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AIBU?

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Original poster

How to handle unsolicited religious callers?

180 replies

allthingsinmoderation · 18/04/2026 10:54

I am working from home today ,well working from my bed due to a broken ankle.
I had a sleepless night due to discomfort and not in the best mood.
Just had 2 women knock (very persistently) at my door, so i struggled down stairs and was greeted by 2 smiling gurning stepford wives dine up to the nines asking me "How due you view the future"?
i was discombobulated from lack of sleep i think and almost entered into a discussion about world events but something about them was weird and i managed to blurt out that i was busy working, they were undeterred and went into a full religious speech. i stood my ground and and maintained that i didnt a have time to discuss,they wanted to make an appt to return and i felt pressured .
When i tried to evade,they pressed further.They werent rude or impolite just doggedly persistent and unnervingly odd looking.
After a while (felt like forever) they thrust some pamphlets into my hand and left.
AIBU to be annoyed by the intrusion?
Or should i be more tolerant?
How is it best to handle these people?

OP posts:
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CarbootJunction · 21/04/2026 09:28

Two very handsome young Mormon men managed to persuade my completely atheist Grandmother to get on her knees and pray at her front door, many years ago. She was in her 50s, and mentally agile, but they were able to completely draw her in. It was only a chance visit by another family member which ended the bizarre doorstep worship.

cocog · 21/04/2026 09:25

I tell them I’m a devout Catholic (I’m not practicing but went to catholic school) and I’m not interested in other religions 😂 thank them for their time and shut the door.

GlomOfNit · 21/04/2026 09:20

These people are fairly extreme, religion-wise, and they are pushing their ideology onto strangers in an aggressive way. In that instance I'd have absolutely no qualms about telling them to fuck off and closing the door on them!

It is NOT 'kind' to intimidate people on their own doorsteps with lies and religious propaganda. It doesn't make it 'kind' merely because they themselves may believe that they're doing the right thing by trying to 'save' you. Would you feel as conflicted about being polite if it were a very far right (or far left!) political party who turned up out of the blue and essentially told you very bad things would happen to you unless you espoused their extremist beliefs?

No. Down with this sort of thing.

and grow some balls/a spine for heavensake. We are all conditioned to be polite and kind, regardless of how aggressive/offensive/batshit insane someone else is, and this is where it leaves you.

SD1978 · 20/04/2026 23:09

No thank you and close the door. The aren’t bailiffs, they’ll leave

MsDitsy · 20/04/2026 22:50

Get a Ring doorbell or call to them from an upstairs window, say sorry you are on the loo with the runs so can't come to the door.

muddyford · 20/04/2026 19:03

Just tell whichever group it is that you don't want visiting. Make them write it down. It's worked for me in two different houses plus neighbours.

Original poster
allthingsinmoderation · 20/04/2026 18:53

moomoo1967 · 20/04/2026 18:21

Not opening the door in the first place really, especially if you're ill

Show quote history

I didn't at first ,but they were persistent and had quite an aggressive knock .
I was also expecting a delivery (medication) and i thought perhaps it was that and it needed to be signed for so eventually hobbled to the door.
Think i need a ring door bell.....

OP posts:
EmeraldDreams73 · 20/04/2026 18:28

Mercifully rare here in darkest Devon but "No thanks, we're not religious" and a firmly shut door worked well.

My brother used to get a LOT. His solution was a deadpan glare and "I'm a Satanist". (He's not!) Worked a treat apparently but I'm far too much of a coward to try that one!

moomoo1967 · 20/04/2026 18:21

allthingsinmoderation · 18/04/2026 10:54

I am working from home today ,well working from my bed due to a broken ankle.
I had a sleepless night due to discomfort and not in the best mood.
Just had 2 women knock (very persistently) at my door, so i struggled down stairs and was greeted by 2 smiling gurning stepford wives dine up to the nines asking me "How due you view the future"?
i was discombobulated from lack of sleep i think and almost entered into a discussion about world events but something about them was weird and i managed to blurt out that i was busy working, they were undeterred and went into a full religious speech. i stood my ground and and maintained that i didnt a have time to discuss,they wanted to make an appt to return and i felt pressured .
When i tried to evade,they pressed further.They werent rude or impolite just doggedly persistent and unnervingly odd looking.
After a while (felt like forever) they thrust some pamphlets into my hand and left.
AIBU to be annoyed by the intrusion?
Or should i be more tolerant?
How is it best to handle these people?

Not opening the door in the first place really, especially if you're ill

heartsinvisiblefury · 20/04/2026 09:11

I brought my baby son to the door who had had a bone marrow transplant and told them if I embraced their religion he would be dead. It was when they started to tell me that there are other ways he could have been saved that they got told to fuck off and a door slammed in their faces.

Chersfrozenface · 20/04/2026 09:07

"No thank you, I am happy with my current deity."

Adding that to my list of retorts.

Comtesse · 20/04/2026 09:03

No thank you and shut the door. DH answered in his boxers once (because he thought it was a delivery) and they didn’t come back after that.

Original poster
allthingsinmoderation · 20/04/2026 08:59

Thanks for the replies, some made me laugh,some made me think.
Basically, its a me problem.In my defence i am bereaved and injured atm and felt annoyed at the intrusive nature of cold callers on matters of belief.
The callers were polite but very,very persistent and difficult to get rid of and in my weakened state i felt annoyed.
Bottom line is i need to be firmer in my boundaries without being rude as despite the fact they are intruding ,they probably have their reasons and their story.

OP posts:
MrsMoastyToasty · 19/04/2026 23:28

We never used to get bothered by them. Our NDN were Jehovah's Witnesses.

Bonbon249 · 19/04/2026 23:08

I got button holed by a couple of LDS guys on the street and gave them a fake name and phone number. My partner suggested I should have told them I was a Satanist, I said I didn't want them having a candlelit prayer vigil outside! 😁

Hellometime · 19/04/2026 22:37

Just shut the door. I was disturbed day after landing back from a long haul flight. I shut door clearly very annoyed, think I swore and never been bothered since.

Trying2310 · 19/04/2026 22:30

I always respond with 'I am a committed practicing Catholic, would like to discuss Catholicism with me?' They never do and leave pretty sharpish. They haven't been in a good while so assume I am on a no call list!

SpottyAlpaca · 19/04/2026 22:27

I used to be polite to religious nutters, chuggers etc but I realised that they take basic courtesy & good manners as weakness. So now I just shut the door in their faces without a word.

ForPearlViper · 19/04/2026 22:17

"No thank you, I am happy with my current deity."

Apologies if I missed someone saying this before
.
.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 19/04/2026 21:47

Say something like "Oh I thought you were the Health Worker about my chronic diarr-rrr-hea-aaa. Oh no there I go again"
And just shut the door

Morrisdancer24 · 19/04/2026 21:36

Fuck off and close the door would have been my response.

NorthFacingGardener · 19/04/2026 21:33

“Sorry, I can’t talk now”.

I have also used “sorry I’ve got to see to the baby” and it was very effective, the person apologised and hurried away. It was actually true that time but it was so good I sometimes use it even when the kids are out.

AhMh67 · 19/04/2026 21:25

No thanks bye and shut the door.

Farr85 · 19/04/2026 20:57

Open window at the top of the house and politely tell them im not interested and good day, close the window

Smoggy1 · 19/04/2026 20:46

If they're Jehovah's Witnesses, tell them you've been disfellowed. If they're Mormons, tell them you've been excommunicated. I've been friends with former members of both churches, and they've said this generally works.

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