Posts by jamesmahon

34

Is this how all door knocking is now?

by jamesmahon in

i was prompted to join this site as i got a knock on the door a couple of days ago.. no, when i went door knocking 20 years ago - although admittedly i was a child - the sales patter went like this.

ahem... "hello.

we are speaking to you today to tell you about the watchtower and awake.

jamesmahon

St George - You used to live in Coldingham? Small world. Whereabouts?

Heaven - I think even the foreign lady had more chance of conversion then mine did. It really is like they need proper sales training. I suppose they cannot do that because it is just too obvious - "ask lots of closed questions. Get them to agree with you. Then start making suggestions about what they need to improve their life". It would give a different feel to the theocratic ministry school though. "Your assignment Brother Mahon is selling a used toilet brush to Brother Fawcett who is a householder with obsessive compulsive disorder".

When I lived in Australia my cousin sold life insurance and pensions for a time. I suggested (in all seriousness I think - i was only 11) that when she was out door knocking if they didn't want to live forever and become a witness she should offer to sell them life cover instead. It was not considered very funny.

35

Do Elders and Bethelites really follow this site?

by jamesmahon in

just a question really and whilst i would not put it past them i sort of feel it is too 'conspiracy theory' for me.

are elders and bethelites officially sanctioned to lurk (or engage) in this or other sites to try to weedle out apostates?

does anyone have any direct experience of it happening?.

jamesmahon

Yeah it just seemed to me to be little paranoid. Also I would have thought that there would be a fear that anyone they wanted to do the task would end up poacher turned gamekeeper (or other way around perhaps)

34

Is this how all door knocking is now?

by jamesmahon in

i was prompted to join this site as i got a knock on the door a couple of days ago.. no, when i went door knocking 20 years ago - although admittedly i was a child - the sales patter went like this.

ahem... "hello.

we are speaking to you today to tell you about the watchtower and awake.

jamesmahon

No - the cafe on the beach is owned by the people who own St Vedas hotel (english farmer believe it or not who packed it in to become a surf instructor). Could do with a good bakery in berwick to be honest so it is a pity they have gone. How did you get to know up here so well? I think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world but so few people even know it is here. I guess they just cross the border and don't stop until they get to edinburgh.

35

Do Elders and Bethelites really follow this site?

by jamesmahon in

just a question really and whilst i would not put it past them i sort of feel it is too 'conspiracy theory' for me.

are elders and bethelites officially sanctioned to lurk (or engage) in this or other sites to try to weedle out apostates?

does anyone have any direct experience of it happening?.

jamesmahon

Just a question really and whilst I would not put it past them I sort of feel it is too 'conspiracy theory' for me. Are elders and Bethelites officially sanctioned to lurk (or engage) in this or other sites to try to weedle out apostates? Does anyone have any direct experience of it happening?

34

Is this how all door knocking is now?

by jamesmahon in

i was prompted to join this site as i got a knock on the door a couple of days ago.. no, when i went door knocking 20 years ago - although admittedly i was a child - the sales patter went like this.

ahem... "hello.

we are speaking to you today to tell you about the watchtower and awake.

jamesmahon

St George - I live between Eyemouth and Coldingham so small world. Having read that thread my blood was boiling a bit. The only thing that gets me anywhere near as angry as the JWs is the royal bloody family. I find the unflinching devotion and irrational justification based around nothing really then the pretence that they make people feel in some way superior and don't like change just too familiar to the borg. But hey ho. I want an elected head of state and my vote goes to Rolf Harris.

40

Did you really want to live forever?

by serenitynow! in

even when i was a kid i thought that forever was too long.

i thought it may get boring.

especially when they said we'd stop eating meat.

jamesmahon

No - it is illogical if you think about it for more than about 2 minutes. And not wanting to die after 70 years is not the same as wanting to live forever. I like the idea in Lord of the Rings where Bilbo lives a long time because of the ring but talks about being stretched beyond where he is supposed to. However, I think the same thing can be said about going to heaven can't it? Eternity on earth or in heaven would just become hell. Sorry, but it would. Think about it. On earth it would be kingdom songs every night around the campfire with a lion or tiger for a pillow. In heaven it would be lots of harp playing or waiting for god to have one of his 'moments' after another angel had tried to think out of the box and so teach everyone what happens when you do that condemn everyone in heaven to thousands of years of suffering. When one of my children misbehaves I do not punish them both to show them what happens when one of them is naughty.

