that people are ignorant or any assumptions it is no different than the backlash we receive ourselves for who we are, how we act or what we believe. I don't believe having an issue with a religion means you need to have issues with those that follow it or vice versa, having an issue with a select few followers means the whole religion and their followers should be tarnished the same way.

Hate begets hate. And you don't need to be passive and lie down to be kicked to show love and understanding.

/goes back to the corner to make daisy chains and sing folk music

But seriously though, being that angry over an assumption can't be good for your health ;)

Good question though dianne and Berenice thank you for taking the time to respond :)

What a thread.

There are always annoying, silly people no matter what religion/walk of life we are. Its how we process it and make it work for us that it appropriate.

I have had ladies of the JW faith come to my door and had breif chats with them...yes I was edgy at first but relaxed when they smiled and made me feel at ease. It was actually lovely to have someone come and say hello when I was going through hell with Mario and his Autism at the time...they never stayed for long... just a few moments but it was enough to break the sadness I had at the time. Then those lovely ladies left and were replaced with a couple were the man told me I had no idea :o and I must of been given my child as punishment for something I had done previously...it shatted me. Yes they were of the same faith but the wonderful work the previous 2 ladies had done had been blown down in one massive move by another.

I have since opted to place a No religious chat's sign up when I see 'walker's' no matter what religion. Once bitten twice shy :(

I also refuse to discuss my belief's to anyone who approaches my door..I have no need to justify them to a stranger, they are mine for a reason :)

Rouge your response was so true.

I don't personally believe that anyone has the right to continue to knock on my door when I've asked they don't because their religion tells them that they must persist in an attempt to catch me at a moment in my life where I'm going to be more open to their preaching.

It isn't about the individual that is knocking on my door, it's about the religion as a whole - I have known some gorgeous JW's that are genuinely concerned about those around them rather than just themselves......a rare quality in this day and age. But the JW way just doesn't appeal to me. It doesn't give me the right to be disrespectful or rude, it gives me the right to make a choice in my life as to what I choose to believe.

Well said Maz

And as an aside - I have really enjoyed reading this thread, it is so eye opening to gain a better understanding of what JW's believe and do and why!

Oh Maz, that just breaks my heart, those hurtful words. It just goes to show how one bad apple can ruin the whole bunch. We are all humans and need to watch our tongue no matter what religion we are.

Regards,
Dianne

Maz - I am truly horrified that you were told that, it's not even close to what we believe :shakehead: For the record, we believe that things like that are simply caused by human imperfection and the current imperfect world. Jehovah didn't create us to die, he didn't create us to be sick, it only happened after Adam & Eve sinned, because they were no longer perfect, and they passed on their imperfection to their children and so on, much like cooking a cake using a dented cake tin. I can offer no explanation for why you were told that, I have no reasoning, and I completely understand why you would choose not to put yourself in line for that again, but please know, it is NOT what we believe :hug:

Bath - I was raised as a JW, so I've been going witnessing for 25 years now. Obviously I don't remember it all, but it's definitely changed in the last 15 years, peoples reactions have changed. We find householders are much more polarised, it's either a definite yes or a very definite no. I've been dragged inside to discuss the Bible for hours, and I've been chased off properties and threatened with violence. Whereas when I was younger, most people would listen to our initial presentation, and a lot took the literature we presented, mostly just to be polite. These days we really need Jehovah's help to have the courage to go out and try to talk to people, thats for sure! But it's something we expect, and something that must occur before the current system end - and unfortunately, we know it is going to get MUCH worse. Definitely not for the faint of heart or faith!

Thank you everyone for being so respectful :grouphug: I really am happy to answer all questions, and don't worry, I won't turn up on your doorstep with an inflatable baptism pool ;)

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and don't worry, I won't turn up on your doorstep with an inflatable baptism pool ;)

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:rofl: I actually chuckled at that thought

Well Berenice I think you are an absolutely beautiful human Being for the kindness, patience & respect you have shown in this thread. I've always admired you - but that admiration has been increased enormously reading your responses to this thread. Thankyou :hug:

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Thank you everyone for being so respectful :grouphug: I really am happy to answer all questions, and don't worry, I won't turn up on your doorstep with an inflatable baptism pool ;)

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I'm sorry, I'm totally irreverant, but in my neighbourhood with its high :homebirth: rates, you'd likely be welcomed in to stay and use the pool as a birthing pool!

