Knock knock
Dateline 18-01-2000 (morning)
Wooo Hooo! It's happened! This morning two Jehovah's Witnesses called! Before they had a chance to bombard me with their good message I dived right in with the drinking and money thing (Mark 16:16-18 and Matt 5:42 - I was doubting the conviction of their Christianity). Needless to say they didn't give me their money, their coats or their car keys, or take a swig of my bottle of bleach (it was water really) but told me that those verses referred only to someone who was in need, and the drinking thing was outdated. To which I replied: "Please read your bible and take it in context, it's the word of your Lord and Saviour." And I quote: "I will go away and find out about this. If what you say is true then there's not much point is there? We wouldn't be true Christians." We'd had a good, friendly chat and they definitely went away with at least a small nugget of doubt rattling around in their heads.
The score so far:
Atheist - 1 Christians - 0.
YEEEEEE HARRRRRR!
Update:
15-02-2000 No new visits from the Jehovahs' Witnesses! Perhaps I had put them off a tad?
15-02-2000:
Today I got a blank email, well not totally blank - it consisted of the following URL - http://www.angelfire.com/fl2/dianalove/index.html. Nevertheless I felt obliged to answer the email in the following fashion:
Dear ******(Diana?),
Many thanks for your email. Unfortunately there was no text content with your message, excepting of course the URL of (presumably) your website. It seems as though you must have glanced upon my slowly evolving, fledgling web pages on which I pronounce myself 'The English Atheist', a bit of a cheek I must admit when it should really be 'An English Atheist'. I did have a look at your web site, which seems entirely comprehensive. I will take this opportunity to request that you add my home page to your 'list o' links', though I doubt that you will! :-) A little English flag, fluttering next to my URL would be nice!
It's only a guess, but I reckon that you are in the U.S.A. Over here, in England, I can report confidently that the vast majority of the population is non-religious. Both the Catholic and Anglican churches are witnessing an accelerating decline in attendance and belief. Regular attendance at Sunday worship across both branches of their faith is down to less than 10 percent of the population, with the belief in a (Christian) god being espoused by only about 15 percent of the population. These figures are only those that I have heard or seen recently in the British media and take no account of other faiths. The only geographical area of the United Kingdom where Christianity seems to be quite strong is Northern Ireland. Where of course there have been several thousand murders and punishment beatings (which are still occurring despite the 'cease-fire') in the name of Christianity over the past 30 years - real killing, massive bombs, and torture instituted by opposing factions of the aforementioned Christian Churches.
I am only guessing but would you describe your religion as the fundamentalist type? If you would like to, I am not adverse to an email based discussion on religion. I have an HTML bible, which I can refer to on any points that you may care to discuss. I'll start the ball rolling: Can I have all your money please? Or do you not profess to be faithful enough to fully espouse the teachings of your saviour? (See Matthew 05:42 - from the Sermon on the Mount.)
I would gladly welcome a reply to this short email.
Yours, in truth
Martin J Burn - an English Atheist
PS Here's a good one I heard on the radio yesterday (14th Feb 2000):
Henry the 4th, a Christian King of England in the year 1401, put to death anyone caught, or suspected of, reading the newly translated (into English) Bible. And he was particularly successful in his efforts. (As reported by John McCarthy - former Middle-Eastern hostage, in his radio series on the influence of the Bible.)I wonder if she will reply.
© Martin J Burn 2000