The Jehovah’s Witnesses came by today. Sadly, they couldn’t stay — I was hoping they could explain why they don’t seem to like higher education.
Instead, they were offering this advertisement for a meeting about Jesus.
It seems that Jesus gave his life for you, and you should be very grateful to him. It would also appear that if you’re not, then there will be Eternal Consequences, including not existing.
Gavin de Becker, in his book The Gift of Fear, lists some behaviours of untrustworthy people. One of these behaviours is loan sharking. The loan shark tries to screw you over by doing something for you that you didn’t ask for, and then making you feel indebted so you’ll reciprocate. Ever known someone like that?
The ‘loan shark’ tactic is an integral part of Christianity. You’ve contracted some kind of debt, either because you were born, or because you did something wrong due to your sinful human nature. Now you’re hosed. But Jesus paid your debt. Aren’t you glad? Don’t you think you owe him one, after all he did for you? You wouldn’t want to retroactively increase his sufferings by continuing in sin, would you? So spend the rest of your life giving time and money to a church and meeting a series of ever-escalating commitments, because after all, Jesus did so much for you.
Loan sharking. Watch for it.
28 March 2010 at 10:01 am
Well hey, at least the JW's are warning kids that smoking might be a fire hazard:
Temptation:"Someone dares you to smoke a cigarette."
Advice from Proverbs: "Can a man rake together fire into his bosom and yet his very garments not be burned?"
Hee haw…
28 March 2010 at 2:03 pm
We got that too from people who want to rope us back into the fold. I can think of better things to do on my birthday!
28 March 2010 at 2:04 pm
Which now that I think about it is kind of ironic considering as a JW you are not allowed to celebrate birthdays…
29 March 2010 at 9:17 am
They must be on a global march, we just got the same leaflet shoved through our door.
5 April 2010 at 8:42 pm
"Why don't you post your profile on the internet?"
Bad idea, because eventually it will lead to maintaining an atheistic blog with 800 posts. It's a slippery slope.
5 April 2010 at 11:14 pm
Yeah, I should have thought of that.
Oh, well. Too late now.
5 June 2010 at 9:13 am
Which one should I think about is a kind of sarcastic? Considering as a Jew you are not permitted to celebrate birthdays…