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I actually don't have a major problem with this, but I know that some people do.
In my area, the people who do this most commonly are Jehovas Witnesses. For the past several years, I actually open the door to them, let them do their thing, and then they go on their way. It usually takes about 5 minutes.
I know this isn't for everyone, I am just sharing what I do.
I have friends and family who handle this all sorts of ways...
From hiding and not answering the door(lol) to confronting them with their own beliefs.
I've never been confronted by a friend or co-worker who was overy insistent on talking about their beliefs, but I have heard stories.
My only experience was with a Born Again Christian, who I worked with, but she didn't ever try to have a one on one conversation with me, and her behavior never really bothered ME.
But, it did bother other people at the office. I actually found it somewhat entertaining and a bit amusing. (sorry I have a warped sense of humor sometimes)
You see, the owner of the company was Jewish, the office manager was Jewish and our immediate supervisor- the controller, was also Jewish.
It's where I first learned the expression "Holy Roller" among other things.
Even some of the Christians were annoyed by her.
She played Christian on her desk radio all day, and walked around like "Mary Sunshine", which irritated one co-working with a sardonic nature.
One day in 2009 they came up to me at the mall and I started talking to them. It was an older couple--a deaf-blind man and his wife, who's an interpreter for the deaf-blind. I was deaf-blind. I was completely thrilled to have someone to talk to. I didn't know at first that they were Jehovah's Witnesses.
As time went on, I did find that out. Their philosophies seemed interesting. Probably something I would never honestly believe but I wanted to learn more about the Bible for general knowledge. So I agreed to study with them. I told them I was interested. I studied with them for a few months, then started going to the Kingdom Hall too. It was a great experience to have people I could communicate with. There are a lot of things I like about JW philosophy, though I obviously don't agree with all of it. I got my hearing back using some techniques they disapprove of ("spiritism") so I've been trying to get rid of them for about 9 months now and I still can't. I love the JW's as people. They're nice and they helped open my world back up when I went totally deaf and blind. But they also don't know how to let go. They are incredibly pushy, in a kind and polite, but nevertheless relentless way.
Now when JW's come to my door I tell them I've studied with them and that I respect their beliefs but don't agree with a number of them. Often times I'll list the ideologies I disagree with just to let them know. New JW's at my door don't bother me after that, but the JW's that I met deaf-blind I am having an incredibly hard time getting to leave me alone. More details here: http://www.city-data.com/forum/relig...down-home.html
Anyway I don't think JW's are all evil or anything like that. I don't want to give that idea. I just think they are trained to keep at it way too hard and for way too long with new Bible students and to try to hard with people who have lost interest. They need to learn that if people aren't interested (anymore), they just aren't interested. Better to have a Kingdom Hall one-third full of people who really believe in the ideology than a Kingdom Hall packed with people who don't really believe in it.
Last edited by nimchimpsky; 12-06-2011 at 05:59 AM..
I actually don't have a major problem with this, but I know that some people do.
In my area, the people who do this most commonly are Jehovas Witnesses. For the past several years, I actually open the door to them, let them do their thing, and then they go on their way. It usually takes about 5 minutes.
I know this isn't for everyone, I am just sharing what I do.
I have friends and family who handle this all sorts of ways...
From hiding and not answering the door(lol) to confronting them with their own beliefs.
Do you sit for 10 minutes and listen to telemarketers when they call? Or do you hang up or tell them "no" and get off the phone?
Just shut the door. That's all you have to do. You don't even have to talk to them or make eye contact. Just shut the door on them. They'll leave.
Quote:
I've never been confronted by a friend or co-worker who was overy insistent on talking about their beliefs, but I have heard stories.
My only experience was with a Born Again Christian, who I worked with, but she didn't ever try to have a one on one conversation with me, and her behavior never really bothered ME.
But, it did bother other people at the office. I actually found it somewhat entertaining and a bit amusing. (sorry I have a warped sense of humor sometimes)
You see, the owner of the company was Jewish, the office manager was Jewish and our immediate supervisor- the controller, was also Jewish.
It's where I first learned the expression "Holy Roller" among other things.
