To be hiding from jehovers witnesses

[Iloveanimals]

Hiding in my own home crazy!
What do you think of religious people who come to your door? Do you answer it or ignore? If you answer what do you say?!?!?!

Homity, my experience is different. They have never tried to force their beliefs on me. I wouldn't describe their views as skewed, just their beliefs that I don't agree with.

But if they did come to my door and forced a discussion and force their views on me after politely telling them I'm not interested, then yes I would agree with you.

So far, I've politely declined and they've gone away.

You just need to open the door, be polite and say:

Please would you amend your lists ensuring that my house is not called at again.

Absolutely do not engage in religious/philosophical discussion of any kind. Just repeat the list request and say goodbye.

Honestly I think some atheists are much, much ruder than a lot of religious people.

Compare:
"Can we come in for a bit and talk to you about Jesus? No? Alright then, thanks, bye!"
with
"Tell them to eff off/their brand of "magical sky pixie worship" is dangerous/I hate them"

If you don't believe, you don't have to, but why be so cruel and negative towards those who do? Belittling their beliefs just because you don't share them says a lot more about you than it does about them, in my opinion.

I don't understand why you would chose to have a confrontation at your doorstep when you can quite easily avoid it in the future by requesting they put you on their do not knock list.

As soon as I open the door to any cold callers I just say 'no thank you, have a nice day' as soon as they start speaking and close the door. There is no need to be rude or get into a discussion.

I get very chirpy and pleasant American Mormons visiting me once in a while. I always politely tell them I'm an atheist at the beginning and that nothing will change that. I'll usually ask them a few questions about where they are from and how they are finding their time on mission in the North West of England and send them on their way by saying I have stuff to do and that it was nice to chat.

Takes all of about 2/3 mins and no God bothering involved.

I always says "I don't want want you're selling" then slam the door in their face.

I don't want what you're selling even

You dont have to hide. Tell them you are catholic. That should sort it, and ensure they wont be back for years.

They are just people - no need to be offensive to them really. It's a requirement of the religion that they have to do the spreading of the word thing, they genuinely believe they are saving your soul!

As a teen i once opened the door to JWs. I was too polite to say i wasnt interested so stood an listened to the spiel... About half way through i could feel the giggles coming on, so i called my younger brother to listen to them and went and laughed in the utility room. Then i came back and listened to the rest of it. They never came again - it was all very surreal!

My granny is a devout christian and always lets them in for a chat - she tells them they will never convert her but they can talk to her if they want. She quite enjoys the conversation.

As an athiest adult i would just say that im not interested, although i do find theological discussions interesting, so depending on my mood i might ask them in....

There's no need to hide, use them as assertiveness practice and just say "not interested and please do not call again".

I generally do that, if they push I am terse and will shut the door if they carry on being rude and not leaving. But that's only happened once.

I have very occasionally had a long chat with them and tried to point out how awful the whole blood donation thing is. Also religion in general being nonsense. But I'm not rude, it's a chat not a confrontation.

I can't fathom the extreme reactions either hiding or telling them to fuck off. I have no time for any religion but they're trying to give you a leaflet, not kidnap you for human sacrifice.

I'm pretty timid in real life, but a polite no thank you and a request for that they don't knock again isn't too difficult.

I usually invite them in for a cup of tea. I try to find out what evidence they have to back up their beliefs. I try to explain to them how evolution works, point out all the inaccuracies in the Bible, start a debate on superior secular morality etc. Usually quite enjoyable but they never seem to see the light.

I tell them gay people should be able to have sex without going to hell. I don't understand why they shouldn't. Some animals and birds are gay and I remember two penguins adopted an abandoned egg and raised it themselves, at a zoo. If God thought it was so wrong and corrupt animals and birds wouldn't be gay.That's only if I've accidentally opened the door because I thought it was someone else. Don't hide, you don't have to open the door.

Male penguins...

faithinthesound: "Honestly I think some atheists are much, much ruder than a lot of religious people."

Really? I'm an atheist and I always politely tell the JWs that I'm not interested. Anecdotally, reading threads on MN, it always seems to be the people from other religions who get most angry about the JWs.

Anyway, I get a lot of people calling at my door (I work from home). Mostly it's people trying to sell me windows, roofs or driveways and they irritate the hell out of me. More so than the JWs who usually just hand me a WatchTower and then go away.

mrsBeverleyGoldberg: JWs don't believe in hell.

Don't we all have a spyhole in the door and a chain on it?

@BattleaxeGalactica Get a no cold callers sign. We got one from eBay with a whole sub list of categories who aren't to knock (including religious groups) grin. If they do, point to it silently with a raised eyebrow and close the door.

I have one and it still doesn't stop a percentage of people [incl JW most recently] from trying to be oh-so-clever about finding a loophole in the wording -

"oh but we aren't selling anything.." - yes you are - religion
"I didn't see it" - what, right above the doorbell?
etc etc

It annoys me because I have gone to the bother of clearly stating my wishes, they still try to get round it and I am still expected to be polite when they are purposely wasting my time and disturbing me?

What do they have? Is it just resurrection?

For me it's not about the religious aspect with JW, I have (now disfellowed) JW family members and it was a horribly controling, isolating community for them to be part of. As I see it there's a lot of unpleasant cultish aspects and I don't see why that requires the milk of human kindness.
That said, I am of the polite 'thanks but no thanks' persuasion with door knockers, should really ask to be put on the do not call list, but always feels like too much of a time commitment to even ask!

My FIL has an old pamphlet that belonged to his grandfather explaining that the Jehovah Witnesses were started as a scam to stop the founder in USA paying Alimony. That normally goes down well. Personally I'm just polite and ask them to add our address to their not to call list. This normally gives us a couple of years before we are bothered again.

I'm with everyone going for the quiet refusal. They are inoffensive, polite and dedicated people. And to get round my village they must trudge miles.

MrsBeverley, they definitely do not believe in hell. The believe that the earth will be a new paradise and the just will inherit the earth. Wicked people simply die and that's the end of them. They will no enjoy the paradise.

I may be wrong but that's my current understanding.

Perpetual, the kindness is not towards their beliefs or religion but towards them as fellow human beings - a person knocking your door asking whether you want to have a chat.

I think it is rude to knock on people's door preaching shit. If you do this, you should expect a rude reaction in return.