Jehova's witnesses in Poland - how to deal with them?

Have any of you run into JWs in Poland. How have you dealt with them? What is your opinioon of them? They are active in many countries and they are known to proseletyse door to door and pass out copies of their magazines Watchtower and Awaken or something like that. They know their Bible insdie out so are no match for ordinary Polish Catholics whose biblical savvy is rather limited.

A domofon is a great filter.

But an entryphone can be put to various use. The resident can say 'get lost', 'drop dead' or
%&#$?!#&&?. He/she can slam down the receiver or may politely say 'I'm a practicing Catholic and am not interested in changing my faith.'

Personally, on occasion I have entered into discussion with JWs. People of such conviction and dedication deserve their five minutes. A basic knowledge fo Christianity (going beyond the tabloidised paedophile scandals, Spanish Inquisiton or Italy's Renaissance poisoner popes) is helpful in such discourse.

There's a JW center being built 500m from my house and they are really nice people until they come a 7 in the morning "to bring me the good news!!!!!!" can be really annoying. I know nothing of religion anyway....their was a guy name jesus or something.... that is all lol

I have, met an 80 year old couple in a Lemko mountain village whose family had converted in 1920's.

On a more day to day level, I either just say 'no thanks' or speak English and they give up. having a book on the occult can scare them away or mentioning you used to be a member but left. Apparently they are supposed to avoid such people.

domofon :)))
Good one!

Another is to read the Bible, memorize it, reflect on it and be a tough nut to them.

Say no thanks politely - if they persist, say it more firmly, if they still persist tell them to go away and slam the door. The exchange should take no more than 10 or 15 seconds.

Should JWs be dealt with in a different way to any other door caller selling you something you don't want?

My aunt was Jehova witness but she lived abroad. My school peer was also a Jehova witness and he was ok.


Some of Jehowa witness go from door to door to give you leaflets. If you take it then they will pop in your house from time to time but if you politely say that you are not intrested few times then they will leave you alone.

On Polish streets sometimes there are old ladies who give out a jehova's magazine. They are nice.

I have e-mail contact with one and his Biblical knowledge goes well beyond labels and into substance. He forwarded Watchtower to me. He is far more into his beliefs than most Catholics are into theirs and you can see it.

Catholics in general are not much into bielief...


Strażnica - exactly. The old ladies give out it but nothing really intresting there.

Is this another one of Polonius3's threads about "lets have a bash at that religious group?"
I find it funny that his beliefs need to be backed up by poking his nose so much into other people's lives.

JWs are like anyone else, some are nice, some are not so nice (thanks Seanus I've been using that line quite a lot recently) but who really cares? Polonius3? why?

That's OK, feel free to use it :) Some other impostor here tried to claim my line as his.

Jehovas and Mormons tend to be far more committed. They are on missions, unlike many run-of-the-mill Catholics.

JWs are not to be bashed but admried and emulated. Unlike many Catholics and other Christians, they actually practice what they preach.Because of their faith they are honest, truthful, hard-working, conscientious, faithful to their spouses and moderate in food and drink. From what I have heard, a member who goes astray is promptly expelled and re-admitted only after doing extensive penance.

To some people their refusal to bear arms (conscientious objection to military service), swear allegiance to states (such as our 'Our pledge allegaince to the flag' recited daily in US schools) and receive blood transfusions makes them controversial.

I don't admire them but neither do feel or show disrespect to them. I am just indifferent to them. On a personal day to day level, the only 'controversy' that presents itself is their refusal to take no for an answer - I realise that persistence in their mission to convert is part of who they are but to be honest, as far as I can see, it annoys nearly everyone.

People discover for themselves and having an intrusive group thrust themselves upon you is the worst thing. I was forced to go to church as a kid and it really didn't help one iota. Fine, spread the word and let people know you are there. However, you simply have to wait beyond that. Faith and inquiry is a human matter and the individual should initiate that process, not an organised group.

