Bruce Feiler - Where God Was Born, Abraham, Walking The Bible

Open the Door, Please
Friday, May 11, 2007

A reader writes in response to my post on "Knocking."

Dear Mr. Feiler,

The next time Jehovah's Witnesses come to your door, please give them a hearing hear for a few minutes; if your busy, you can request that they come back at a more convenient time for you. These people volunteer their time to spread the good news from the Bible. Whether you agree with their position on the Bible or not, it is always good to have a friendly dialog with others. Not everybody will agree with what you write in you books, but that does not mean that they should not be read by anyone that wishes to.

Often people that claim that they do not agree with the message of Jehovah's Witnesses have never actually allowed one to converse with them; they base their opinions on what they hear from others. Before one issues an opinion on any subject, they should gather all the available facts. Not allowing Jehovah's Witnesses to speak and then having an opinion is not unlike someone having an opinion on one of your books without having had the benefit of reading it.

Best regards,
[Signature]

First of all, I am blessed to get emails from readers. From time to time, I get an email that is rude, and sometimes openly hostile. I find that the ruder people are the more likely they are not to sign their name. I was deeply impressed by the tone of this note and by the fact that this person signed his name. Already, this note made me respect Jehovah's Witnesses more. If the only thing this faith does is teach its followers to be polite, that's not a small thing.

I also believe, as anyone reading this blog surely knows, in open dialogue among people of different faiths. And I believe each of us should be blunt and critical about our own faiths before, and maybe even as a precondition, for applying that standards to others. So I agree about the need for more knowledge.

Having said that, I would still prefer to have that conversation at a time of my own choosing. Especially as someone who devotes most working hours in my day (and many at night) to this topic, I don't find it to be a sign of intolerance that when someone knocks on my door unrequested on a Saturday afternoon, when I'm either working, or napping, or doing dishes, or playing with my children, or whatever I'm doing, that I chose not to speak with them. This scenario, which, if you didn't read my initial post, just happened to me, is not like someone having an opinion about my books without having read them (a very common position, by the way), it's like me walking into someone's bedroom when they may not even be dressed, asking them what they think of my books, then considering them ill-read and rude when they tell me to go away. With respect: There's a time and place for everything, even interfaith dialogue.

Labels: Interfaith Relations

Posted by B Feiler at 7:05 AM
Permalink Digg this Post Email this Post

2 Comments:

JasonF said...: Regardless of the circumstances of the situation, one doesn't have to listen to a visiting jehovah's Witness to gain knowledge of thier beliefs. I have never been visited by a member from the Jehovah's Witness but i have studied the group long enough to know that I disagree with its teachings held in comparison to my own. One can find the full extent of their beliefs and teachings online, at a library, and through other various forms of media. If we take the time to listen to every cult that comes knocking on our door, we won't have time to use the bathroom.; May 11, 2007 9:57:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: Here are some more examples of "reasonable" JWs:

SUMMARIES OF NEARLY 500 JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES LAWSUITS & COURT CASES

The following website summarizes over 100 lawsuits filed by Jehovah's Witnesses against their Employers, plus many other incidents involving problem JW Employees:

EMPLOYMENT ISSUES UNIQUE TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESS EMPLOYEES

http://jwemployees.bravehost.com

The following website summarizes 300 U.S. court cases and lawsuits affecting children of Jehovah's Witness Parents, including dozens of cases where the JW Parents refused to consent to life-saving blood transfusions:

DIVORCE, BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, AND OTHER LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING CHILDREN OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/; May 12, 2007 7:43:00 AM EDT