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?

I dislike anyone coming to my door but I'm only EVER rude to Chuggers ... you know the Charity Muggers who try to get you to sign up to DDs .. how dare they

sorry just had one of them .. 9.30pm .. what the heck??

I also don't like anybody pushing any kind of religion

But why be disappointed in her? She asked you a question and you answered it. You had some interest in the spirits and she could answer your questions from the Bible. No one can make you do something you dont want to do. It is possible to have a conversation without anything else happening.

My father only became a witness because he wanted to prove the JWs wrong and he found that he couldnt! He was a lapsed CofE and is a very intelligent man. My DH became a witness after being an atheist all his life. Neither were looking for religion but had questions they asked answered from the Bible.

sikhs, muslims etc do not evangalise or try to convert people .. you have to go to them

if you want to convert to judaism it is bloody difficult (the orthodox religion anyway)

I'm never rude but I'm not forceful enough when I answer the door. They tend to have me standing there for five minutes while I keep saying "no, I don't think so thanks" numerous times. Dh on the other hand doesn't let them say a word - he opens the door, they open their mouths and he says no thanks and shuts the door in their faces

"no thankyou" big smile and shut door repeating endlessly "no thankyou"

Well, I dunno. I'm all for freedom of religious expression - believe the world will be saved by Lord Lucan riding on Shergar's back to battle giant purple lizards for all I care, & if I'm in the mood I'll cheerfully debate it with you - just don't get upset if I don't take you, or your beliefs very seriously.

HOWEVER, I'm not about to buy ANYTHING from someone who just turns up on my doorstep!

Wouldn't the biblical imperative to 'make disciples of people' (if you choose to read it that way) be satisfied by taking out nice big ads in the press/on the internet/on billboards, saying 'if you want to know more about JWs (or whatever...), here's how to get in touch?'

Not having a go as such - personally I rather enjoy a good argument about religion, come round here any time! - but it does seem that being doorstepped causes embarrassment to plenty of people...

Thank you, Twiglett.

I was disapointed because I felt tricked. I thought she was going to discuss it with me there and then as I'd made it perfectly clear that I was not interested in bible studies or pursuing the religion.

AND, as it happens my brother left the faith (don't like calling it the truth as it's known within the JWs) because he too, is intelligent and he could not get an answer that made sense about the witch of endor(?) Don't ask me exactly what his query was but he was quite cut up about not finding his answer. He left the JW faith when he was 21 which was a shame as he was role model JW (not meant to sound patronising, but it suited him...)

No, really am going to bed now!

Oh & dh says to add that his branch of Buddhism frown on proselytising too, so it's not just me being a grumpy old bah humbugger!

But the JW probably didnt want to keep you for too long on the doorstep which is why she said she would call back.

Am dying to know about the witch of Endor!??? Have never come across that before. Any way you could find out what it was?

Dh used to work with a guy who was a JW. We were getting out of the car one day to go into the house and they spotted each other. His mate was knocking on the door of our neighbour ready to do his "thing". It was quite handy dh knowing him as when they got to our house they walked straight past!!! Don't think his friend wanted to bother . Think he got dragged into it by his family anyway and didn't really want to be there at all.

she wasn't on the doorstep! We were having coffee!

will ask brother. cat me and we'll do it offline.

Off the top of my head, Saul consulted her & she called up the 'ghost' of Samuel - which is contradictory/controversial as he had supposedly purged the land of such dubious occult goings-on?

I actually had a big problem with blood with my DD1 when she was born. I was brought up as a Jw and still believe the blood issue, I had to sign a form to say I wouldn't have blood if needed. When DD1 was born, at 31 weeks, we disussed with blood issue with the doctor and she said she would put a note on Dd1s notes to say no blood. When Dd1 was 3 weeks old, I went to see her in SCBU and couldn't find her, I found her in the High depentant unit, she had had a bad turn overnight, and had to be moved. I was bf her when the doctor came in and said "DD1 gave everyone a scare the previous evening, we found she was amnimea (sp??) we have given her a blood tranfusion!!!" now this was the same doctor we had dissussed it with when she was born. They only gave her 5ml of blood, but the point is that they went against our wishes, they didn't even phone us to tell us what was going on.

Each to their own religion Sparklymieow and I don't have a problem with any of them. When it comes to a life-saving decision like that for my children I would find it very very difficult.

it wasn't life saving though, she could have had iron. As Dh had said at the time, if they had phoned us and said she needed one, he would have given his permission like a shot, but they didn't ask us at all

[brushing teeth, getting ready for bed] dunno carrieG. will find out

I too am of the same opinion about blood ie. that there are many suitable alternatives, however, if these alternatives did not suit ds, then yes, I'd risk blood...

The fact is, SparklyMiaow, is that because your dd was underage, if you had said no to blood, they could have taken it to court and made her a ward of court anyway. It is outrageous though that they didnt let you know what was happening.

If you arent now a JW, can I ask why you refuse blood?

my dad used to invite them in and entice them into a game of monopoly - several days later he would let them out, never to be seen again. I just say 'I belong to a different faith, god bless' and close the door.

at the end of the day with mieows dd, they went against her wishes. the hospital was wrong in that instance.

its a thing that I can't explain, I think its because I was brought up as JW and some thing never go away IYKWIM

notapushyjw, in that case if it had gone to court mieows dd1 would've been better having iron, and not blood.

I know that NOTA I spoke to someone afterward and they said that while she was in SBCU, basically we had no say over her care!!!

i wont accept blood either, but i knowq dh would, after all he is waiting for a heart transpalnt assessment.

It does seem strange to have given her blood and not iron. Whatever she was being given, the parents should have been informed. The hosp were def in the wrong.

With kids under the age of 16, it often turns out that as the parents refuse blood, the kids are made wards of court and the parents have no say in the matter anyway and the children are given blood. In a lot of cases, blood isnt needed as blood expanders can be given.