They used to come to my house, but after their repetitive visits with me, they stopped coming... I wonder why?

But even if they did come to my house, I'm probably liabe to punch them out before I let them in my house.

We live in a rural area so we have not had any come to visit our house.

I don't understand why people are so angry at these people or opposed to them visiting their doorstep.

People always talk about freaking out at them, but why? For what reason? Are you really that insecure about your own beliefs that you need to become hostile or violent to people preaching something else? Just because you don't have the same religious beliefs as someone doesn't give you the right to be a complete a** towards them when they show up at your door. (Or course if THEY were the ones being hostile or rude of course I would shut them out, but I would try to be the bigger person and do it calmly.)

For these people, their beliefs are the genuine article and they think other people should follow them so they too can be "saved". They believe they are helping others spiritually. I do not believe in the same things as a Jehovah's Witness, but trying to help other people doesn't seem very rude to me. I would let them inside and talk with them. I know I would not be swayed by them, but I would still be able to listen and thank them for trying to help others on their path, although it may not be the same path as mine.

Well ya a couple of times, they haven't been to this new house we have been in though. But a couple of others we usually wouldn't let them in. I might of answered the door a couple of times and took there little brosure but thats pretty much it. I mean I don't see no harm in talking to them, I really don't believe the same as them but I mean they are just people like everyone else trying to bring up closer to god.

Annette : I'm with you on this. People freak out because they don't want to be bothered by something like religion.

Religion and politics are hotspots when debating with anyone.

We have a huge Mormon population here and they're always out and about. I'll talk with them if they stop by but I always say I'm not interested in converting. I have an eclectic religion that's a mix of eastern fatalism, hedonism, and asceticism.

The hedonism and asceticism dovetail nicely into a duality of me. The fatalism rounds it all out.

warmaker : That is an eclectic mix that you have there. It looks like every decision with that set of beliefs would seem to contradict another third. Sounds almost like a Catch 22. Sounds like the purest form of life in a way. I think I do that to an extent. Thank you for informing me of such a "religion."

I think that the main problem that people have with Jehovah's Witnesses are the stubbornness. My professor is an expert in religion. He's a very intelligent and as far as I can tell a religious man himself, however, his logic follows that of a philosopher. That being said, he can never have a real religious talk with those people. They are dead set in their ways and won't take anything else for an answer. I don't like that very much. I can understand spreading the word, but when you close yourself to logic, then why should I bother listening to you if you won't listen to me?

NotJon : then why should I bother listen to you if you won't listen to me?

I agree with that, 100% !


They've come to places I've lived and sometimes they give those brochures on the streets also. Where I live now, once a lady came (with a young kid with her), so I asked them to come in. We talked. Next time I didn't ask them to come in because there was no point. Now she hasn't been around for a while.
The only reason I asked them in was because of the child.
OK, so you're religious and want to raise your kid in the same way, I get that, actually (I'm FAR from being religious). But, as pointed out before, they can get very negative responses from people when they "preach around" and this kid will have a picture that most people are evil. There are a hell of a lot of idiots out there, true, yet just because some people can't bring themselves together to being nice sometimes (when dealing with religion, for example), it doesn't mean they are totally bad or whatever. And I do not know what they tell their kids, but from what I see, they'll have a nicely distorted view on humankind.


EDIT: and oh, they don't bother me really. just sometimes, they irritate me because they want to "save me", "turn me" - I don't like when things are being pushed on me.
If I ever turn to something, I'll do it on my own. I don't see why I should belong to a "community" to have a god or a meaning? when it's in me, it's there.
plus, like NotJon said - they don't listen.

They come all the time cause my aunt lets them in to talk
But when she isn't home and i see them comming i turn everything off
and hide in a corner.

