Jehovah's Witness joke fails to amuse the police

[sunshine]

The Telegrah - UK

"A woman has been told by police that she must remove a sign on her garden gate that reads "Our dogs are fed on Jehovah's Witnesses" because it is "distressing, offensive and inappropriate".

Jean Grove, a pensioner, has displayed the sign for 32 years. Her late husband, Gordon, put it up after members of the Church banged on their door on Christmas Day 1974."

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[NewWorldSoon]

'wow

[rocket]

I can understand that sign perfectly. After all, who in Christendom would want to talk about Jesus Christ on Christmas day, a day set aside for Sun Worship. Feed the Christians to the Lions Dogs.

[Hallett 82]

The police might be trying to protect her from a legal problem.

There was a case here years ago where a judge in a dog bite case ruled that a sign that warns of a dog that bites or should be 'warned' about with a sign on your gate or fence is considered to be known by its owner to be a risk. High financial penalties apply if it ever bites or attacks anyone.

Those "Beware of the Dog" signs became a liability issue and sales of them in hardware stores ground to a halt. Now it is more common to see 'Please don't let the dog out' signs.

That lady has been enjoying the notoriety of that sign for decades and people are probably over it by now.

[JSellenger]

I just have a sign warning that dogs are contained by invisible fence. When the dogs are out, no one that does not know me comes in the yard.

[Allison]

1. I'm shocked it took 32 years for authorities to do something about it. Yes, I see the humor, but if a race or another group was the subject of the "meal", people would be up in arms!

2. I'm curious if the Brothers regarded it as a "Do Not Call"? Or did they continue to knock over the 32 years? It would give me pause at the gate!

[trottigy]

To #2 we only would go knock once a year on Christmas

1. I'm shocked it took 32 years for authorities to do something about it. Yes, I see the humor, but if a race or another group was the subject of the "meal", people would be up in arms!

2. I'm curious if the Brothers regarded it as a "Do Not Call"? Or did they continue to knock over the 32 years? It would give me pause at the gate!

[rbrown1205]

I reminds me of an actual response that I had when going out in service on Christmas day - the young woman said

"I don't want to talk about the Bible today, it's Christmas!!"

I can undersand why the police made that point about the sign - it was a veiled threat against a particular group of people. These days when threats of all kinds are taken seriously, they would be remiss if they did not say anything, even if the local Witnesses do view it as humorous. Someone else could put up a similar sign and be completely serious, and a brother or sister's life could be endangered.

My congregation makes a special point of starting service late on holidays, especially Christmas and New Year's day. This is in thoughtful consideration of the territory residents, who generally get up later than on most other days, and people are usually very nice to us, and we meet more than a few people who welcome our visits because they are alone, and need a little respite from holiday depression.