The JW at my door, again, and again, ...
So here I was writing emails when my doorbell rang. I looked through the peephole and I see two women, automatically knew they were Jehovah's Witnesses. Instead of ignoring them or opening the door, spitting on their faces, and yelling obscene things like, "You are a disgrace to our race!", I opened the door and greeted them very nicely.
JW: Hi how are you?
ME: Good, how can I help you?
JW: We wanted to see how our fellow neighbours are doing.
ME: I'm fine thanks.
JW: And how has your new year been so far?
ME: Ahhhhh, not that great actually, but it's ok.
JW: And how do you think the rest of the year will be?
ME: Very good actually, I know everything will turn out well.
JW: Wow, that's good. And is that hope connected to anything in particular?
ME: Yes of course, to my Saviour Jesus.
JW: (Shocked for a few seconds...) Ohhhh, are you a believer?
ME: Yes very much.
JW: (Starts talking some BS for a few seconds...)
ME: Sorry, can I just ask you which sect you are from?
JW: (Shocked again for a few seconds...) We are from a worldwide "Christian" religious group called the Jehovah's ...
ME: Thank you very much, stay well, goodbye.
Man, they are reproducing like rabbits all over the country. And not only the JW, but a bunch of other sects that are pumping in, and out I guess, lots of cash. And yet, our amazing and active Catholicos is doing ................... no comment. :-/
JW: Hi how are you?
ME: Good, how can I help you?
JW: We wanted to see how our fellow neighbours are doing.
ME: I'm fine thanks.
JW: And how has your new year been so far?
ME: Ahhhhh, not that great actually, but it's ok.
JW: And how do you think the rest of the year will be?
ME: Very good actually, I know everything will turn out well.
JW: Wow, that's good. And is that hope connected to anything in particular?
ME: Yes of course, to my Saviour Jesus.
JW: (Shocked for a few seconds...) Ohhhh, are you a believer?
ME: Yes very much.
JW: (Starts talking some BS for a few seconds...)
ME: Sorry, can I just ask you which sect you are from?
JW: (Shocked again for a few seconds...) We are from a worldwide "Christian" religious group called the Jehovah's ...
ME: Thank you very much, stay well, goodbye.
Man, they are reproducing like rabbits all over the country. And not only the JW, but a bunch of other sects that are pumping in, and out I guess, lots of cash. And yet, our amazing and active Catholicos is doing ................... no comment. :-/
posted by Der Hova at 2:25 AM
13 Comments:
This was all in Armenian, right?
Catholicos is turning his back to people who think about the future of the nation, drinking vodka and and .... everybody knows that how he became a Catholicos.
Ya Raff, in Armenian ;-) I can easily translate it back to the original language if you'd like.
Wow - pretty impressive. I don't know if I've ever actually said "Savior" in Armenian... dunno if I could say it to a JW without cracking up :-)
Raff, I didn't say Savior in Armenian I said Saviour in Armenian ;-)
Hi Der Hova,
I have a question for you. I visited Armenia Summer of 2004, and I went to visit some people in Artashak. On the way there I saw a bunch of Mormons!!!! Quick question, what are they doing there? And are Armenians turning to Mormons too?
You mean the young white guys walking around in their grey dress pants, white dress shirts and ties?
The mormons have been on a mission in Armenia for quite some time now, I'm even assuming longer than the JW, but according to this report there are more JW in the country.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2004/35437.htm
I found something on the net about these sects in Armenia and Catholicos Vazken I's response ....
"...after the earthquake [of 1988], a group of people came from America and proposed to build a large factory in Armenia. We ourselves welcomed this proposal, this humanitarian proposal. However, in time they had plans to build a chapel on the same site, it was obvious that these people were Mormons and they were pursuing other missionary goals through this benevolent act. Naturally, such an activity was not allowed to take place in Armenia. We are happy to state that when such incidents occur, the state and the church are cooperative in solving them. This is very important because the infiltration of the cults in Armenia is very alarming. It is very sad to see these groups taking advantage of the difficult economic situation and the naivete, the goodwill of our people.
Since Armenia was the first to adopt Judeo-Christian faith, and we boast about it! I guess all new converter-missionaries are in Armenia as they think it's a fertile teritory for easy pickings.
The money also helps...
Does any one know the saying in Cilicia, "food finished faith finished"...
I've heard this story from my grand mother.
When similar missionaries were recruting to the new protestant faith in Cilicia, they gave wheat to the poor as enticement to their halls.
After a few months when they stopped the wheat giving, thinking they must by now have converted the folks enough, there was a huge drop of converties appearing to the regular gatherings.
When a Brother met one of the absentees asking why she was not coming to the worship hall, You guessed hre reply, as stated above.
"Bireder oom bitti, din bitti" in its original form. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLL
Michael
It's news but not surprise to me that there be Mormons in Armenia. Mormonism has it that a young man perform a formal "mission" much as many countries have it that he performs some form of national service. Quite common. The mission is often in foreign countries. The guys on mission are typically in their early twenties, wear spotlessly pressed dark slacks and brilliant white shirts, seem always to be in pairs. Often they're on bicycles. I lived in Japan for a year and taught English. English lessons there are expensive. There was a sign in Japanese at a bus stop where I changed busses daily offering English lessons for free. It was the Mormons looking for entree into peoples' lives and confidence. I've seen them in Southeast Asia and Kenya. And a few years ago a couple of them turned up on my doorstep in Los Angeles. Here, I found it a little surprising. But in Armenia, well, they're all over the world so from Mormonism's perspective if not Armenia's their presence there is normal.
If you had met the Gatoghigos, and spoken to him I think you would then know exactly what his plans and policies are.
If these are cults are appearing we have nothing to fear they would not last long. Some of us have seen them in other small countries, after a few years they disappear.!!
Garabed
I would challenge evry one of you "cult bashers" :) to read University of Washington's Anthony Gill's book called "Rendering unto Caesar" and and then Article 18 of the UN Human Rgihts Declaration. Of course JW and Mormons are going to thrive because they provide an increasing number of "exit options" through social works which sorry to say the Armenian Church is not doing, or doing but very little. Also the Armenian Church takes for granted its ethnic base - the Armenians, - thinking that Armenians by default are suppose to remain Apostolic the meaning of which the Church for decades if not more has not made efforts to explain, let alone encourage people to believe. I grew up in Armenia going to church and thinking Jesus was a young and handsome Armenian killed by the Turks! Why? Because the priest did not explain neither to my parents, nor their parents, and certainly not a worm like me. And the sects? Well, they actually use the Armenian language to communicate to their audiences, and not the grabar. Those who still are in the Church are in no better position than I was years ago untill I picked up the Bible and read for myself. Imagine the shock when I found out that Jesus was a Jew and Christos was not his adopted Greek last name. Anyways do read Gill's book and realize that for better or for worse the "religious free market" is upon us with lots of choices from good to bad to bizzare. Cheers.
Garabed I don't have too much time on my hands right now, how about you share some of those plans and policies.
No I would rather he tells you about them. Why dont you meet him and discuss such issues with him when you next have the opportunity..
Th bottom line is that he and his team are trying to improve the quality of life here in Hayastan as best they can.
Like we all are.
Garabed
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