To wonder why Jehovahs Witnesses et al bother doorknocking?

[DollyPartonsBeard]

I've had the JWs at the door this morning. As always I politely told them I wouldn't be engaging with them as I'm well aware of their views on the lgbt+ community and we're a household of queer women.

But it left me wondering how successful their doorstep evangelism actually is; I'm pretty sure that in this day and age if an individual seeks religion or spirituality they can access information about this themselves (I feel the same way about double glazing sales). In fact the only person I know who got involved with the JWs was a very vulnerable young woman who had lost a baby. They told her they could 'save' her from God's punishment for her having a child out of wedlock which may have made me dislike their methods even more.

I'm all for freedom of religious expression, but I'm confused as to why they do this, when the conversion rate must be very low, and whether their time might be better spent doing good deeds instead of disrupting my quiet enjoyment of my home with their homophobic agenda?

I always thought it was something that they have to do i.e. Spread the word and that's the only way individuals can really do it .

They need to knock on the doors to find the old vulnerable people so they can fleece them. I used to work in a residential home and they came in to see the old ladies, who loved having visitors so listened to them and they just fleeced them for money. Hideous.

Oh good grief, I never realised they take money off people. That's bloody shameful.

Still I guess it would be worse if they started an aggressive Facebook campaign and harangued folks in the style of MLM bots. 'Have you ever thought about all the suffering in the world, hun? I'll pm u'

They leave me alone now. After the fourth or so door knocking, I think I am on a list of houses not to knock . I told them how rude they were last time, and explained I was an agnostic atheist. They had a bunch of tiny children with them to, who looked thoroughly miserable.

As always I politely told them I wouldn't be engaging with them as I'm well aware of their views on the lgbt+ community and we're a household of queer women.

That is engaging with them.

A firm "No thanks and please don't know again" along with a sign telling them not to, would probably make it less worthwhile.

As it is, you're probably seen as someone who will engage, given the right time/day/mood etc.

*Knock again

I can't say how I know but it's exactly to locate vulnerable people. Norman's rather than JW though. And to put not too fine a point on it they only need a couple of successes because they mainly make their own followers.

I know someone who has a lovely album of photos of them in white are all the community events they went to leading to their conversion. Were soon dropped though when they weren't as "usefull" as originally thought.

They are compelled by their religion to continue. Don't they all have to dedicate at least a year to door knocking? Lest they end up on hell or summat.

How they cannot see the absurdity of their pursuits is beyond me.

I have a good friend who was brought up in the JW community. They go out at certain times to target people who are alone and vulnerable. Their practices and beliefs are abhorrent, in particular the way that they deal with the sexual abuse of children.

I always open the door and say "I'm Catholic....so?" (I'm not anymore) and they practically run away.
I work part time for a church and have a lot of interest in different religions but I'm not keen on door to door proselytising.

So the thread bashing travellers has most comments deleted but this sweeping generalisation of a religious group is absolutely fine? Reported. I had neighbours who were JW and they were absolutely lovely people.

WorraLiberty OK, so I was stating the limit of my engagement and letting them know why.

Like Floralnomad said, it's something that their religion requires them to do.

I have a JW who was brought up as a JW and married a JW- although she is now not very strict (they celebrate Christmas/give birthday presents etc, as they want the DC to fit in) they still feel compelled to go through the motions of door knocking.

I think they're obliged to do so, however fruitful they note it is or isn't.

My friend left and was disowned by her family.
The first time she ever blew out a candle on her birthday cake was her fortieth. It was heartbreaking.

I have sometimes thought of suggesting to them that, as the vast majority of people hate cold callers, they'd be better off holding community events like fetes and jumble sales if they want to convert people.

The two JWs I know are both lovely people and also perfectly intelligent. I do think it's an example of cognitive dissonance, in that they must know in their heart of hearts that it's all nonsense, but it's so drilled into them that they can't give it up.

springysprung I'm not bashing them (despite then very publicly declaiming lgbt+ people), I was wanting to know what they get out of door knocking, because it seems an inefficient way of spreading their message.

I too have known individuals who were JW and decent pleasant people (and I also know plenty who were traumatised by their treatment by Elders).

A friend of mine left and was disowned by her family and their community. My mother raised her.

Absolutely mad.

I feel kind of bad for the Mormons, they're sort of pressured into travelling to spread the message in their late teens. They have a house over here that they all stay in and they're all Canadian or from the US.

One time I was in the town centre though and a few of them had chalked some religious crap across one of the really busy streets and gathered there to latch on to anyone walking up or down it. It was really off putting.

Nonibaloni

Norman's rather than JW though.

The last time the Normans knocked on my door was 1066. They need to be careful with those arrows. They'll take someone's eye out with them.

They do it because of (amongst other passages) this in the bible 'And every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.'

The army of Normans made me laugh! I'm imagining Wisdom, Fat Boy Slim, Collier, Stanley Fletcher, Tebbit (any others?) huddled in a group all knocking and ringing at the door til they get an answer!

I always just say No thanks , and shut the door , is really no hassle and they always just walk away with no problem . I remember years ago we used to get mormons as well , but they were mainly young men in suits .

I have never known them ask for money. Not even for the magazines they leave.

Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to do so many hours of what they call pioneer work every month. In the last 4 years or so they've ranged back door knocking and are now likely to turn up at fetes, train stations etc with boards full of Watchtower and Awake magazines. Every baptised JW is expected to take part in logging their hours.

Latter Day Saints (Mormons) are able to go on an average 2 year mission at 18 or so which includes door knocking although again this has been scaled back in recent times. Certainly LDS missions include callings to work on Mormon.org answering questions as opposed to greeting people on their doorstep.