I have had some bad experiences with JWs (my ex-fiance long ago came from a JW family... lets just say they gave the whole group a bad name). They have come by the house before, and I usually tell them thank you but I am not interested. One group would not let it drop and they decided to pray for me at the door before leaving... ironically this was in October and right before I was going to decorate the yard for Halloween, so twenty minutes later they saw me out in the front yard digging a fake grave while listening to Marilyn Manson on my stereo... they crossed the street rather than walk on the sidewalk past my house and did not come back for years. Personally, I found it amusing, but I didn't do it on purpose.

When my current fiance and I moved into our old apartment we just put up a sign saying no solicitors, we are set in our ways. I don't feel like wasting their time anymore than I want them to waste mine.

I personally don't mind when they come by. They are just trying to teach people about their religion. I can't fault anyone for wanting to do that. Everyone thinks their religion is right or at least good so they want to give other people an opportunity to hear about it.


What I dislike is when I get multiple visits in a row because I wasn't mean at the door. I don't want to get angry at these people but just because i didn't slam the door in their faces doesn't mean I'm interested.... it just means I'm not that mean.

Yes I have many encounters with Jehovah's Witness at my door. I tend to witness back to them.

Yeah ..I  to listen to them sometimes but not always.....sometime am busy.....

I live in an urban neighborhood, in like, not the "nicest area" but still not the worst part of town (east side), but no I have never seen them, the most is stuff or fliers in the mail.

They come around to my house every now and then. Similar to what Geeogree said, I was nice to them at first so they started coming by a lot more often. Then I started to debate them and basically denounce their religion. Now they stop by less often and when they do its  just to hand out their booklet and leave.

I never had any Jehovah's witnesses in my doorstep, but if they came by, I wouldn't mind them stopping by, so yeah i would let them in.

I have and i politely listen to what they have to say, I have had an aggressive Jehovah who tried to force me to accept he was right, but i ended up winning are little argument about religion

One has come to my house. I left that person there to see how many times they knocked. She wouldn't stop knocking for 5 minutes, so I politely told her to leave me alone.

Annette : its because many of the jehovas witnesses that come to your door wont leave until you say your gonna convert.
you get angry ones that shout at you telling you their right and even the passive ones become passive agressive and want ntohing better then to have a long hard debate about religion, not just about their religion but everything until you convert.

 People dont like them because their ridiculously persitent, waste time going off topic talking about how all other religions are rubbish and their the best and tbh their like children wanting you to join they're group, even when you tell them nicley that your not intrested theyll even go as far to stick their foot in the door. When people disrespect your space and your views and they come to your house to convert you to their ideas in such a manner nobody's going to end up likign them that much.

I am only basing this on the jehovas we've had at our door and how all the people ive spoken to have undergone the same experiences with jehovas witnesses.

they annoy me,if i came round there house preaching atheism all hell would break loose.at any rate i made my choice they should respect that.its when they say youre going to hell i get angry.

I don't have many where I live. Some will come by once in a blue moon, but I never answer them. I'm kind of glad I don't. I hold up in a biblical discussion online ok, but I've rarely been tested by it when I'm in person. If I ever had to talk to some, than I'd probably witness to them depending on where the conversation went.

POKeMAD : Yes, trust me, I've had to put up with extremely persistent Mormon missionaries before. Although they have never been rude (at least not necessarily), I think I know the feeling. I guess it's harder for some people to exercise patience in that kind of situation. I mean really, when it comes down to it, you're within your right to say "Get out of my house or I'm calling the police."

The first month we were here we had someone come to the door... I don't know if they were JW, Mormon, or what... some kind of Christian. I lied and said I was Jewish since I am not sure how Pagan-tolerant the area is (from what I can tell, not very) and I didn't want a mob at the door. They still tried, and I told them politely that I just was not interested. Haven't had any come to the door since so perhaps they learn faster here?

Annette : i only wish i had your patienc, i tend to get really annoyed when people keep talking on and on needlessly :/

Elara : I think it does depend on the area, and the person. That makes me wonder... Would they try very hard to convert an Indian person who had an obvious cultural/family tie to Hinduism? "Jesus doesn't want you to wear that Bindi dot."

