I'm sure this statement won't make me popular with some people, but I honestly think that joining a Jehovah's Witness church is as dangerous as joining most cults out there. I don't say this because I think they're "weird" (though it is weird that a JW is supposed refuse blood transfusions on a religious basis, even on the edge of death), but because I've known a couple people who were Jehovah's Witnesses and I feared for them. One of them even attempted suicide when he suspected he might be gay, because of how drastically extreme the JW ideals are. And I know at least one person who was raised JW and she thinks of it as a cult now. So this is part of why, today, I started to throw these in the trash then stopped because of the following two thoughts:
#1: These might belong to someone. Maybe they keep them here so they can read when they come out to do laundry.
#2: Even though they're screwed up, they have a right to publish this stuff, and I guess it's legal to leave it in public places.... but wait, that means I can do the same.
Thus begins the Atheist Pamphlet Experiment.
I decided that if they get to spread their extremist views, I would spread the other extremist view: that there's no God at all. I never ever ever tell people what they should and shouldn't believe, but I thought both views needed to be represented here.
I had these funny little cut and fold pamphlets that I'd printed from Normal Bob Smith's page. So I simply placed them with the JW magazines, as seen here:
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How long will these atheist pamphlets last in the bible belt????
(You can see the pamphlets in detail here, I used the first two.)
So, the point of this? Really, my own amusement. I'm curious to see how long they'll last. This is, after all, the freaking bible belt. I'm guessing they'll be torn up and in the trash by tomorrow. There's no way they'll last through the usual evening laundry hours tonight.
I'm thinking I should start doing such experiments in general. I think it would be highly amusing to document. And I'm sure Normal Bob would get a kick out of it, too.
See the results here.
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lizzistardust- Elizabeth
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The only thing that makes them not a cult is that they're not centered around one living person who's influence wore off once dead.
One day I got the idea in my head that door-to-door philosophy would be pretty funny. I suggested to my phil. major friend that we go around the neighborhood, knocking on doors, saying "Hello, I'm Molly and this is Nathaniel, and we'd like to talk to you about Nietzsche..."
I think if done right it could be really fantastic.
Actually, the Mormons were walking around campus one Halloween and tried to give me their bible, but I told them it would be better if they gave it to someone else because I didn't believe in god. That night, I went to a Halloween party and some guy showed up who had taken their book and used it as part of his costume. He dressed up as one of them!
What I really wanted to post here, though, was that I casually collect religious propaganda and one of my favorite pieces is a little pamphlet called "The Atheist Test." It features a hilarious diagram of a banana, pointing out how it was designed specifically for human consumption, therefore, evolution didn't happen.
And I love your door-to-door philosophy idea!!! Too damn funny! Especially if you go into that theory about how things don't exist if you can't perceive them.... that'd be hilarious, standing on there threshold and being like, "Once you close this door, we cease to exist for you."
Oh, I've never seen that banana thing. Sounds too funny!
I never said this was a humanitarian act, Trent. And I don't have to be held up to such an expectation.