But seriously - I think the different attitude is noticeable in all aspects of life, as people are encouraged to "stand up" for their rights - they aren't being encouraged to think of the other people they are interacting with.

Given there's been some feedback about "rude" or "intolerant" JWs knocking (Maz - I am shaking my head), Berenice, do you have any advice on how to encourage respectful discussion with them? Slamming a door isn't respectful, and nor is it turning the other cheek...

:rofl: Kazbah about the waterbirthing!

The only thing I can think of is simply to say outright that you're happy to have a respectful discussion, but you're not looking to convert and you won't tolerate being disrespected. I wouldn't be bothered if someone said that to me at the door, because we're always told to be respectful and meek - whereas if you do happen to have a 'rogue' JW, their reaction to the above comment would probably show whether or not they were inclined to being respectful. If it is an ongoing problem, you could always contact your local Kingdom Hall and explain your problem to one of the elders, they will be able to help. I truly truly hope that what these people have said is not what they intended to say, because it's hardly going to make people more willing to listen :shakehead:

Inanna - :redface: No words, just happy to help :hug:

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Also, you'd be surprised at the amount of fathers/pastors/vicars who are regularly visited by JW's, at their own request ;) Just having the Vicarage sign is not gonna stop us! :)

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See, I just don't get the point of that. What is someone trying to achieve who comes knocking on the vicarage door? I don't mean to be rude, but do you get points or something if you score a dog collar? ;) We quite clearly have a strong faith to which we are committed to the point that we are prepared to devote our entire lives to our church.

My daughter is being actively encouraged to depend on her husband for financial support, and go door knocking instead.

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:rofl: Kazbah about the waterbirthing!

The only thing I can think of is simply to say outright that you're happy to have a respectful discussion, but you're not looking to convert and you won't tolerate being disrespected.

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But see, I shouldn't even have to say that. In my own home. At my own door. With a big "VICARAGE" sign on it. And I'm not happy to have any discussion at all, respectful or otherwise - I'm just not interested. And if I get any response to, "Sorry, not interested, God bless you and have a lovely day" other than a polite goodbye, I'm probably not going to hold myself back from sounding a bit rude.

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See, I just don't get the point of that. What is someone trying to achieve who comes knocking on the vicarage door? I don't mean to be rude, but do you get points or something if you score a dog collar? ;) We quite clearly have a strong faith to which we are committed to the point that we are prepared to devote our entire lives to our church.

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LOL, we only get points for trying, the title the person holds is irrelevant - I would witness to the Pope if I had access to him! :)

A few years ago, I was talking to a man, and he was telling me how he became a JW. He was on a train one day, and noticed that the man next to him was wearing a suit, and reading the Bible. The young man was interested, because he was learning about the Bible at the time, so they chatted all the way to the brothers destination. The young man wanted the brother to come and visit him at his residence, so he gave the brother his address and they made an appointment for that evening. When the brother arrived, he found that the address the young man had given him was a seminary! Long story short, the young man was studying to be a priest, and regularly received visits from this brother. Within a month he had left the seminary, and he is now also a baptised brother, along with his wife and two teenage children.

You will no doubt know of the scripture in Matthew, 'Happy is he that is conscious of his spiritual need!' Everyone has a spiritual need, no matter what their background is, or where they are in life. For that young man, he was very aware of his own spiritual need, and tried to feed it by becoming a priest, but it didn't make sense to him. When he spoke to that brother on the train, he 'saw clearly that this was It, what I had been searching for' (his own words to me).

I am not saying this is true for you or your husband, just explaining why it won't stop us :hug:

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My daughter is being actively encouraged to depend on her husband for financial support, and go door knocking instead.

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We are all encouraged to keep our lives simple, and see if we can make room in our own lives for fulltime ministry. Jehovah knows that we are not all capable of the same things - He has given us differents personal talents. If your daughter and her husband are financially secure enough for her to join the fulltime ministry, that's wonderful! If she doesn't need to work, but decides she doesn't want to be a fulltime minister, that's alright as well! The main point I'm trying to bring out is that we are ALL encouraged towards fulltime ministry, but we are all given the choice, and the final decision rests with us. Reluctant worship is not worship :)

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But see, I shouldn't even have to say that. In my own home. At my own door. With a big "VICARAGE" sign on it. And I'm not happy to have any discussion at all, respectful or otherwise - I'm just not interested. And if I get any response to, "Sorry, not interested, God bless you and have a lovely day" other than a polite goodbye, I'm probably not going to hold myself back from sounding a bit rude.