The fact you will die is life affirming and encourages us to make the most of every day we are here. What remains of us is how we have moved humanity forwards in whatever little way we can - if only through our children.

34

Is this how all door knocking is now?

by jamesmahon in

i was prompted to join this site as i got a knock on the door a couple of days ago.. no, when i went door knocking 20 years ago - although admittedly i was a child - the sales patter went like this.

ahem... "hello.

we are speaking to you today to tell you about the watchtower and awake.

jamesmahon

Cantleave - it took about fifteen tears after leaving before I finally had a knock on my door when I lived in leeds. I invited them around and had a two hour conversation with a young couple one evening. The bloke reminded me of my twin brother so I just wanted to punch him but stayed calm. Long conversation that I have now forgotten but I do remember I had a really heavy dining table that had one side against a wall and once you were sat there it was really difficult to get out. I deliberately got them to sit along that side so they couldn't escape quickly when I declared who I was. (a bit mean I know but it was only a couple of months after I had fallen out with my brothers). I played them along for an hour before showing my hand. The only thing I remember saying that makes me smile was the last thing I said as they left: "see you after armageddon - well I would if the crows havn't pecked my eyes out". Ah, good times.

My wife couldn't understand it at all and thought I was really mean. I wasn't so concerned about trying to prove them wrong then just let a lot of anger out towards the religion. I am more mellow now and if they come around again (which surely they must unless they go to this site) I really would like to free one if I can and would not say anything about my background.

34

Is this how all door knocking is now?

by jamesmahon in

i was prompted to join this site as i got a knock on the door a couple of days ago.. no, when i went door knocking 20 years ago - although admittedly i was a child - the sales patter went like this.

ahem... "hello.

we are speaking to you today to tell you about the watchtower and awake.

jamesmahon

Hi Meeting Junkie No More

(amazed I can even remember that much after almost 3 years out!)

Twenty years for me but guess it is like riding a bike - you never forget. Or perhaps a better analogy would be a really bad bout of diarrhoea - you never forget it however hard you try.

REAL good memory

I have to interview people for a living and find that notebooks etc. get in the way and your notes are just rubbish anyway (well mine certainly are). So what I do is listen closely to people, type up my notes after the interview and then send back to make sure this is what they have said. I think that is why they like people taking notes at meetings - if you take notes it is actually really difficult to listen. Well I think so anyway. I personally think it is very poor study practice for students of any description. Never thought it would be a skill that would be useful when Jehovah came knocking though.

25

For those who is still in the org, do you still study for the meetings?

by asilentone in

jw
friends

jamesmahon

Hi Yknot and others. Good grief my heart goes out to you. Not just because I sympathise with you having to write meaningless talks full of what you know to be rubbish but also because up until reading this I had never really thought how hard it must be to leave the religion if you have children who have been raised in it (especially if they are teenagers and seem really into it). I don't know all your stories and wish there was something I could do to help (save writing your talks of course). I know that boards like this provide some support but it makes me so angry you just wish that there was something more proactive and organised that could be done. But I suppose the reality is that there is not much that can be done other than offer support - albeit remotely.

34

Is this how all door knocking is now?

by jamesmahon in

i was prompted to join this site as i got a knock on the door a couple of days ago.. no, when i went door knocking 20 years ago - although admittedly i was a child - the sales patter went like this.

ahem... "hello.

we are speaking to you today to tell you about the watchtower and awake.

jamesmahon

I didn't really enjoy it - I don't get any pleasure in making people look idiots (especially old people) but he knocked on my door. I personally think you are on a loser if you start debating them on the bible. I don't think it works because any criticisms are based around selective interpretation and they have faith that they have that right and if it is wrong at the moment 'wait on Jehovah' for new light. But if you can get them to discuss things that are purely points of logic and fact outside of the bible you have some (not much) hope of at least having a conversation on your own terms and away from where they feel comfortable. Hopefully next time they will send around a pioneer or elder (yeah right).