Jehovah's Witnesses

[Dottie39]

They knocked on the door and tried to hand me their magazine. I politely declined, meanwhile my little boy and girl, both under six, have ran to door. JW turns to them and offers them the magazine. I sharply say "No, I have said no" and shut the door. Apparently he told my neighbour I was rude (Neighbour is also JW)
Was I rude? I was actually angry that after saying no he targeted my children, but my neighbour made me feel bad saying he was being friendly and kids wouldn't have understood the magazine anyway.

[Blanketdog]

I almost get the feeling that people enjoy the visits from the JW's so they can express some seemingly completely acceptable rudeness.

MIL is a JW she went out around the doors yesterday, met a man who rescues dogs and although he wasn't interested in received any religious guidance they had a very pleasant chat about his very lovely dogs. She says lots of old people especially want a chat - they are so lonely, more often than not MIL has a very normal chat at the doors with very little religious content.

If you don't enjoy them coming to your house - while you are telling them to fuck off, remember to tell them to mark you down as a "do not call" - that way everyone will be just a smidgeon more content.

[flumpybear]

It's called indoctrination of kids, all religions do it!

[eurochick]

I think JW are incredibly rude - coming on to my property and wasting my time to peddle their cult's claptrap. I used to live near a Kingdom Hall and we got them round all the bloody time, usually when we were trying to have a weekend lie in.

You were not rude, op. You had said no and they should have respected that bi would have been livid if they had then started on my children.

[Figaro2017]

My old mum used to invite them in. Good looking lads she used to say. They used to leave absolutely knackered after a filthy afternoon with her........having shifted the fridge, cooker and heavy furniture so as she could clean behind them!

[TDHManchester]

I cannot for the life of me understand this bile and hatred or is it fear of JW's. All they do is knock ,say hi and maybe leave a mag. I have sometimes spent some time chatting with them on the step and at no point did i feel intimidated by them. I'd go so far as to say that i would happily fling some of my neighbours out and replace them with JW's.

[ChrisPrattsFace]

I spoke to them once, they were here for about thirty minutes. Talked about various things, they weren't local to the area but had came for a holiday and still wanted to do service.
Very lovely old couple, a few days later I came home and there was flowers a card saying thank you for not slamming the door in their face, I was the first person to actually speak to them for three days!
I'm usually polite, say thanks but no thanks and enjoy your day.
I have also had the ones that don't leave - and I just go hide in a room without a front facing window

[Decaffstilltastesweird]

It kind of depends on your tone. If you just said it, it doesn't sound especially rude, no. If you got aggressive, scowled at him, or raised your voice, then maybe a little rude, but people like my parents would have been a lot ruder than you were to anyone religious coming to their door though. I don't mind Jehovah's Witnesses, as they've always been very nice so far, if they've spoken to me, but my parents really hated all organised religion. I would have thought the man would have probably been used to ruder tbh, so not sure why he spoke to your neighbour. And what about turning the other cheek, judge not etc? I'm Christian fwiw, so I'm not tryinng take the piss by saying that.

[thethoughtfox]

The fact that they feel entitled to come uninvited to people's homes is reason enough to be rude. Imagine if atheists started approaching people en mass to tell people they are wrong to believe in whatever religion they do.

[Decaffstilltastesweird]

Not the point of the thread, but ime fox, A LOT of atheists do exactly that ! It's a little irksome but meh.

[Decaffstilltastesweird]

They don't go knocking round doors though tbf!

[Nikephorus]

How dare they try and indoctrinate your children.
Seriously?! I never realised you could be indoctrinated by being handed a magazine - at that rate I must be a fully-paid up JW because I've carried one of their magazines to my recycling bin several times! A simple 'no' to your kids would have been enough, or even just letting them take it, closing the door & then taking it off them (when they realised it was crap).

[5foot5]

With regards to the door knocking (its called Ministry work) its essential for all JWs to log at least 10-12hrs per month
A lot of JWs detest doing it but do so because they have to, to comply with the rules.

DH says that he regularly sees JWs standing at the railway station holding leaflets. They don't seem to approach anybody or try to give out the leaflets but just seem to be there hoping someone will go up and ask for one.

We wondered if this was some sort of loophole which meant they had fulfilled their quota of "ministry work" without the embarrassment and hassle of actually going door to door.

[TheNaze73]

It's called indoctrination of kids, all religions do it!