Even some of the Christians were annoyed by her.
She played Christian on her desk radio all day, and walked around like "Mary Sunshine", which irritated one co-working with a sardonic nature.
How do you handle such things?
I would suggest that if it bothered people too much they should have had a conversation with her about it. It's quite possible that she simply wasn't aware of the perception of her that the office had. Some people tend to be quite unaware. Ever watch "The Office"? I love the show...but sometimes it's so silly it's painful. Michael Scott is so blatantly unaware...but he's an hyperbole of every annoying boss you might have. But he just had no clue that he was so offensive to anyone.
I don't answer the front door.
This eliminates all other door knockers as well.
(People who know me come to the side door.)
I welcome them and invite them in so I can show them the error of their ways and why praying to Jesus(as) is polytheism and the one unforgiable sin which closes the gates of heaven to them.
I then proceed to explain to them I follow the true teachings of Christ, which is why I left Christianity. I then proceed to explain to them that Christ is one of the Greatest Prophets in Islam.
Do you sit for 10 minutes and listen to telemarketers when they call? Or do you hang up or tell them "no" and get off the phone?
Just shut the door. That's all you have to do. You don't even have to talk to them or make eye contact. Just shut the door on them. They'll leave.
.....
I hang up on telemarketers, political pollsters, etc. It has been my experience that missionaries will come back if they have a glimmer of a chance of success. Therefore, I go to the door, tell them loudly and firmly, "NO! I am not interested. Go away and don't come back." Then I slam the door shut. Works for me.
I actually don't have a major problem with this, but I know that some people do.
In my area, the people who do this most commonly are Jehovas Witnesses. For the past several years, I actually open the door to them, let them do their thing, and then they go on their way. It usually takes about 5 minutes.
I know this isn't for everyone, I am just sharing what I do.
I have friends and family who handle this all sorts of ways...
From hiding and not answering the door(lol) to confronting them with their own beliefs.
I've never been confronted by a friend or co-worker who was overy insistent on talking about their beliefs, but I have heard stories.
My only experience was with a Born Again Christian, who I worked with, but she didn't ever try to have a one on one conversation with me, and her behavior never really bothered ME.
But, it did bother other people at the office. I actually found it somewhat entertaining and a bit amusing. (sorry I have a warped sense of humor sometimes)
You see, the owner of the company was Jewish, the office manager was Jewish and our immediate supervisor- the controller, was also Jewish.
It's where I first learned the expression "Holy Roller" among other things.
Even some of the Christians were annoyed by her.
She played Christian on her desk radio all day, and walked around like "Mary Sunshine", which irritated one co-working with a sardonic nature.
How do you handle such things?
I do what Monty Burns does......"Release the Hounds!"
Like Woodrow - I invite them in!
Oh, the fun that one can have...
Yesterday, two Jehovah's Witnesses came to my door - one an old matriarch lady, with a younger (but still almost elderly) lady. They were handing out copies of The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived - their "Life of Jesus" version of the four Gospels all squished into one. I told them that I had it, was familiar with the paraphrase, and no - I wasn't like most people spending my time thinking of Christmas (I could tell where THAT was going). Yes, I was drinking coffee, as well -another observation.
The matriarch was skeptical of my claim to owning the book already, but I was trying to get her to save her copy for someone else. I guess I should have just taken it, so she wouldn't have returned back with boxes of the book. What I did show her was a copy of the Millenial Dawn Vol I - an old book from the 1800s that is by one of their founders, which they are a little dismissive of nowadays.
The old matriarch looked at it in horror and said "that is not this book about Jesus" (obviously, but it interrupted the pre-planned speech she had memorized) and "does it use the name Jehovah in there?" (she knew it did not, obviously - it was a rhetorical question) The younger one looked extremely interested in the book, but the matriarch took it in her firm hand, clamped down on it so it would not be opened, and the younger one was spared the possibility of even peering into the fabled old ways of the "Bible Students"! Disaster averted for the younger generation!
Anyways, if they have time, and I have time - I always invite them in. Especially if they look like pyschotic serial killers posing as religious proselytizers. But there are so few of them....sigh.
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