Third Jehovah Witness visit - it’s making me feel uncomfortable now.

[CaraVann]

Earlier in December there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was my friend who was due to visit me, I flung open the door to find 2 smartly dressed young men. I knew in an instant they were Jehovah Witnesses.
I know that I should have said from the get go I was not interested but the guy talking was so polite that I let him go on with his spiel.
I did feel a bit uneasy though as no one else was at home, all the neighbours were out and here are 2 men I don’t know trying to persuade me to join their religion. Also, the second guy gave me the creeps, he never said a word, never smiled, just stared at me. I felt quite intimidated.
The first guy asked for my name, which I also found unnerving, so I gave him a different name to my own. He said to take the leaflet and look on their website to find out all about JW and then I can be assured of a great future!!
I thanked him, smiled and said goodbye (second guy still unsmiling/staring, never muttered a word).
At least I won’t see them again - so I thought.
A week later, on my own again, the doorbell goes. I open it without checking thinking it’s the Christmas Amazon delivery I was expecting but no, it was the JW guys again. They are bloody relentless. Kept pushing and pushing, calling me by my ‘name’ which I found too personal seeing I don’t know them from Adam. Luckily, I had my coat on as was just about to take the dog out so made my excuses but said I was not interested.
But they are not fucking giving up.
Just had a knock on the door and my daughter opens it to find these guys standing there and again (the talking one) greeted me by my ‘name’ and starts on again about how they can help me and how the future is not bight for everyone, only those following their religion. Mute guy still staring and they were standing there in the pouring rain but wouldn’t give up. This time I had to be a bit firmer and said I was just going out, had no time and please don’t call again. A polite smile and ‘ok’ from the talker guy and same evil stare from mute guy.
I hope and pray they do not turn up again and I’m now only going to answer the door after I’ve looked out of the living room window ffs!
I know I should have been firmer from the beginning but it’s really unnerved me. They have my address and my name (or so they think).
Each to everyone with their choice of religion (personally agnostic) but knocking on strangers doors and harassing them is plain wrong.
I suffer from bad anxiety and this has just made me worse.

Telling them that you have and love a gay relative seems to get rid of them. My mum had two women who visited her regularly. She happened to mention that my brother and his husband were visiting that day. They asked how she could love a sinner, and after my mum pointed out that she loved them both very much, she never saw the JWs again!

My dad invited some in years ago and debated with them for hours. They tried to leave but he just carried on talking. It was decades ago and my mum has never been bothered again. Think the house must be blacklisted!

Put a ‘give blood’ sticker in the window

JW are alright they are just trying to save your soul. Once you are clear that you don't want this under any circumstances they'll move on. They have a lot of other houses to get through.

I had this once-the door went,I answered it and two Jw’s where stood there
i told them (honestly!) that I’d been brought up as one and had zero interest in re-joining
they gave me a watchtower booklet and I said I was amazed the watchtower was still going but,as I’d said before,I had no interest in re-joining
we wished each other a lovely day and off they went

never heard another thing from them

I’ve contacted them and asked to be placed on the no call list, hopefully that will do the trick.
Note to self is obviously to be more firm and consistent in the future or better still not answer the door (will obviously go for the latter!)

Grey rock! I had some before Christmas, I hate how they all step up onto the threshold like they expect to be invited in. I just said ‘Not interested’. The time before I told them they were disgraceful, peddling religion round the doorsteps like they were selling tea towels!

I tell them the truth, I follow (or at least try too) the Buddhist path.

all these silly suggestions! the correct line to use is "I'm a Catholic whore, currently enjoying congress out of wedlock with my black Jewish boyfriend who works at a military abortion clinic. So, hail Satan, and have a lovely afternoon" 😁

I kill these people with kindness
"we're not interested but thank you so much for coming" close door

tell them you are a blood donor. Then you are not possible to safe as you have given your soul away.

Or put one of those " give blood" stickers on your door.

My FIL by contrast used to invite them in make them a cuppa and tell them exactly why they were wrong. That also worked but is way more hassle 🤣

Exactly this. 'I don't get involved in any transactions over the doorstep' is my stock response, no matter who's calling.

That, or 'I'm not interested, thank you'.

The minute you engage, they've got you.

This religion is coercive to its ordinary followers. I’ve read some very interesting books by former members and was left feeling very sorry for their families. If you or your children cease to follow the line you can be “disfellowed and are shunned by everyone. Everyone is expected to go door knocking and they have to purchase that printed material to give prospective converts. Meetings consist of accounts of how many homes have been visited, booklets sold etc. Seems like a fairly joyless kind of life.
However, no matter how much sympathy I might have for individual JWs I don’t want them knocking at my door!

I refuse to take offered copies of the Watchtower and if forced on me tell them it’s going straight in the recycling bin. Just a polite no thanks does the trick. If I’m feeling nice I smile as well

If the callers look a bit Jehovah’s Witnessy, I just don’t answer the door.

I just smile and say thank you for calling but I have my own faith and keep smiling as I shut the door swiftly! The Mormons once found me heavily pregnant sweeping up leaves and offered to do it but I knew I had no conversion potential and it would have been mean to let those keen young men get their clothes all dusty.

I think once you let them in, you have a bit of a job getting rid of them. Family lore in my husband's family was that a Catholic priest asked to use the loo and he'd converted half of them before he left!

I wonder what the conversion rates for JW's cold calling is. Surely it's not worth their time and energy.

You don't need an excuse to not talk to strangers who show up uninvited to your house. Just say no thank you and close the door, even if they reply. Say it politely and with a smile and if they try to push then they are the rude ones, not you.

I emailed the local kingdom hall and told them that if they contacted me in any way again I would consider it to be harassment and would be taking legal action against them. I said I had no interest in their religion or indeed any and that continuing to make contact would be noted and dealt with as per the above.

You’ve been too nice and they’ve obviously smelled a possible in.
I’d be extremely blunt if they call again.
The only time here we had a visit I was in bed jet lagged after a flight and slammed door in their face without a word but they never came again.

oh no they used to come to my house all the time. Soon stopped when I told them I’d had multiple blood transfusions and wouldn’t be welcome .

One of my friends has just told me that when his brother was doing his theology degree, he had two JWs knock at his door.
He invited them in. Four hours, he kept them there. They never came back, apparently.

Had anyone ever had Mormons at their door? All American young men, suited and booted with teeth so shiny that they're picked up in outer space.
They make JWs look like beginners.

They do too. 😂