Not me, I always welcome them with open arms, mia casa es tu casa my little Jehova b!tch, as it is etched with a rusty nail on my front door. They wanna talk the invisible fairies in togas, they come to the right person. Courteous as I am I always offer them few hits on a bong (a chance to level with me), polite and humble as they are they always decline. Though once I had one of them come back few days after asking if I could sell him some, oh well a spiritual relapse I suppose...

My family has, my old gran grandfather was a fierce Catholic so each time they stepped by they were redirected to him. They couldn't hold out too long lol

But yes their an annouying bunch

if anyone has time and inclination, they provide very interesting adversaries for Bible debates. They are well trained in answering most common questions, and give fascinating insight into human mind control.

JWs are the only group I can honestly say I am prejudiced against, except the extended Miliband family of course.

It is part of their belief system to irritate the hell out of everyone so they can suffer for their faith. Psychical sado-masochism.

I went to JW wedding in small town Poland. The non-JWs (in the minority only those people the 'happy couple' absolutely couldn't avoid inviting) were segregated off on a separate table and a Gauleiter was assigned to ensure that we didn't drink alcohol or sing before midnight.

The music was all JW pop music - YES, they have their own Polish pop music that no-one else knows.

Awful bunch of jerks. I'm always willing to give people a chance (Milibands excepted) but not the JWs.

I heard a comedian on the radio the other day. He tells JW he can't talk right now. He's busy sacrificing a goat. But if they'd like to chat later, they can reach him at: (666)666-6666

true story:
after I had my child I was somewhat isolated and often overwhelmed, alone with an infant, while his father worked two jobs. One time two nice, clean JWs knocked at the door. I invited them in, handed them my son to look after, then took a long, leisurely bath, which I think included a nap as well. I did thank them nicely.

JWs are dangerous. They are like evil hypnotists.

JWs are not dangerous. Dangerous are the frontmen of the motley dictatorship or 'pstrokata dyktatura' -- the purveyors of commercial popcrap, addictive substances, subcultures, media buzz and and other down-dumbing, tabloidised claptrap and trivia. They are the ones twisting millions of impressionable young minds and brainwashing them into thinking it's all o so cool, trendy and cutting edge. The JWs are no match for them!

Not the two old dears that used to sell their little mag to my mum...They were quite sweet :D

I only ever think of the monte phython sketch when I hear the word jehovah :D

youtube.com/watch?v=SYkbqzWVHZI

I heard the JWs would refude their children having life saving blood transfusions just because they do not approve of it. Weird. The problem with many religions is that they do not move along with the times and current morals and scientific know-how. Thats why the pope keeps his mouth shut when asked about child sex.

I have helped people put their lives back together after leaving the JW. If your family is JW and you choose to believe otherwise, you are shunned (not just by the community-but your entire family).

Kind of twisted for a supposed message of peace.

Here's how I deal with them:

In their belief system, only 144,000 will be chosen for heaven....they're religion has 7.65 million worldwide. That's not very good odds. ;)

Invite them in. Offer them a drink. Ask if they mind if you have one. Go to kitchen and pour yourself half a glass of water. Sit back down with them and then say "Silly me! I forgot the orange juice!" Drink the water in one. Go back to kitchen and put some icing sugar on the back of a CD case. Sit back down with them and start chopping out lines. Offer them a snort. By this time they will have realised you are beyond saving.

I have never encountered any JW here in Warsaw. Mormons, on several occasions. Even saw one today on KP.
I am not really into sects, but the mormons seem to be slightly less harmful?

With kindness, because like most genuinely religious people they think they are doing things to help others, etc etc. Just politely direct them to someone else if they come my way, totally respecting them as people, no problem at all.

(I am not exactly an atheist but have no religious beliefs whatsoever)

They seem to come in waves. I dealt with a few of them last year- they had the same schtick almost verbatim. Basically what I said was, I appreciate the time you have taken, I wish you good luck but I am not interested.

And they were ok with that.