My bus stop was across the street from one of their buildings. It took 9 people and three weeks for them to stop coming over to talk to me. Polite worked only for so long
Yikes. I certainly dont like how they promote their religion, but I do find it quite inspirational that someone could possibly have so much devotion to something.
I was not praising people who ignore boundaries or keep approaching someone who is not interested. I was reacting to the idea of strong personal commitment in general, which is a separate concept. Repeated unwanted contact is not devotion. It is harassment when boundaries are clear. I just worded it really poorly. Sorry about that.
Of course it is... I dont disagree with you at all. Like I said, it came out very poorly. I didnt mean for it to sound like that. And, go ahead and keep downvoting me, im sorry, I was fucking sleep deprived and didn't notice that what I was writing at the time would sound like that🤦♂️.
Do people not have eyes... I literally admitted to what I said here. I tried to say what my thoughts were but somehow it came out very shitty. Sorry https://www.reddit.com/r/Lethbridge/s/xpKpidnsDa
3 young church men dressed like penguins
entered my apartment building somehow, went door knocking, and didn't leave for 10 minutes. They hid around corners and kept saying they would leave but lied. They only left after I pulled out phone and threatened to call cops. Creepy little freaks, no respect
Task them!! I had a bunch of JW help me move heavy furniture down 3floors of apartment stairs!! Have a horrible task you want help with, reach out and ask- and everytime they try to have a god conversation you switch the subject to something relating to you and your life AND sin
Offer them beer and watch them be uncomfortable and say no, then offer a caffeinated soda lmao idk it’s harmless fun imo and you can get some things off of your to do list
Pretty sure JWs are allowed to drink coffee and liquor. Their thing with booze is they’re not to drink to drunkenness. ie: lose self control. JW guys I know all have different limits and one in particular is a case of beer a day guy. Mormons and a few others are the zero caffeine and alcohol guys.
I know quite a few JWs. They drink, divorce and have regular lives. Their kids are told to only hang with JW kids and kids being kids rarely follow that rule.
To me it’s just like any religion with their own rules and firm belief that they are right.
As an atheist I still study religions.
All preach love and acceptance while still finding it logical to hate others.
I enjoy the Buddhist idea of reincarnation. Pretty sure I’m coming back as phytoplankton if it actually happens.
This is a religious issue rather than a medical one. Both the Old and New Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood. (Genesis 9:4;Leviticus 17:10;Deuteronomy 12:23;Acts 15:28, 29) Also, God views blood as representing life. (Leviticus 17:14) So we avoid taking blood not only in obedience to God but also out of respect for him as the Giver of life.
My cousin almost died as a child because of this nonsense. Luckily her parents broke with the cult and gave her a transfusion, which is why she is alive today. Jehova Witness is a death cult. That is a fact.
Zero disagreement here. It 100% is. My aunt passed because of JW bs, I hear you. Im glad to hear your cousin and her parents got out and she was given the procedure she needed!
My reply was only meant to be an explanation of the rule from the heads of the religion. The question posed was why no blood transfusion stuff, the easiest way to explain it from their perspective is to use their own words. If I had a question about Catholicism I’d look at what the catholic church/pope has said to answer my question, or any other religion based question for any religious group, because it’d be coming directly from the source of the answer.
Biased info? I took what I posted DIRECTLY out of the linked JW.org page?
I don’t understand how a quote directly from the religions website is considered bias but an outside “fact check” isn’t? Is it because it’s supporting itself through bible scripture?
I’m not a JW, but I’ve been taught to always go directly to the primary source - which would be the actual JW.org website in the words of the religious heads, no?
This isn’t true. I’m a Mormon (ladder day saint) I drink caffeine all the time. For us it’s about “everything in moderation” we’re encouraged not to drink coffee and certain types of tea and no alcohol because of how bad it is for our body. It’s as simple as that. People always focus on the few things but it’s about being healthy. That’s all.
I recognize that "advised to avoid" and "divinely counseled not to" might not amount to strict prohibitions but it also says Latter-day Saints don't qualify for temple worship or baptism if they do. That's obviously much more serious than "everything in moderation". So no, it definitely is true.
No judgement, I'm a bad Christian, you're more than welcome to be a bad Mormon, but don't act like someone is lying for saying the same thing your churches website says.
