How do you handle Religious people who come knocking on your door, or just generally pushy about saving you? (Harry Potter, prophet)
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Are there more down south or something? I lived in Iowa for 22 years and never once had anyone come knock on our door about religion or jesus. Been in Chicago for 10 years now, I don't think they'd be milling around here pounding on random doors.
I have seen two kids once or twice in my old neighborhood riding on bikes with white shirts and black pants on. I told my friend that looked weird and he said "oh, those are those jesus people come to your door". So I guess they exist to a degree. Sounds like a terrible job!
I just say "Thank you, but I am not interested." Then if they continue to try to get their proverbial foot in the door, I offer an apology or say something along the lines of "You have come to the wrong place, but good luck to you" and I close the door.
I don't really have an issue with this sort of thing. I do get more riled if they are really pests or really trying to shove it down my throat. And this happens, but it's not a big deal.
I live in small town Oklahoma at the moment, so you can see how this would not be an uncommon occurrence.
I'm a nonbeliever, and I do find some of these folks can get pushy or rude, but I try to be civil. I also don't understand people getting up in arms when someone says "God bless you" or "have a blessed day!" I may not believe in god, but that's still a nice sentiment and I don't feel as though someone's trying to forcibly convert me just because they offer such a greeting.
Yep had the son of a pastor in a local church come by with a friend and leave an invitation. Commended him on taking the time to do so.
Had another pastor and his children come by and we had a nice talk and exchanged phone numbers.
I suspect most rude people are the ones at home, as the ones going to other peoples homes do so out of concern/interest.
Yep had the son of a pastor in a local church come by with a friend and leave an invitation. Commended him on taking the time to do so.
Had another pastor and his children come by and we had a nice talk and exchanged phone numbers.
I suspect most rude people are the ones at home, as the ones going to other peoples homes do so out of concern/interest.
Yeah, I mean, it's not a big deal to me. I don't care for militant people whether they are religious or not or of some other stripe.
I have to say, I do think it is, at base, rude for people to hit you with this kind of thing..."Do you know Jesus?"..."What would happen to your soul if you died today?"..."is your family SAVED?"
To me, it's unmannerly to start talking about someone's soul or asking a bunch of questions. I've never knocked on a door and said "Hey--you don't believe in GOD do you? Pfft."
But I try to be nice. I think I exude something that lets people who would go door to door discussing another person's soul that with me they are barking up the wrong tree.
I still don't see why people get up in arms with little things like people saying "god bless you" or "In God We Trust" being on our currency. I do believe in separation of church and state, etc., etc. but I have more important things to do than worrying about minutiae of our dollars, if someone offers me a blessing or invites me to a church or has a Christmas tree up.
Whenever a person comes to your door holding their Bible in hand ask them when it was printed and in what language.
They will stutter on not having a quick answer so just tell them that it was printed COPY from a former Bible that was also printed from a former Bible which grammer is changed every 500 years. (ever hear of "Thee or Thou" being used today)
Go to any Bible store and see the number of Bibles on the shelves along with the many interpretations of the Bible along with the various Concordances of the Bible.
I was in the Inventory trade (23 yrs) and took Inventory of the stores stock and have seen it all.
I am always polite. Although I wish there were no such thing as door-to-door proselytizing, I can appreciate how much guts it must take to go up to a stranger who may slam the door, swear or otherwise act disgruntled.
If they ask me, "Have you heard the good news?" I just reply brightly, "I have." Because, well, I have, LOL. I mean let's be honest, what person in Western civilization who wasn't raised by mountain lions hasn't heard of Jesus? Since I don't say "I have, but..." and launch into anything, this really doesn't lead into any sort of conversation, so they usually just smile and offer me a pamphlet and I thank them with a smile. I mean these people all seem to be very nice. It doesn't hurt me to be nice back and I won't stop them from door-to-dooring so it is what it is.
