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covid compliant proselytism
#1

covid compliant proselytism
I received a hand written letter through the post today. Actually sent via royal mail rather than just shoved through my door.
As it was stamped and addressed to "My neighbour at (my address)" I thought that it might be some sort of legal notice, so I opened it.
It turned out to be a hand written full side of A4 from my local jehovah's witness, complete with questions and a biblical reference (Romans 15). It also included a pamphlet entitled "How do you view the bible"

It is very pleasant in tone and I have been invited to a personal home bible study!

So weird, but its good(?) to see that they are keeping up with their hobby in a covid compliant way...

It's nice to receive hand written letters these days and I am tempted to write back. However, I don't think that a scathing rebuttal of their faith and an admonishment to keep their bullshit off my doormat is the way to go.
Or maybe it is?
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#2

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 01:36 PM)TinyDave Wrote: I received a hand written letter through the post today. Actually sent via royal mail rather than just shoved through my door.
As it was stamped and addressed to "My neighbour at (my address)" I thought that it might be some sort of legal notice, so I opened it.
It turned out to be a hand written full side of A4 from my local jehovah's witness, complete with questions and a biblical reference (Romans 15). It also included a pamphlet entitled "How do you view the bible"

It is very pleasant in tone and I have been invited to a personal home bible study!

So weird, but its good(?) to see that they are keeping up with their hobby in a covid compliant way...

It's nice to receive hand written letters these days and I am tempted to write back. However, I don't think that a scathing rebuttal of their faith and an admonishment to keep their bullshit off my doormat is the way to go.
Or maybe it is?

I received the same, here in the recesses of the woods of Oregon, with no neighbors in sight. Looks like a new way to draw people in, and apparently internationally.
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#3

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 01:59 PM)Dom Wrote: I received the same, here in the recesses of the woods of Oregon, with no neighbors in sight. Looks like a new way to draw people in, and apparently internationally.

Interesting, I wonder if they are using an internationally approved template letter. 

Mine starts:

"Dear neighbour (note the UK spelling),

I live locally and I am trying to keep in contact with others in my community by writing encouraging letters. I hope you have been able to keep well..."

If this letter has gone to my whole street (which I'm guessing it has) they are going to piss off the family of the guy who used to live next door to me as he died earlier this year after a long battle with leukaemia, they still collect his mail as the house is going through probate.
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#4

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 02:13 PM)TinyDave Wrote:
(12-21-2021, 01:59 PM)Dom Wrote: I received the same, here in the recesses of the woods of Oregon, with no neighbors in sight. Looks like a new way to draw people in, and apparently internationally.

Interesting, I wonder if they are using an internationally approved template letter. 

Mine starts:

"Dear neighbour (note the UK spelling),

I live locally and I am trying to keep in contact with others in my community by writing encouraging letters. I hope you have been able to keep well..."

If this letter has gone to my whole street (which I'm guessing it has) they are going to piss off the family of the guy who used to live next door to me as he died earlier this year after a long battle with leukaemia, they still collect his mail as the house is going through probate.

It has been a while since I got my letter, and I don't remember the wording. But it was very friendly and nice.  Must be a new campaign. I guess it beats exposing their kids to people slamming doors in their face.
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#5

covid compliant proselytism
My wife has received several of those hand-written JW letters here in the Philadelphia area as well.
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#6

covid compliant proselytism
During the month of November, Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide will be participating in a global campaign. You won’t see them preaching door-to-door due to local health guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but instead, sharing a special edition magazine online, through letter writing, and by making phone calls to their neighbors.

Here is an article about it.

Jehovah’s Witnesses begin global campaign in November, distribute special magazine online and by mail | 8News (wric.com)
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#7

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 02:46 PM)Dom Wrote: During the month of November, Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide will be participating in a global campaign. You won’t see them preaching door-to-door due to local health guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but instead, sharing a special edition magazine online, through letter writing, and by making phone calls to their neighbors.

Here is an article about it.

Jehovah’s Witnesses begin global campaign in November, distribute special magazine online and by mail | 8News (wric.com)

New world new ways! 

It certainly is better than dragging their kids round door to door. I live in quite a lively neighbourhood, some of those kids have had an education in, err, robust anglo-saxon exchanges.
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#8

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 02:54 PM)TinyDave Wrote:
(12-21-2021, 02:46 PM)Dom Wrote: During the month of November, Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide will be participating in a global campaign. You won’t see them preaching door-to-door due to local health guidance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but instead, sharing a special edition magazine online, through letter writing, and by making phone calls to their neighbors.

Here is an article about it.

Jehovah’s Witnesses begin global campaign in November, distribute special magazine online and by mail | 8News (wric.com)

New world new ways! 

It certainly is better than dragging their kids round door to door. I live in quite a lively neighbourhood, some of those kids have had an education in, err, robust anglo-saxon exchanges.

Here they are confronted by a dog twice their weight. Of course the Goddess won't attack them, but they don't know that and a dog that size just barking at you must be chilling. They leave in a hurry.
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#9

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 02:58 PM)Dom Wrote: Here they are confronted by a dog twice their weight. Of course the Goddess won't attack them, but they don't know that and a dog that size just barking at you must be chilling. They leave in a hurry.