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Perhaps a sign near your front door, requesting 'No Religious Callers' would help? Personally, if I'm at a door and someone says they're not interested but continues to stand there, I might push gently to continue the conversation, maybe by asking for their thoughts on a particular topic. A lot of the time people will join in the conversation, and I've had some wonderful discussions. Yes, sometimes they will tell me they are really not interested, and then begin closing the door, at which point I will wish them a good day/weekend. But its necessary to read the moment, and the person, and decide for ourselves. Sometimes people say they're not interested because that's what they've always said, that's what they've grown up hearing their parents say. Sometimes a topic is brought up that hits close to home, and they are eager to talk about Jehovah's view. So many things to think about when you're at a strangers door!

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You will no doubt know of the scripture in Matthew, 'Happy is he that is conscious of his spiritual need!' Everyone has a spiritual need, no matter what their background is, or where they are in life.

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And that's why I (clearly) go to church. It's just so *presumptuous*, to think that I will want to open up to you, a complete stranger, about my spiritual needs. And also, given that JW's do not accept the validity of *my* beliefs (as it has been explained to me - for instance, the JWs don't recognise an Anglican baptism, is that right?) the idea that I would want to be witnessed to by someone who was showing that kind of inherent disrespect... Well, I'm going to bow out of this conversation now because I'm not going to change anyone's mind. But it has all at least reassured me that my annoyance is well founded.

Oh, and thanks for the advice on vocation. I'm pretty familiar with the concept, though. My husband is in full time ministry and I work full time for the church.

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He told me that when he heard the knock at the door, he had been making himself a noose to hang himself, because he just couldn't cope any more. He ignored the knock the first time, but then they knocked again, so he answered it. He stood at the door talking to the JW's on the other side for 2 hours, asking questions and just talking about Jehovah. Even if that young man doesn't become a JW, it's absolutely amazing to realise the power the Bible can have for people, the comfort it can bring.

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This is EXACTLY what happened to my mum! She was fully strung up and ready to go then she has told us kids that she said just 1 last prayer saying : God, if there is any hope for me at all, or any way my life can get better then this, then Please god stop me now" Then within seconds there was a knock at the door and it was a young 9yo brother (with an adult of cause) and I can't remember what is was that he has said to her but she says she was brought to tears and had her 1st study then & there. She continued to study with that same young brother who eventually has now become her circuit over see'er (can't spell) and thats now well over 40 odd years ago. If he haddn't knocked on her door that day, my sisters & I wouldn't exist today!

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I remember having a conversation with a girl that told me that if I didn't become a JW and worship their way, door knock etc then I wouldn't be resurrected the day Jesus returns....apparently he will only resurrect the JW's.....I had a real problem with this because to me it seems that unless I throw myself into the JW life, including donations etc - I am putting myself and my family at risk of not being accepted by God when we die....

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I was under the impression that EVERYONE who dies after Jesus did but before armageddon would be resurrected, and then are given the opportunity to make their choice for a period of time... is this right?

I was born into the religion but as a teenager had a bad experience and became VERY angry with them. At the time I was too young to understand alot of the beliefs but did understand ones I still hold dear to me now. I find now as an adult, the times witnesses have called on me, it has been perfect timing in regards to issues/problems I was having at the time. Even a few weeks ago I was so incredibly sick and had been fighting with DH about a very serious medical 'issue' with him that he wont go & get follow up tests for (ie:cancer) (subject for another thread) and I was truely at my witts end and so exhausted when witnesses knocked. I have met this couple (husband & wife) before and when I said I wasn't well & unable to chat today she offered to look after Daytona for a few hours to allow me to have a rest!! Ofcause I said no, but It just always amazes me how Jehovah works! and witnesses always show up right at the right time for me! (even when it's inconveinent)
I don't go to the meetings but I wish I did have the courage to cause I do find my life to be so peaceful when I do. And it's funny, I was just thinking about things today and now tonight I have stumbled across this thread! LOL. Maybe I should pull my finger out & go tomorrow!!