There's this pair of young-ish ladies who come around every so often. Always the same two. They always ask me how my kids are doing. (They saw the bikes in the front yard the first time they came around.) Then one of them will ask me if it's all right if she reads me a "positive message." I say yes and she reads me a passage from the Bible and I thank her and wish her a good day, and then the two of them leave.
I've told my story before about the JWs who helped me put up Halloween decorations, LOL, so I won't repeat it but it's as I said...these people or groups have only ever been nice to me, so so far, this is how I treat things. Can't hurt to make someone smile.
ETA: Although I have gotten myself into trouble. My husband is of the attitude "Don't make eye contact! Just DON'T make eye contact! Don't make...oh snot, she made eye contact" but I get sucked in despite his best efforts to save me from the situation, LOL. It can result in some entertaining times, though. I was stopped by a too-bright-eyed young woman at a street fair a few months ago. She wanted to show me "a little film (they'd) made." The little film was like 7 minutes long, LOL. Oh my dawg. Meanwhile, her friends were drawing a picture of the sterotypical Western Medieval king-style Jesus, complete with sandy blonde long surfer hair and blue eyes, on the sidewalk in chalk (it was a chalk festival). I asked my kids as this woman was talking to me, "Who is that, guys?" pointing at the Jesus picture. They looked at the picture and then they looked at each other helplessly and I caught a "they don't know who JESUS is? These poor little boys are going to hell" look from the scandalized young Christian woman and well...okay, maybe my humor isn't like everybody else's but it was pretty darned funny. (Wish she'd drawn Super Mario, my kids know who HE is.)
I was going to play it out and let them guess ("Santa Claus? Donald Trump? The guy who never lets Mom pump her own gas at the AM/PM? Hitler?") but I put them all out of their collective misery by spilling the beans, and this distraction was my "out" to run (politely) away. It would have been killer if one of my kids had gone "THAT'S Jesus? I thought Jesus was supposed to be Middle Eastern" but alas, they just wanted to get on their way and get that Very Berry Refresher we'd promised them.
I never did get to see the Jesus movie all the way through, I wonder how it ends...Oh, wait, now I remember. (psst) You guys. It doesn't end well. DON'T watch that movie.
I let them know that when any person or religion tries telling me that there is only one way to spiritual development, and this way is THEIR WAY, and any other way is WRONG...I simply let them know that I am not a fan of cults.
I also let them know that it's none of their business which path I chose.
I am always polite. Although I wish there were no such thing as door-to-door proselytizing, I can appreciate how much guts it must take to go up to a stranger who may slam the door, swear or otherwise act disgruntled.
If they ask me, "Have you heard the good news?" I just reply brightly, "I have." Because, well, I have, LOL. I mean let's be honest, what person in Western civilization who wasn't raised by mountain lions hasn't heard of Jesus? Since I don't say "I have, but..." and launch into anything, this really doesn't lead into any sort of conversation, so they usually just smile and offer me a pamphlet and I thank them with a smile. I mean these people all seem to be very nice. It doesn't hurt me to be nice back and I won't stop them from door-to-dooring so it is what it is.
There's this pair of young-ish ladies who come around every so often. Always the same two. They always ask me how my kids are doing. (They saw the bikes in the front yard the first time they came around.) Then one of them will ask me if it's all right if she reads me a "positive message." I say yes and she reads me a passage from the Bible and I thank her and wish her a good day, and then the two of them leave.
You sound like a good guy. You're right, it never hurts to be nice.
Quote:
I've told my story before about the JWs who helped me put up Halloween decorations, LOL, so I won't repeat it but it's as I said...these people or groups have only ever been nice to me, so so far, this is how I treat things. Can't hurt to make someone smile.
Uh huh. You've told your story and have been corrected on one point: JWs would never help you put up Halloween decorations. That would have had to be Mormons.
Uh huh. You've told your story and have been corrected on one point: JWs would never help you put up Halloween decorations. That would have had to be Mormons.
Oh no, sorry.
Same sh--, different tie.
I guess I'm never getting into heaven now, am I?
p.s. I'm not a guy...I'm a smart alec-y girl.
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