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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To refuse to take the Watchtower and send Jehova's Witnesses away with parish magazine?

378 replies

Elasticwoman · 05/09/2007 22:34

They said: hey, you've got to take a Watchtower, it was a deal!

But I welshed on it.

Was I unreasonable, and what do other people do when the God Squad come to their door trying to sell God to them?

OP posts:
cornsilk · 05/09/2007 22:36

Why is it a deal?
Tell them you're a catholic. They'll leg it.

Original poster
Elasticwoman · 05/09/2007 22:38

It was a deal because I kind of implied I would take their Watchtower if they read our parish magazine.

They legged it soon enough without my being a Rock Cake.

OP posts:
cornsilk · 05/09/2007 22:39

So they read it did they?
What's a rock cake?

Tommy · 05/09/2007 22:41

I tried to have a sensible conversation with them once - it was ridiculous - they didn't know what to say - they only said what they been told to say and couldn't cope with me challenging them.
( I have a degree in Theology so sort of knew what I as talking about!)

EmsMum · 05/09/2007 22:42

My mum (who is a devout Christian) would tell them she was sure they were far too nice really to believe only [however many thousand it is] souls can go to heaven, and that she'd pray for them. And then firmly shut the door in their faces.

If I've got time I sometimes debate for amusement. I've had a guy round a couple of times, who has never said who he's actually with but who starts off on an "Intelligent Design" tack ... which is a red rag to this bull. Ends up with him retreating before I'm through!

cornsilk · 05/09/2007 22:44

I have no idea what they believe in. Is it very different from C of E and catholicism? I know they class themselves as 'christians'

LittleBella · 05/09/2007 22:44

LOL, I recently found out that one of my au-pairs came from a devoutly religious JW family.

She slept in what is now my room! The horror, the horror!

LittleBella · 05/09/2007 22:44

Oh and yes I think YABU tbh. You welshed! (apologies to offended welsh mumsnetters)

Alambil · 05/09/2007 23:39

did they take your Parish magazine?

If so - why didn't you just take the leaflet and recycle it - they don't have to know you didn't read it - they probably didn't read the PM

Cornsilk - there is a vast difference between JWs and Catholics / Protestants even tho we are all "christians"

I don't think you are being unreasonable per se, just not upholding your side of the bargain

I tell them I am a Christian already and will not convert - just as they wouldn't and then if it goes on much longer I just point out that a life-saving blood transfusion WOUL HAPPEN if any of my family needed it ... that stops them usually!

forsale · 05/09/2007 23:54

we had a selection of JWs on eh road the other day . DD was sitting in the car as I was about to take her to a dental appointment, I cameout of the house and found an old woman (JW) trying to convert my dd in the car.

I explained that i wasnt interested in her weekly bible class and that we are RC and got everything we needed from our Church - she then started banging on about something or other which i politely asked her to leave as I was late for an appointment. She'd left her mobility scooter at the end of my drive so i had to wait for her to move it - she asked me not to run her over - i said i'll try not to

WendyWeber · 05/09/2007 23:59

If you told them that you are a blood donor and on the organ donation register would they run away?

forsale · 06/09/2007 00:03

i'll be happy to test that next time they're round WW

EricL · 06/09/2007 00:07

Just ask them how many times they have predicted the second coming and how many excuses they have made when it (surprise, surprise!!) didn't happen...........

I hate people who come to your door and won't go away when you have made it perfectly clear you don't want to talk with them. It's a complete invasion of privacy.

there was areally enthusiastic girl selling art at my door the other day and she began to use my three year old DD to keep me there by showing her all the art and being cute to her and asking which one she liked best. It started off all polite but after i told her for the umpteenth time that i wasn't buying anything i just had to close the door on her.

My DD started crying cos she thought the nice lady was going to give her a picture. Not nice at all.

GibbonInARibbon · 06/09/2007 00:09

I just say I'm a Catholic (which I am) smile and take the mag...it goes into my recycling...no fuss, end of.

forsale · 06/09/2007 00:12

ive seen them making a note of the addresses which take literature gibbon - i wouldnt want them constantly knocking

GibbonInARibbon · 06/09/2007 00:27

ohhhh have taken it a few times...have just very firm and said " thank you very much but practising Catholic, but out of respect will take your mag"

but can se if they keep coming back it's a pain

krang · 06/09/2007 11:26

The sods didn't even bother knocking on my door the other day. Just let themselves in through the back gate and lleft a Watchtower with the headline 'HOW GOD CAN HELP WITH THE LOSS OF A CHILD' on the table in my back yard.

Niiiiice, very nice. Good thing I'm over my hellish PND now, and that I haven't experienced a recent bereavement. Otherwise I think I might have chased them down the round and shoved it down their throats.

And it pisses me off when they try and get to me by being all nice to my DS. Yes, he's a miracle. Of evolution, that is. Nothing to do with your bearded man in the sky. Now bugger off and learn some science.

TotalChaos · 06/09/2007 11:29

YABU. Why not just say No thanks, I'm not interested.

UnquietDad · 06/09/2007 11:33

DW takes it, and sometimes engages them in conversation.

They try to reel me in but I'm having none of it. I tell them politely I don't believe any of it. They look pitying. I get annoyed.

One of them tried to read bits of the Bible at me. I told her I had read the Bible and while it is very interesting and, in places, very beautifully-written, so is "Lord of the Rings" - which may not have sold as many copies, but has a better plot. And is more believable.

I find them patronising in the extreme. They come round telling you all this stuff as if it is some great truth that you will have heard nothing about. I am a reasonably well-read person with a university degree, FFS. I fgind my intelligence insulted by them. I do my utmost to be "polite but firm" but I don't blame people who tell them to bog off.

UnquietDad · 06/09/2007 11:36

The problem is that if you show them even the slightest bit of encouragement they will keep coming back.

And if they think you need to be saved they will stand outside your house and pray for you. Don't get me started on how patronising I find that.

LoveAngel · 06/09/2007 11:39

Say you're Jewish. it totally sends them running. I used to tell them I am a Rom,an catholic and they'd say 'We are all Christians' or some nonsense and try to ebngage in me in some sort of ecclesiastical (sp?) discussion which, frankly, I had no interest in. Now I say very sweetly 'I am Jewish. Thank you very much for the offer, but I do not want your magazine' and quickly close the door in their face. I'm guessing 'I'm a Muslim' may have the same effect.

LoveAngel · 06/09/2007 11:40

Whatever you do, don't say 'I'm an atheist'.

UnquietDad · 06/09/2007 11:45

I never use the A-word as such but they must guess from the things I say that I have no religious faith whatsoever.

What happens if you say you are an atheist?

Tortington · 06/09/2007 11:46

i like to learn what other people believe. i like to try to be as open minded as i can. i don't like to be rude. I always have nice conversations with Jehovas witnesses. I think the sad thing is that they don't return to continue the exchange once they find out i am RC and not for shopping around - they have no one to convert and move on. WHich i do actually think is a little rude

saltire · 06/09/2007 11:47

my cousin had some JW's round and they stood outside her door (in her front garden for about an hour aftwewards. They wouldn't move, so she called the police and said she was feeling threatened and intimidated by some stranger in her garden who wouldn't leave when she asked them to