I am currently in St Pete for the Grand Prix race. JWs have set up their little kiosks on at least 3 corners that I have seen so far. It is a bit of a distraction from the festival atmosphere. They are neatly dressed. I have to admit one pair, two females, were very attractive and will likely draw some attention. One of the kiosks had a large sign about love. That is quite a deviation from their regular end of the world proclamations. They all wear the JW.org badges. They seem respectful to the crowds, yet there is no escaping seeing them. Oh well. Nothing earth shattering. They could be enjoying all the activities outside of the race. I felt a bit sorry for them.

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Instead of gloom and doom, it's trying the love bomb approach. It sells better.

But not enough to spend time talking with them about their nonsensical beliefs.

I'm okay with them standing on corners as long as they don't impede my path or conversations.

I see them regularly as I travel throughout California on business. I saw several groups set up on street corners in Fresno and at at least one set in each BART station all over the S.F. Bay area. I see quite a few in downtown L.A., too.

I feel sad for these poor people who must have better things to do with their time.

I always give them a "thumbs down" gesture and a disapproving shake of the head as I walk by.

They're not supposed to talk to people unless approached first, apparently, which is a major difference from LDS.

They have copied liberally from the LDS in the past though. I know there is some overlap in one-time membership, so it wouldn't surprise me if ex-LDS had helped influence their views.

One of them set up a table with JW materials in front of the DMV door so that anyone going in for testing or other services had to say excuse me and squirm around the table.

I never heard of the rule about only talking to those who speak first. Is this an ironclad directive or just a suggestion?

>> I am currently in St Pete for the Grand Prix race

The JWs would be happy to tell you (as one told me,) "a better world is coming." Better than the tropical paradise of St. Pete, you might well ask?

I hope that you enjoy your stay, Eric.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2019 05:33PM by summer.

I lived in Charlotte NC when the Democratic National Convention was there. Streets around the venue were filled with various vendors, mostly selling Obama memorabilia. But there was a JW booth, too, away from the prime locations. They weren't attracting much interest.

Saw them recently on the streets of Washington DC and in the Downtown Disney area of California’s Disneyland. Nobody was stopping to talk in either place.

like siblings.

After some years of study, it's pretty easy to see that in a way they're both bstrd children of Freemasonry, born just a few decades apart.

Both have had numerous failed prophecies. Both started out with an imminent end-of-the-world motif. Both have weird sets of irrational taboos. Both have abundant Masonic symbolism.

There are differences of course. But anytime I see JWs doing their JW stuff, I feel like I'm just seeing Mormonism in a different costume.