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?

NomDePlumeReloaded - that really made me LoL! There are some pretty strict LDS folks who'll stop tv on a Sunday but that's about it! Most of the time you wouldn't especially know someone was LDS from looking at them (well there are some clues once you're 'in' you just sorta know!)

KeiraKnightleyActsWithHerTeeth - I do envy you for having lived there although if I'm honest I'm not sure I could stand it myself! Part of me would love to but there's another part of me that fears the idea greatly.

Oh and FWIW I don't think this thread should be pulled, I don't see an issue with it. Xxx

I can only begin to imagine how disheartening it must be to knock on doors with what you believe to be an important life-changing message and to be met with constant rudeness, door slamming and insults, at the very least.

I am not, and never will be, a JW but they constantly visit me although they know I will never be converted from my own faith. They are consistently polite, willing to answer what are often uncomfortable questions (I don't let them off lightly!!) to them and in fact when I was very ill an early 20's JW girl was the only person to offer me help. She left me her phone number and said either she or her parents would be happy to help me at any time with lifts, shopping etc. They were the ONLY people to bother.

There is much I disagree with about their beliefs.. in fact it would be a very long list.. but no one can fault their manners, their attitude or their genuine caring.

Please remember these are people who hurt as easily as you or the next person and make the effort to at least turn them away kindly.

Book of Mormon. That explains it all beautifully!

Annie It was a lovely place to live and I've made some life long friends. They've been very good to me and my family.
It was very Mormon, I did at feel very excluded most of the timebecause I didn't have family night on Mondays or go to every event in my ward.
I think it would be very rewarding to visit or live there for a short period of time if you are LDS. I would recommend SLC over Provo to anyone from the UK as the kind of segregation was very alien to even the LDS members (from the UK) I met who were studying at BYU or on their mission out there.

Keira - we have had a number of members relocate out there in recent years - mainly around Orem and Provo areas. That's what's terrifying, it would be easier in so many ways living there but harder too. Especially from those certain cliques that look down on you for any reason whatsoever that makes you different. I can only imagine how hard that must've been for you, and can only apologise on behalf of my fellow brothers and sisters that you were made to feel that way by us. Xxx

Annie you don't need to apologise at all, I see past the religion and realise it was tight cliques more than them being LDS.

They are often lovely people, so I'm quite happy to chat, attempt to broaden their horizons and offer to help them with electoral registration.

One of the reasons to send people out 'evangelising' is that it helps to reinforce their sense of identity in their own beliefs.