Yesterday I answered a knock on the door and found 2 well-dressed men who were obviously JWs. They told me they were in the neighborhood and wanted to share some scriptures with me. OK, I've heard that little smoke screen before. But then they asked if I was familiar with jehovah's witnesses -- that was a new tack for them to take. Not the "Christian group wanting to share this or that" but they actually admitted they were JWs. Is this a new thing?
Anyway, I replied that yes I was because I was involved with a woman who had become a JW. So they repeated the request to share some scriptures with me. I said "sure, as long as I can pick the scripture." They missed a beat but then said "What scripture would you like to discuss?"
I told them I really would like them to point out in the bible where it says Jesus came back invisibly in 1914. Hmm, a little bit of surprise and they said that that would take more than just one scripture to prove and it would take too long without an in-depth bible-study. I said why should it? Just point out one of the scriptures pertinent to the 1914 invisible return of Christ. It should be easy since it's a central doctrine.
They asked me where I had obtained this knowledge. I told them from books, reading the bible and people they would probably label "apostates." They didn't seem (at least outwardly) as concerned as I'd expected but again danced around my request.
I said, "OK, how 'bout the one were heaven's doors were supposed to be closed in 1935?" They flat-out denied that one and turned the conversation towards how I felt about the bible and god, hisself.
I told 'em I was leaning towards being agnostic because I had a problem with the bible as more than a collection of tales, fables and instruction that is 2000 years out of date. They tried to show me the good advice available and used the scripture about all scripture being good for "teaching, reproving, etc." I countered with the fact that cloven-hooved animals and some that swim were forbidden but that I found great delight in eating seafood and pork poroducts.
They allowed Leviticus was maybe not so relevant today but tried to again show me how the bible was the word of god. I told them I didn't have the greatest opinion of such a woman-hating, violent killer, plus I didn't like any organized religions, even the catholic one in which I was raised.
Why is the commandment to not covet thy neighbor's wife and not spouse? Seemed quite mysoginistic to me. Women were considered property and I didn't hold with that belief. They countered with something from Paul (how ironic was that?) and I countered with the one where the women were forbidden to speak in the congregations and that I thought that was bullshit, too!
We danced around a little more and then they started on the 144,000 and I asked if it was literal or figurative. They said it was a literal number. So I said then they would be unmarried, Jewish virgin men only. They said no that was figurative and I said they couldn't switch back and forth and either 144,000 Jewish virgin men made up this group or then the number could be much more than 144K. What was it?
Another side step and then they started on revelations and asked me about the cryptic nature of revelations. I said that, for my money, John of Patmos was probably using substances that would be classified as illegal today. At that they smiled, chuckled and said they would use that as the point to stop our discussion .... for today. Does that mean I'll get a return visit? I really want a chance to trot out the timeline from "Alleymom" where she blows the 607 date out of the water. This could be fun.