Who are YOU to tell me I'm GOING TO HELL???!!!

[RC_Matt]

I finally went mini-ballistic on a Jehovah’s Witness last week.

First, a little background information. Walking down the main shopping street in our community on a Saturday is like running the gauntlet. There are two moving nests of Jehovah’s Witnesses that lie in wait to ambush the passerby, shoving The Watchtower in your face and sternly warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what THEY tell you to do. Then there is Pentecostal Pastor Dude, who stands on the corner, in front of his little church, waving his Bible, trying to make eye contact, and warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what HE tells you to do. Then there is the inevitable pair of Mormon missionaries, warning you that you can’t get to heaven unless you do what THEY tell you to do. Then there are the Nazarenes, who go door-to-door, warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what THEY tell you to do. I’ve been told by numerous Baptists that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I do what THEY tell me to do. I’ve been warned by two different Mormons, on this board alone, that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I become a Mormon.

So, last Saturday, lugging a 40 pound bag of dog food on my shoulder, I absent mindedly strolled past one of the JW traps. Woman jumps out in front of me, waving The Watchtower, and starts the pitch. Tried to be nice and tell her “not interested,” but she wouldn’t stop and warned me that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I listened to her. Not being in the mood to be banished off to the eternal lake of fire that day, I plopped down the sack of kibble and asked her, in a not-so-polite tone of voice, “what gives YOU the right to banish ME off to HELL???!!! You don’t know me, you don’t anything about me, so what gives you that right? Like, just who do you think you are? Etc., etc., etc.” In any case, she lowered her Watchtower and high-tailed it back to the nest. I don’t think that one will bother me again anyway.

Don’t these idiots realize how STUPID they sound? It is absolutely beyond my comprehension how anybody with a marginally functional cerebral cortex can subscribe to this kind of nonsense. And it’s not just the connoisseurs of “Elvis painted on velvet” and the like either. I’ve known some very respectable and well educated people who firmly believe that everybody BURNS IN HELL, except those who believe and practice as they do. Like the qualification for heaven is that one strictly follows a specific set of tenets. In addition to totally defying common sense, it’s precisely the sort of thing Jesus warned us AGAINST. What ever happened to “love your neighbor as yourself?” Seems to me like these people have totally missed the point.

 

[mommyof4]

Hmm… if you can’t beat them, how about if you start your own “Catholic nest,” and try to convert them? You could show them the Catechism and give them a copy of Pillar of Truth, Pillar of Fire???

 

[yellowbird]

Techincally JW’s don’t believe in hell. They think that when you’re dead - you’re dead, as in cease to exist.

And although I know they can be so obnoxious, they believe they are “loving their neighbor” by warning you that unless you become a JW, you will NOT get to live forever on Paradise Earth with the other JW’s, but instead you will cease to exist.

But I totally agree with you… the judgement is left up to God - not someone on a street corner.

Edit: And it goes without saying that the JW’s theology is NOT Biblical.

 

[PattyPryor]

or the famous I’m right and your wrong bit. I just think it is silly.

 

[St_Aloysius]

Don’t these idiots realize how STUPID they sound? It is absolutely beyond my comprehension how anybody with a marginally functional cerebral cortex can subscribe to this kind of nonsense. And it’s not just the connoisseurs of “Elvis painted on velvet” and the like either. I’ve known some very respectable and well educated people who firmly believe that everybody BURNS IN HELL, except those who believe and practice as they do. Like the qualification for heaven is that one strictly follows a specific set of tenets. In addition to totally defying common sense, it’s precisely the sort of thing Jesus warned us AGAINST. What ever happened to “love your neighbor as yourself?” Seems to me like these people have totally missed the point.

Thank you…You just made me smile!

The human ego is a sad thing at times. To many, it is the only infallible authority. They will spend their whole lives doubting themselves, second-guessing, and trying to sell a “one-size fits all” ideology imcompatible with human reasoning. Perhaps they wish to convince you as they have given up trying to convince themselves. Perhaps one more subscriber will help to validate them in their own minds.

 

[Sagefrakrobatik]

I finally went mini-ballistic on a Jehovah’s Witness last week.