There are quite a few of them in my trailer park.

I'm almost never home, and if I am, they just hand me a brochure. I either make kindling out of it or just throw it out.

Only once do I remember having Mormons coming to my house. I let them in not knowing who they were. I got a scolding from my mom for it but not because of the fact that I let in Mormons, only because I let in strangers to begin with. If Mormons ever do come to my house again I won't let the in, just politely tell them I'm not interested.

I have had repetitive visits from them putting papers on my fence and what not so I'm kinda getting really frustrated. I don't know much about them but I've heard they're like Christians but some things about them are just... not right. Another thing is my brother brought a JW bible and there were some arguments between me and him. When he turned 18 he moved out so I've been praying for him ever since.

I always let them in unless I'm sleeping or something. I'm a practicing Wiccan and am extremely religiously tolerant. I enjoy learning about other peoples beliefs and have no issue with getting into a serious theological discussion. I get a visit from two guys in particular. They understand that I won't be converted, but they come and talk to me anyway. At first I just wanted to mess with them, but after letting them talk for a while and listening to their interpretation of things that do not, in any way, make sense I figured it'd be better to reverse testify. They've become increasingly interested in my beliefs and my views of their beliefs. The funny thing about most of them is that they don't know anything other than the religion they've been taught and told was the truth so the ones that aren't completely closed minded actually like to learn about things others would see as blasphemy. Although they still refer to me as "The Heathen". I've come to except it as a term of endearment. My suggestion to everyone is to do the same thing they're doing, spreading their views. They've already come to you. Lol. Although it's not really a goal of any pagan religions to gain converts, it's nice to teach someone something new and to gain friends in unlikely places.  

WooGie502 :
  That's the perfect way to be.  I have a friend that lets them in every time and discusses everything with them.  It also depends on how they act too I guess.  Like if they're rude or pushy they can leave.  Or if you're just too busy at the time to talk....  I agree with tolerance and understanding though.

Just the other day they CALLED me and asked what we should do to get world peace!
Normally i would have hanged up, but i was so confused so i kept listening...and eventually hanged up!

   Well, I can't have much of an opinion here seeing as I'm only 14 and I don't decide who comes in our door no matter what their religion. However, I can tell you two experiences that my father and uncle had with JW, Mormons, etc. At our door. One time, someone of a religion other than Christian and his son came to our door and my dad answered it. Before the guy could even speak, my dad said as calm and polite as usual, "Listen, I know what you're here to tell me, but I really don't believe in your religion. Your wasting your time here, sorry."
   Then the guy said, "Did you have a traumatic experience with religion as a child? Is there something that keeps you away from religion?"
   I think my dad found this weird because we're actually Christian, not atheist. So he simply replied, "No, nothing happened to me as a child. I just don't share your beliefs." And that basically ended that, as the guy seemed rather offended.

   The other time was when my uncle answered the door for one of those guys. I thought this was funny. So, the guy came to the door and was telling my uncle about how the world was going to end soon and he was trying to save our souls. My uncle listened for a little while, but eventually interrupted the guy. My uncle said "Man, why are you guys always preaching such negative stuff? Like the end of the world and stuff. Why can't you guys just be happy and enjoy life? Can't you preach that?" And after that, I don't really know how the guy responded because I had to go to the kitchen to laugh.

Normally my mother talks to them and usually it's very rare for her to let them in but there are times when they are allowed in.

I don't want to begin a debate or anything, seeing as this is clearly not a thread on a debatable issue. But, I cannot stand JW's. Since I am a Christian, it really erks (is that a real word?) me when they would come by and talk to me about their version of God, Jesus, etc. However, I am open-minded and am willing to listen...I just calmly tell them that they're confused and need to get some studying done.
Yep. That's all I need to say about that.

I've had Jehovah's Witness people come to the door in the past, although I haven't seen any in a long time. I have never let them in. I've also had Mormon's come to the door.

I just politely tell them that I'm not interested.

Personally the whole practice of going door to door seems rather odd in today's day and age.

