To think Jehovah's Witnesses can become a bit of an annoyance

[UnbelievablyChocolatey]

There are two ladies that often come round our estate. There are many others that also come, but this particular couple are the ones who seem to call the most.
As I'm a SAHM I'm usually at home when they call. I would never be deliberately rude to them, but I'm getting a bit annoyed by them continually coming to my house. They know I've recently had a baby as the first time they came I was pregnant. They even turned up the day I went into labour and DH answered the door to them!

Last time I saw them they were hinting at coming inside to meet the baby. How on earth do I politely tell them I'm not interested? Some of the others who have been don't seem to take no for an answer!

Thank you for the info but I'm still not 100% sure why they attract so much derision when mainstream faiths don't. It's not like they believe we are all lizard people or something.

tolerance and kindness?
sure, but I shouldnt have to tolerate being pestered and preached at, knocking on peoples doors and trying to convert them?
wtf, it's just stupid.
I know you have to be a bit simple to be devoutly religious but surely you have to be even more simple to think that's a good idea

I've had them at mine twice first time I told them I was Catholic they asked if I had been brought up with that religion or just started it I told them I had been brought up with that religion they left a leaflet that went in the bin and then another lot came back a 2nd time told them the same thing and closed the door. Next time they come round they will get asked to explain to me where exactly did God put in the Bible that it's alright to stand back and watch someone die instead of giving them a life saving blood transfusion the day they can answer that question is the day I will join their fucking stupid brainwashing cult.

It's weird how JWs are such easy targets on here.

Those bloody muslims. Getting in my face with their face coverings. Somebody should tell them it's all made up rubbish! It's just so rude. It's so in my face.

I have a sign on my door painted by a lovely friend that says NO RELIGIOUS QUERIES ~ DOGS, CATS and SMALL DRAGONS WELCOME ANYTIME~ It seems to get the point across.

Barring that I send my big, loud husband to the door. Shirtless.

JW are 'an easy target' on here because they try and push their ridiculous religious beliefs on to others. I've no time to listen to people that believe children should die rather than having transplants, especially ones that want to come to my house and do it.

My favourite memory of my aunt is her losing it after being harassed by JW and shouting 'just fuck off'. I'm glad I live in a flat now and nobody lets them in the block so they can only post leaflets.

to go on a 'no call' list? Are people serious? People shouldn't have to make effort to avoid being harassed in their own homes! How many people are happy to have JW knocking on their door for a chat? Very few, so why do they do it?

Muslims and Jews don't go around bothering vulnerable people in their own homes. If they did that systematically, you would get people complaining about them on MN.

I'll happily tell any religious person who doorsteps me that its all man made irrationality. But its only LDS and JWs who ever take this approach. DH did have a civil but forthright chat with a very nice neighbour (evangelical but standard Trinitarian) who started putting religious magazines through the door - can't remember the details but iirc there was some piece of particularly ridiculous anti-scientific nonsense in it.

Used to get them a lot where I lived with my family. Could spot them a mile. Most often black women of a certain age, dressed very smartly in their 'Sunday Best'.

I always wondered shy they came round Christmas Day! I think perhaps they thoght "Right, it is Christmas Afternoon(they don't do Christmas). By now none of the family will be speaking to each other, let's get them!".

Just say no thank you and close the door.

They are having a massive recruitment campaign, aren't they? I see their little stalls everywhere in the street, and in other countries too. Why now?

I give them a big beaming smile, tell them I'm not religious and shut the door firmly before they get a chance to open their mouths. My DH is less polite

My friend's mum joined while she was a SAHM to her first child, her youngest is now 43 and she's still in it as is her youngest child and her kids and husband. My friend left when she was 16 and it caused loads of problems for the mum. The mum is a lovely woman, really lovely but she felt lonely and they gave her company and it kind of escalated from there.

