Does God Command Christians To Go From Door To Door Preaching The Gospel?

by Bangalore 144 Replies latest jw friends

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  ilikecheese

  A better question is, why do JWs only stress the commandment to preach when Jesus also commanded his disciples to do charitable work? I guess ACTUALLY helping people is a waste of time. It's better to knock on doors at 10 AM on a weekday when no one's home...

  On topic, I've read Acts twice in the past few months. It seemed pretty obvious to me that they were mostly preaching in public and only preaching in homes when they were the homes of other Christians or people interested in Christianity. Jesus certainly wasn't preaching door to door. He was always preaching in public, mostly in synagogues. I was telling my JW boyfriend that if he really wanted to emulate Christ, he'd go into a Mormon or Catholic service and start debating with deacons and priests.
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  still thinking

  Their false claim to be "publishers of the good news" is venomously schizophrenic and psychopathic.

  You probably shouldn't go down that road when we are comparing christians...with christians.

  All christians base their belief on THEIR interpretation of the bible...ALL can justify whatever they want to believe. The bible has something for everyone.
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  still thinking

  I was telling my JW boyfriend that if he really wanted to emulate Christ, he'd go into a Mormon or Catholic service and start debating with deacons and priests.

  LOL...I like it! Maybe thats what ALL christians should be doing....just like Jesus....ha ha ha ha
• 

  ilikecheese

  Still thinking, something like that happened one time at a church I went to! haha

  One of the pastors had a tendency to poke fun at or call out Mormons on their beliefs. He was going off on it one time, and a Mormon who happened to be attending stood up and started arguing with him. I wasn't at this service because I go to evening ones when I go. Apparently this went on for quite some time. I wish I'd been there. Things like that should happen at church more often. People would be less likely to fall asleep or "use the Bible on their phone." I know there are Bible apps, but I think that's just an excuse for people to be on Facebook the whole service. I was thinking about downloading a "Bible app" just for that purpose!
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  Bungi Bill

  "I wonder why they did it on Friday nights Bungi Bill."

  I would have thought that was obvious:

  - during those years, in Christchurch at least, they still had late night shopping in the CBD on Friday nights.

  The shoppers were the people being targeted, and those doing the street witnessing themselves moved on once the shops closed at 9pm.

  So much for "targeting drunks"!

  Bill.

  PS: You may have been home when the JWs called, but then again you are not everybody, as you ought to be able to realise.
• 

  Bungi Bill

  "I wonder why they did it on Friday nights Bungi Bill."

  I would have thought that was obvious:

  - during those years, in Christchurch at least, they still had late night shopping in the CBD on Friday nights.

  The shoppers were the people being targeted, and those doing the street witnessing themselves moved on once the shops closed at 9pm.

  So much for "targeting drunks"!

  Bill.

  PS: You may have been home when the JWs called, but then again you are not everybody, as you ought to be able to realise.
• 

  still thinking

  Maybe Chch didn't have as many drunks as Auckland...It was the drunks that used to take an interest in them. I used to watch them doing laying on of hands and all sorts. Maybe they thought they could make them sober...LOL

  PS: You may have been home when the JWs called, but then again you are not everybody, as you ought to be able to realise.

  A LOT of people are home down my street during the day. We have a large amount of self employed (architects etc that work from home), at home mothers, (or part time workers) and elderly people in our neighbourhood.

  Not to mention areas of high unemployment...lots of them at home too.
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  still thinking

  Actually, now I think about it. The Scientologists used to hang out on the street on a friday night luring people into be 'tested'. (mostly drunk people again). I know, my friend and I were 'tested' while we were drunk. They have no scruples.
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  Bungi Bill

  The laying on of hands and the "testing" of people in public are phenomena that I have never even heard of before, let alone observed!

  What I was referring to as street witnessing was the genuine attempt to talk to passers by about Jesus Christ (a subject that JWs generally don't try to talk about).

  However, all this is getting away from the point:

  - Which was that you did ask how often somebody has approached me in a public place to discuss, to quote, "the good news about Jesus."

  The answer is quite often:

  - aside from the examples I have quoted from when I used to live in Christchurch, in recent times I have received a number of such approaches from Mormon / LDS missionaries, while walking along my own street.

  I am no fan of the LDS. However, it is noteworthy that they will make the effort to speak with everybody that they can - including passers by in the street. (And they are specific, too, that it is a "message about Jesus Christ").

  This contrasts with the typical JW:

  - who is prone to walking straight past people out in the street without saying a word to them, yet then proceed to go in and knock on the door of a house where nobody is at home (often obviously so).

  Bill.
• 

  still thinking

  The scientologists didn't do the 'test' in public...they just trolled the street pretending to be normal people, with clipboards, and they were young, I'd say mostly no more than 20, we got to recognise them after that, well, the clip boards gave them away....LOL. I can't remember exactly how they persuaded us to go inside with them to do these tests that went on and on for ages (like a multi choice test) . We thought it would be fun. We were quite young and stupid. Anyway, it wasn't fun, it was VERY boring...we did have fun dancing with the Hare Krishnas though...

  I remember one of the questions in that test though...because it was weird. It asked if I cleaned my tongue (like with a toothbrush)..., seriously! there were some VERY odd questions and what felt like hundreds of them.

  I've never been approached by a LDS on the street. The only time I have talked to them was when they used to come knocking on my mothers door. They have never knocked on my door. My mum used to live in central city though, houses much closer together. They could do more in a shorter space of time.