missionaries

[Scarlett]

Has anyone had any experiences of missionaries coming to your house or stopping you in the street? What has been your opinion of them and what they have said? What did they say to you?? Did you ever feel threatened?

[Chessman]

Never been stopped in the street, but have had Jehova's witnesses and Mormans knock on the door, I have two methods, always polite, (1) I just say 'not interested thank you', (2), I quite often engage them in conversation, an throw points of the Bible at them, even had them on one occasion, say, ' we'll go and check that', they never came back. Their religion is an evangelican one, so unless they become forceful or overbearing, let them get on with it, but a 'no thank you', should suffice.

[hannahjo]

I�ve been stopped in the street quite a few times and have found that they can be quite pushy, usually I just say �I�m not really interested but thanks anyway� while I continue to walk on (if you stop they�ll get you!) one time I made the mistake of stopping and this young woman wouldn�t leave me alone! She was practically begging me to come to her church. When I tried the �I�m in a hurry� trick she asked for my phone number so she could call me later to talk about god! Needless to say at this point I walked away! I�ve also had people drop religious books off at my house, and another lady shout after me that she could see jesus in my eyes!� as you can probably tell im not religious, but I don�t have a problem with other people being religious � I just wish they would leave me out of it!

[woofgang]

have had visits to the door and accosted in street, usual conversation openers about worried about state of world etcetera. I just say no thank you and shut the door or walk on. never felt threatened but then very little threatens me! Can see how if you were the kind to worry or felt the need to continually be polite, even invite them into your home, then they could be threatening the same way that door to door salesmen can. I would never be rude because obviously their beliefs are genuine soo I always say no thank you and goodbye before closing the door!!

[andy hughes]

I never get accosted in the street because I don;t accept anything handed to me, and I don't respond to anyone who tries to stop me. If they stand in front of me, I glare at them (I'm a Scorpio!) - and they move pretty quickly.

I only got doorstepped once - I was on my way out of my flat to go to work, and as i opened the door, a JW said "I won't keep you long ...." "You got that right ...." I replied without breaking step, and carried on out of the building.

I never feel threatened, I accept that they feel they have something which they think I need, but they don't.

[qapmoc]

Well we had some Mormons came to the door and my wife said 'no thanks we already got one' she thought they said Morons, bloody cheek.

[Piper-AK]

I was stopped by a really sneaky tactic - this couple in their thirties had two kids with them, and they asked me what the name of the street we were standing on was. When I told them, they said 'What's in a name? What does the name 'God' conjur up in your mind?.....' I was well peeved, told them I was a practising Catholic (never go to mass!) and asked them why their kids weren't at school instead of walking the streets. JWs seem to knock round the houses in our area quite often, so I'm thinking of building a massive grotto to Our Lady in the garden, complete with waterfall, perma-lit candles, gospel music and looped screenings of masses celebrated in Rome on a fourty foot wide flat screen. What do you all think? Would the candles be a bit much?

[woofgang]

lol qapmoc and piper ak

I think the garden grotto would be very tasteful provided you used fresh flowers in the vases and didn't resort to plastic ones

[derekpara]

I once employed two Jehova's Witnesses but made it clear that they were not to solicit other staff or customers. They were two of the most reliable, diligent and trustworthy people you could hope to meet. They believed in a good day's work for a good day's pay. They also believed that only those who followed the JW's style of Christianity would survive Armageddon ( which was always imminent !) Despite their promises they would, very occasionaly, try to get me to join them - simply because they wanted me to survive ! These people are evangelists and act with the best of intentions. If you are not interested you should put them off in a polite way - as most of you seem to do.

[smurfchops]

We used to get lots of young people working for charities, trying to stop people in the High Street but everyone seems to have got wise to the fact that all they want is a direct debit from you. They are very friendly but beware - they only want your money -- don't stop and talk to them unless you are really bored - and don't give them your bank details !

[mullein3]

i tell them to clear off..they are hypocrites..i live next door to some jw they sell ciggarettes for a living yet preach at doors that its not allowed..the man is sometimes staggering round the garden with a can of beer at 08.00 in a morning so he has a problem!!they swear and behave in a disgusting manner with no thought or regard for anyone else..and because we wont entertain them coming round preaching their lies..they send the elder every so often to ask if we have changed our minds..as if...i dont mind them doing what ever they wish to do as long as they dont knock on doors and certainly not mine..if any one wishes to go to the kingdom hall they are quite capable of making their own way..they intrude on people sleeping from night shifts..they visit on xmas day..they are a perishing nuisance..and should keep their beliefs to them selves..and i wont even mention them denying children blood transfusions as it makes my blood boil..if any of you do a search under silent lambs . org you will have the shock of your lives when you see how many cases of child abuse their is within the jw ...they are allways right even when they are wrong...

[lovbooks]

For a good three months, every weekend Jehovah Witnesses come calling on my door. They have a new subscription to their magazine and want to take about being saved. But everytime I tell them that I am already a believer then want to question if I am really saved just because I am not part of their certain religion. A few times I have gotten mad but most of the time I just want them to understand that its not which religion you are a part of but what is your true faith. It should be about finding that personal relationship with whoever you think is up there and striving to make this world a better place.

[ADSH]

I've had the whole join the church thng at uni and such and have encountered it here in London as well. I'm polite, make awkward small talk and get on with whatever I'm doing. I thing I do find frustrating (and I do this myself) is that you feel you need to put up with their hassle simply because they feel they are somehow more "moral" than oneself. On reflection, they're not, they are just as bad as encyclopaedia salespeople. I'm not interested in encyclopeadias or their hypocritical moral highground. No thanks. I'm smart enough to have thought about religion and made my own choices. I don't need someone in a floppy hat and knitted sweater telling me what to think.

[bracknell]

any "missionaries" who come to my door are politely shown the sticker on my door that says "we do not encourage or buy from door to door salesmen identification may be required" They say we are not salesmen - but they are - they are salesmen for God!!! catches them out each time. Brilliant!!