Ugh!!
I thought that we were finally rid of missionaries. I thought that we’d finally done it! But alas, we’ve got new ones. They’re not even Latter-day Saints folks, but rather the Jehova’s Witness kind. Even worse, I took their reading material. That’s always going to be my downfall. People give me something and ask me to read it, I say “sure.”
And their magazine, The Watchtower, is actually quite fascinating. I used to read it when they’d leave copies in the laundry room of an old apartment complex. While I certainly have my doubts about it being divined from god, I’ve no doubt that the writers were quite inspired. I can just imagine them in a library full of right-wing and left-wing conspiracy literature, stoking on LSD, and smoking some pot as they come up with all the stuff therein. At least when it comes to the Revelation-style stuff. This one was just about death, which was actually somewhat anti-climactic. Honestly, it would be cool to write for such a publication if it didn’t require believing in it.
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9 Responses to The Other God’s Army
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Interesting reflection. I am a missionary – sort of 🙂
I’ve got a longer post about missionaries coming up. If not before then, check back in in about another week.
I work with a Jehovah’s Witness and I was kinda worried about working with one until he mentioned that it’s against their relgious beliefs to preach at work.
But I love reading “The Watchtower.” It cracks me up sometimes.
I don’t think I’ve read it, but it’s got to be more interesting that “Left Behind” – and probably more accurate, too…
Andrea,
One of the benefits of those sects and religions that have aggressive missionaries is that you’re not confronted with it on a day-to-day basis, as you are with some of the evagelical protestants. They leave the proselytizing to the professionals. Of course, it’s when the professionals show up at your doorstep that you have a problem.
Barry, I was going to read Left Behind at some point, but then they just kept coming out with more and more and more of them and it got to the point that reading the Encyclopedia Britannica would be less work (and more useful).
Here you go, Slacktivist reads LB so you don’t have to:
http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/left_behind/index.html
Scroll down to the 4th post from the bottom to begin from the beginning.
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Also, I worked with a Jehovah’s Witness for several months (he was a temp), and I never would have known it had the subject of “artificial blood” not come up as a result of my studies of a medical dictionary I bought for my college courses. He pulled out the card in his wallet that says “no blood transfusions, I am a Jehovah’s Witness.”
He tried proselytising on his last day, but I steered him off the subject with the advisement that I have respected his religious/spiritual beliefs, and I expect the same consideration in kind.
Actually, I think the guy I work with is one of the “professional.” But they see proselytising at work as stealing from their employer so he keeps it to himself.
I’ve followed Slacktivist’s “Left Behind” analysis for a long time now, and they’re great – he understands the difference between real and fanatical Christian evangelizing and Biblical interpretation. I only wish more of his commentors didn’t lump all Christians in the same category, though.