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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think there should be a law against religious callers?

76 replies

HeffalumpTheFlump · 01/06/2013 18:59

The ones that come knocking at your door?? I'm unlucky that I seem to live in an area that is full of them.

This morning we had two christian ones come to the door (I'm actually christian, but really don't agree with this). When I opened the door one stepped forward and tried to force a leaflet into my hand. I refused to take it and very politely, calmly, but firmly explained that I do not appreciate them knocking on my door and I don't want them forcing their religious views on me. One then said that they don't force their religion on anyone. I told him that by coming to my home uninvited he was doing just that. I then politely asked them to leave.

I hate it! Surely there should be a law against this?? If someone wants to find religion it should be their choice and they should be allowed to seek it out rather than have these people shoving it down everyone's throats. AIBU? Does anyone appreciate them doing this??

OP posts:

Loulybelle · 01/06/2013 19:54

irony is, that even in a small village, 3 have 3 churches, go figure, hardly anyone comes pestering us. even they door, i never answer.

Loulybelle · 01/06/2013 19:54

3 = we

Bakingtins · 01/06/2013 19:55

Ban all cold callers, I wouldn't single out the religious ones.

BTW, our street was "done" one day this week by, I think, JWs, and they missed us out. Have we got ourselves on to a black list as beyond redemption??

Loulybelle · 01/06/2013 19:56

Yeah Baking, they wont cross that threshold out of fear that your house will turn into a silent hill type thing.

Original poster

HeffalumpTheFlump · 01/06/2013 19:57

Wannabe - yes, mr JW we want peace, so would you kindly fuck off?!

Bakingtins - oh to be on that blacklist...

OP posts:

Sommink · 01/06/2013 20:10

I got my friends house on the blacklist (she goes to church but hated answering the door) I told them I was an atheist and really wasn't interested, they asked if I was bothered about world peace and I said yes, and since many wars are religious based I was doing my bit by not supporting any of them. They just ignore her house now......

Loulybelle · 01/06/2013 20:16

Haha, Sommink, i love that argument...

Purpletots · 01/06/2013 20:18

A shit bit of Rayleigh that really mad me laugh.

IfNotNowThenWhen · 01/06/2013 20:18

Just say "sorry, I'm Jewish" and shut the door.
There is no chance that the religious botherers will also be Jewish, so they will let it go.

Original poster

HeffalumpTheFlump · 01/06/2013 20:21

Purpletots - its an apt description believe me

OP posts:

Purpletots · 01/06/2013 20:25

But you have a smyths!!

I'm in a shit bit of Rochford and sadly we get a lot of JW!! Bloody annoys me so much.

Original poster

HeffalumpTheFlump · 01/06/2013 20:28

I used to live in a shit bit of rochford!! Luckily we were on the first floor and had phone entry then. Here no such luck, ground floor, no secure entry = no getting away from the buggers.

OP posts:

greenbananas · 01/06/2013 22:01

We used to get the JWs round every week, and I was always polite to them but asked every time if I could go on their 'do not call' list as I was happy with the church I attended and really wasn't interested in joining theirs. They kept on coming until one day I just lost it with them - I answered the door yelling "You woke the baby, AGAIN!!" and they never came back after that.

LEMisdisappointed · 01/06/2013 22:09

Just take the leaflet and thank them, this is what i do - i say im sorry, i am too busy to talk but thankyou for the leaflet i will look at it later and then bin it I dont have a problem with it, they are not bad people and they are not trying to sell you anything.

WMittens · 01/06/2013 22:12

I don't want them forcing their religious views on me. One then said that they don't force their religion on anyone. I told him that by coming to my home uninvited he was doing just that. I then politely asked them to leave.

Did they leave when you asked them to? If so, they weren't forcing anything.

EleanorFarjeon · 01/06/2013 22:15

I live in the country and we get no cold callers. I'd quite like a religious one to be rude to debate with.

One of my sisters lives in a town and she gets all sorts - religious/people selling pegs and dusters/fishmongers - all sorts.

xTillyx · 01/06/2013 22:15

To be honest the religious door knockers annoy me more than sales people, even though they're annoying at least sales people are just trying to earn a living, not question something quite personal to you. I don't discriminate though,I'm equally rude to both. The Jahovas seem to have taken to strolling round my local park on saturday mornings and trying to hand out leaflets etc.

infamouspoo · 01/06/2013 22:15

I've never heard of satanists door knocking!

piratecat · 01/06/2013 22:18

we had our visit last week. dd and I flew onto the floor of the living room and stayed there for a few mins. What gets me is they knock, wait, knock, wait, and sometimes do it again!!
crafty.

just seemed easier than opening the door and i couldn't be arsed.

greenbananas · 01/06/2013 22:20

I can sympathise with the religious callers - they are trying to share something very important to them, some good news that they think everyone should share. However, I do think they should take no for an answer and not keep coming back when they are clearly not welcome. Being pushy defeats their own ends, because it puts people on the defensive and can even cause prejudice against all forms of religion.

TheBuskersDog · 01/06/2013 22:23

I had JWs this morning, asking the peace question as well. I only went to the door because my partner had gone out for a run and I thought it was him coming back.

The very smart woman eyed me in my PJs and dressing gown at 10.10 am and said something about it probably not being a good time for me to talk so would I like to take her leaflet, which I politely declined.

Original poster

HeffalumpTheFlump · 01/06/2013 22:23

Wmittens - he tried to say something else about offering me a better way of life but at that point I'd made it clear I wasn't interested in the politest way possible so I shut the door in his face. When I first opened the door he stepped right forward and tried to push the leaflet into my hand, personally I would class it as forcing his views upon me. You may feel differently, but that's how it felt to me.

OP posts:

BridgetBidet · 01/06/2013 22:24

I would be in favour of anything that stopped unsolicited calls, eg. change your gas, have our cable, vote for me, can we flog you stuff. But singling out the religious alone seems a bit unfair.

It's just as easy to tell them to sod off as it is to tell anybody else.

Original poster

HeffalumpTheFlump · 01/06/2013 22:29

xTillyx - I have to agree with that, it makes me cross that even if you tell them you are happy with your religious preferences they continue to try and show you the 'right' religion. That is insulting in my opinion.

OP posts:

LaLaGordon · 01/06/2013 22:29

One knocked on my door last Saturday who I thought was going to be a Witness, but he just wanted to tell me to watch 'Breaking Bad'!

Apparently he thought it was so good that he had been going round knocking on strangers doors for a long time telling them they should watch it. He felt that if anyone did watch it, they would enjoy it so much that they wouldn't mind being disturbed in retrospect. He even had printed leaflets with a picture of Jesse on them!

I told him I'd seen it and so he left straight away.

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