There are lots of ways that spring announces itself here in the Ozarks.
There are the cherry blossoms, blooming forth one at a time.
There are the pear blossoms, opening up in clusters.
There are the dandelions that spring up on the lawn.
And there are the Weigela blossoms in all their glory,
But one sign that invariably heralds the arrival of spring is the appearance of Jehovah's Witnesses at our front door.
Bow was relaxing in the outer pen today, when there was a knock at the front door. It was two women, and they came bearing pamphlets and an iPad. The pamphlets are an old tradition. The iPad was a new twist. They handed me a pamphlet and invited me to an event celebrating the death of Jesus. The pamphlet they handed me said that at the event there would be an explanation of how "his death can benefit you and your family."
I thanked them for the pamphlet and offered to give them a free book, too, But they declined. They wanted to show me a video about Jesus on their iPad, instead. When I said I didn't have time to watch a video, they said that was okay, I could watch it later on their website. They've gone modern on us!
We parted politely, and I hurried back to Bow with the pamphlet. At first, he looked it over intently, but then he decided to nibble on one of the corners. I highly discourage eating literature, so I took it away.
Anyway, it's definitely spring. No doubt about it!
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Hahaha @ "when the Jehovah's witnesses show up". Well, you have to give them credit for keeping up with the times by using the iPad now. Those things are expensive - interesting that they can afford them!
ReplyDeleteI'm not 100% sure yet, but I think Bob has finally broken them of coming here. At least, the ones who live around here, know not to come up here. Love the pictures of all your spring flowers - they are so beautiful! We have a lot coming up here also, but it's been too cold out...but this weekend is supposed to be warm. I can't wait to see what's happening outside!
Hi, Kathy. Bow and I thought we had had broken the Jehovah's Witnesses of coming here, too. But then a new generation always springs up that has never heard of us. They never seem young, but it's still a different generation of elders, I think. One of these days I am getting one of them to accept one of my books to take home with them!
DeleteI am worried about it being too cold and there having been too many frosty mornings since all those fruit trees blossomed. I am hoping we still get to have cherries and pears this summer, though it seems very doubtful there will be peaches, because the peach blossoms came out way before there were any bees. And they froze several times.
The Jehovah's Witnesses took to social media about twenty years ago, actually. Even though I did not enjoy a lot of their doctrines as a kids, in 1996 I had questions about certain things, so I started visiting yahoo, which was one of my first Internet experiences as a freshman in college. First I stumbled upon their website and they used to have message boards and chat groups for Jehovah's Witnesses. Then I found other pages written by people who left the group, and they have a long and odd history. Apparently the founder Charles Taze Russell was also a zionist, but since that is a slightly political movement, it was interesting he did not exactly reveal that. He also thought the world was going to end in 1914, and hid out. They rewrote a lot of their doctrines when the world never ended. As late as 1985 they kept telling us the world was ending as soon as the last people born in 1914 would be passing away, but that never came to pass. Then I have heard they revamped the teaching again. I read many of their books my mom had from over the years, and they always talked about how the UN was evil because it was political. They believe we should only follow Jehovah God. But conveniently, the Jehovah's Witnesses lobby in the UN to try and get legislation in other countries passed so they are not persecuted for preaching their gospel. When some former Jehovah's Witness tried to call them out on their political involvement when they claim to be against it, no one would talk to him. It is a very odd religion that changes, but kind of interesting at well.
ReplyDeleteHi, Julia. I do not know as much about the Jehovah's Witnesses as you do, but I agree they have an interesting history. Some of their Biblical scholarship is interesting, too, as they tend to read things more literally than other sects. But whatever intellectual merit there is to their leadership, the rank and file usually just follow orders and have no original thoughts of their own.
DeleteI just think it is interesting they tell their followers no political involement of any kind is allowed, but their leaders have always had political interest. Their next big leader after Charles Taze Russell was a guy named Judge Rutherford, and he was quite involved with being a lawyer because he was a judge. And no, people are not allowed to question anything they do. Some of their Biblical scholarship is ineresting as you say, but they are quite literal in their interpretations at times, but then at other times they blatantly make things up. Reading their interpretation of the book of Revelations was actually hillarious from back in the 80s. Sometimes I wish I had kept some of that literature because I have a feeling the writers just wrote whatever fanciful thought popped in their head.
DeleteYes, it would be interesting to keep a library of their old literature to see how their positions change over time. Unfortunately, Bow has destroyed every single pamphlet I gave him of theirs, so I do not have an archive like that.
DeleteThe witnesses make a lot of money on book sales, or whatever they sell these days. By the way, one of the things after the meetings was how they encouraged all the people in the congregation to buy the new books on this and that subject.
ReplyDeleteI keep trying to give them copies of my books to read, but they keep refusing. I wonder whether they are allowed to read anything not recommended by their leadership.
DeleteI think witnesses are very controlling, and only want people to read their books. Your books might open them to new ideas, and that is not allowed. I remember years ago my story hub about my bad experiences with the Jehovah's witnesses was being targeted by several women in that church who said I would keep people from the truth. Then another hubber who said she was a witness wanted to know why I was persecuting their religion. The thing was it was simply a story about how being a kid that did not have a choice about going to this group for meetings made me feel isolated. I do not understand their odd doctrines about not being able to celebrate any holidays, and it made me stick out from the group literally. I was not even supposed to watch a Halloween movie. One time my mom caught me watching Caspar the friendly ghost, and made me turn the channel. After a couple of years she realized this group was inconsistent, but they use group think to keep people following their rules.
DeleteI don't understand the idea that a Halloween movie could do anyone any harm. That is a little funny about being concerned about a child watching Caspar the Friendly Ghost.
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