I have had Jehovah's Witness people come do my door as well, although it is rare. I did not let them in. I should note that it is not because of any ill feelings towards them or intolerance. I have a thing about letting people in my house. Especially when it is two people dressed in suits. I am paranoid that they aren't really people spreading a religion, but people who have sharp torture tools in those big bags they are carrying. With my luck, I would get the one pair of psycho killers posing as Jehovah's Witnesses if I let them in.

They used to stop by my house when I was little, My parents would talk to them but never let them in, I have my own religion so Normally if they do come over I will hide in the shadows of the house till they leave, I mean I would feel extremely bad if they could smell the cigs I smoke..

I believe very firmly that everybody has the right to believe whatever they want. They are also welcome to have serious discussions about it with me. However there is a time and a place for everything, and therein lies the key. In the area I live in the Jehovah's Witnesses usually show up early morning on Saturday. Saturday is the one day I have to sleep in, I'm a full time college student working 25 hours on the side. Of course they have no way of knowing so it wouldn't be fair to grow angry with them. I do however politely decline to listen to them and tell them to stop by another time. They never do, so I often ask myself whether or no they are truly dedicated to their cause or simply doing it because they feel they have to. Of course I don't know enough about their beliefs to make a definitive decision, so maybe someday they will stop by at an appropriate time. I have a thirst for knowledge of any sort so this sort of thing appeals to me

When I was younger, we used to get them every now and then.

Eventually we moved to a rural setting, and didn't really get those visitors.

Well we did get them a few times before. Of course I really wasn't interested in become a Jehovah's Witness, despite the fact that they tried to talk to me but I didn't really let them inside my house though.

I live in the hood. They shouldn't come over all super early. I didn't look out the window but when I opened the door I was wearing boxers and a white beater with a 40 of O E in one hand and a blunt of sticky in the other hand. So my reaction was to slam the door.

I live in a very small town.  Sometimes Jehovah's Witnesses stop by my house.  I have even had one approach my car in the parking lot of a discount store.  I always  accept their Watchtower and listen to what they have to say.  Then we talk about the weather, gardening, etc.  I have never had a Jehovah's Witness become pushy, but I also have not become pushy with them.  I have no reason to debate with them about religion.  I am a teacher, and I have had a number of students who were JW.  Some of them left the religion after entering adulthood; many did not.  These were invariably fine students who were diligent and willing to learn.  The only time I had a discussion about religion was with one student who was very friendly to me.  I asked him some questions about his religion, and he answered honestly.  I came away with a respect for the commitment this religion requires.

Have I had Jehovah's Witnesses in my house?  No.  Even though I'm very careful, sometimes I think they know I'm gay, and they probably don't want to come near that.  Still, who am I to say they're wrong?  I think all religions have at least an element of truth, misguided as they may be.  I try to live in such a way that I learn from all people.  Even if I completely disagree with a person's religion, I can learn.  Even if they stop by every day (which they don't), what does it cost me?  A few minutes of conversation with a neighbor or friend?  There are probably people in my church with whom I disagree even more than a Jehovah's Witness.  Does this mean that I don't go to church?  Does this mean I run and hide?  Does this mean I don't invite a friend over for coffee simply because I might disagree with her/him?  No.  I strongly believe that this is not how God wants us to live.  He wants us to love each other unconditionally, regardless of differences in beliefs.

Well, now I seem to be preaching, so I'd better end this before the dramatic music begins

hulxter : What kind of church do you go to? Glad you agree that JW's are a different religion by themselves. Interesting story, by the way.



Jak.

Being honest i never let them in cuz i feel they are false prophets. Then again they like to make us better folk look bad they look down on the gay community which they say judging is bad and they judge that community? they do not practice what they teach

JesusFreak1256 : What do you mean exactly by "us better folk"?



Jak.

jzrozzn8706 : I go to a Lutheran (ELCA) church.

