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'm sorry but if this thread was about Islam it would have been deleted by now. The fact that someone has commented "Absolutely mad" and this is acceptable worries me. Such double standards.

One of these pops up on any thread about these cults. Never had any muslims knock on my door, or attempt to convert me to a barmy worldview. It's the evangelicals who are a pain in the arse.

Fcking hell. I googled "flds" and fell down the rabbit hole. Ended up reading about the KingstonClan. Jeeez. Horrible bunch. Sorry for derail, aware they are not connected to JW.

Deborah Frances White (Australian comedian) has spoken brilliantly about her experience with the JW's.

Her piece on radio 4 last year (I think it was called 'Saving brother Ryan') was both funny and heartbreaking.

I once had two, immaculately suited and blindingly white toothed, young men help me get a pram up a flight of stairs. They were Mormons, apparently they are always on the look out for people to help as it's a big part of the religion.

But then there's the treatment of women, gay people, victims of CSE which suggests that they're not keen on helping everyone.

Nomdeplumereloaded - if you get the chance the old HBO series big love gives a good insight into fundamentalist LDS.

Thesecretmrsfairbrother - treatment of women and victims of case? Can you please elaborate? Xx

springysprung why on earth do you think this thread should be deleted? It is permited within the terms of this forum to debate and criticise religious beliefs and practices (including Islam, as it happens). No one is criticising or insulting anyone on a personal level. It sounds as if you're trying to censor people's views.
Anyway, as to the practice of knocking on doors, I suppose the idea is to get maybe one or two people interested, to the point where they may want to look into it a bit further. I don't suppose they expect anyone to instantly convert.

Nom The Warren Jeffs stuff is particularly troubling. I think a lot of the girls who were "married" to him are still trapped inside the compounds.
If you watch Sister Wives, they are also part of the FLDS.

Annie Yes there has to be a lot more, I think they disliked the prophet too and held on to every revelation as something to object to.

keira would you mind telling me what year it was? Just wondering which prophet and if there was more to it, I'm imagining it is relatively recent around Romney's election runs so that would be the current prophet, Thomas Monson. Strange that they could take offence to him.

It was 2008/09 that I lived there.

keira, yes. The WJ stuff is horrendous. The fact he was convicted and imprisoned but the church community still seems to revere him is shocking and . I wonder if his victims, the women and girls he attacked, were offered good quality counselling and some sort of survivor programme to work through. The stranglehold these organisations have over their followers is strong and frightening.

Can I just really stress there is a huuuge difference between the mainstream LDS church that you'll see in England with the elders at your door and the likes of Warren Jeffs groups.

To those saying this thread has been reported/should be deleted.

No. It shouldn't.

Here's why. JW will actively seek out new members and spread their beliefs by encroaching upon others personal property, without regard of others beliefs. They will stand on your doorstep and tell you at the end of the world, only those following Jehovah will be welcome into the kingdom. You will not. Less you take a leaflet, don skirts ect, ect..

I am an agnostic atheist, yet my Muslim friends will happily come to my house, drink tea (whist I may have a wine) and I have enjoyed many healthy religious debates, where I think we have both shared ideas. I have never had any of my friends try to convert me to Islam. And I have never told them their beliefs aren't in line with mine, and visa-versa. It is about having respect and tolerance.

Being presumptuous to knock on a persons door, with no regard to what the dynamics are happening behind that door, displays extremely poor social skills. I absolutely do not want to open my door and be told by a bunch of strangers I need to be saved.

Yes Annie huge, worlds apart. Sorry if it looked like I was bringing the LDS into disrepute. Sorry again for the hijack.

Yes, Annie. Sorry, I didn't mean to imply they were one and the same.

Keira - no need to be sorry. Its easy to differentiate when you know the difference, I'm just conscious a lot don't and muddle them all in one (LDS, FLDS, JW, Amish et al) xx

Yes agreed!
Are you LDS?

@Keira - you caught me! :) not that I was trying to hide it! Xx

Also. People are offering a balanced opinion - I certainly was before completely showing my ignorance.

People are actually engaging in the kind of debate that is always needed. Just because the subject is religion doesn't mean it's off limits.

I was saying that the people I know that got involved very much needed to be a way from alcohol and sex in particular. That's what lds (thank you) groups offered.

Currently I don't know anyone involved, I inform door knockers (JW) that I am not interested. I hardly call that outrageous.

Annie I thought you were very in the know! I have a lot of LDS friends. I used to go out to Utah skiing every winter for nearly a decade and studied at BYU, so I've come to learn a lot about the religion and it interests me greatly.

It's because they are told. They have to go and spread the word and have to go knocking on doors.

Just do what my mum did once when she was prepping food. She opened the door, holding a veg peeler and told them very politely that she was in the middle of sacrificing a goat to Satan and would they mind coming back later. Surprisingly they didn't come back for about a year.

Annie, I'm confused, I think. I didn't think LDS 'permitted' the use of the internet/tv and the like. Am I wrong?
Big LDS family on my street, females in very modest clothing, ankle skirts, long hair, big bows & headbands, the children also don't watch tv/access media. I know the family from my youngest's primary school days and live v close to their place of worship so see them in and out often. Is it a hard and fast rule or just something adhered to by stricter members of the community? Sorry to pick your brains

Jehovah expects them to spread the word apparently.

I'm not sure what Jehovah thought when the (adult) children of a neighbour decided to leave the Kingdom Hall and were disowned for it?

Hypocrisy much!

Ignore me. Talking out of my arse. The local family are Bretheren. Fuck knows where I got LDS from. Sorry

A lady with a young girl knocked on my door at Christmas. It was freezing, and we live in a little row of houses on a fairly fast (though thankfully not too busy) road with no pavement outside, miles from most places. I did feel sorry for the child. What a way to spend the school holidays.

I politely told her it wasn't for us and haven't seen them since. I have been known to hide behind the sofa at times though...!

I'm catholic. It repels them. It's quite insulting, actually, how quickly they leg it...

I was brought up a JW and my mother has been one for the past fifty two years. They found her when she was vulnerable and lonely and they have been a lifeline for her . Unfortunately her religion comes first before all else, including her children and her husband. It made my childhood a misery and all of us left as soon as we could. There was no fun allowed in our household, all joy and celebration was gone when she decided Christmas was over. Now she is elderly , it dominates her life to the exclusion of all else. My father has died and there is nothing else for her but her religion. She can't talk about anything else really. It's turned her into a monster. She has knocked on doors all her life and gets very excited when she has a Bible Study. It's ruined my life.