Jehovah's Witnesses

[nottodaysatanlucifer]

Interested to see what others have done in these situations or if they've even been in these situations.

6 months ago I had JW knock on my door. I answered not knowing who it was as I'm in an upstairs flat. Can't see who's at my door. I was polite, let them read their passages. Told them I was agnostic and have no faith that I believe in. I don't believe in God. They continue to return the next few weeks. Stupidly answer the door cos again, don't know who it is.

Started a job that meant I was out more. Came home to a note through the door with their number on to contact them. I ignored it.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. At home for an important gas inspection. Doorbell is broken so left a note addressed to the gas engineer with my contact number to let me know when he's downstairs. (Arranged through my estate agents so I had no contact details for him). Appointment was between 8 and 12. I'm not gonna stare about my window until he arrives.

He does the appointment, I rush off to the doctors appointment I had straight after. Then I get a phone call.

A woman answers asking if it's me. "Is this X? I see you have a gas appointment."

"Sorry who is this? I've had that appointment"

"Is this X? Your note says you're having a gas inspection. I'm one of the witnesses."

So I'm like fuck, witness to what? To a crime? Start freaking out (there was an incident that happened to me last year that involved police so I panicked that maybe someone had come forward to something).

"Yes this is X, witness to what?"

"I'm the JW"

At this point I was in a panic 😂 but annoyed she had looked at a note not addressed to her and taken my number. I make my excuses as I'm at the doctors and end the call.

Then she texts me. Asking to let her know when she can come back. Or she will come by when she's near. I ignore it.

Fast forward to today. Doorbell still broken. Someone's banging on the door downstairs loud enough for me to hear upstairs. I look out the window (while on the phone to someone) and can't see anything. Look again a few minutes later and there she is. Staring up at me shouting at the window.

"ARE YOU ON THE PHONE?"

"Yes... waves phone"

She walks off. She will be back. I know it.

WHY

I know I look like a might need saving from Hell but I made it clear what my views were.

I'm not good with confrontation. I'm always overly polite to people and kick myself for it after.

Why do they do this? I don't want to be a JW. I don't want a religion. She even brings a really old lady with her and it makes me feel terrible to want to say something to this poor old lady. I can't be rude to an old lady 😂

I'm not fixing my door bell ever. I'm annoyed she took my telephone number. (Not sure if IABU for that) and I'm annoyed that she bangs on the door downstairs. There are 3 flats here, not just me. Why disturb everyone else?

HAAAALP

It used to be saying I was Catholic had them bolt. No longer. Discovered this morning an NJ tube will freak them out, but that’s a bit of a drastic move

Ask them in and quiz them on the rates of child abuse and domestic violence in their faith communities.
Shuts them right up

Something like this happened to me (although less extreme).
My mistake was in listening politely and inadvetrantly giving the impression I might be convertable.
Eventually I politely but explicitly and firmly told them I wasn't interested. That did the trick.
Its much kinder to be clear at the beginning than to given them false hope.
In your case I would contact the Kingdom Hall about the phone number as well- thats overstepping a line and you'll want assurances that they've removed it from any records.

Oh my god there's knocking again 😂 I hope it's just next door banging about. #anxiety

Just go down there OP and tell them you arent interested in converting.

I used to be a JW, was one for the first 23 years of my life. Thank fuck I woke up and got out!

I can't believe that she took your number and called and texted you. I am so shocked at that. I swear they weren't that pushy when I was in the religion. Must be getting desperate to try tactics like that!

If you don't have any luck with the local kingdom hall I would write to the bethel in London which is like the head office of JW's in England. If you go onto their website you can find the address. I'd definitely complain about her and also ask to be put on the do not call list. It does work, I can vouch for that from when I was in the religion (If you can call it that, more a cult!)

@NewNameGuy what the heck is an NJ tube?!

Tell her you've had a blood transfusion ...

CF!

Answer the door with a great big plaster on the inside of your elbow. Say "sorry if I appear a bit wobbly, but I've just got back from blood donors" while pointing at the plaster.

Pitching up to the door covered in blood works extremely well.

(I'd sliced my hand open on a broken glass and thought it was sister coming to drive me to the walk in. It was not.)

