Jehovah’s witnesses at the door, what do you say?

[singsong]

I believe in god but not from same pov as Jehovah?s witnesses. I have no complaints about people choosing to follow this religion, I think it?s everyone?s right to make their own choices. Also I?ve nothing against Jehovah?s witnesses as people, we had some lovely family friends once who were Jehovah?s witnesses (although they have now moved away). But I?m not really very keen discussing these issues at the door with a complete stranger. Had a lady come round today (very nice polite lady) who was ?spreading the word? I did what I normally do in this situation which was be polite and have a short conversation with her about the issue in her magazine (avoiding talking about it from a religious pov but just life in general) and then said goodbye. My mum on the other hand is quite rude to them and tells them to go away quite abruptly. It?s really not in my nature to be rude but I?m worried that by engaging in conversation in this way I?m maybe misleading them into thinking I might convert and join them in their religion.
What do other people say?

a few years ago, i used to have a couple of jw ladies who would call round regularly - i'd invite them in and we'd have a bit of a chat. i'm an evangelical christian, so i figured that as long as they were talking to me, they weren't converting anyone else (no offence intended notapushyjw or anyone else)

we had some good conversations - made both them and me go away and check our facts on a few issues.

recently, my husband has had some visits from a couple of mormon guys. the first one left him quite confused, as he couldn't see any difference in our beliefs (when someone says they believe in God, Jesus etc, it's not immediately obvious if they're meaning different things from you when they say that...). the last couple of times they've called, i've answered the door (just happened that way) and been polite, but said that now is not a good time - on the grounds that i don't want him confused (he doesn't think as deeply as i do about stuff).

but to put the shoe on the other foot - i've also done door-to-door work, delivering leaflets about church activities, offering the jesus video etc. would never have been pushy if someone wasn't interested - a simple "no thankyou" worked on me!

notapushyjw - hope we haven't offended.

I'm interested.......are people rude in general?

notapushyjw Thank you for adding a JW pov to this, most helpful actually. That?s just it see, I personally have never met a rude or a pushy JW. They are always very nice and polite and I have no problem with that. I just worry about what I should say as I want to be polite back to them but honest as well. I don?t mind discussing the issues in the magazine (in fact they often contain issues I find very interesting) but I know that I certainly don?t want to convert to be a JW myself and don?t want to mislead them into thinking that I do.

notapushyjw, sadly the actions of the JW who told my mother she could repent have made me less than charitable to the JWs knocking on my door.

I'd still be more than happy to have them round for coffee as friends though If I knew them. Not if they were complete strangers... YKWIM!

I tend to say that I have my own views about God and they are private so I don't feel the need to disucss them with you thanks and goodbye

having a read through this, lol.
i hate having to admit it, but i was brough up a jw , left it at 14, as belived it to be big pile of CRAP.
the easiest way to get rid of them is to say (this bit just for you beachyhead) "i have been disfellowshiped". now if they are real jws then there will run away very fast. most of the time "im not intressted" seems to work aswell.

I was brought up as a JW too (misdee's sister) and I left when I was 14. When they knock I usually know most of them and they just chat to me about my mum and dad...

i was brough up in london, now live in gloucester, but still see people that know my mum and s/dad.
still find it very strange.

As a c of e priest, I am always polite with anyone who knows on the door (after all it is a church house!) but when JW or mormons call, I just normally answer the door in my collar- it usually says enough and we the have a short but polite conversation.

I think it's best to say 'We are not interested, thankyou. Please do not call again.' in my opinion it's a mistake to make too many refernces to your own fait/non-faith as it gives them info to come back with another time. I know this, as it happenned to me before I was ordained. The pair in particular pestered my Mum for about 5 years till she moved house- all because i told them i was a christian!

Not all JW's or mormons are pushy- just like not all christians are pushy, not all muslims are pushy etc....
faith is one of those things people get passionate about- sometimes a bit too passionate for those who are NOT passionate about it- they just need a gentle reminder that we don't all feel the same way!

I must admit, the last time they came I was quite rude. I just said 'Look, I don't come round to your house telling you to shop in Marks and Spencers' cos their food's good, so don't come to my house to tell me what you think is good' and promptly shut the door. I was quite worried for being so rude and expected a bolt of lightening to flash over the house with a big clap of thunder but surprisingly it never did.

But why do JWs 'run a mile' if you say you're a Satanist, or disfellowshipped etc? Surely in that case your conversion would be even more imporant?

I always say "I'm not interested thank you" and close the door

at my brother's they get the same response as carol singers
"As if!" (pronounced Assssss iiiiiffff!) and he shuts the door.

I always say something along the lines of;

"Can you please tell me where you stand on transubstantiation and why?"

If the deviate from the topic, or even answer it! I just politely say "I am sorry but that is not what I wanted to know, but thank you for your views" and close the door. As they normally have a child with them and I can not find any excuse, no matter what, to be rude to a parent in front of a child.

If they came without their children I think I may be a bit 'firmer'

if you have been disfellowshipped, it means that thet are not alowed to talk to you, or have any kind of contact unless your immediate family.
its all to do with not being influenced by the wrong doer.
as for being a Satanist, it just that they belive that Satan is the devil and that he with all he followers will be destroyed some day, and as they want to live forever, they dont want to be influenced by them and be classed as a follower.
dose that answer your question?

last messge from me was in answer to "prettycandles"

Interesting. I assumed that people who believe so strongly in proselytising that they would go to the extent of doorstepping would not have any boundaries beyond which they would not go to convert someone. In a sense it's quite horrible to me that a person who felt so strongly about saving someone would ever actually give up on them without even trying.

OTOH, it's none of my business - I don't believe in proselytising!

I usually try and be polite and just say I'm catholic (which I am but not practicing) and not interested and that usually gets rid of them. However, a couple of years ago (a few months after dd was born) I had 2 men and 1 woman jw knock at the door and after the usual spiel actually said something along the lines that dd would be condemned forever... sorry but if anybody be it jw or whatever tries to get to me by 'threatening' my kids... well lets put it this way... they were lucky dh wasn't home as he probably would have blown a gasket (sp?)

prettycandles

i can't speak for any jws, but i can say that if i was talking to someone (door-to-door or anywhere else) who said they were a satanist, i'd be a bit wary. not because i would think they needed saving less, or that anything i believed would be less relevant - just because it's not an area i know a lot about. i do believe that the devil is real and has power, and while i also believe that jesus has beaten him, that doesn't mean i want to put myself in the line of attack without being prepared...

round my way they used to send sweet little old ladies so i felt really guilty bout turning them away. now they send round women with babies!

oh yes, we had a very nice lady with a sweet little girl of around 5. I told her very nicely that I really wasn't interested and goodbye, but still felt like a sh*t afterwards. I'd forgotten about the blood transfusion stuff - my dd2 also wouldn't be here without one.

there's loads of things i'd like to say to them when they come rnd i.e. the transfusion thing, but i haven't got the bottle, is it true they don't celebrate xmas?

yep, christmas, birthdays, easter and anything that is remotley fun...........

damn wish i'd known that 2 months ago, could've saved myself a fortune

seriously tho, don't know how ne1 can watch some1 suffer especially a child just because they don't agree with the treatment. if nething was wrong with ne of my kids i'd do nething possible.