Melbourne, Australia
Let’s not be witnesses to a load of elitist nonsense
- From: Herald Sun
October 10, 2014 11:42AM
Jehovah’s Witness Convention in 2008. Picture: Simon Chillingworth Source: News Limited
AFTER my pro-atheism column a fortnight ago, many religious people contacted me either to pray for my misguided soul or condemn it to hell.
And now no fewer than 70,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses are set to arrive in Melbourne next week for a massive conference at Etihad Stadium. I’ve done some research into this religion and what I’ve discovered has convinced me that scepticism about blind faith is absolutely the right path.
Despite their earnest efforts to convert people via doorknocking, “Witnessing Jehovah” is an extremely exclusive religion. Among other things, the Jehovah’s Witnesses say that only 144,000 people globally will eventually ascend into heaven. That means that 99.99999% of the population will go somewhere far less pleasant if Judgment Day ever arrives.
Second, this distant branch of Christianity prevents children (and adults) from celebrating birthdays. Giving kids one special day a year that’s all about them is a lovely thing. What sorts of weirdos ban it?
Third, adult Jehovah’s Witnesses are encouraged to go through a type of baptism in an effort to reaffirm their beliefs. In this sense they’re no different from the Baptists (one of whose schools I attended). But once you do it, there’s no escaping it.
A few days ago I was rung on-air at 3AW by a 21-year-old female Jehovah’s Witness who, in a pleasant tone, explained that those who lose faith and try to leave are thereafter shunned by their former religious colleagues. Even close family members are told by the church they must not have anything to do with relatives who stray. Such an extremist attitude causes great heartache.
Finally, the young woman tried to justify the shunning by claiming it enabled the remaining Jehovah’s Witnesses to be “morally clean”. Perhaps without realising it, she implied that everyone who fails to appreciate the wisdom of her beliefs is somehow unclean. I object to being characterised like that.
You don’t have to be a Jehovah’s Witness to behave morally. In fact, you don’t even have to believe at all in a god — who’ll either praise or punish you in the afterlife — to do the right thing in the here and now.
Melbourne’s economy will undoubtedly benefit from having 70,000 Witnesses staying here a week.
Let’s just hope the doorknockers aren’t successful in spreading their elitist nonsense.
TOM ELLIOTT IS DRIVE TIME HOST ON 3AW WEEKDAYS FROM 3PM-6PM. [email protected]
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Here's another article by Tom Elliott:
Tom Elliott: 'I'm an atheist but I don't shun people'
Posted by: Mark Davidson | 8 October, 2014 - 5:15 PM
Jehovah's Witnesses are flocking to Melbourne - around 70,000 of them.
Next week, the door-knocking preachers will descend upon the city in what is believed to be the biggest ever gathering of the Christian denomination in Australia.
Tom Elliott, who describes himself as an atheist, took a call from a young, devoted Jehovah's Witness on his Drive program who had some interesting things to say.
'Leah' confirmed that apostates are usually disowned by their family and spoke about the need to keep the faith "morally clean".
LISTEN IN FULL: Jehovah's Witness Leah speaks to Tom Elliott
Tom Elliott said he found Leah's fundamentalist beliefs "quite remarkable" in modern-day Australia.
"To encounter a 21-year-old university student who talks about being morally clean and shunning others, I find that sort of thing bizarre," he said.
"I get criticised by a lot of religious people for being an atheist but I don't shun people."
...OUTLAW
Hey OUTLAW.................do you see the resemblance? ( except the donkey doesn't have the jewelry that the ass has!)