Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Testifying

This morning the Jehovah's Witnesses came to my door. I know many people don't like them coming to their house, and often have bad things to say about them. But having been a missionary myself, I don't mind as much.

I let them talk and invite me to their Easter worship service. If I am correct, they don't celebrate holidays, but they do like to encourage people at this time of year to focus on the Savior, and not on the Easter bunny. I almost told them that my Sundays are so busy that I don't have time to go to their service! lol Instead I just told them that I have my own religion.

They offered me some literature, but I told them I wasn't interested. I hesitated at first in saying this, but finally I just told them that I had been offered some of their literature before that gave information about my religion. I had taken it, and read through it, but was disappointed to find that they had published incorrect things about our beliefs. My thinking is that if you are a church, representing the Savior, then you should work very hard to make sure that everything you do, say, and print, is the truth. And never should you intentionally do, say, or print something that you know to be false, even if you feel the ends justify the means. In this case, I think that the people who printed that information just didn't understand our beliefs. So I told them that I really had no interest in reading their information, and that frankly I had plenty of my own religious information to read. :)

But I did go on to tell them that I appreciate what they are doing. I appreciate that they take the time to testify. I may not agree with all of their beliefs, but I do understand the need to testify to others. I told them that I served a mission in Taiwan, as did my husband. I told them that two of my children are currently serving. But I like that they devote much of their time on a regular basis to testifying.

As they were leaving, one of them noticed a car that is sitting unused in our driveway, and expressed an interest in buying it. I may not have gotten much out of our religious conversation, but I might get a car sale out of it! lol But my advice to you is that whenever you have representatives of any religion come to your door, be nice to them and remember that they are doing this because of their love of God! :)

6 comments:

Rummuser said...

Two young gentlemen came from the JW to my door too a couple of years ago and requested my permission to come inside and talk to me about their religion. I said, that I will have no problem with that but, having given them the time, I would expect them to give me the same amount of time to talk to them about my religion. They were not prepared to extend me the courtesy and left without entering my house.

I am entirely with you that we should not get angry with them but surely we can request reciprocity?

Euripides said...

Hello Delirious. I'm not sure how I missed this, but I've added your blog to my blogroll. Cheers! E

Delirious said...

Thanks Euripides! I'm a fan of your blog!

Euripides said...

Thank you, especially for the comments you've left over at my place.

Nene said...

This must be the recruiting time of year for the JWs because they came to my door too today. My husband answered it and he just takes their literature because he says he doesn't have time to talk to them and it's easier to just take their literature and throw it away. A few weeks ago I had a Baptist preacher and a teenage boy come to my door. When I told him I was a Mormon, he tried to give me some anti-Mormon literature. I refused to take it and told him I refused to read anti-Mormon literature. I was polite to him, and when he asked if I had been "saved", answered "yes" and gave him my definition of being "saved". He said to me, "See, that's the problem with you Mormons. You make it too hard to get to heaven." He didn't think you had to be "good", just be "saved" and help other people to be "saved". Anyway, it was an interesting conversation, and I told my husband that next time some missionary-type person comes to the door to just call me... :0)

Grannymar said...

Delirious, we have more varieties of religions in our town of 11,000 souls than you have had hot dinners. Callers here are usually from local Gospel halls and can be rather pushy almost telling you that you are dammed unless you follow their way. I accept tracts and politely excuse myself.