Oi what a surprise this fine Sunday morning!
I went out to toss a bag in our bin just before the thrice-weekly trash collection.
And what did I find stuck through the gate?
A Hebrew-language message from Jehovah's Witnesses!!
A tract, printed in Germany, from the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.
I remember their missionary attempts from when I grew up in America, of course.
But I never knew we had Jehovah's Witnesses in Israel.
And how did they find my quiet street in our little town in the middle of nowhere in the Negev desert?
Let me just say that proselytizing is a very touchy subject in the Jewish State.
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UPDATE: Wait, it gets worse. Blogger Jael just sent me a link to her post which shows Jehovah's Witnesses' headquarters in Tel Aviv! And the strong round building really does look like a Watch Tower!
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(Linking to OurWorld Tuesday and ABC Wednesday.)
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dina they are everywhere and send their newsletter, Oin my country they are very common
ReplyDeleteI've often said that while their visits can be annoying - and always come at an inopportune time - you have to admire their devotion to their religion. I wouldn't have the energy to do what they do to promote mine! This made me smile, Dina!
ReplyDeleteThey are everywhere...
ReplyDeleteyes, we have genetic memories of "convert or die"
ReplyDeleteI once had them come up to the house where I was living at the time; nobody else was home. I smiled, said I was a Satanist in the middle of a blood sacrifice, and to come on in.
ReplyDeleteThey bolted down the stairs and up the sidewalk faster than I could have ever expected. Never bothered by them again.
They are after my mother. I've explained that her father was a zen Buddhist priest and at 87, she's not going to change her mind. But they keep coming and catch her outside the house. She's too polite to be firm. Now they've somehow found missionaries who speak Japanese to come and persuade her and she's feeling rather intimidated. I'm constantly having to run interference.
ReplyDeleteFriends, thanks for your really interesting comments here! Some to laugh about, some to cry about.
ReplyDeleteWe now live in a gated community so they can't get to me any more.LOL
ReplyDeleteI used to be polite ("they know I'm home, I have to answer the door...") but now I realize how impolite it is for them to come onto my private property and interrupt my work to try to foist their beliefs onto me, so I don't care anymore. Ignoring them doesn't keep them from coming, but it does make them go away!
ReplyDeleteThey have their head office here in Israel close to Carmel Market. I remember too when they came in Helsinki,and tried politely to get rid of them,,,,,,
ReplyDeleteIn this post you can see the "Watchtower building# in Tel Aviv
http://appelsiinipuunalla.blogspot.co.il/2016/02/sekasotkupostaus-ja-talven-loppu.html
Oh my gosh, it really does look like a watchtower! This is all news to me. Thanks for telling me, Jael.
ReplyDeleteProselytising is a very touchy subject in the entire Jewish world!
ReplyDeleteI live in a suburb of Melbourne that is 50% Jewish. Whenever Jehovah's Witnesses or any other proselytising couple comes to my front door, usually on the sabbath, I explain very gently that families in this suburb do not ever want to be exposed to conversion efforts. EVER! Then I point out the mezuzah on my front door post, so they will be able to identify Jewish homes in the future.
William's response (he is a Satanist in the middle of a blood sacrifice) is clever :)
Now they don't come to my door, I told them that I am happy with my religion . I do think that they have offices all over the world
ReplyDeleteThey don't come to my door anymore... the people who got there were quit intrusive and disrespectfull... thats not the way it should be...i wanted to tell them about my way of believing, and wanted to ask some questions...but they were not interested ;-(
ReplyDeleteA shame... they give their fellows a bad name
Have a nice abc-wednesday-day / - week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
Oddly, I rather like it when they come by. I can have spirited theological debates!
ReplyDeleteROG, ABCW
I noticed the Watch Tower is much more sophisticated than it used to be?????
ReplyDeleteYes, they are everywhere.
ReplyDeleteMy ABC WEDNESDAY
ReplyDeleteI do not like them
I'm like Bergson. And I detest proselytising...
ReplyDeleteThey were here too, rang the doorbell, but I would not open so I sent SpiderDan on them..!!
ReplyDeleteYes I think that odd too being in Israel!!! I never entertain their visits--I just say I'm an avid christian and they leave.
ReplyDeleteAnn
I must say part of me admires the strength of their convictions but the bigger part wishes they wouldn't try and peddle it door to door :)
ReplyDelete