Kryptic : I have never had a JW become pushy.  I have always taken their Watchtower.  My JW students and parents have never openly judged me, and I have never had a reason to become annoyed.  Yes, they are wrong.  So are we.  Everyone who tries to understand God is wrong in some way, because we can never fully understand him.  I am in no position to make this judgement because I am wrong about many things, I am sure.  The problem with being wrong is that one never knows he is wrong.  This is why I assume that I am wrong, you are wrong, everyone is wronge; but by the same token, we all are right. God is God, whether I enter a JW Kingdom Hall, a Christian church, a mosque, or a Hindu temple.  God remains God.

hulxter : Wow. I have a few questions for you, sir.
First off, in response to something you wrote in an earlier post: we cannot love each other unconditionally. It is only possible for God to love someone unconditionally.
Questions:
1: Do you believe that acting in a homosexual manner is a sin? (I mean like-touching, fondling, thinking dirty things about, being in a relationship with someone of the same sex)
2: What do you consider one to do to ever "get right" with God?
3: Are you saying that you believe that God is the same god for Hindus, Muslims, etc?

Take care.

Jak.

They rarely come to our house... But, when they come, we just hide and turn down the volume of the TV until they go away... If we open them the door. They just talk from outside for a while and then they leave. (Not without giving a paper with some info about their religion).

They are quite annoying I must say...

Jehovah's witness come all the time they try to give you water

jzrozzn8706 : Thank you for your statement regarding unconditional love. I'm not sure I agree, but it is something to ponder. At this point, I still believe that unconditional love is the ideal, whether we are able to fully realize it or not. Actually, even after a brief consideration, I'm starting to think we cannot.

As for your other questions, I will do my best to respond with the understanding that I am no theological scholar, and these are only my own personal opinions and convictions, imperfectly expressed.

1. Do I believe that acting in a homosexual manner is a sin? I believe that God blesses a faithful, monogamous relationship between two individuals. Any intimate expression of love should take place within the context of this relationship. I believe unfaithfulness is sinful, including dwelling on impure thoughts. Ideally, one would meet one's life partner and become united with him/her for life. This is my understanding of what Jesus says in Matthew 19 and John 4. Not all of us live up to this ideal; therefore, forgiveness.

Imagine a bisexual person who meets and falls in love with one person and is faithful to this one person for his entire life, regardless of gender. According to my understanding, this is not a sin. Now, imagine a heterosexual person who divorces his wife and marries another. According to Jesus, this is a sin, and it is easy to understand why; but again, there is forgiveness.

2. What do I consider one to do to "get right" with God? To me, the greatest virtue is to live in such a way that I do no harm, but strive to serve others. Ministry to me is expressed in what I do every day. Sometimes I make huge mistakes, and I pray to God to forgive me, and try to do better next time or to avoid situations that make me fall. I'm not sure if this is "getting right" with God; when I think of serving God I think less in terms of "getting right" and more in terms of following.

3. Am I saying that God is the same for Hindus, Muslims, etc.? Yes. God is God, regardless of whether I enter a Hindu temple, a mosque, a synagogue, or other place of worship. I believe every religion on Earth is an imperfect attempt to understand and express one single God. There are some very persuasive arguments for Christianity as the One Truth. In the 1990's, I attended a series of lectures by Elliot Miller, an apologist working with the Christian Research Institute. His arguments are very compelling.

Then, I learned that other religions have their own Elliot Millers. I also learned that much of what I had been taught was wrong. For example, I learned that Hinduism is monotheistic. Each deity is only a partial expression of one God. Furthermore, the characteristics expressed in these deities and God's moral characteristics seem to reflect much of what is expressed in Christianity as well.

For example, in Hinduism Shiva is the part of God the destroyer, but also embodies the forgiving part of God. To me, this makes sense. Now, when I pray to God for forgiveness, I also imagine Him destroying the sin within me, and I pray to Him to destroy the evil within me. On the other hand, to the Hindus, Brahma is the Creator. When I pray to God, asking Him to "create in me a clean heart," I am asking to be reborn, created anew. Whatever terms I use to describe these parts of God, whether Brahma and Shiva or Lord and Father, the essential parts of God are still the same; I'm just using different terms.

