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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if there is a "No God Botherers Please" sign I can put up in my porch?

180 replies

Fab123 · 16/04/2011 10:42

OK, here's the rant (please bear in mind I'm pg and getting big enough now that getting up and down stairs for no reason is enough to make me want to throw anything to hand at your head):

I live alone and have 1001 things to do before baby arrives in July. At the bottom of my road is a fairly large church (does Alpha Courses, not sure what that makes them but strong flavoured Christians I imagine). Now I know it is Easter coming up and everything but I have just had to open the door for no less than the 7th time IN ONE WEEK to a couple with a leaflet about Jesus.

I know this sounds petty but when you have an open can of paint that you need to suddenly cover and check cats can't get to, need to manoeuvre yourself from the comfortable position you have finally found on the sofa or come breathlessly running in through the house from the garden...it's driving me a bit balmy!

I've told he last 4 couples that I have had a constant stream of them since last week but it doesn't seem to be getting back to their HQ. How strong is this community they hark on about if they can't even tell each other which road they have canvassed? And are they wasting collection money on all of the flyers and leaflets I get given and thrust through my door that go the same way as all of the kebab house leaflets?

My Q is: Is there a sign out there that I can put up (similar to the No Sales Callers) that used to be popular?

OP posts:
SolarPanel · 16/04/2011 14:14

I am a Christian who like most others, doesn't go door-to-door. I'd be a bit taken aback if I was invited to someone's house and they had a "no god-botherers" sign in case they meant me! Those who go door-to-door are probably far more thick-skinned...

doley · 16/04/2011 14:20

They are called Jehovah's WITNESSES ~not Jehovah's .

They also refer to themselves as Christians .

Not my bag ,at all ~I have masses of them in the family and been badly let down by a few ...however, I think it is only fair to get their name right Wink

LadyOfTheManor · 16/04/2011 14:22

Yes I know their name but I haven't got all day to write it and I feared if I put JWs people might not know who I meant.

doley · 16/04/2011 14:28

Well good :)

Now you know they are also profess to be Christians right ?

And please also know that my DH has a twin brother ( a Witness) ~who has stated that he will never DONATE BLOOD to him - not ever !

Totally Of topic ..just had to say it Grin

LadyOfTheManor · 16/04/2011 14:31

Yes only they reject that Christ is God in flesh, they reject the trinity, they reject Hell. For Bible followers they are a bit misguided.

doley · 16/04/2011 14:34

@ladyOftheManner Grin

Yes -agree ....lol ...

supergreenuk · 16/04/2011 14:36

Leaflet people tend to be Jahovas witness people. They don't run alpha so probably not connected. Maybe offensive to us Christians but you can put what you like on your door we won't judge you LMAO.

GabbyLoggon · 16/04/2011 14:50

FAB just make a notice yourself. Put please dont knock or ring at the bottom of the notice.

I had a very persistent geezer 2 years ago. He started to get stroppy so I asked him to leave.

emptyshell · 16/04/2011 15:14

I've got one explaining it'll take me a while to get to the door (front door lock's borked and doesn't unlock so I have to go round the back, find where I've left my keys and unlock the side gate) which has something to the effect of "we will never sign up to or be interested in ANYTHING at the door - be it charity donations, religion, politics, double glazing quotes, surveys etc... please don't waste your time and ours"... surprisingly it tends to work.

MollyMurphy · 16/04/2011 15:21

I absolutly hate it when religious people come knocking - I think its quite rude to ask me about my feeling on God - NOYB. I especially hate it when they march the younger kids around so you can't even be pointed about it.

If they started coming by in droves I would consider a sign too.

MollyMurphy · 16/04/2011 15:26

Hammy02 "The term 'God Botherers' is far less offensive than having the arrogance to think it is acceptable to knock on a stranger's door to tell them what to believe".

^ totally agree.

Alouiseg · 16/04/2011 15:29

How bloody dare they (I've had Jehovah's witnesses round this morning) can you imagine the uproar if "the atheists" pitched up outside a church and told them quite how deluded they all were and how they should really see the whole picture before they pop their clogs.

ChippingInMistressSteamMop · 16/04/2011 15:31

If your new sign doesn't work, just answer the door in your underwear - especially as you are going to be heavily pregnant, that should shock them enough to leave you alone!

