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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be wary of Jehova's witness doorsteppers

44 replies

mad4mainecoons · 22/02/2011 13:23

feel awful about this and would love to know WWYD?

just put our smallest DC down for morning sleep and was playing with our 4yr old when 2 ladies knocked at the door, i immidiately suspected jehovas witnesses as we dont get many cold callers here (we live out in the sticks). so i opened the door about a foot and held onto it.

they were polite, asked about my beliefs (C of E) were not dismissive, asked if they could leave me a leaflet which i accepted (and have read) spoke to my son and generally seemed nice.

the trouble was, in any normal situation i would have probably invited them in, but as soon as she said who they were, my adrenaline was up and there was no way i was letting them in. i have heard horror stories of these people staying for hours once they get in, being completely over the top and generally not very pleasent.

anyway, they left the leaflet, went away and i shut the door but i feel awful about it. i just judged them, without giving them a chance, so rude, so horrid.

so WWYD, let them in? or keep them on the doorstep?

was i BU?

OP posts:

LadyOfTheManor · 22/02/2011 14:55

Ha oldwoman...I didn't read the other posts, yes I invited them in to convert them. I got 2 church sessions out of them. Score!

LadyOfTheManor · 22/02/2011 14:56

I read on a website that once a man opened the door in a witches hat after playing "dress up" with his children.

They didn't call back, they literally ran down the road.

EarthMotherImNot · 22/02/2011 15:02

Dh's cousin lost her mother a few years ago, she had nursed her for many years and, not surprisingly, felt lost when her mum died.

She had a cold call, supposedly, from a JW who told her he "felt her pain" re her mother. We can only surmise he read the death notice as she didn't know him from Adam.

Anyway she asked him in because she was lonely and a year later their wedding is planned for this year and she is in the process of signing her house over to him after joining his branch of JW's.

We are, of course, concerned for her but she is a 50 year old woman who has never married or had children and sees him as an end to being lonely.

We wouldn't feel this level of concern if they hadn't met the way they did, ie cold calling.

RunAwayWife · 22/02/2011 15:12

Earthmother, I would be very wary of her signing her home over to anyone

RunAwayWife · 22/02/2011 15:14

I have a sign that says we do not bye anything on the doorstep, this includes religion!

LadyOfTheManor · 22/02/2011 15:24

Earth- Has she converted? They won't marry outside of their "own kind".

roadkillbunny · 22/02/2011 15:29

Many years ago when my dsd was at home receiving palliative care for cancer we had an incident. We had installed a video entrance system so my dsd could retain as much independence as possible, on this afternoon my dm was very rushed and flustered when the door bell rang, she pressed the intercom button, glanced at the screen and on seeing two figures on the doorstep told them to come on in, the very hesitant reply came 'but are you sure... we're Jehovas witnesses!' dm still not really thinking straight replied 'ohh sorry, I thought you were the Macmillan nurses here early to help with the transfusion.' (honestly, you couldn't make it up!), they left very quickly and must have passed the nurses on the drive, the JW stayed away from the house for a very long time but dm was still impressed that they didn't take advantage of her harrised and worried mistake.

Hammy02 · 22/02/2011 15:47

Roadkillbunny..That is fantastic. I can't stand JW's knocking on doors. Anyone that tries to convert other people's beliefs and thinks other people's views are wrong, is dispicable in my opinion.

EarthMotherImNot · 22/02/2011 15:48

She has converted yes. I have to add we knew nothing of all this until we all met up at a family do recently.

Dh has tried talking to her, trying to get her to not rush into anything but my feeling is that she was so lonely that she saw him as her salvation in a way.

He is very articulate and she isn't very street wise so she must have been putty in his hands.

She has never, to our knowledge anyway, shown any interest in any religion and has only been in church for weddings christenings etc

vj32 · 22/02/2011 16:23

I have never seen my Grandad so angry as when two JW tried to 'convert' me when I was about 13. I was on my own in a country park. I was alone for about 10mins - and these random men started talking to me about the meaning of life and 'had I ever considered why there was so much sadness in the world' etc. I just felt awkward and not really able to tell them to go away as they were adults and weren't doing anything bad...

Grandad came back to find this going on and had a massive shout at them and how horrible they were to try and take advantage of children etc... Probably funny to watch. At the time I think I was just pleased it made the strange men go away.

To counter that, I had some crazy Christians (sorry - phrase I picked up from a TV show - not used disrespectfully in my house, honest) - not sure of the denomination, knock on my door the other day and they were OK. I only had to tell them firmly that yes I had my own beliefs but was ill so not able to discuss them and they went away politely. So much better than the door to door salespeople who I have to slam the door on almost every week now.

vj32 · 22/02/2011 16:25

To a certain extent I have more respect for them than most cold callers as at least they believe in what they are doing.

No, I would never let them in my house though.

pastapestoforgotherpassword · 22/02/2011 16:35

I had sex with a JW once (not a cold caller I might add) he gave me a book of bible stories, twas very odd but quite enjoyable (possible tmi but it is true)

catwhiskers10 · 22/02/2011 16:38

I'd have (and have) done the same as you. I let them in once, or rather they let themselves in and I was too polite to stop them and they stayed for over an hour.
Beware though, if you are nice to them, they keep coming back.

BendyBob · 22/02/2011 16:46

I've got quite a useful sticker on the front door which politely says bog of please don't call. But in the light of pasta's post maybe I should take it off...

thunderbird69 · 22/02/2011 16:48

Some great stories here - I normally don't answer the door if I see them skulking around the street or if I do by mistake I just say 'not interested thanks' and shut the door. They never seem to call at a time when I would be interested in getting into a debate with them.

My Mum apparently got very angry with some that came to our house just after I was born (I'd had to have a blood transfusion).

Dawnybabe · 22/02/2011 16:48

My mum always used to ask them if animals went to heaven. They'd say 'no, because animals don't have souls'. To which my mum would reply 'well if my pets aren't going to be in your heaven then I'm not interested'. They didn't say much to that, probably thought mum was some mad old lady with cats.

EenieMeenieMineiMo · 22/02/2011 17:59

Just to let you know, that now you have taken a leaflet they will come round every month with another leaflet and want to come and and have a chat.

lionlilac · 22/02/2011 18:06

Don't you just hate it when they drag little children around with them. I have a camera over the door now and just ignore them!

Teenybitsad · 22/02/2011 18:21

I dont even listen to them I just say "No thank you" and shut the door. They're knocking on MY door to talk about THEIR religion! It's a cheek!

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