First, a little background information. Walking down the main shopping street in our community on a Saturday is like running the gauntlet. There are two moving nests of Jehovah’s Witnesses that lie in wait to ambush the passerby, shoving The Watchtower in your face and sternly warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what THEY tell you to do. Then there is Pentecostal Pastor Dude, who stands on the corner, in front of his little church, waving his Bible, trying to make eye contact, and warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what HE tells you to do. Then there is the inevitable pair of Mormon missionaries, warning you that you can’t get to heaven unless you do what THEY tell you to do. Then there are the Nazarenes, who go door-to-door, warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what THEY tell you to do. I’ve been told by numerous Baptists that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I do what THEY tell me to do. I’ve been warned by two different Mormons, on this board alone, that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I become a Mormon.

So, last Saturday, lugging a 40 pound bag of dog food on my shoulder, I absent mindedly strolled past one of the JW traps. Woman jumps out in front of me, waving The Watchtower, and starts the pitch. Tried to be nice and tell her “not interested,” but she wouldn’t stop and warned me that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I listened to her. Not being in the mood to be banished off to the eternal lake of fire that day, I plopped down the sack of kibble and asked her, in a not-so-polite tone of voice, “what gives YOU the right to banish ME off to HELL???!!! You don’t know me, you don’t anything about me, so what gives you that right? Like, just who do you think you are? Etc., etc., etc.” In any case, she lowered her Watchtower and high-tailed it back to the nest. I don’t think that one will bother me again anyway.

Don’t these idiots realize how STUPID they sound? It is absolutely beyond my comprehension how anybody with a marginally functional cerebral cortex can subscribe to this kind of nonsense. And it’s not just the connoisseurs of “Elvis painted on velvet” and the like either. I’ve known some very respectable and well educated people who firmly believe that everybody BURNS IN HELL, except those who believe and practice as they do. Like the qualification for heaven is that one strictly follows a specific set of tenets. In addition to totally defying common sense, it’s precisely the sort of thing Jesus warned us AGAINST. What ever happened to “love your neighbor as yourself?” Seems to me like these people have totally missed the point.

If i were you i would invite them all to Apple Bees. I would tell the Nazerene that i have a mormon friend who needs be saved. Id tell the JW i have a nazerene friend who im afraid might perish and go to hell and tell the Nazerene I’m afraid of the spiritual fate of my Pentecostal friend and let them go at each other and see what happens. Or you can invite them all over for YATZEE!

 

[fbl9]

I finally went mini-ballistic on a Jehovah’s Witness last week.

First, a little background information. Walking down the main shopping street in our community on a Saturday is like running the gauntlet. There are two moving nests of Jehovah’s Witnesses that lie in wait to ambush the passerby, shoving The Watchtower in your face and sternly warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what THEY tell you to do. Then there is Pentecostal Pastor Dude, who stands on the corner, in front of his little church, waving his Bible, trying to make eye contact, and warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what HE tells you to do. Then there is the inevitable pair of Mormon missionaries, warning you that you can’t get to heaven unless you do what THEY tell you to do. Then there are the Nazarenes, who go door-to-door, warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what THEY tell you to do. I’ve been told by numerous Baptists that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I do what THEY tell me to do. I’ve been warned by two different Mormons, on this board alone, that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I become a Mormon.

So, last Saturday, lugging a 40 pound bag of dog food on my shoulder, I absent mindedly strolled past one of the JW traps. Woman jumps out in front of me, waving The Watchtower, and starts the pitch. Tried to be nice and tell her “not interested,” but she wouldn’t stop and warned me that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I listened to her. Not being in the mood to be banished off to the eternal lake of fire that day, I plopped down the sack of kibble and asked her, in a not-so-polite tone of voice, “what gives YOU the right to banish ME off to HELL???!!! You don’t know me, you don’t anything about me, so what gives you that right? Like, just who do you think you are? Etc., etc., etc.” In any case, she lowered her Watchtower and high-tailed it back to the nest. I don’t think that one will bother me again anyway.

Don’t these idiots realize how STUPID they sound? It is absolutely beyond my comprehension how anybody with a marginally functional cerebral cortex can subscribe to this kind of nonsense. And it’s not just the connoisseurs of “Elvis painted on velvet” and the like either. I’ve known some very respectable and well educated people who firmly believe that everybody BURNS IN HELL, except those who believe and practice as they do. Like the qualification for heaven is that one strictly follows a specific set of tenets. In addition to totally defying common sense, it’s precisely the sort of thing Jesus warned us AGAINST. What ever happened to “love your neighbor as yourself?” Seems to me like these people have totally missed the point.

one quick question did you feel a bit guilty as in i should have been a bit nicer to these people after your “rant”. i had something simular i wasn’t in the mood to try and talk to the Jw who came into my yard one day so i basically told them i don’t need the lies you are tying to peddle me.