Absolutely bang on the money

[caffeinestream]

They're rude by going round and knocking on people's doors all day long!

Let's be honest, if Muslims started doing this, huge swathes of the country would be up in arms and it would be all over the press, but for some reason JW's get away with it.

[Thekitten]

YANBU you'd already said no once, they pushed it.

I haven't had JWs for a long time. I once asked them to drop me round their book of children's stories (a friend said she had it as a child and it was full of "Lot's wife looked back, you wouldn't do that would you?" And I wanted to see it for myself) but they never returned. I wasn't even rude to them, we had a nice chat at the door!

Growing up we had them all the time. One time my dad opened the door and started speaking to them in French. Next time they came back with a French speaker so he talked to them in Greek! Another time my Dsis (at the age of 7) taught them all about evolution.

[Elphame]

I cannot for the life of me understand this bile and hatred or is it fear of JW's. All they do is knock ,say hi and maybe leave a mag

Not round here. My FiL, a life long devote CoE member was targeted by them after his wife died. They called constantly and even approached him in the local supermarket. By the time he told me what they were doing he was afraid to open his own front door. In the end we made a complaint to the police which did put a stop to it.

Around here they do not respect polite requests to add to the do not call list.

[MidniteScribbler]

There religion states they have to "spread the word"

I could claim that my religion requires me to run naked down the main street at midday singing Maybe This Time, but that doesn't mean I have any right to do it.

Religion should be a private matter, and not something that is peddled on the streets.

[Amd724]

I have JW in my family, and my dad was one with his father was alive.

I shut them down. If they had ever tried that with my child, they would have known how I felt. Absolutely not. We also get the Mormons coming, and I have friends who are Mormon. If I don't want to know about your religion, respect that and leave me alone.

[LilyMcClellan]

The second I used to see the magazine appear, I'd just say in a loud. cheery voice, "Oh no thank you, we're all committed heathens here."

About six months ago I put a sign by the gate saying "No hawkers, collectors or proselytizers, thank you" and I haven't seen one since.

[Talith]

I have a serious problem with the JW faith as a close friend of mine in their 40s now has no contact with many family members following their decision to leave the faith when they were a teenager. This is not an uncommon practice of shunning. There is an apocalyptic element to the faith in that they believe the earth is going to end, which as well as being just bonkers, seriously put the fear into this dude as a kid and teen and made him a fearful anxious adult. Even though he doesn't believe it rationally it affects his ability to make relationships (some hind brain part of him always suggesting that if after all if the world's going to end what's the point?) I'd say parts of the religion are cult like. As a child he had to go on these doorstepping missions with his parents and endure the other kids at his school taking the absolute piss. I don't think that's something allowed these days but it's done so much damage to him. I can only go on his experience of course but if you look on the net there's plenty in his position.

Also why the hell does everyone open the bloody door in the first place? It's your house! you control the drawbridge! If I see it's a chugger or a JW I just don't answer the door. I certainly don't hide. I might even wave through the glass and smile, but then potter off. They get the message.

[StrangeLookingParasite]

I cannot for the life of me understand this bile and hatred or is it fear of JW's. All they do is knock ,say hi and maybe leave a mag. I have sometimes spent some time chatting with them on the step and at no point did i feel intimidated by them. I'd go so far as to say that i would happily fling some of my neighbours out and replace them with JW's.

It is not fear, it is dislike. I don't care to have people selling religion at my door.

Thankfully, as we live in an apartment with interphone access requiring you buzz us and we let you in, this doesn't happen any more.

[ArchieStar]

I would be annoyed at anyone standing on my doorstep and trying to tell me about their cult/religion. I have my beliefs about things and that's that. Anyone tried giving DC information when I've already said no will feel my wrath.

[Icallbullshit3]

My husband is a nurse. He loves having a good debate with them and he was always polite but neither side was ever going to agree. They haven't visited for a long time. Probably realise we are lost causes lol.

Just tell them you aren't interested.

[user1476869312]

All religion is bullshit and anyone who knocks on my door to bother me about their imaginary friend will be told to fuck off. if they don't like it: tough shit, they should leave rational people alone.

[feelingblue123]

5foot5 I'm reliably informed that yhe 'trolley' work also counts as ministry work but its a bit like a promotion. You need to be an experienced/knowledgable/super JW to be promoted to the trolley. And you need to have done a good lot of door work first as the trolleys are put in prime locations.