As you all know I am not a Jw but I do believe each of our hearts hear a different spiritual beat. If yours is the JW's DM & it brings you peace in the midst of confusion I hope you can go. Big cuddles & I hope life starts to become easier. :hug:

Daytona's Mummy thank you for sharing your very touching story. God knows our hearts and our needs and what a blessing for your mum that God sent help in her hour of need. I have been raised in the Christian faith and to my knowledge havn't brought a soul to Christ but through this thread it has tought me something about the work of JW's. Bringing others to Christ :clap:.

Regards,
Dianne

I have strong memories of JW callers growing up. My parents are both Deaf and we would always get JW callers that were also Deaf or hearing but knew AUSLAN. My mum was very active in the Catholic Deaf community so I assume that's why we were called on. The first few times, Mum and Dad would always invite them in and have a chat. After that they stopped coming so I'm guessing they got a polite "thanks but no thanks." At the time I wondered how they knew to send Deaf people to our place. It seemed so smart to me (I was pretty young!).

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I remember having a conversation with a girl that told me that if I didn't become a JW and worship their way, door knock etc then I wouldn't be resurrected the day Jesus returns....apparently he will only resurrect the JW's....

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Sorry Mumma, I didn't read this right the first time - DM's right, the Bible shows that everyone who's ever died will be resurrected after Armaggeddon. Sorry, my mind was of in a completely different direction!

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And that's why I (clearly) go to church. It's just so *presumptuous*, to think that I will want to open up to you, a complete stranger, about my spiritual needs. And also, given that JW's do not accept the validity of *my* beliefs (as it has been explained to me - for instance, the JWs don't recognise an Anglican baptism, is that right?) the idea that I would want to be witnessed to by someone who was showing that kind of inherent disrespect... Well, I'm going to bow out of this conversation now because I'm not going to change anyone's mind. But it has all at least reassured me that my annoyance is well founded.

Oh, and thanks for the advice on vocation. I'm pretty familiar with the concept, though. My husband is in full time ministry and I work full time for the church.

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I'm not sure if you'll see this response, but I'll post it anyway :) I'm sorry you feel that we/I am being presumptuous, we only preach to teach people about the Bible, as Jesus instructed us to do at Matthew 28:19, 20. Sometimes that leads people to open up to us in a way that we don't expect, as was DM's mothers experience, but it is not what normally happens. WRT 'not recognising an Anglican baptism', I am unfamiliar with what an Anglican baptism entails. We do not practice christening of babies/children, as they cannot understand what they are doing, perhaps that's what you're referring to? I am more than happy to discuss our religious differences, and explain our reasoning on each subject if you would like that. But for now, I just wanted to make clear that its not our intention to annoy or 'score dog collars', we only want to talk about Jehovah and His Kingdom :hug:

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This is EXACTLY what happened to my mum! She was fully strung up and ready to go then she has told us kids that she said just 1 last prayer saying : God, if there is any hope for me at all, or any way my life can get better then this, then Please god stop me now" Then within seconds there was a knock at the door and it was a young 9yo brother (with an adult of cause) and I can't remember what is was that he has said to her but she says she was brought to tears and had her 1st study then & there. She continued to study with that same young brother who eventually has now become her circuit over see'er (can't spell) and thats now well over 40 odd years ago. If he hadn't knocked on her door that day, my sisters & I wouldn't exist today!

I was born into the religion but as a teenager had a bad experience and became VERY angry with them. At the time I was too young to understand alot of the beliefs but did understand ones I still hold dear to me now. I find now as an adult, the times witnesses have called on me, it has been perfect timing in regards to issues/problems I was having at the time. Even a few weeks ago I was so incredibly sick and had been fighting with DH about a very serious medical 'issue' with him that he wont go & get follow up tests for (ie:cancer) (subject for another thread) and I was truely at my witts end and so exhausted when witnesses knocked. I have met this couple (husband & wife) before and when I said I wasn't well & unable to chat today she offered to look after Daytona for a few hours to allow me to have a rest!! Ofcause I said no, but It just always amazes me how Jehovah works! and witnesses always show up right at the right time for me! (even when it's inconveinent)
I don't go to the meetings but I wish I did have the courage to cause I do find my life to be so peaceful when I do. And it's funny, I was just thinking about things today and now tonight I have stumbled across this thread! LOL. Maybe I should pull my finger out & go tomorrow!!

