The Jehovah's Witnesses came by again today. As I've done before, I answered honestly when asked if I read the Bible (yes, but not as much as I should), listened to the brief Bible message (we need to be born again), and took the offered materials.

Then, a little later, I got to thinking. The Jehovah's Witnesses don't have a particularly grim view of what happens to unbelievers. They just cease to exist at death. No burning for eternity. No rebirth in a less desirable life form.

We also have a less than grim picture of the afterlife for those who do not believe as we do. Actually, it's a pretty cheerful picture. Life forever in a place more beautiful than we could imagine. I'm going to have to look up the quote about that. The only downside is the knowledge that they could have done better.

So why is it that the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons are the faiths with a vigorous missionary effort, expecting all members to act as missionaries? Yes, I know that other Christian religions have missionary programs. But they seem to focus on material relief for poor nations. We do that, too, but we also send proselyting missionaries everywhere. And the gospel message is a bigger service than the food and clothes and medicine and such. Yes, all that is important. But the more eternally significant bit is the gospel. I'm sure the other missionary efforts have some preaching involved, but you don't hear about that as much. At least, I don't. Although I guess I did hear a lot about that having gone on in the past- think of the missionaries who came out west during America's early days. Or African missionaries like they talk about in Things Fall Apart.

And you would think that someone who thinks that anybody who does not believe as they do will suffer for eternity would put a lot of effort into getting everybody saved. That is, if they really care about their fellow man. But maybe I am overestimating their belief in Hell. After all, I have seen statistics that many don't even really believe in Satan or the truthfulness of the Bible.