Now, from the bottom of my heart, I hope that no one is misled or offended by what I have written. These are my inexpert opinions, and nothing more. If you disagree, I would be more than happy to hear your thoughts. While I can't promise I will agree, I can say that I will do my best to consider everything with an open mind.
Jeremy

A group of them came to my door once, I think I scared them off by answering the door naked.

hulxter : I would like to jump in on this.

Considering jzrozzn8706's question about getting right with God, I don't think you got the point of his question (that or I am not quite understanding what you are saying). This is what I am wondering about "getting right with God". Are you saying that you get right with God from our sins through your actions and service?

"Am I saying that God is the same for Hindus, Muslims, etc.? Yes. God is God"
Wait, how are you in the ELCA when you believe this? Yes, God is God, but when you look at what these religions believe, they are completely opposed to each other, so you can't say that they believe in the same God

"For example, in Hinduism Shiva is the part of God the destroyer, but also embodies the forgiving part of God. To me, this makes sense. Now, when I pray to God for forgiveness, I also imagine Him destroying the sin within me, and I pray to Him to destroy the evil within me. On the other hand, to the Hindus, Brahma is the Creator. When I pray to God, asking Him to "create in me a clean heart," I am asking to be reborn, created anew. Whatever terms I use to describe these parts of God, whether Brahma and Shiva or Lord and Father, the essential parts of God are still the same; I'm just using different terms."

Here's the problem about that...that is opposed to what Christianity believes. In fact, the beliefs that you described about Hinduism is not like what the Trinity is saying, because the doctrine of the Trinity says that all attributes of God are seen in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are not divided into three separate parts of God.

play4fun :

"Wait, how are you in the ELCA when you believe this?"
Although the ELCA is a centralized denomination, they accept and welcome, even encourage those with differences of opinion to attend and participate in the Glory of God.

"Yes, God is God, but when you look at what these religions believe, they are completely opposed to each other, so you can't say that they believe in the same God"
I don't see that they are opposed to each other; rather, as I have tried to illustrate, I see striking parallels.


"Here's the problem about that...that is opposed to what Christianity believes. In fact, the beliefs that you described about Hinduism is not like what the Trinity is saying, because the doctrine of the Trinity says that all attributes of God are seen in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are not divided into three separate parts of God."
I believe the doctrine of the Trinity is a man-made doctrine, and one example of imperfect humanity attempting to comprehend a perfect God, much as the Hindus split God into different deities. We can't understand God any more than my goldfish can understand me. God is God, regardless of our imperfect understanding of Him.

These are my thoughts and opinions, and I want you to know that I do respect your beliefs.

Yes, a couple times last week there were two Jehovah's Witnesses at my door. My parents just simply said that they were happy in the church that they go to and politely told them that they weren't interesting in the Watchtower magazine. There's no need for conflict.

hulxter : "Although the ELCA is a centralized denomination, they accept and welcome, even encourage those with differences of opinion to attend and participate in the Glory of God."
Right, I got the part about accepting them into the congregation (in fact, they should be doing that), but are you a member of the church or are you only a person who goes to the church? Because being a member of an ELCA church would require acceptance with their statement of faith.

"I don't see that they are opposed to each other;"
Ok, let me name one, which was something that I asked about before. Comparing between Hinduism and Christianity, how does one obtain salvation? In other words, how does one get right with God?

"I believe the doctrine of the Trinity is af man-made doctrine, and one example of imperfect humanity attempting to comprehend a perfect God, much as the Hindus split God into different deities. We can't understand God any more than my goldfish can understand me. God is God, regardless of our imperfect understanding of Him."
Except the concept of the Trinity is formed through the understand of the Bible as a whole and not through selective verses. As we search through scripture, we see many key phrases and descriptions that formulate the model of the Trinity. That is why Modalism is a heresy, because it describes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as different modes or aspects at different times of one God from a person's point of view, which contradicts to what scripture describes God to be: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are co-eternal in one God. And this would go the same way with Tri-theism (3 separate deities), Pantheism (God is everything), Arianism (Son created by the Father), etc. They all contradict to what scripture describes God to be and this is not a secondary topic in Christianity where Christians can have different stances. This is about God.

