Religious Nutters At The Door - What Do You Do?

MrsAtobe

For anyone who wants the No cold callers, charities and ahem, religious nutters, here it is:

http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/attachment/nocoldcallersv1.pdf

starrystarry

Keen_Young_Learner wrote: »

For us on the receiving end, it is absolutely unacceptable to do anything less than smile and apologise, along with your 'it's not for me' statement. These people are human beings, and are just doing what they believe is right. Being polite and civil to them is simply a matter of human decency.

Why the heck should I apologise to someone who appears uninvited at my door to preach their nonsense at me? I'm not rude to them but they're certainly not going to get a smile and an apology from me. They should be apologising to me for disturbing me.

SueC_2

I know a SAHM who says she realised the time had come for her to return to work the day she freely invited the Jehova's in for a chat just because she was desperate for some adult company.

Manchee

I don’t really have a religion, but I guess the closest for me would be Buddhism, so when they have come round in the past I just simply just say that I’m Buddhist. I can understand how comforting it is for people to believe in a higher power, a benevolent being with control over your life, so I wouldn’t ever rage at someone who simply wants to share that. I did have a girl come round a couple of times, but she was happy to leave after I said what I always say, and I think after the second time she remembered and I haven’t seen her since.

To be honest I am more bothered by the Christians in the town centre yelling quotes and reading from the bible. At least if it is a doorstep visitor they are happy to stop usually when they realise you aren’t interested. I would prefer not to spend my time in town being yelled at in the street that I will be going to hell. I’ve never really got that tbh, screaming about the threat of hell instead of the ‘reward’ of heaven, surely you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar?

balletshoes

Keen_Young_Learner wrote: »

I've got to say, one of my best and oldest friends is a JW, and she has been verbally and physically assaulted on numerous occasions while out on her witnessing rounds.

While I seriously don't agree with the practice of preaching door to door, it is a fundamental part of the JW's belief system and it is simply unimaginable for them to stop doing it.

For us on the receiving end, it is absolutely unacceptable to do anything less than smile and apologise, along with your 'it's not for me' statement. These people are human beings, and are just doing what they believe is right. Being polite and civil to them is simply a matter of human decency.

apologise for what? They knocked on my door, I didn't go to them? It also depends if they are happy to accept the "no thanks, its not for me" without then attempting to engage you in further conversation about religion. I'm not going to be inclined to smile and apologise for having a different view on things in that scenario.

Lagoon

Manchee wrote: »

I’ve never really got that tbh, screaming about the threat of hell instead of the ‘reward’ of heaven, surely you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar?

Ah yes, but it's about fear tactics. Christians are 'God-FEARING'. It isn't about the reward for doing what's 'good' - it's about the punishment for not following the rules, and is why those of us that aren't religious need 'saving'.

We're not just missing out on a reward - that would be fine - we're going to be actively punished.

I suppose what I find annoying is that I absolutely LOVE intellectual debate, and I don't get a lot of it. When the last JWs (two elderly ladies) turned up at my door, they gave me a list of 'world problems' and asked which, in my opinion, was worse. I told them, and they put forward an argument for another being worse. Had the conversation continued, I might have quite enjoyed it, but then it became 'and the problem is that God could fix ALL of these problems, if only people didn't reject him'.

Then there's the man that brings around his son, who looks about ten and incredibly sheepish. He clearly doesn't want to be dragged around to be used as a prop for his preaching father, but it works. I opened the door to them because I could see through the frosted glass that there was a young boy, and I was concerned for his welfare. Dad was conveniently out of view, until the door opened.

Fuzzy_Duck

I'd say no politely and shut the door. Bizarrely I have only had people encounter me in public though so there is no easy escape. I think I mentioned one in the last thread, where two men approached me in a park one evening and asked me to help them find their friend. I was feeling really uneasy about what was going on and then one of them announced their friend was Jesus. I told them truthfully I was catching a train and would have to go.

The worse occasion was on a bus. A man sat in front of me and starting trying to convert me to Christianity. When I said 'no thank you, I'm an atheist and I'm not interested' he started screaming at me that I was going to burn in the fires of hell.

I don't remember what I did- perhaps it was so mortifying I blocked it out! I expect I probably got off at the next stop and caught the next bus!

I think even though they're the ones coming to your door there's no reason to be rude, or pour water on them like some people admitted to doing in the last thread! Best to be polite or make up an excuse. If they're nice people they'll accept it and leave.

System

I feel sorry for them. They think they have to knock on doors to earn a place in heaven.

Even so. I just say 'Sorry i'm not interested' and i start closing the door before they can get a word in.

Once you give into some sort of conversation they will have you on the door all day.

Person_one

Manchee wrote: »

I don’t really have a religion, but I guess the closest for me would be Buddhism, so when they have come round in the past I just simply just say that I’m Buddhist. I can understand how comforting it is for people to believe in a higher power, a benevolent being with control over your life, so I wouldn’t ever rage at someone who simply wants to share that.

I just find it massively presumptuous and entitled.

If I knocked on your door clutching a box set of Star Trek DVDs and tried to turn you into a trekkie, you'd think I was a lunatic and you would be irritated at my intrusion into your life and home.

People are passionate about lots of things, but you have to let other people choose to come to you. I bet the numbers for doorstep conversions are really low anyway. Most JWs seem to either be born into it or convert if they want to marry one.

Person_one

Judi wrote: »

I feel sorry for them. They think they have to knock on doors to earn a place in heaven.

The chances still aren't good. JWs believe only 144,000 people will get into heaven, from the whole of human history. There are more than 7 million of them alive right now, competition is fierce!