E
eleonardo
Guest
I guess it was my time!
Of course many people have encountered JW ‘visits’, but mine was quite interesting.
A little background. I was born in Holland, but my parents aren’t from Holland. So my background is ‘foreign’.
Back to my encounter. It was raining and I had my motor parked outside the house, so I decided to put it indoors. As I was pushing my 400 lbs Kawa a man and a woman approached me and said “Hello, how are you”, in my parents’ language. I had no idea who these people were, so I was a bit dazzled as to how they knew I wasn’t “dutch”.
I wasn’t very happy with complete strangers knowing things about me and inquired as to how they knew!
The woman apparantly saw my surprise and followed up quickly with a “we’re JW” and "we got your adres from ‘a’ Dutch something. I didn’t remember what she said, but as soon as she said she was a JW it all fit.
Anyways, I had an visit from JW when I was a child. The rudeness of grown ups imposing on a defenceless childs still troubles me to this day. Luckily It’s 15 years since my last encounter and I have learned a few things since. Not in the last place thanks to my fellow Catholic bro’s and sisters on this forum. (So a big thank you for this!)
Of course the standard JW tactic followed swiftly. Dazzling lines from the bible, intertwined with some ‘interest’ in my bike to get me warmed up for further conversation.
I once read here, from former visitotees that you shouldn’t argue with them, unless you’re well versed in scriptures and your religions.
I have to say I’m not that educated on that subject, but I do know quite enough to burst the bubble in their arguments.
Also, I did good to take the advice to stear the discussion in the direction I wanted to. This was quite pleasant I have to say.
I had some quick questions about their beliefs and three times I declined their booklets, since ‘no, I don’t have further questions’ as she apparantly thought. When they kept pushing their quotes I simply added :“If you really want to follow Christ, you should follow his true Church” and related that to the ‘rock’ verse from the bible. They didn’t retort.
Intermission:
Interesting fact. The woman at the end told me, that she wasn’t even Dutch. Yet she spoke the language of my parents much better than I do!
Back to subject:
I told them that I respected that they’re doing the work of God, and I added, “well at least you think you are”. Then I said that any further discussion would be pointless since I knew who they were and they’re beliefs. Altering the bible etc etc. I hoped I wasn’t too rude to them, or coming off too arrogant, but it is my honest belief.
Well, with that in their pockets they nicely said good-bye and went on their way.
I hope this was the last of their attempts, since I don’t care for strangers preaching their strange beliefs.
Of course many people have encountered JW ‘visits’, but mine was quite interesting.
A little background. I was born in Holland, but my parents aren’t from Holland. So my background is ‘foreign’.
Back to my encounter. It was raining and I had my motor parked outside the house, so I decided to put it indoors. As I was pushing my 400 lbs Kawa a man and a woman approached me and said “Hello, how are you”, in my parents’ language. I had no idea who these people were, so I was a bit dazzled as to how they knew I wasn’t “dutch”.
I wasn’t very happy with complete strangers knowing things about me and inquired as to how they knew!
The woman apparantly saw my surprise and followed up quickly with a “we’re JW” and "we got your adres from ‘a’ Dutch something. I didn’t remember what she said, but as soon as she said she was a JW it all fit.
Anyways, I had an visit from JW when I was a child. The rudeness of grown ups imposing on a defenceless childs still troubles me to this day. Luckily It’s 15 years since my last encounter and I have learned a few things since. Not in the last place thanks to my fellow Catholic bro’s and sisters on this forum. (So a big thank you for this!)
Of course the standard JW tactic followed swiftly. Dazzling lines from the bible, intertwined with some ‘interest’ in my bike to get me warmed up for further conversation.
I once read here, from former visitotees that you shouldn’t argue with them, unless you’re well versed in scriptures and your religions.
I have to say I’m not that educated on that subject, but I do know quite enough to burst the bubble in their arguments.
Also, I did good to take the advice to stear the discussion in the direction I wanted to. This was quite pleasant I have to say.
I had some quick questions about their beliefs and three times I declined their booklets, since ‘no, I don’t have further questions’ as she apparantly thought. When they kept pushing their quotes I simply added :“If you really want to follow Christ, you should follow his true Church” and related that to the ‘rock’ verse from the bible. They didn’t retort.
Intermission:
Interesting fact. The woman at the end told me, that she wasn’t even Dutch. Yet she spoke the language of my parents much better than I do!
Back to subject:
I told them that I respected that they’re doing the work of God, and I added, “well at least you think you are”. Then I said that any further discussion would be pointless since I knew who they were and they’re beliefs. Altering the bible etc etc. I hoped I wasn’t too rude to them, or coming off too arrogant, but it is my honest belief.
Well, with that in their pockets they nicely said good-bye and went on their way.
I hope this was the last of their attempts, since I don’t care for strangers preaching their strange beliefs.
That reminds me of a G. K. Chesterton who had a members of some obscure sect arrive at his front door; he got them to move his piano to the second floor. 
He inquired as to what my reaction was and I had told him that I “wasn’t interested”. No problem he said and went on his way.