How do you handle Religious people who come knocking on your door, or just generally pushy about saving you? (souls, beliefs)

[Norne]

Originally Posted by _redbird_

Yes, that's it. My god, they've become horrible! I googled Jack Chick tract covers and !

Geez, scare tactics. Trust me, you won't see me going door to door trying to recruit for the Happy Hunting Grounds! Sorry, invitation only!

That is how it should be. If a certain faith really speaks to your heart, you will find a way to it sooner or later. If it doesn't, then even if you do convert under someone's pressure, your religion will be a thorough fake and will only cause you extra pain.

[Steve Bagu]

Being here in Baja Mexico the JW would come around twice every week on certain days (different groups).

Saw a article in Spanish of a JW elder in SD that had been charged with child molestation. I made a few photo copies of the article and when I saw the women coming up the street I went out and gave them a few to read......strange! never saw them again. Still have a newer group parking their cars around the corner and walking out front but they stay clear of my house ( I must be RED flagged)

[PanTerra]

For the life of me, I just can't seem to get to the door in time. They must be an impatient lot, if it was them that rang my doorbell.

[Griffis]

Chick tracts are still around?!?!? That's awesome! I used to have a big stack of those and got a real kick out of them. I remember years back you used to find them often in phone booths and such. I thought they died away in the 80s...

[_redbird_]

What was really fun was back in the early 1960s, the Hare Krishna's would hang out at the downtown Los Angeles Greyhound bus depot. Talk about scary! I was just a kid then and was scared to death of them.

They would not take no for an answer. Finally, an adult came and shooed them away from me. Fortunately, they hung out on Hollywood Blvd. and did not go door to door.

[Vizio]

Originally Posted by TRANSPONDER

Yep. I'm with redbird here. I do not care about the guts and caring it supposedly takes. I do not like people banging on my door and trying to sell me religious garbage.

Do Amway and vacuum salesmen inspire the same fear in you? Good grief, get over it.

I do not open the door now. There's no law that says I have to. It's not as though they are willing to have a discussion. It is trying to talk me into buying their product and when they are beginning t have disbelief looking the better product they want to run away threatening me with retribution.

And it was not much different the one time I had mormons come around. It was frankly surprised at the way the chumminess turned to anger and rudeness when they realized their spiel wasn't going to net them a fish.

Is it that hard to just say "No"?

[JerZ]

Originally Posted by Vizio

Do Amway and vacuum salesmen inspire the same fear in you? Good grief, get over it.

I hate to say this, but sometimes, there's a sort of creepiness factor. The over-wide eyes, the over-eager "We have JESUS!" in that half-stoned-looking way...it's so reminiscent of someone who has (I'm really sorry here) gone around the bend. I wouldn't say I personally am afraid and I think the person you were quoting was being semi-facetious, but yeah. It's not horror movie terrifying or anything, I'm not hiding behind my couch when the JWs come around but some overly-religious, overly "in the spirit" people can be offputting, yes.

Originally Posted by Vizio

Is it that hard to just say "No"?

It's hard when the person is staring up at you beseechingly with eyes wet with emotion, she's so anxiety-ridden about possibly not saving your soul, yes. It's harder when she's holding up a suffering-soft-faced-Jesus picture and tapping a Bible. That stuff is instilled in most of us from the knee, just by culture alone. You DON'T yell at Jesus, the poor suffering Medieval European-looking guy with the soft suffering blue eyes, and you DON'T bark at a sweet religious person.

I mean some people do anyway, but...I'm sure you get what I'm saying here. Yes, in this case it IS harder to say no.

I have yet to have someone lean across my table to anxiously beg me to purchase Amway so that I don't burn forever. (It could happen, though. Never say never.)

All this aside, as I said, I am polite to the people who have come to my door here where I live now because they are all sweet and nice and they don't demand answers to "Have you been saved?" or whatever. I have had the occasional "Have you heard the good news?" but it's in a non-demanding way and when I say "yes" that's good enough for them and they leave me their pamphlet and sometimes, read me a nice, uplifting (not hellfire) verse. So I am polite. I am in the "it takes guts" camp even though I'm not thrilled that it happens at all.

[JerZ]

Come on, who could say "no" to THIS soft, beautiful 15th century French aristocrat when he has suffered so much for us???



Or this gentle, infant-cuddling medieval textiles merchant:



You pastors can see what we heathens are up against, LOL.

[Petunia 100]

Originally Posted by Vizio

Just be nice to them. It takes guts, and some caring on their part, to get the nerve to knock on your door. As a pastor, I've been impressed with the JW's in our area that know I live in the parsonage, but they will knock on the door anyway in an attempt to convert me. I wish more Christians were willing to do that.

I will usually share the Gospel with them and they end up leaving on their own--but I'm never rude.

Except once....I was sick and had a sick kid in my arms as I opened the door and told them that, then shut it and went back to my chair.

Frankly, I don't give a rat's behind if it takes guts. I'm not "nice" to anyone who comes to my door uninvited to sell me something, except for neighborhood kids. The JW's or any other door to door salesperson can pucker up and smooch my backside.

[Steve Bagu]

Hey...what happened with the Jesus picture? on your 2nd photo I got some girl in a bikini and then would not re appear.