I do think it is a cult though, some of the things my friend has told me are very worrying, and it is all just normalized to their kids. Listen to Deborah Frances-White talking about it, scary stuff (well in a funny way obviously with her being a comedian and all).

bloodybridget - I think the street stalls are just a change of tactic, rather than stepping up the recruitment drive. We haven't had anyone knock at the door since they started that, even though we are just round the corner from a Kingdom Hall.

The JW leadership seems to have realised (rather belatedly) that most people do not appreciate being hassled in their own homes, and they are not getting many converts that way, so they are trying to attract them with those poster stands and leaflets promising answers to life's problems and whatever.

I have never seen anyone taking a leaflet or talking to them, so I'm not sure the new tactic is working, but I suppose it means that members are still spending however many hours they are obliged to in proselytising.

They are a complete PITA. As soon as I see a pair that look like JWs on the doorstep I ask them whether they are, and tell them firmly that I'm not interested - before they can begin their spiel - and ask them please NOT to call again.
Dh will politely chat to them for a minute or two - makes me mad that he encourages them even to that extent.

Once at my folks' house when dds were little, a pair of them knocked at the door, but got no reply since we were all in the garden. They actually had the cheek to come round the side of the house and into the garden to find us! 'Oh, we heard the children, so we thought...'
To say my folks were hugely pissed off is putting it mildly.

To those who are offended by this thread:

Nothing is more annoying than having something rammed down your throat. This goes for:

1. Door to door sales/religion/charity
2. Preachers in a town centre (those shouty types, sometimes they use a mic which makes them impossible to ignore)
3. Chuggers trying to stop you when you are going about your business

It's really fucking intrusive and the fact that you are supposed to make the effort to be put on a 'do not call' list is backwards. After all, as a society we do not tell those with abusive partners to just not upset their abusers. That would be abhorrent.

So why is ramming a religion or a charity down someone's throat acceptable?

As long as people think it is and continue that practice I don't see why I need to be nice and polite. I'm happy to live and let live, but that should then apply to everyone. So if they cant offer me the respect of that very basic courtesy...

Jws don't have Organ donations- yes they do
They have to do a certain amount of door knocking- no they don't
They believe in hell no they dont

The real answers are in bold

Why don't you try speaking to an actual jw and asking them why they call round or instead of spouting crap that you've heard find out if it's true or not.

I just said" without wishing to be rude, I'm an atheist so don't believe in your, or any god so you're wasting your time with me."
Not seen them since.

Just put a note on your door saying no religious callers. They won't knock again.
It doesn't take a huge effort.

I have only got rid of them by being VERY rude, I consider it is against people's human rights to have these people coming onto your property and telling you their fairy tales.

I was once getting a difficult horse into a horsebox and they stood their wittering at me - I was extremely unpolite as you can imagine.

I once had some sort of CofE type with wife and kid in a pram come around - really weird. I told them to go away in no uncertain terms as well, I don't discriminate I loathe all religion - militant atheist. If people want religion - which is a total curse on the world - they can go to all those empty buildings where the cults operate from

Acat nothing is more annoying really? I can think of lots of things more annoying than someone talking to me about a charity or religion that they believe in. Why so aggressive? They aren't "ramming it down your throat" by preaching in a town centre! A JW lady visits me every now and again, we have a polite conversation I even read the leaflets sometimes. I'm never going to join them but doesn't mean I have to get rude and angry about it.

I remember this happening when I had my first child, someone said to me she thought it was the health visitor, but it was JW's. They went on and on although my son was crying away. I ended up having to just shut the door on them.
now I just say ' no thanks' and shut the door, its hard but they are used to it I think and they probably do get a lot of abuse.
These two are elderly ladies too - its madness.
I have heard too many stories about them and their odd ways to even entertain them - it seems very odd how they like to isolate themselves and their families ,yet send out old ladies to knock on doors.. ( as well as the whole blood doner thing too) I wonder if anyone does sign up on the door though? often wondered.