To think that nobody EVER changed their religious beliefs thanks to a door-step caller?

[CrystalHaze]

Just exactly that, really.

Following today's 'have you heard the good news?' doorstep visit, I've been wondering what the conversion rate actually is, and I cannot think of any way in which it could be a successful strategy for drawing people to your religion, unless they were particularly vulnerable.

So, what I'm wondering is: has anyone ever answered the door to a total stranger, listened to what they have to say on spiritual matters, and subsequently seen the light?

Back in the days when I worked in an office I was rarely home during the day to encounter them and I suppose the rarity value made me think they were rather quaint.

Now I'm freelance and work from home, so the interruption really pisses me off. I've been thinking of sticking a 'no cold callers' sign up but I'm worried it would make me look like a curmudgeonly git (which I am. I just don't wish to decorate me house with evidence of that :D )

When I was growing up in rural Aberdeenshire in the 60s and 70s we, and I suppose every body else, used to get visited by a lovely Jehovah's Witness lady. She rode round the countryside on a bicycle in all weather.

I can't remember her name and I remember her as being old although she probably wasn't. My grandmother and mother liked her (GM was Episocopalian and my mother, taking after her own father was Catholic).

I think they just saw her as the opportunity to put the kettle on and natter. We lived on a farm 5 miles out of the village so a visitor during day was a welcome break.

She was kind and gentle and if I was there was always interested in talking about school and what I was doing. She didn't preach but just left a copy of The Watchtower when she left.

From my own experiences - we were taught to seek out the vulnerable, the grieving, the lonely, as they would be more susceptible to 'promptings' by god.

We did this by reading the announcement columns in local papers, so we could find people to preach to. We sought and got referrals from members who knew of people who were lonely or needy. We did these things on the explicit instructions of our church leaders, and we persuaded some to join.

Out of those I am responsible for 'persuading', there are none now who are still members and I am grateful for that, and guilty that I (unknowingly at the time) did that to them.

That's a very honest post, Tapir, thank you.

Sadly it does confirm some of my qualms about (some) religious organisations :(

I love the magazine with the bad line drawings of men walking with dinosaurs. I slways ask gor a magazine so I sm worried they think they've reeled me in.

I know one person who converted to be a JW. It's years since I've seen him but it became a big part of his life.

This was in a Northern town, they used to have trips out to the country in the summer to 'reach' people in remote areas.

Yes. My lovely, kind, sweet Grandma did when my Dad was 2 years old.

It ended up splitting the family apart, because my dad and his sister stopped at 15, it meant I never saw my grandfather, but he would see all my cousins down the road on at least a weekly basis because my Dads brother stuck with the Jehovah's.

Im pretty bitter about the whole thing if Im honest. I can't imagine how my lovely dad feels.

When I was small, a neighbour converted to JW after chatting to someone who knocked on the door. She didn't change her religion, as she was already a Christian, but she had been a Catholic previously, so it was still quite a change.

I know two people who converted to JW following doorstep visits. I suppose the conversion rate is fairly small overall though.

I know 2 families who became JWs. All the Mormons I know (we live near an LDS church) are doorstep converts.

I know someone who converted to being a JW because of a doorstep call.

Of course people convert, otherwise they wouldn't do it. But for the people at the top of the religion, it costs them nothing, either in time or money, with the added bonus that they'll get new followers . As for the those lower down, they believe they're doing God's work. For everyone who belongs to the religion, it's a win win situation.

I speak as someone who has a relative wo is a JW. The whole thing is a very clever setup (although infuriating for an outsider to watch). They zone in on vulnerable people (the elderly, the lonely for example) and offer them comfort and someone to talk to for a while and then they start to get pushier.

I find that a 'Please close the gates, children and great big soft fluffy labrador dogs in garden' on my gates means that I get the propaganda delivered to my mail box which is on the outside of the fence (60 feet from the house).

Conveniently the recycling bin is very close.

If I do happen to meet them I am polite (because I feel a bit sorry for them tbh). Can't be much fun for the children being dragged around either.

I find the knocking on my door very invasive, tbh. Not to mention highly irritating when I'm working or when it used to wake the baby up.

I guess they have quotas to keep up. A sunny Sunday morning brings out swarms of them round here.

I always just close the door. Wish they'd just fuck off though.

I once, very politely, asked a doorstep caller for any historical evidence outside of the Bible, any at all that a man named jesus existed.

She left muttering under her breath that there "must be surely, isn't there" o do wonder if that is the nearest anyone has come to a reverse doorstep conversion

I have my own religious beliefs, so it would never work on me. I honestly think it's quite insulting of them to think that they're right and I'm wrong.

Well my friend's mum was converted to JW by cold callers. He said she was probably a bit down and they were nice. She's still a JW 35yrs later though. None of the kids are though.

My sister was converted by cold callers. Not immediately but she took up the invite to their church, she converted then also brought up two children in that faith. One of her daughters is now bringing up her 3 children in that same faith.
So that's 5 souls from one visit.
Cheap at twice the price.

Wow, so a few conversions, then? I'm genuinely surprised.

Bathsheba, that's exactly why I too find it offensive: "I'm right, you're wrong, and I've taken the liberty of coming to your house and interrupting your day to tell you that."

I've given religious/spiritual matters a lot of thought over a lot of years, and have come to my own conclusions on such matters. But I have no intention of discussing these with presumptuous, uninvited strangers.

Love the reverse conversion. Wonder if there's many of those?

Sorry- sorry 6 souls- coffee not kicked in yet.
An even better deal for god.

I'm a Mormon. The missionaries do knock on doors but it's not a particularly effective use of time and they prefer not to. I do know quite a few people who joined the church after having their door knocked though, none of whom I would consider vulnerable.

My aunt was converted by door to door Mormons (she's disabled with the mental age of a 6 year old). They used to pick her up and take her to their Mormon things. Then when they realised she couldn't give them money or get to the places they wanted her to door step they dropped her.

She is a lot of hard work though with quite violent mood swings so that probably also helped them realise they weren't a good mix :-/

I guess if you genuinely believe you are offering someone something awesome you don't think you're being arrogant - you'd think you were being pretty cold if you just said "well, I'm going to be OK in heaven. Not my problem if everyone else is screwed".

I'm not a JW or Mormon but I've always thought their doorstep ministries make sense.

If I have time, I'll stop and chat. If I don't, I say so. It only bothers me if I've been in the bath but I don't really blame anyone for not following my bathing habits.

DH did and he was not vulnerable or lonely.