Our local ones don't really do doorknocking anymore. Just stand in town next to a display and only talk to you if you approach them.
I would just phone one of the Kingdom Hall's - because she seems OTT and is actually creating a nuisance.
If she continues after that I would phone 101 and report it - as she is massively over stepping the mark.

Oh cripes, they're against blood transfusions too? I always thought that was Jewish. (I'm gonna look so stupid now 😂)

I'm heavily pregnant actually. I have placenta previa and been told I will hemorrhage if I go into labour and don't get medical help quick enough... should I ask them if its acceptable then to accept a blood transfusion? Or should I allow myself to die and leave my kids motherless.

The last pair who knocked on my door i said sorry i would love to talk to you but i have a coven meeting in about ten minutes never seen two JWs run up my path so fast and funnily enough they didnt come back

They took us off their list after one visit simply because I told them were regulars at our local C of E church. Now they walk past our house.

They were actually very pleasant.

There shouldn't be a bloody list 😂

Is every person in the area on this list? Unless they give them grief and tell them to piss off?

Is this list entitled "potential victims?"

There isn’t a list of people who want them to call. There may well be one of people who don’t want them.

The field service list is just a list they work on when they are out. So a “Mary, you do x street, Jim you do Y street” type list and has notes of addresses to be avoided (either because they’ve requested it, because they were abusive or because they are already JW’s) plus a note of anyone who has requested a visit, which does happen. Similar to the way the Mormons have ‘do not call’ lists for areas when they have new missionaries.

If you contact them they’ll put you on the do not call list.

Oh yes they are that bad.

I left the religion 6 years ago. My family disowned me, my own parents haven't spoken to me in years. I lost all my friends. didn't really have any friends outside of the religion because you are encouraged not to be friendly with 'worldly' people as non JWs are called.

My sin? I happened to fall in love with a non JW and moved in with him. He was a decent guy and really looked after me when we were together. But that wasn't enough for my parents. They would rather I was with a JW man even if they beat me. At least I would have been in the religion.

I messaged my best friend a few years ago on Facebook when i was feeling particularly upset and missing her. We had been best friends since we were little. I loved her like a sister but she had stopped speaking to me when I left the religion. I told her how much I missed her. She replied that she missed me too but that I knew what I had to do to speak to her again, I.e. return to the religion.

There's loads of other stuff that's awful. Blood transfusions- parents would let their children die rather than let them have a blood transfusion. Women are second class citizens- not allowed to do public talks and if they say a pray at a public meeting of JWs then they have to cover their head. Oh yeah and the only way to get a scriptural divorce is if there is adultery involved. So if your spouse is beating you black and blue then you are not allowed to divorce them.

Sorry for hijacking your thread! I've got a lot of anger towards them!

There isn’t a list of people who want them to call. There may well be one of people who don’t want them.

It's one or the other because, on more than one occasion, I've seen them looking at it before knocking on a door.

I had a bad run with a JW last weekend when I was doing a scientific divulgation event. She was kind at first, listened to me explaining how important it was that the local population knew what was being researched and how it impacted them... then she gave me a card, telling me to inform myself better at the JW website. Then she challenged a colleague on why we studied evolution, seeing as it was God who created everything. At least I live in a flat, so no door knocking!

They have different maps of the areas they cover with the door numbers of the streets on there. If you ask to be put down as a do not call then that is also noted on there.
There will be a rotation of how often they work particular streets. If they call on one street one week and have lots of houses with no one in (or people that haven't come to the door!), then they'll make a note of those and try them another time. That may be when they are looking for particular house numbers, when they are trying those ones that weren't in the first time.

Unless it's changed since I was in the religion. Can't imagine it has though.

Also to note that if you've been a do not call for many years every several years they will try your house again just in case you've moved house or changed your mind about them.

They knock on my door. It says Vicarage. I work a 6 day week so I'm usually wearing a clerical collar when I open the door. They still try and convert me.

Some of my colleagues who are better Greek/Hebrew scholars than I am will invite them in and go point by point through the JW translation of the Bible pointing out errors of translation.

As others have said get onto the do not call list.

If you can afford a doorbell that has the camera and speech facility you can get who’s at the door and tell them to go away, that way you won’t miss any wanted visitors

IME, telling them you are Catholic normally gets them giving up fast. I don't know why, but several people I know have done it and never had a follow up visit.
I don't think they have ever knocked on my door!