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DM, I've already PM'd you, but I wanted to thank you again for sharing your experience, it's truly beautiful :hug: It can certainly be challenging to be a JW when you're a teenager, being pulled in so many different directions - believe me, I've been there!

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I have strong memories of JW callers growing up. My parents are both Deaf and we would always get JW callers that were also Deaf or hearing but knew AUSLAN. My mum was very active in the Catholic Deaf community so I assume that's why we were called on. The first few times, Mum and Dad would always invite them in and have a chat. After that they stopped coming so I'm guessing they got a polite "thanks but no thanks." At the time I wondered how they knew to send Deaf people to our place. It seemed so smart to me (I was pretty young!).

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Haha, we do have a smart system in place :) At some point, JW's would have come to your door that DIDN'T understand AUSLAN, and they would have let their elders know about your parents. Then the elders would have arranged for someone understanding AUSLAN to visit your parents, to get over that language barrier. We do the same for all languages - for instance, if I were to go to a door and an Italian family lived there, I would refer it to the elders and someone from the Italian congregation would go back to that house from now on. No-one gets left out!

growing up any JWs who visited at my parents house had the door slammed in their face.
since starting my own christian walk i have become so much more accepting of others. we have had the same 2 people coming for well over a yr now on a tuesday at about 11am. I think because of moving to a new area i have been desperate to make friends the woman who comes(with im assuming her elderly father) is a beautiful person although i havent been here in about 8 months when she has come so i have not had the chance to invite her in for a cuppa.
although when i have discussed this with some friends from the church i attend they get very edgy and start sprouting off stuff about the JWs asking for money for the magazines and blah blah(as you can tell i just smiled and nodded letting it go out the other ear) I dont understand the angst between christian faiths and JWs.. im happy to chat to people about any thing god included :)

I'm finding it very interesting that this thread keeps threatening to go off onto a slanging match ... and then I read wonderful posts about acceptance.

I keep thinking back to a news story I read a couple of months ago - Australian "Angel" Saves Lives at Suicide Spot - CBS News - and feel that the vision of door knockers that I'm being offered matches this story.

OG - I think a lot of the angst comes from lack of understanding and education - unfortunately to many, religion is something they don't *want* to be educated in, and yet argue against. Just my 2c there :)

Totally agree Kaz, it's so lovely to hear all these positive stories.

Regards,
Dianne

Oh man, I'm on such a spiritual high from this thread - your experiences (the good ones!) and just the whole conversation is just so lovely! :grouphug:

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I do believe each of our hearts hear a different spiritual beat.

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This is how I feel too. I understand everyone is on their own path so I accept their beliefs.

Sure, I'd love to save everyone else from their delusions but I'm sure everyone else feels the same about wanting to save me from mine :lol: I had a good chat to my MIL about that actually. If I wasn't against going to people's homes and bothering them with a better way of life then I'd be out there door knocking too! I can see the appeal. So for that reason, if someone starts talking to me about religion I generally just tell them I already have my beliefs and smile and accept that they have theirs.

I have lived in this house for 2 years now and never had a JW visit!!

I actually like them! LOL. Only bc I like learning about any religion. Although I'm not interested in joining so I'd probably just waste their time.

Great thread!!

Lol Heaven - as far as me and most JWs are concerned, any time spent talking about Jehovah and the bible is not wasted :)

Last time they came I said I'm Catholic and they left. Maybe they thought I couldn't be saved :rofl:.

We have a sign now which says. No we do NOT want Austar. No we do NOT want to change electricity company. And No we do NOT want to change religion.

well we live rural, and I must say I feel very pleased when I have a landrover full of JW drive up my rickety driveway once every 6 months. I love that they are so involved in their religion and beliefs that come torrential rain or heatwave, these people are out there, attempting to spread their beliefs. Every single JW that has visited us has been pleasant and had lovely conversations...not necessarily about religion, because they pretty much know that we aren't involved in any practising religion, but just general things. They wave us goodbye and off they go. I dont understand the faith, I have no idea between the differences in christianity and JW, but I know they are very dedicated people.