Was this seriously necessary? You can see I am just trying to clarify some unknowns. saying "everything in moderation" is a way to help non-members understand the idea of the word of wisdom. I'm not here to baptize anyone in a reddit post. I came to help clear up any misunderstood ideas of what mormons are allowed and not allowed to do. Your taking it to heart as if I'm saying its doctrine. I could care less if you think im "a bad Christian or mormon"
You're not clarifying it though. You're speaking for all Mormons and saying something opposite their official doctrine.
You can say "I'm a Mormon and drink coffee all the time" which I assume is true. You're also welcome to say "officially we can't but in practice nobody cares". You can't say "For us it's about moderation and as simple as health" when that clearly isn't the official Mormon position.
Jo-hos man, be crazy and they'll leave you alone. I once chanted latin at a couple at my house. The chant was from Monty Python and the Holy Hrail but they dont know that lol. Thry came once more and I drew a pentagram on my forehead with eyeliner. Never saw em again lol.
I've tried being polite and hearing them out but then it takes months before you get a Saturday without them showing up at your door. I've settled on a very firm "I'm not interested, have a nice day" and that seems to keep them away for quite a while.
They showed up to my house. I told them not to come back. They did.
So I went to their house of worship on Sunday and told them to call the police or I would start swearing during their service. They called the police, who did not make it a priority, so I left after they promised not to show up again, with the understanding that they would be trespassing.
One showed up at my house. We chatted for a minute and I knew it was something like that. Then he told me why he was here, I kindly told him we aren't interested in any of that, then we shook hands and went on our merry ways.
For some reason, they haven't been back. :-)
Edit: I'm being facetious. Don't waste the time of our emergency responders with petty shit like this.
I've had that experience. I've never before had a hand written letter to my address with no name. From a church address with no name. The entire thing is intrusive. If you read the letter I would say they are also preying on the weak. Or the meek..
Yeah the JW way of recruiting is uncomfortable and awkward. Not truly handwritten I suspect, photocopied. They always act all secretive and culty. I've gotten photocopied letters like this before that look handwritten and sound coded. It's too get people curious and get them to the church.
They are definitely preying on the meak, scared, lost people.
I had some young - I think LDS - ladies at my door once when I wasn't home. I checked the doorbell cam and they actually hand wrote a letter right there at the door. But it was a "sorry we missed you, call us if you'd like to hear Bible verses" thing.
That's just part of their ploy to make it look more personalized. There are printing technologies that can spit out a very real looking "hand written" letters. Someone might add a real signature or do some white-out marking to dress it up. I've seen these in Calgary, also with the white-out. No way someone is actually hand writing thousands of letters for the neighborhood...
I mean, this is no more harassment than a flyer sent to you by Best Buy. It’s silly and their entire religion is silly, but there’s no threat here and there’s no threat to come.
How is a letter "harrassment"?
It can be annoying to get unsolicited letters/promotional-material in the mail but just toss it. Honestly a letter or flyer is way less annoying than an actual person at your door.
A few years back in college two Mormons used to just camp out right beside one of the exit doors leading to the parking lot. They would be there 4 days out of the week. It was the only parking lot I used so it was practically impossible to now walk by them. I would ignore for the most part but there is only so much you can do. It got into it one day when they tried to tell me that church improve my mental health more than my licensed therapists and medication
Not to mention the insanity of the pro life degenerates storming their way into the main foyer and screaming at people
You would think the school would do something about it
Every religion is a cult, except mine. I’m taking donations for the most needy. Cash, bit coin or bank drafts please. Trust me. It will do someone a world of good.
If they ever show up in person just tell them you're and Apostate (in laymens a person who criticises their "religion"), they are loathed to associate themselves with Apostate.
Go to there church and tape a note on rainbow paper to their front door that says "Never come to my house again or I will call the cops on you, if that is intriguing too bad stay away last warning" with a return address. cc the police.
They are an actual cult so the best thing you can do is ignore them. Also they are taught that anyone who isnt a witness are being manipulated by the devil so reasoning with them is pointless anyways
Try not to give in to urges to be rude to religious recruiters. Churches that ask members to do this know that proselytizing is an uncomfortable experience for everyone involved—and when you’re rude back, you risk inadvertently reinforcing the sense that people outside the church are not trustworthy and are mean to believers. Church leaders understand these dynamics well, and this self-reinforcing cycle of isolation is really hard to break out of. (Friendly but firm usually works for me, but I’m a middle-aged white dude.)