 

[Nan_S]

one quick question did you feel a bit guilty as in i should have been a bit nicer to these people after your “rant”. i had something simular i wasn’t in the mood to try and talk to the Jw who came into my yard one day so i basically told them i don’t need the lies you are tying to peddle me.

“Being convicted of the truth as revealed by God and preserved by Holy Mother Church, I am confident of my eternal reward in the presence of God in Heaven.” (Don’t argue with them in gradeschool English. Give them some college-level grammer and make your escape while they are still trying to figure out what you said. )

The same God who gave us His truth also required us to cope with nuclear diapers, irrational creatures in human appearance from 2-yr-olds through adult, and tenacious weeds (herbal weeds and human weeds). If Jesus Himself found humanity frustrating and sometimes responded with a temper, don’t feel guilty yourself about doing the same.

When they have their blinders firmly in place, sometimes a harsh response is needed to knock the blinders askew so that a little light can enter.

 

[RC_Matt]

one quick question did you feel a bit guilty as in i should have been a bit nicer to these people after your “rant”. i had something simular i wasn’t in the mood to try and talk to the Jw who came into my yard one day so i basically told them i don’t need the lies you are tying to peddle me.

Nah, no guilt at all. That sack of dog food was big and heavy, and I was obviously struggling with it; so, at the very least, she should have known better than to jump in front of me and make me stop. When she ignored my polite attempt to brush her off, and started in with the “you’re won’t be saved (or whatever)” garbage, she got exactly what she had coming. In fact, she didn’t know how to respond and just ran back to her pals like a scolded puppy (NO, NO, BAD JEHOVAH’S WITNESS, BAD…) – I laughed all the way home.

 

[wisdomseeker]

If i were you i would invite them all to Apple Bees. I would tell the Nazerene that i have a mormon friend who needs be saved. Id tell the JW i have a nazerene friend who im afraid might perish and go to hell and tell the Nazerene I’m afraid of the spiritual fate of my Pentecostal friend and let them go at each other and see what happens. Or you can invite them all over for YATZEE!

 

[Hesychios]

Techincally JW’s don’t believe in hell. They think that when you’re dead - you’re dead, as in cease to exist.

Absolutely 100% correct statement.

Which then, seems to indicate that this person was being a bit intellectually dishonest from that organizations point of view.

However, it is entirely possible that this is a “new” JW. They are known to put people on the streets before they have been fully indoctrinated, often within weeks of their first “Free Bible Study”, or as soon as their enthusiasm carries them away.

Often these neophytes are not strong in the details, and for a voice rely heavily on the printed matter they pass out, purchased at their own expense from the large printing house maintained in Brooklyn.

The process of learning the teachings is like peeling back the layers of an onion, some of the most significant details (like the Arian understanding of Jesus Christ, and He being an incarnation of St Michael the Archangel! ) are not directly presented until the student is deemed ready and open-minded enough for it.

 

[justinthemartyr]

God is the only knower of the human heart and will make all things known on that day(judgement).

 

[Rightlydivide]

I would move. Nothing like that has ever happened to me.

 

[strngrnrth]

Wow. I get accosted by JWs a lot but they are usually extremely polite, shy and quick about talking to me. Mormons too, sweet and easygoing. pentecostals, polite and warm, loving approach, except one incident a good ten years ago in a parking lot, when they tried to give me invitations to something and I ignored them and one said, “OK, you’re going to Hell.” I raged about that far too long. He was possibly just a rookie who was carried away his first time. Street outreach is scary, like canvassing and giving a public speech both, and can make people do things nervous people do. I don’t know why you run into such aggressive ones,especially why the JWs where you are don’t even know their own doctrine. Every place seems to have a different religious dynamic.

 

[a_priori]

I very much enjoy talking with people who believe different things than I do. There’s no need to take everything personally. Sometimes the timing is off and it just isn’t convenient to talk. But if the conditions are right I just let them do their thing and generally have a pretty cool exchange of ideas.

Being around people who agree with me is boring.

