To be pissed off with these two women...

[teanntoastinbed]

I was out for an early dinner in a local restaurant with my toddler. We were sitting in the garden, when two women and their young children came In. As is normal there was a little bit of chit chat and interaction.

There was something slightly awkward and odd about them but I couldn't put my finger on it. One of the women was more 'friendly' than the other and was asking a lot of questions... I'm fairly sociable so ended up disclosing I was a single mother and worked full time. I then asked if they were sisters, but apparently they were friends who had met through church. The penny only dropped after one of them asked me if I had a faith and I said I was CofE and then she started to explain their religion to me and how their church didn't allow women to wear trousers and would I consider a change of faith. I was brutally honest and said I had very liberal views and would never contemplate a faith that didn't share my liberal views or persecuted people because of their sexuality or lifestyle choices.

One of the ladies then continued to talk about homosexuality being sinful and how only god can save you and it is only god who can allow you into heaven! Luckily the waitress came over with the bill and I said my awkward goodbye and left. However, now I've had time to think about it I am really pissed off with these two blatant Jehovah's Witnesses, who were basically only chatting to me to brainwash me jnto their way of thinking. I am in no way vulnerable or susceptible to people like this, but many are. I hate the fact that they only started talking to me because they obviously wanted to bring the conversation round to religion! I'm well aware my opinion sounds anything but liberal, and I'm all for a chat about religion but not one that is forced down my throat in a restaurant I'm paying money to eat in and with people speaking in derogatory terms about marginalised groups! Phew... rant over!

Not Jehovah’s Witnesses. Maybe a local evangelical Church. Quite a few semi independent ones around.

I think I'd have told them that I'm an atheist (true) and I think that people who believe in sky fairies are mad (not true).

I've had people come to the door a few times over the years, and when it becomes apparent that they're looking for new recruits, I just say "No thank you" and shut the door.

Evangelical Christians usually believe that they are trying to save people.

A bit like you would if you saw someone about to enter a building on fire.
They are brainwashed, christiianity is an evangelical religion, and spreading the "good news" is central to biblical teachings.

I agree they may not be JW, my other is Mormon, and my sister is a Baptist/Pentacostal Christian and both churches have missionaries/outreach workers.

Best not to overshare with strangers

Sounds like the church my old flat mate used to belong to- it was one of the evangelical ones with a really long name (something like the Church of the Flaming Cross on Top of the Holy Mountain beside a River of Tears). She used to text me passages about the rapture every time my boyfriend stayed over, I occasionally see her trying to convert people on the high street and avoid her!

I have PB next door. The women all look the same. Long hair, always wear chunky headbands or floppy bows( hair is covered as a sign of submission). Designer but bland clothing and they all wear patent loafers.

They may be Pentecostals

Bizarre question but did they have very long hair?

There are a family of Pentecostals that live on my road (I actually think it's 2 families living in the one house) and it sounds very similar. They are not allowed to wear trousers, wear make up or cut their hair. They also try and convert people constantly.

I used to hate getting caught by them on the school run

I once told the JWs I was a practising Catholic and they moved on* . But my local JWs are very easy going and just drop a leaflet in every so often.
They sent me hand written letters during lockdown. I was quite touched actually!

I wonder if OP encountered some extreme sect of Pentecostalists? Or Mormons perhaps.

• I'm really a 'lapsed' and a cowardly agnostic.

Personally I would have just asked ‘does this shit actually work?’.

Im not very tolerant of this, as like chuggers, they are taking advantage of vulnerable and mentally ill people. DHs cousin (not close) is in one of these churches and she spends all day, every day there, beyond work. Gives them a big chunk of her earnings. I can’t see they do any good.

Also if you tell them that you are Catholic they scarper too.

I'd have either ended the conversation or pretended I had my own religion using my little pony names, or something - hopefully that'd shut em up

Tbh I think it’s harder to get rid of these people if you have a faith than if you don’t.

I’m an atheist, so I have no problem in telling these people that I don’t believe in God and I’m not interested in whatever religion I’m pushing.

But people who have a faith feel that it would be denying God if they said the same and therefore as soon as they admit they have a faith they have something in common with the preacher, something for them to latch on to as it were.

Jewish women can't wear trousers, but they don't have missionaries. I've never known them to actively seek converts in my area, where there is a large community.