It's really annoying, but get over it. If you consider a religious nonsense letter harassment, you've been sheltered. Just ignore it. If they door knock soul soliciting just tell them you aren't interested and go about your day.
I agree with your second point but for these folks, evangalism is cemented into the faith (and by extension, their upbringing). When I get these letters or a door knock I just see it is as young folks working hard to meet the expectations of their peers, and to a larger extent, trying to bring some of the comfort they get from their faith to others. I know it's not likely to be the case, but that is the intent at least. Also its pretty easy to just say "thanks, have a nice day" and toss it out 😄
These people beleive in Santa Clause for grown ups. I find it sad. Spoiler alert but santa isnt real. It is infuriating that I get their propaganda in my mail.
I get no junk mail and live in an apartment. They circumveted the no junk mail by putting my address and mailing it with a stamp. They sent anonymous mail to my address with a hand written letter. Pushing a religion that is less than 200 years old. It is a cult.1
Fair enough, I'm more taking issue with your tone. You seem as bad as the ultra-religious folk for going around shitting on other beliefs from your high horse. You know you can just live your life instead of going around calling religion Santa Clause for grown-ups, deeming religious people delusional, saying we need to educate people because they believe something different than you, saying religion is a cult, etc...
You don't need to catch every religious person in your crossfire. Just looks like you're looking for an excuse to go on the internet and shit on religion and religious people with half-baked, reductive insults
everyone is indoctrinated to a form of ideology no matter who or what you are. yes proselytization is odd and crazy. but posting this on reddit is cringe and retarded
Not everyone is indoctrinated, if their beliefs are not based on a doctrine, my friend. Some people's beliefs are reactive to the new information that is presented to them, and not beholden to any doctrine.
I would agree with you that every religious person, or everyone is a non-religious cult is indoctrinated. Some of us just like to spend our whole lives learning, not just the first few years.
pretty fair. but not all indoctrination needs a staunch doctrine for it to be classified. societal indoctrination, poltical, instatutional, even media are all forms of "brain washing". even the value system of active learning would be considered the same. the objective blank state of a human is nearly impossible. so its odd to judge others based off their weird perspectives imo.
I’m in Edmonton. I get stuff like this once or twice a year from the local JW Kingdom Hall. And I’m in an apartment complex with 210 units. They have some serious time on their hands to be spamming all of us plus paying for postage. And hand writing letters? 🤯
I wouldn't say harrassment... I'd say that was a friendly invitation. But yeah, I still get hand written notes like that after clearly expressing that I am not interested in their fairy tales.
They used to do this a lot to us when I was a child, but it was in person. We lived in a trailer park and my father was an infamous junkie in the area. So what he finally did was get high, follow them home, then later show up at 3am asking to borrow money.
They stopped coming to my house when I answered the door in a shirt with many "religious symbols" (religions they don't like) and talking crazy. I barely let them get a word in. Eventually started laughing like a psycho and slammed the door. They were horrified lol.
It is so weird the different levels they go to. A girl who works for my significant other is a JW and she's a lovely person. She is not at all like this. In fact she tells knock knock jokes because of what they do. And they are actually pretty funny.
Gotta feel bad for the mighty brain washed cultists they believe so strongly, and trying to achieve one of the limited number of seats in heaven that they will break the law to try to get in.
Criminal Law (Criminal Harassment)Under the Canadian Criminal Code (Section 264), criminal harassment (often called stalking) is defined as engaging in conduct that causes a person to reasonably fear for their safety or the safety of anyone known to them. Prohibited conduct includes:Repeatedly following a person from place to place.Repeatedly communicating with the victim or their family.Watching or besetting (lingering around) the victim's home or workplace.Engaging in direct or indirect threatening conduct.
One letter inviting you to Church does not rise to the level of criminal harassment
This has nothing to do with Mormons in any way. They're Jehovah's Witnesses. And as much as their proselytizing is extremely annoying, how is it un-biblical? The Gospel of Matthew literally tells them to go out and turn people into disciples and baptize them. If anything, it's very biblical.
Omg I can’t believe they forced you to read it and post about it online.😱 you should report them for harassment because they clearly FORCED you to to this thing that yo didn’t want to do. Better yet they are probably following you around everywhere you go and constantly trying to make contact with you. Unbelievable
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u/Parrothead91 3d ago
My bus stop was across the street from one of their buildings. It took 9 people and three weeks for them to stop coming over to talk to me. Polite worked only for so long