You also need to understand that although we cannot fully understand everything about God, we can know what God is like and rightly see how God is like through scripture.

Compare that with knowing your best friend well. You may not know EVERYTHING about your friend, but because of your continual close relationship with this person and experiences you have with this person, you can say that you know your friend well and it shows in the way that you interact, communicate, and with the person.

In the same way, can we FULLY understand God? No, for we are not omniscience. But we can know God, and know God rightly through God's Word, our God-given ability to reason, and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible even demands that we know God. Do a search on the word "know" in the Bible, you will see it being used through the whole Bible with some using it relating to God and His ways. Jesus even said: "if you knew me, you would know my Father as well." (John 14:7)

"An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped." -A.W. Pink

play4fun :
To answer your first question regarding membership, I am a full member of the ELCA, baptized and confirmed. Are you suggesting I should renounce this membership if I no longer fully accept their statement of faith? Since I am a believer and follower of Christ, I'm not sure my beliefs conflict with the beliefs of the ELCA.

To answer your second question about salvation, I'm not sure I see it as being especially important. In my opinion, seeking and following are far more important issues. I leave what happens after this life to God and the theologians. As for me, I am just a student.

It occurs to me that you and I have completely different worldviews. In fact, at one time I used to believe as you do. During this period in my life, if someone would attempt to discuss God with me, my first question was, "Do you believe in the Bible as the true, infallible Word of God?" If the answer was no, any discussion after a certain point was fruitless because we were not standing on the same foundation. I had a dear friend who was an atheist, and I would answer her questions about my beliefs quite frankly, but often we could not possibly have a discussion because I was a Christian who lived by every word of the Bible, and she did not even believe in God.

Right now, and for a variety of reasons, the answer to this question for me is "No." I am sorry if I have deceived you by calling myself a Christian, but I do consider myself a Christian in the sense that I try to follow Christ's teachings.

What is my foundation, then? It is experience. No, this does not mean that I live a wild lifestyle or that I have to try everything to see if it works. I live in a very small, conservative community, and I actually spend most of my time, working, reading, and gardening. I say experience because reading and interpreting scripture is an experience; listening to and observing others is an experience; ruminating and meditating is an experience; realizing that someone born in a different place to a different family is just as adherent to his beliefs as I once was to mine is called experiencing an epiphany.

When I first experienced this epiphany, I was shaken and disturbed to the core; I have been trying to come to terms with this ever since. For this reason, I try to openly admit that when it comes to God, I am only a student, so the short answer for me is always "I don't know." What little I do know I hold onto; for example, it is my absolute conviction that God exists, and that if He exists, He must love us.

hulxter : We'll continue through private messages, for we are going further and further from what this thread is originally discussing about.

Actually, I can verify what's true and what isn't. I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, The only time we stay at someone's door is if they WANT to talk. We never push our beliefs on other people. We believe in free will. Here is a little tip, if you don't want them to go to your door, ask them to put you on a the DO NOT CALL list. Problem solved.

I have never had any visit my house. However, one of my aunts is a Jehovah's Witness. I really don't understand how they can tolerate that particular following because it is really... choked. Best way I can say it. Churches with no windows? No holidays, even a birthday? Nah, I couldn't do it.

However, if one did visit my house - they'd probably run in the opposite direction. My livingroom is full of Dragons, magic stuff, knives, daggers, and swords. Very medievally. (Well, it's my mom's living room but... still. Pretty epic looking.) It does send normal Christians running too. (I find it amusing to answer the door and watch the person who knocked turn white as a ghost.)