I had this happen to me on a bus and I felt really pissed off too. I was a young, single mother to a toddler. I had him at 19 but looked younger, so I guess I looked vulnerable in a sense. I was on the bus with my toddler and we were chatting and laughing and playing games - all the usual things you do with little children. A young woman across the aisle piped up to compliment me on how well behaved my son was and how lovely it was to see us having fun together. We chatted a little bit and she said "oh, I've got this leaflet to give you". I only glanced at it as she took it out and thought it was some kind of money off voucher for a day out, but when I looked at it it was a jehova's witness leaflet all about society is broken because of single mothers and how much their children struggle. What a rude thing to do.

Perhaps they were recent converts and still in the very evangelical stage. As a teenager, I was a born again Christian and, although I didn't strike up conversations with strangers, I did manage to bring most conversations back to Christianity - certainly in the early, very zealous phase. I'm sure people were bored rigid by me. I did genuinely want to save their souls though, not just push my opinions on them!

I was approached by 2 well dressed ladies and a little girl ,when out walking the dog! They have a house with a big extension, that they use for meetings .I politely said I am a COE ,but thanked them for asking(A ploy that always seems to surprise them somehow) But anyway had the dog with me ."No worries,bring her too!" Made my excuses and went home.

Ex JW, they definitely weren't because they mentioned going to heaven. They wouldn't have said that.

The particular religion is irrelevant...but it's upsetting because interactions like this make you feel like you've been duped. You thought they were just being friendly and wanted a chat but they had an ulterior motive. Like when an old school mate pops up on Facebook asking how you are but they actually want you to join their mlm scheme. It makes you feel a bit shit. Like everyone just wants something from you.

I have some close family that are JW, they definitely wear trousers and don’t push their religion on us - but do when they they go door knocking 🙄
I think Mormon, Pentecostal and other religions don’t allow women to wear trousers. I had an encounter with one years ago at work, she was a customer in my clothing store. Was looking for a wedding outfit and stated it must be a skirt or dress as her religion didn’t allow her to wear trousers. Then invited me to her church which I politely declined.

Ah man! Maybe the Westboro Baptists have landed in the UK!!! 😱🤣😱

www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/westboro-baptist-church

This happened to me in a supermarket. Took me completely by surprise. I think after covid they are trying different techniques to 'spread the word' as they missed out the door to door approach for a few years.

I was hounded by an evelangical group where I live after my son died.

When his funeral details were announced in the paper they decided I was condemning him to hell by having my beautiful boy cremated and they didn't hold back.

When they showed up on my doorstep the 3rd or 4th time I let slip he was an organ donor and it got worse. The things these people were saying under the pretence they are good people was unforgivable.

The police couldn't do much as it was different people every time, and the church just said the people were acting on their own will, not for the church.

It was fucking horrendous.

If there is a hell then it's safe to say these intolerant, homophobic, nasty bastards, who think they are above everyone due to their religion will be going there, and not us normal folk.

Many years ago my DH and I were on a train in the US and were approached by a man "selling" his religion. Oddly, what he was spouting was the same ideology that my DH had had a PSHE lesson about at school, under the heading of "brainwashing". My usually mild and polite DH told him to F* Off VERY loudly, in a very British accent and everyone on the carriage turned round. The chap got off at the next stop ...

That's horrible @CoreyTaylorsSoggyTshirt . Not very Christian either.

Sorry for the loss of your beautiful son. 💐

I used to have a supervisor in my first job, she was Plymouth Brethren and she could only talk to us about work. I was given a heads up by another member of staff as apparently people sometimes thought she was rude but as you say they do seem to keep themselves to themselves.

I do find the doorstep Jehovahs Witnesses pushy but I don't know if that is all of them. I sometimes get approached by nice young men in our local city, very polite usually American and they are Mormons, I always tell them I'm Catholic and when they start about why I should be a Mormon I always say "I respect your beliefs, why don't you respect mine?" I usually get a smile and we politely say our goodbyes.

Learn this - put your hand up, palm out in a "stop" signal. "I didn't come here to have this sort of discussion/talk about this, so please stop now and let me get on with my meal". Or something similar.
I saw it last week in a dentist surgery. A lady came in and started chatting to another who was already waiting quietly. The quiet lady admitted she was a very nervous patient. First lady said she was too and started to relate a dental horror story that had made her scared. The quiet patient did exactly what I describe above and said "I need to stop you there. This isn't a conversation I can have right now".

At work I was given a task to do with a woman who was new. She was blathering on about being a witness and it was at least an hour before I realised she hadn’t seen an accident.