 

[Jguerra]

Hmm… if you can’t beat them, how about if you start your own “Catholic nest,” and try to convert them? You could show them the Catechism and give them a copy of Pillar of Truth, Pillar of Fire???

If you do start one, count me in. I’m bringing my rosary and my bottle of holy water for the counter-attack. Imagine what would happen to them if they were sprinkled. Or, if I hold up my crucifix and quote St. Paul, “we preach Christ and him crucified!”

Joe

 

[mommyof4]

If you do start one, count me in. I’m bringing my rosary and my bottle of holy water for the counter-attack. Imagine what would happen to them if they were sprinkled. Or, if I hold up my crucifix and quote St. Paul, “we preach Christ and him crucified!”

Joe

OK, let’s go!

 

[Nickkname]

I finally went mini-ballistic on a Jehovah’s Witness last week.

First, a little background information. Walking down the main shopping street in our community on a Saturday is like running the gauntlet. There are two moving nests of Jehovah’s Witnesses that lie in wait to ambush the passerby, shoving The Watchtower in your face and sternly warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what THEY tell you to do. Then there is Pentecostal Pastor Dude, who stands on the corner, in front of his little church, waving his Bible, trying to make eye contact, and warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what HE tells you to do. Then there is the inevitable pair of Mormon missionaries, warning you that you can’t get to heaven unless you do what THEY tell you to do. Then there are the Nazarenes, who go door-to-door, warning you that you’re GOING TO HELL unless you do what THEY tell you to do. I’ve been told by numerous Baptists that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I do what THEY tell me to do. I’ve been warned by two different Mormons, on this board alone, that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I become a Mormon.

So, last Saturday, lugging a 40 pound bag of dog food on my shoulder, I absent mindedly strolled past one of the JW traps. Woman jumps out in front of me, waving The Watchtower, and starts the pitch. Tried to be nice and tell her “not interested,” but she wouldn’t stop and warned me that I’m GOING TO HELL unless I listened to her. Not being in the mood to be banished off to the eternal lake of fire that day, I plopped down the sack of kibble and asked her, in a not-so-polite tone of voice, “what gives YOU the right to banish ME off to HELL???!!! You don’t know me, you don’t anything about me, so what gives you that right? Like, just who do you think you are? Etc., etc., etc.” In any case, she lowered her Watchtower and high-tailed it back to the nest. I don’t think that one will bother me again anyway.

Don’t these idiots realize how STUPID they sound? It is absolutely beyond my comprehension how anybody with a marginally functional cerebral cortex can subscribe to this kind of nonsense. And it’s not just the connoisseurs of “Elvis painted on velvet” and the like either. I’ve known some very respectable and well educated people who firmly believe that everybody BURNS IN HELL, except those who believe and practice as they do. Like the qualification for heaven is that one strictly follows a specific set of tenets. In addition to totally defying common sense, it’s precisely the sort of thing Jesus warned us AGAINST. What ever happened to “love your neighbor as yourself?” Seems to me like these people have totally missed the point.

Well, it’s not exactly the best way to warn people about hell, but hey, at least someone is warning mankind about hell. I mean, why is it that I hardly hear about hell anymore? People need to know that hell exists. The devil has done a fine job of making the world believe he’s just a joke, superstition, a non-existent entity. The world needs people who warn about the fires of hell - even if they don’t do in the most kindest of ways. The world needs to be reminded of sin and of hell, because it is losing its sense of sin.

On the other hand, frightening people to do what you want or else suffer the consequences is akin to bullying, I think. Still, you have to realize that eternity is a powerful thing on the mind - believers are so concerned for people, out of love, that they are willing to do anything, and think anything, for other people - even if it means shouting at people to get them to “wake up” and thinking this will help them. You gotta remember about that before you shout back at people. Don’t judge others - let the Lord take care of that for you. He’s willing to bear the burden of judging others, so to speak.

Plus, it’s better to bear crosses patiently and pray for people than it is to return a shout for a shout - a shout will scare people away, but a prayer and a smile will draw people to Jesus. Anyhow, that is enough from me. I feel like I’ve said too much. I hope I haven’t offended anyone. I apologize if I have. Ok, ok, I’m shutting up now.

 

[GailMac]

One question, did the doggie get his kibble?

Peace,

Gail

 

[peregrinus_WA]

Getting in front of me could be very dangerous. I do not even acknowledge their existence. I just continue to walk and, they are in front of me, too bad.