I had them call (JW's) this morning, they were actually really nice and I only needed to tell them once I wasn't interested, they didn't keep banging on like they normally do - quite refreshing! But I do hope they put a x (as in don't bother again) on their list so the next lot don't try! Otherwise I'll be answering the door to them in my underwear and that will scare the life out of them! Grin

SolarPanel · 16/04/2011 15:32

Actually I'd be pleased Alouiseg. Much better than apathy :o

"can you imagine the uproar if "the atheists" pitched up outside a church and told them quite how deluded they all were and how they should really see the whole picture before they pop their clogs."

ilovesprouts · 16/04/2011 15:37

oh the bloody god squads i have then all have a sign the dont take any notice ,if my kids answer the door they all ways says mummmmmmm its the gs wish, they would piss off they go on amd on ........

olderandwider · 16/04/2011 15:44

OP, you could paraphrase Jack Nicholson ("As Good As It Gets")

"Sell religion somewhere else. We're all stocked up."

Melly19MummyToBe · 16/04/2011 17:39

You could do one of two things

1 - Answer the door in bondage gear holding a whip. Or
2 - Tell them they just interrupted your mornings/afternoons gongyo and daimoku (thats buddhism, btw. My mums an SGI buddhist)

Original poster
Fab123 · 16/04/2011 17:51

I'm quite enthralled by the vision of me preggo in bondage Shock. I don't think I'd be able to get any such garb on without laughing manically which may scare them off in itself. And then there's the hall mirror I'd have to pass...

Now there's a question; Do they do bondage for pg? Eeep! Not something you'd tell the MW Grin

OP posts:
beanlet · 16/04/2011 17:56

YADNBU. However, I suspect disorganisation, rather than overzealousness - presumably the church has told its flock to go and tell their neighbours about the Alpha Course as a special drive just before Easter, and you just happen to have several church members as neighbours (lucky, lucky you).

God botherers is needlessly passive aggressive and makes you sound like a nob. No religious callers says exactly what you mean.

However, I suspect what you really must do is ring the church office on Monday (church offices tend to work normal working hours, not on Saturdays) and complain about the number of visits. No mainstream church, and especially not CofE actually like or seek to piss off their neighbours (JWs are NOT mainstream, and are an exception becayse they HAVE to proselytise).

My sense is that you will find, if you are assertive but polite on the phone, that the central church organisation will have no idea you have received so many visits, will be highly embarrassed and apologetic, and will ensure you don't get any more.

But they'll probably keep coming if you don't ring, despite your lovely new sign.

LDNmummy · 16/04/2011 18:51

"Yes only they reject that Christ is God in flesh, they reject the trinity, they reject Hell. For Bible followers they are a bit misguided."

Actually I studied with them, regularly visited a local Kingdom Hall and and socialised with many Jehovah's Witnesses when I was younger. I did not buy into everything they said nor am I fond of any religion now (I am agnostic) but I don't think everyhting they teach is misguided. There are a lot of things they teach that I would say make sense, though like every relgion I have encountered, they also say a lot of stuff that is nonsensical.

Christianity is a religion about interpretation of a religious text. Just because they interpret things differently does not make them misguided, it just means they have a different interpretation and opinion on how to be Christian.

LadyOfTheManor · 16/04/2011 19:01

Yes, I meet with 2 every week, for bible study (me teaching them). Rather interesting, I have pulled them several times on their translation. Whoever is in charge of their Greek translation is misguided.

LDNmummy · 16/04/2011 19:15

Whether YOU think it is misguided or not, it is their translation. I think you sound like a religion snob Lady. I studied with someone who was a member of the local congregation who was trained by their own elders. They have their reasons for interpreting things the way they do. Besides the Bible is skewed anyway by men of religious noteriety deciding what should and shouldn't go into it throughout history so language is the least of the issues surrounding interpretation of the Bible.

LadyOfTheManor · 16/04/2011 19:19

Based on Greek and Hebrew alone and nothing to do with doctrine, their interpretations are wrong.

Where did you study theology, just out of interest?

SolarPanel · 16/04/2011 19:21

Not throughout history, LDNmummy. It was decided at the Council of Nicea which of the manuscripts should be included in the Bible. Other writings can still be referred to though. Since then, the Bible has been carefully translated but not rewritten.

"men of religious noteriety deciding what should and shouldn't go into it throughout history"

LDNmummy · 16/04/2011 19:28

I hope you speak, read, write fluent Koine Greek and Biblical Hebrew then, and Aramaic BTW.