Dealing with door to door dogma dishers

[Sinister Dexter]

I was raised a Jehovah's Witness. They're just people - you don't need to be so rude about it. They're not "enemies" that need to be sized up or fucked with. I know people get annoyed being pestered but you can just say 'no thanks, I'm not interested' and go about your business. I've been door to door and 80% of the people say that. We would just say "ok thanks, have a nice day" and leave.

 

[mattypants]

I usually just say "Thank you but I'm not interested" - and close the door in their face.

End of conversation.

i prefer to say it in a language they wont understand. then i dont feel as bad xD

 

[RationalLunacy]

I was raised a Jehovah's Witness. They're just people - you don't need to be so rude about it. They're not "enemies" that need to be sized up or fucked with. I know people get annoyed being pestered but you can just say 'no thanks, I'm not interested' and go about your business. I've been door to door and 80% of the people say that. We would just say "ok thanks, have a nice day" and leave.

Well!! You must have gone to a different Theocratic Ministry School than I went to. I was always taught methods of overcoming objections. I was a real pest as a pioneer, let me tell you.

 

[Lawnmowerman]

Luckily, I've only had them show up once, while I lived in an apartment complex. I saw the van show up and disgorge about 10 or so of them, and they talked a bit and then divided up to canvass the buildings. I proceeded to put on AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and crank the sub up a bit to shake the walls as well.


Surprisingly, nobody came to my door

 

[Corny]

corny i thought this door-to-door preaching nonsense was outlawed in germany?
the scientologists are banned are they not?

No it is not .. they don't do anything illegal.

Scientology also is not illegal, but the government is watching them very closely and there are many people even in high positions who openly voice their opinion and say that they are an anti-democratic sect violating human rights. They are close to be regarded enemies of the state, but sadly no court ever had the balls to finally declare them as that.

 

[okstatecowboy]

When they come to my house, they always want to know where the Hispanics live in the neighborhood. That's it. Never want to leave anything or have conversations about religion. Just "where do the Hispanics live?"

You'd think after years of doing this, they'd have some clue... especially since most have Mexican flags hanging on their porches...

mikey

 

[Sinister Dexter]

Well!! You must have gone to a different Theocratic Ministry School than I went to. I was always taught methods of overcoming objections. I was a real pest as a pioneer, let me tell you.

That is true. I can only speak from personal experience. Though the ministry school did teach how to overcome 'conversation stoppers' I never really saw that stuff used in real life. We would respect when people said no. (Maybe my family was more lax than others). Didn't know you were a JW Rational, I'll have someone to commiserate with now (really is a messed up religion - I just don't think they should be treated like shit at the door).

 

[RationalLunacy]

That is true. I can only speak from personal experience. Though the ministry school did teach how to overcome 'conversation stoppers' I never really saw that stuff used in real life. We would respect when people said no. (Maybe my family was more lax than others). Didn't know you were a JW Rational, I'll have someone to commiserate with now (really is a messed up religion - I just don't think they should be treated like shit at the door).

There are lots of us who are gay. In case you've never seen it: www.gayxjw.org

Too bad we couldn't have pioneered together. It would have been fun knocking on other JUBbers' doors!

 

[willsboy84]

usually i keep it simple. tell 'em i'm not interested and leave it at that. this one time though...

they caught me on a REALLY bad day. one of the ladies knew that i worked with her son, and tried to use that to keep me talking. she was going on and on about what a positive impact the church had on her little boy. i was thisclose to telling her just how well i knew him seriously--if she knew half the shit that kid was up to....

like i said though, that would've been a really shitty thing to do.

 

[TickTockMan]

A few years ago when I worked nights I was getting ready for bed and heard the door. I went and answered it and told them I am an atheist, not interested. I closed the door before they responded and started to go to bed when they knocked again. I went back and the jackass started to go off on me for being an atheist and I am going to hell for it. I told him I didn’t believe in hell and I didn’t care that I had to go to bed for work closed the door as he stayed shouting and went to bed. My bedroom was in the back and usually I could not hear the door, but for about a half hour he banged on my door while yelling about me going to hell. If I didn’t find it so funny I would have called the cops.


In all fairness I don’t know what religion they subscribe too.

 

[TickTockMan]

woa dude, i would seriously think about punching his lights out.

Luckily I have an odd sense of humor, even more so when I have not had much sleep. At the time I worked nights and hardly ever slept so it was all good. I still find it funny that being an atheist can piss people off that much.

 

[Swellegant]

We've all been trained like Pavlov's dogs to believe that if there's a knock on the door, or if the phone rings, we absolutely HAVE to answer it... "what if it's important?" And then it always turns out to be a missionary from some crackpot religion or some kid with a clipboard gathering signatures for some idiot cause; or it's a telemarketer or a survey-taker or a recorded message telling you that you have an appointment to get a satellite dish installed.

The truth is, nothing that happens at your front door is ever important, and 98% of phone calls are the merest wastes of time. So I just don't answer... what am I, a lab rat? I don't have to jump into action every time a bell goes off.

If I don't see the car of someone I know in front of my house, I don't answer the door, and if I don't see a number I recognize on my caller ID, I don't answer the phone. If it's important, the caller will leave a message; if it's important to me, I'll return the call.

Nevertheless, there's absolutely no point in being rude to such people. OK, maybe their religion is dangerous and evil, and they are deluded and probably deeply unpleasant; but being rude to them won't change any of that, they'll just take it as an example of Satan's power in the world and redouble their efforts.

And telemarketers and kids with clipboards are just trying to get by...most of them are being paid some pitiful wage and operating under terrible working conditions, mostly because they couldn't get a job at McDonald's. Being rude to them just further demoralizes a person in an already demoralizing situation.

Sure it's fun to get these things off your chest, to think of creative and entertaining ways of getting back at them for disturbing you; but in the end result, you're only increasing the sum total of ugliness in the world.

 

[maxracer]

I love to watch the clueless expressions on their faces when I ask, "Why has it not occurred to you that what you are doing is arrogant and inconsiderate of other people?" I actually enjoy confronting them because they are so blinded by dogma they can't think for themselves.

 

[EwanSF]

I've been barred from going near them if they come to the door. Apparently the folks think I'll shower them with abuse.

 

[RationalLunacy]

A few years ago when I worked nights I was getting ready for bed and heard the door. I went and answered it and told them I am an atheist, not interested. I closed the door before they responded and started to go to bed when they knocked again. I went back and the jackass started to go off on me for being an atheist and I am going to hell for it. I told him I didn’t believe in hell and I didn’t care that I had to go to bed for work closed the door as he stayed shouting and went to bed. My bedroom was in the back and usually I could not hear the door, but for about a half hour he banged on my door while yelling about me going to hell. If I didn’t find it so funny I would have called the cops.


In all fairness I don’t know what religion they subscribe too.

Whoever he was, he wasn't JW, because they don't believe in Hell.