Would it be evil for me to give Jehovah Witnesses handouts from JWFacts.com when they come here?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Apparently, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are in the middle of a big campaign this month to promote their website and they are stepping up their house visits and pamphlet drops as a result. They hit up our house the other day with their pamphlet version of this

I wasn’t home at the time, and my husband doesn’t like to confront them because unfortunately he has some relatives who are enmeshed in it. However, I am seriously considering that if they do come back when I’m home, I may want to print off some information from http://www.jwfacts.com to have by my door so I can tell them, “I’ll read your information if you read mine”. :slight_smile: For a long time I was indifferent to the JWs, but the more I have learned about their organization from ex-JWs, the more I am troubled by it. This organization seems to cause a lot of harm to people - for example, they actively encourage shunning of members with doubts, which can cause people to lose their whole family.
A lot of times, these JWs they send door to door are very nice folks, so I’m not saying I hate the individual JWs. However, I am starting to feel like I do hate their organization.

Would it be evil for me to make an effort to convert the people coming to my house to convert me? Has anyone here ever tried to do such a thing? :slight_smile:

2

No, this would not be evil. It’s probably a waste of time, though. But let us know how it turns out!

3

‘Evil’ is the wrong word - but it would fall on deaf ears.

The ‘true believer’ will see it as a test by Satan to lead them astray and toss it.

The “almost”, who might read it, will undoubtedly take it to the elders, who will tell them it is a test by Satan to lead them astray and toss it.

If they start openly questioning the teachings based on that info - and do not “repent” - they will be disfellowshipped and labeled an apostate.

Anyone that might be so inclined as to read and take it to heart, is unlikely to be at your doorstep.

So - “Evil” is correct - but not in the way you were inclined to think.

4

Everyone here knows how it will turn out–strong religious believers of any persuasion are not persuaded by argument.

OP: simply take the literature, say thank you and throw it in the waste paper basket when you get back in the house.

5

I think you’re being much too kind. They’re coming to your house, inflicting themselves on you uninvited, trying to convert you to what appear at least on the surface to be lunatic beliefs. To counter their idiocy with facts hardly seems either “evil” or unfair, though almost certainly a waste of time.

My personal feeling after a certain period of my patience being worn thin by doorbell ringers and telemarketers all of whom are selling something and many of whom are scam artists (JWs are not quite either, but in a sense they are also both) I can be less than polite and, on the phone, sometimes creatively mischievous. :stuck_out_tongue: What these folks all have in common is absolutely zero respect for peace and privacy.

6

Is all you know about the Witnesses, that they go door-to-door?

7

They are probably used to people handing out such information, and they have special places they deposit it when they are out of your sight. Don’t waste your time, it makes you look like…well, not good.

8

What gave you that impression? As I mentioned in the OP, I have in laws who are involved in it and have talked with some ex-JWs who do not have very positive things to say about it.

I do not have much respect for an organization that would tell parents to shun their own child after the child leaves “The Truth”, for example, which is an experience that apparently happens to many baptized JWs who choose to leave after they decide they don’t believe in it anymore.

9

Are they? I get the impression that the vast majority of people just don’t answer the door or tell them no thanks. How often do they actually meet people who know enough about their organization to tell them the truth?

According to some of the critiques of ex-JWs, they are told by the organization not to do independent research with secular sources, I wonder how many of them honestly have no idea about the inconsistencies and doctrine changes.

10

Tell them that you will read the literature they give you if they will read the literature you give them, and then invite them back to discuss what was read.

11

Well, I also know they don’t celebrate Halloween.

Apparently, they don’t like when strange people come to their house uninvited and ring the doorbell.

12

I just tell them that I’ll give them two dollars to mow my lawn. If they say, “no,” I tell them I won’t go any higher, and close the door.

13

What’s evil about it? Fair is fair, right? You want me to read your literature? Then you’ll have to read my literature.

14

You wish.

Evil is the wrong word. It’s more boring and unoriginal. I assure you that they’re very aware of all of it.

15

Ooh burn. That has nothing to do with why they don’t celebrate Halloween.

16

This is more of a poll than a debate.

Off to IMHO.

17

The OP’s plan sound like a riff from the last verse of the rather ribald song Festival of Life (lyrics only link) by Australian comedian Kevin Bloody Wilson. But Wilson takes it a step farther by imagining going door-to-door to try to convert the religious folks to his heathenistic ways.

No, handing them your literature is certainly no more evil than then handing you theirs. Unproductive, perhaps. But not evil.

18

You could always give them flyers for the next Red Cross blood drive.

19

You talk about them as if they are a cult. Is this your general opinion of organized religion, or Witnesses specifically?

20

That is evil.

I like it.