Jehovah's witnesses talking to my teenager.

[Tau]

This morning there was a knock not the door. My partner was out and I was scrubbing the loo in my dirty pyjamas. so my 15 year old answered the door.
The visitors were Jehovah's witnesses who immediately started asking my son questions about his opinion of the state of patience in modern society, and presented him with a watchtower booklet.

Now I kind of admire the determination of those people, but I think it is completely inappropriate to start blabbering about your religious convictions, uninvited, to a minor in his own home. They couldn't even know if he was home alone or not. So I dashed down the stairs, damp, dirty and smelling of disinfectant, told them to leave and shut the door. Yes, I was a tad rude.

Am I unreasonable? Should I accept that they come to our home and talk to my son? He probably would've been a lot harsher to them than I would ever have been, but that is not the issue. I feel those people were out of line.

[PumpkinPositive]

Did they actually come into your home? Sounds like they were still on the doorstep.

I had JHs trying to convert me on the doorstep (among other places). Don't think it occurred to my mother to feel violated on my behalf. Irritated, yes.

[HollyBerryBush]

I have this issue with JWs as well, I popped out, came back to find my 12yo reading the watchtower (the 17yo was somewhere else in the house).

Very disimpressed.

[SantaWearsGreen]

This happened to me, not at home but out in town with a friend. We were 14 and that was clear to see. They must have spoken to us for an hour each time, both times telling us how they were sad for us because if we didn't convert we would go to Hell and burn. Kept trying to force us to go to this get together they were all having etc. It would have been scary if we weren't mature and strong minded people. We could have very easily being taken in by it, they were very forceful and didn't want to take no for an answer..

Yanbu btw. It is very wrong. They should have asked for an adult and when one couldn't come to the door should have given a leaflet and left. I'm not entirely sure why they feel the need to go around pressurising people to join anyway.

[SantaWearsGreen]

*been taken in by it

[bradywasmyfavouritewiseman]

came back to find my 12yo reading the watchtower

Why so unimpressed?

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I dislike having my door knocked by randoms for anything at all,especially when they're trying to foist their religion me.

Saying that,when I was 15/16 I used to stay at home on my own during the school holidays. An elderly Jehovah witness and a teenage girl got into the habit of visiting me once a week. I used to nod,smile,accept Watchtower and close the door. My mother was always a bit when she spotted a new issue of watchtower in the recycling!

I don't think that at 15 your son is young enough to be swayed by two randoms at the door but by the same token you have every right to be annoyed.

[DoesntTurkeyNSproutSoupDragOn]

Perhaps you should teach your DS not to engage in conversation with strangers.

[BaronessBomburst]

Does he look 15 though? How would they know he is a minor? Just teach him to say no and to tell them to go away if he doesn't want to talk to them.

They are a bloody nuisance though. I am usually not so polite

[BaronessBomburst]

SantaWearsGreen JWs don't believe in hell and wouldn't have said that you were going to burn there. They're more of a live-forever-in-paradise kind of outfit.

[frillyflower]

We had this experience too. They spoke to my son one day when I was out and left him a book apparently.

Then they came back a lot - first for the book and then to talk to him. Annoyingly he was out on all these occasions and I politely rebuffed them.

The final straw was the day they came round, rang bell on our gate and I buzzed them in thinking it was DH. They walked straight in our house looking for DS. I got a bit upset and asked them to leave and told them DS didn't want to talk to them again. Result! They never came back.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

It's only for a finite number of pre-destined people isn't it? The live forever in paradise bit?

[HollyBerryBush]

Brady - it's not my brand of religion and I don't particularly believe in shoving religion down anyones throat, let alone that of an impressionable child I'll brainwash my own child thank you-

[Ruprekt]

LOL at JW's saying you would burn in hell SantaWearsGreen!!

What did they really say to you?

[StackOverflow]

I guess whether we view something as right or wrong is kind of beside the point in this case: If you genuinely believe that conversion is necessary for salvation, I can see how your desire to save others would override any other notions of appropriateness or the lack thereof.

This happened to me when I was a teen, BTW. Luckily for me, I was a snarky, sarcastic and very confrontational teen with very strong ideas of my own. My take on the situation was that people turning up on my doorstep were free game and I was welcome to try and convert them to Satanism (which I didn't believe in, of course). Mum was absolutely livid, though.

Suggest you call your local Kingdom Hall and complain. I've heard from several people that it has worked for them and that they've had no more visits.

[WhyIRayLiotta]

I remember years ago they came to my very rural home - I was there aged about 11 with my granny - she was a staunch catholic and would've been very rude to them so I tactfully led them back up the garden to their car - and they cornered me in our garden and I was terrified - but also ridiculously polite and answered their questions and accepted their book etc. it was only when my battle-axe granny came out calling for me that they left! I still remember how unsettling it was.

Since then I've met some quite lovely Jehovah's Wittness folk!

[BaronessBomburst]

Alisvolatpropiis No, that's the 144,000 that go to 'heaven'.

[Arthurfowlersallotment]

I hate it when people try and force their religion on others.
The JH are used to people hiding on them by now. I don't agree with most of what they preach so do not even give them a hello.

[Whatistodaysname]

This is the religion I least have time for, because of their habit of trying to foist their views on others, I used to have them come around once a month, first things in the morning on the weekend, it was SO annoying!

More so because as I understand it they are only suppose to try to convert you so many times.

If you knock on enough doors you will always find someone who is vunerable.

[DoesntTurkeyNSproutSoupDragOn]

I find a polite "no thank you, I'm not interested" works perfectly. If pressed on the matter I will explain that, having received an exchange blood transfusion at birth, I did not appreciate hearing one JW tell my mother she could repent the decision to save my life.

However, I see no reason to be rude to them.

[fatlazymummy]

If you are concerned then you should tell your son either to not answer the door while you're not there, or just to shut the door on them if he does answer the door to them.
There is absolutely no need to enter into any conversation at all with them [or door to door salesmen ]. I always just say 'not interested thankyou' and close the door on them. I have told my 15 year old to do the same [although I would be very surprised if he answered the door in the 1st place].

[GrrrArghZzzzYaayforall8nights]

A finite number will live in heaven, everyone else in a paradise on earth. Pretty much all the chosen have been picked already, but you will enjoy paradise more if you are comfortable with Him already.

My husband's grandmother is a JW (as was his grandfather). If they are bothering you or don't like them talking to him, tell them that if they come again you will report them to their Kingdom Hall, like Stack said. My DH (who I just send to he door now after one was quite rude, wanted to tell me abut my faith but only knew enough to be offensive) is able to give names of people he can talk to if they do it again so it's quite handy .

[Astelia]

It should be illegal to pester people in their own homes. Put a note through the letterbox if you must but ringing the doorbell and disturbing people is not on.

[ll31]

Don't really see why you're annoyed- your 15 yr old surely is capable of making up his own mind as to whether he engages with them or not.

[higgyjig]

Lol at people claiming they were told they'd go to hell.

Btw it's dangerous and cultish, have family in there. :) I deliberately say in there like I would for a prison.

[Jingleallthejay]

next time tell himt o say his parents are not at home and close the door , JW aim is to spread the word maybe your son should say n politley and close the door perhaps he looks older, the are JW not the childcatcher annoying yes but other than that not as if they are doing anything else than what their aim is