As a child I remember missionaries used to come to our block on Shabbos. They would usually come when we were in shul, so then we missed them. However, I do remember peeking out the window, seeing them standing by the door ringing the bell, and then hiding till they left. Nobody ever opened the door for the missionaries to come in.In school, my teacher once told us a story about a missionary. She was living in an apartment, as she was going to her floor, she saw a bunch of missionaries came into the building. They went to one family, where a little boy opened the door. The missionaries started talking to the boy and telling him all this non sense. My teacher decided to go over and talk to them, to get them to stop talking to the boy. She had an argument with them. At the end they went away without doing any damage.
Now today I saw some missionaries going to a block with a play group in it. I was concerned for these kids, I hoped no one opened the door. I watched from a block away and the missionaries kept ringing the doorbells for the houses on the block, and no one answered.
I think it should be illegal to have missionaries come to peoples private homes and impose their religion on them. If they want people to come to their religion, then they should have some sort of gathering where there are recruiters and such. But they shouldn't be forcing themselves on people who are uninterested. They know the area is mainly Jewish, they see the Mezuzahs and yet they still come to the doors.
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the few missionary visits that I saw happened to my parents were fun occasions. My mother, you see, used to be a baptist missionary before she decided she couldn't ethicaly teach such things to her children and became jewish instead. My father was not quite such, but had a good sound christian religious education before he converted too. (they converted together.)
ReplyDeleteMy mother and father studied many relgions on their way to judaism, and so they happen to know a thing or two about all kinds of things and teachings.
So its very funny when the missionaries come calling. Once my father told them that he was a witch and was looking for human sacrifice. My mother just plays games with them until they get tired and leave, or she just throws their shpiel at them until they realize there really isn't any use and just walk away.
Personaly I prefer to mock their inconsistancies, or mock their bad (mis)translations of torah which they try to use to get you.
Missionaries are fun, they've been some of my favorite playmates since I was a kid.
Although these days toying with them has lost a lot of its appeal, and so now I just ignore them.
but I hate when they take advantage of people. There was a missionary outside of my school this morning, passing out christian bibles. If he'd forced me to take one I probably would have ripped out the tehillim and mishlei out of the back of it, and burned the rest, as per halacha, in front of him to make a point that he'd better not dare try and missionize any jews.
but that would be offending him and that would make me uncomfortable, although sometimes you just have to draw a line about such things. You can't be a total rag doll and just lie down for such people. The'll take advantage of you and hurt you and take you away from hashem, and refuting them usualy involves insulting them somehow, which I'd rather not do.
Legally you cant stop em from knocking on door and talking.
ReplyDeletechoices are
1 get em to fight.
2 smile and say get the truck outta here.
3 have somebody follow em around yelling 'yoshkonik' till they give up
missionaries specifically looking for the Jews. Its like a super special mitzvah to convert Jews for them. Its like muslims get 72 virgins if they're martyrs, Christains get some sort of prize as well (though I think its more feminist approved).
ReplyDeleteAnd, with freedom of speech you cannot make it illegal. but you can ask them to leave.