How to handle unsolicited religious callers?

[allthingsinmoderation]

I am working from home today ,well working from my bed due to a broken ankle.
I had a sleepless night due to discomfort and not in the best mood.
Just had 2 women knock (very persistently) at my door, so i struggled down stairs and was greeted by 2 smiling gurning stepford wives dine up to the nines asking me "How due you view the future"?
i was discombobulated from lack of sleep i think and almost entered into a discussion about world events but something about them was weird and i managed to blurt out that i was busy working, they were undeterred and went into a full religious speech. i stood my ground and and maintained that i didnt a have time to discuss,they wanted to make an appt to return and i felt pressured .
When i tried to evade,they pressed further.They werent rude or impolite just doggedly persistent and unnervingly odd looking.
After a while (felt like forever) they thrust some pamphlets into my hand and left.
AIBU to be annoyed by the intrusion?
Or should i be more tolerant?
How is it best to handle these people?

You have to say, ‘No Thank You,’ straight away and shut the door. No pause to allow for them to start their nonsense. Be polite but firm.

Obviously, I don't know their individual takes on it, but I think the fact that they are ordered to go out knocking on doors will mean that the vast majority do that out of duty (and fear if they don't) rather than a genuine desire to share their faith.

They expect to be told that people are not interested, thanks (probably mostly in much less polite terms); but each door they knock on is one more to tick off their duty list regardless.

Just like, if somebody is paid to stuff 10,000 pizza takeaway leaflets through doors throughout town, they personally couldn't care less whether you read it or bin it, as their only job has been done and so they will get paid (or credited as 'righteous', in the case of the JWs).

About ten years ago I answered the door to two young men (I assume Mormons but not sure) dressed in black suits whose opening gambit was, “Please could we come in to deliver a short presentation about the antichrist?”

This.
Otherwise they will keep coming back.

Oh and btw when people take the piss about no one wanting to open their doors or answer their phones, it’s because of this shit. If SPAM calls didn’t exist, people would be more inclined to pick up their phone and if religious and unsolicited chuggers and scammers didn’t knock on the door, people wouldn’t be reluctant to open them.

I take the pamphlet, say thanks and then shut the door.

Ours are much more polite.
Usually if I say I'm not interested they thank me for at least answering the door and leave me a leaflet.
This week one knocked on Friday (they Usually call Saturday) and the first thing she asked was are you working from home? When i said yes she said ok we won't trouble you further and left me the leaflet

I just say “sorry, I’m not interested” and then shut the door. It’s not that hard.

Ring doorbell and don't answer or just say you're busy. Polite but abrupt.

I would have laughed, said no and shut the door 🤣. I would have quite enjoyed that interaction.

I have this on my front door. The last line stops the JW's ringing the bell.

Well I can only talk for myself, but the reason I don't answer knocks at the door is nothing to do with spam and cold-callers, it's the simple fact that any visit for a meaningful purpose will be pre-arranged, and I'm far too lazy and disinterested to get up an answer unsolicited knocks. I simply could not care less who is at the door.

Check the leaflets to see which organisation they were from - drop them an email and say you’d like your address removed from their lists. And oh get a Ring doorbell 😂😂

I say that as a person with a strong faith (I don’t go knocking on doors though!). Ultimately while I’d love others to know the truth too, it’s not for me to push it on anyone else.

I don't answer the door to anyone I don't know or am not expecting. I live alone and random callers don't feature in my life at all. They are inevitably going to be the god squad or selling something. I don't want to be converted and there's nothing I want to buy, especially on the doorstep. On the extremely odd chance that it might be someone absolutely desperate to see me (can't imagine what) then they can put a note through the door. So that's that!

Have a sign on your door saying “Deliveries only”.

I usually say "thank you but I'm a very committed atheist". I try to be polite but if they're very persistent and try to turn that into a conversation I will after a couple of tries just say "I'm sorry it's not for me" and close the door.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do usually look smart and presentable (more than the average person) so I believe the OP. They come round a fair bit where I live too but they usually don’t object when I tell them I’m not interested. I prefer them to the people who come and tell me I need to get my windows done (sure, let me just pull 20k out of my arse).

I have but never as insistent or persistent as these 2.

Aye,i were..

The mistake people make is engaging in the first place. If you answer their questions initially they will think you would welcome a conversation. Simply say politely that you haven’t got time to talk and shut the door.

They'll think they're delivering the word of God and all those poor heathens from an eternity of damnation.

In my case I can tell them 'No thanks, I'm Jewish'. I mean, you can say that whether you're Jewish on not. My dad always used to say 'No thanks, we're Zoroastrians', which as a kid I thought was something he'd made up (in fact it's one of the oldest religions in the world)

I did say something along those lines whilst standing there on crutches with my leg in a cast ,but they were really persistent in continuing the dialogue and i felt i was being rude by not wanting to engage further.

Yes, we get the odd Jehovah’s Witness but always found that if you accept a copy of the Watchtower they go away. No need to actually read it.

I could but felt i would have been rude, its tricky to explain but the outer porch door was open and they had enetered the porch and the door to the house is an old Georgian door that takes a bit of effort to shut and im on crutches.
It was just awkward,