Yep a big dog will have that effect on most people. My little cat not so much. Maybe I should upgrade to a Savannah.
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#10

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 03:22 PM)TinyDave Wrote:
(12-21-2021, 02:58 PM)Dom Wrote: Here they are confronted by a dog twice their weight. Of course the Goddess won't attack them, but they don't know that and a dog that size just barking at you must be chilling. They leave in a hurry.

Yep a big dog will have that effect on most people. My little cat not so much. Maybe I should upgrade to a Savannah.

That could be scary...
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#11

covid compliant proselytism
You guys are much nicer people than I am.

I got a letter from a church about a year ago.  It wasn't the JW's, it was some other random church.  I looked up the address on the envelope and it was one of those big churches that are being built these days.  Sort of modern-ish architecture with a big parking lot and all that.   

The letter was full of proseltyzing and end times and sole saving stuff and frankly, I was pretty damned angry.   I thought about writing a letter back to them telling them that I was an atheist and how dare they shove their silly Jebus fairytale story in my mailbox.

Fortunately for them I was very busy working and didn't have the time to respond so the letter got thrown in the recycling bin.
                                                         T4618
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#12

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 04:37 PM)Dancefortwo Wrote: You guys are much nicer people than I am.

Not sure about that Smile

(12-21-2021, 04:37 PM)Dancefortwo Wrote: I got a letter from a church about a year ago.  It wasn't the JW's, it was some other random church.  I looked up the address on the envelope and it was one of those big churches that are being built these days.  Sort of modern-ish architecture with a big parking lot and all that.   

The letter was full of proseltyzing and end times and sole saving stuff and frankly, I was pretty damned angry.   I thought about writing a letter back to them telling them that I was an atheist and how dare they shove their silly Jebus fairytale story in my mailbox.

Fortunately for them I was very busy working and didn't have the time to respond so the letter got thrown in the recycling bin.

I get loads of pamphlets shoved through my letterbox. One of the "trendy" churches in my area regularly sends all sorts of crap trying to appeal to a broad spectrum of people - they offered free full english breakfasts one saturday using a pun on their name, they're called St martins and it was something to do with tomatoes. They also did a run of leaflets based on LOR.

This is the 1st time I've had something hand written though. 
As it seems to be an international campaign by the JV's, as Alan and Dom have said, maybe you can expect a heartfelt missive from your friendly neighbourhood JV's too!

To quote more from the letter (recycling isn't collected until friday);

"We live in difficult and unusual times. The world around us seems to be in turmoil and we hear so much bad news in the media. So where can we hear good news?..."

I'm going to assume the question isn't rhetorical and send them a link to whywontgodhealamputees.com and this forum.
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#13

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 04:37 PM)Dancefortwo Wrote: You guys are much nicer people than I am.

I got a letter from a church about a year ago.  It wasn't the JW's, it was some other random church.  I looked up the address on the envelope and it was one of those big churches that are being built these days.  Sort of modern-ish architecture with a big parking lot and all that.   

The letter was full of proseltyzing and end times and sole saving stuff and frankly, I was pretty damned angry.   I thought about writing a letter back to them telling them that I was an atheist and how dare they shove their silly Jebus fairytale story in my mailbox.

Fortunately for them I was very busy working and didn't have the time to respond so the letter got thrown in the recycling bin.

Some have pre-paid return envelopes you should save them.
Use them to return the junk you received from other church's - double glazing - roof repair - gardeners...
You don't get to see the end result but It's a good guess there'll be a few Da'fuq moments.
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#14

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 05:38 PM)Inkubus Wrote: Some have pre-paid return envelopes you should save them.
Use them to return the junk you received from other church's - double glazing - roof repair - gardeners...
You don't get to see the end result but It's a good guess there'll be a few Da'fuq moments.

I don't know if you guys still get the business cards of "ladies of negotiable affection" left in pub toilets. If you do, I would definitely send those back in the pre-paid envelopes.
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#15

covid compliant proselytism
Back when my wife and I got married, we got tons of junk mail with post-paid return envelopes. Stuffed them full to bursting with whatever we could get in them, and they went back with postage due. It took awhile, but we stopped getting them.
If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.
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#16

covid compliant proselytism
(12-21-2021, 01:36 PM)TinyDave Wrote: I received a hand written letter through the post today. Actually sent via royal mail rather than just shoved through my door.
As it was stamped and addressed to "My neighbour at (my address)" I thought that it might be some sort of legal notice, so I opened it.
It turned out to be a hand written full side of A4 from my local Jehovah's witness, complete with questions and a biblical reference (Romans 15). It also included a pamphlet...

Yep, I received the same sort of letter from a bloke who actually put his name,
address and phone number on the letter a couple of years back.  I responded
anonymously, and politely, with a letter explaining my atheism etc.

Lo and behold, I got another handwritten letter from the same bloke a couple
of weeks ago!  Which I'm not gonna respond to.  Must be keen to handwrite
a few dozen(?) letters and pay for their postage at $1.10 per stamp.
I'm a creationist;   I believe that man created God.
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#17

covid compliant proselytism
I got one hand-written invitation to attend a friendly bible study a couple months ago, besides that it's been a long time. It must be so comforting thinking you can do something like that and presto you are square with the Creator of the Universe.
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