There has been a rise in the number of incidents of Jehovah’s witnesses being ‘doorstepped’ by atheists in the street.
Jehovah’s witnesses are law-abiding members of society who simply stand in city centres minding their own business, holding leaflets that pedestrians can take if they want to, or ignore if they wish. They don’t bother anyone, and never throw God in anyone’s face. They repect the privacy of everybody’s personal space.
So it is of great concern to hear reports of aggressive, proselytising atheists stopping in front of Jehovah’s witnesses and shoving their lack of beliefs down their throat.
“I was standing there holding my leaflets and copies of the Watchtower,” said Sally, a witness from Norfolk, “When all of a sudden this man came up to me all stern and aggressive. ‘Have you heard that there is no such thing as the lord Jesus?’ he said to me. I said to him that while I respected his belief, I was quite sure of my own stance, and that I wasn’t interested. But he just carried on talking, saying things like, ‘did you know that logical argument disproves the existence of God?’ and ‘can I just stop here and talk to you for five minutes about the biologist Richard Dawkins?’ It was really intrusive. I don’t like these kinds of non-beliefs being shoved down my throat. I don’t go round knocking on people’s doors and asking them if they’ve heard about Jesus. It’s ridiculous!”
Sadly, Sally’s story is not a one-off.
John from Lancashire told us:
“I was standing there minding my own business, and this woman with a microphone suddenly sets up shop opposite me in the street. She starts ranting about how ‘no-one is coming to save you and religion is a load of manipulative nonsense’. You don’t want to hear that kind of thing in the street. Especially when there’s kids about. They’re really impressionable.”
The Jehovah’s witnesses have sent a petition to parliament asking for atheists’ to be banned from spreading their non-beliefs in city centres.
“We’re not trying to ban their non-beliefs. Everyone has the right to non-believe what they want. We just don’t want it in public where it will make us feel uncomfortable. Atheism is all fine behind closed doors, but in public we have the right to stand around minding our own business, getting freezing cold in front of our well-stocked racks of leaflets.”
The result of the petition will be revealed next week.
The Sceptical Poet 
This is really fascinating… I had the JWs knocking on my door this morning. The title “Jehovah’s witnesses” is misleading, since those who use this self-applied title are actually followers of the doctrines of Charles T. Russell, so may be more truly referred to as “Russellites.”
It does seem a bit impolite for atheists to act in this way, but Russellites have acted similarly for many years. Interestingly, those who were on my doorstep this morning claimed that those who ignored them or were impolite to them had “already made their decision [about the Kingdom of God/JHVH).” There are legitimate reasons that people wouldn’t respond to cold-callers on a bitterly cold Thursday morning; maybe they’re at work, perhaps they’re unwell or have worked a night shift, so don’t feel like socialising with anyone, particularly those whose beliefs they find disagreeable! I’m glad that people’s real response to the Good News of God’s Kingdom certainly cannot be measured in this way. If Russellites are allowed freedom of speech and expression, why shouldn’t atheists be freely granted those same freedoms?
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Everyone has the right to non-believe what they want. We just don’t want it in public were it will make us feel uncomfortable.
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* where
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