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To get a solicitor from a church or whatever to leave quickly, use the line I use from an old joke: "I just drew a warm bath. Let's get naked, jump in and talk about it." The retreat is immediate, and they never return.
Of course I could get even with them by taking a bottle of single malt scotch and a Penthouse magazine over to their house and try to convince them of joys such items could bring
Ahhh, Single Malt man. Now I know we will hit it off DR!!
I could see us sippin 16YO Lagavulin drownin some worms on CDA lake for sure!
Hey NM, I have a solution I think.... BIG MEAN DOGS!!!!
Ok, much as I'd love to offer these folks a drink, I'm not giving up any of my Wild Turkey, esp. on Sunday, since I can't buy any more until Monday in this town. The truth is, some long forgotten youthful folly had me sign up and baptised LDS. Now that we are in Idaho, the local church leadership is clearly aware that there are two unbaptised youth in my home, so they are sending an increasingly broad range of church members, knocking on various doors at various times, leaving me feeling surrounded. Given these facts, I'm going to have to take drastic action, by contacting the bishop to request that we be left in peace, and by sending a letter cancelling my membership in the church. Just goes to show you should always know your target audience.
P.S., for the record, nothing in any previous experience I ever had with the LDS church in California involved people coming over to my house uninvited. Yes, the occasional disoriented missionary pair, but nothing like what is happening here, where clearly we are on someone's to-do list, and it ain't mutual.
Put this sign on your door or fence: No JW or LDS - Day Sleeper. That's what I had to do when I lived in FL and it was true, I worked 11pm - 7am. It was a Jehovah's Witness that told me to do that. They don't mean to be rude but they often appear that way. But even they know there are people working at night and the sign will fix it, whether anyone in your household works at night or not.
NM -- may I ask what town in Idaho you are now living in? I too was baptized Mormon and have 3 children in my home that have not been baptized. And, I am with you on the whole dropping by thing. The missionaries are one thing, but it is an entirely different matter when your kids' teacher drops by and attempts to convert them -- I would have little patience for that. I would definitely call the local bishop about it. Just my .02 about the above idea re the day sleeper sign -- it won't stop them from dropping by in the evenings. Good luck!
Personally, I think discovering a public school teacher on one's porch talking to one's children about joining them at their church extraordinarily offensive. We weren't being welcomed to the neighborhood, we were being welcomed to the Ward.
As for finding anything annoying in Idaho, I haven't had a problem here. Moved in smoothly, found work I liked, kids like their school, made friends, so I don't really see how you came up with your conclusion. But then, my friends and coworkers don't come over giving religious literature to my minor children and welcoming them to their church.
I am wondering if you have moved to one of the predominately LDS towns? If so, I imagine that is to be expected.
Does Idaho have any solicitation laws? If so, you could post a sign on your property clearly stating No Solicitation. If people continue to come, you can first ask them which organization they represent and then reference them to the sign that you have posted. Your next step would be to contact the organization that the person represented and let that establishment know what took place. If the same organization continues to send unwanted visitors, contact local authorities.
Location: In the North Idaho woods, still surrounded by terriers
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I have a pond in front of my house with a couple of Buddha's there to decorate, plus a big, happy laughing Buddha just inside my front door. I am not Buddhist but the JW's and Mormons don't know that and I think it scares them a little (bad juju). I finally "had it" with uninvited religions when I had JW's knock on my door on Christmas Day when my family was having dinner. I blew a fuse at them for interrupting our holiday meal...I felt a bit guilty afterwards but they seem to have no respect for other folk's beliefs, or non-beliefs. But these were JW's not Mormons.
Thank you everyone for all the good advice and words of understanding. I discovered this morning that they are coming every day, my kids just don't answer the door and didn't think it was important enough to mention. Really though, the public school teacher inviting my son to attend a specific church at a specific time and place has me unglued, and I will definitely report back here as to what I do about all this and whether it resolves the situation.
Ahhh, Single Malt man. Now I know we will hit it off DR!!
I could see us sippin 16YO Lagavulin drownin some worms on CDA lake for sure!
Well darn... I'm too late for this thread and all the pertinent points have been covered.
Nonetheless, had to say "Nice!" to both your sentiment, TR and DR, and offer up the x3 to all notions.
To pair your thoughts on the topic with some personal sentiment, as someone who was raised Presbyterian and went to a non-denominational private high school, I decided church holds nothing on the communing with God front when compared to the enjoyment of the unadultered, uninhibited amenities of existence/creation/humanity/whatever you want to call the indisputably appreciation-worthy profundity of life and perception. I'll take a fishing trip over talking to "fishers of men" any day. Let's see... a stuffy building with the rigidly choreographed drone of socialites ooooorrrrrr a still, quiet lake reflecting mountain silhouettes rising up against the early dawn sky. For me personally, there's not a moment's ambivalence as to where I'd prefer to bask in the appreciation of this life and all that made it possible.
On the single malt note, a liquor store walking distance from my apt. here in Albuquerque carries all the classic malts, plus their respective Distiller's Editions (and several of those now that the holidays approach). Lagavulin is definitely the primo, too. As long as both Scotland and I can afford the extra pleasures in life (knocked on wood, don't worry), Lagavulin and Cragganmore will be staples in my liquor cabinet.
Couple that well-stocked liquor store with relaxed gun laws and a pair of US highways known as 550 and 285 (really, their myriad of remote off-shoots), and this forever Idahoan can find solace despite leaving home in a rear view mirror.
Back to NM's topic, I had a lot of friends who would just drop by in Idaho, and while that did get old when I was busy, sick, or tired, I've come to miss the neighborly vibe after moving. Getting the cold shoulder (even fear???) when I tried to meet my new neighbors definitely was a culture shock for me. I do have an imposing stature paired with an odd demeanor, but never had trouble meeting neighbors in Idaho once I introduced myself in the goofy way I can, took a pleasant tone, offered up contact info, etc.
Public school teachers trying to convert your kids is crossing a line, though. I've always been uneasy with the tendency of people who witness like they're making a sale or starting a political movement... jumping right to the chase and relentlessly obsessing on that subject matter. If people can't stir curiosity and questioning through a good example, then they really ought to leave the topic of beliefs alone. Hypocrits, at worst, and then some who are just looking for "notches on their (spiritual) belt", if you will, only do their beliefs a disservice. The best witnesses are those who inspire you to inquire how they keep their life together so well and are generally just so awesome, and those people have the patience and humility to wait until you can't help but ask. A little thing for the self-righteous to note if they get too intrusive in their persistence.
Lastly, I haven't had the LDS and JW issue here like I did in Idaho (they get really active in college towns, too), though living in a battleground state during a contentious election, I might as well have relentless fringe religions invading my space and telling me that just living my life from work to leisure and back again is somehow an inadequate form of participation. Really, as a moderate, I just can't wait until it's over tomorrow and I can get back to watching one ideological extreme or the other dictate the next four years of what political dramas take precedence and how my taxes are allocated.
Last edited by stingraynm; 11-04-2008 at 12:16 PM..
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The best witnesses are those who inspire you to inquire how they keep their life together so well and are generally just so awesome, and those people have the patience and humility to wait until you can't help but ask. A little thing for the self-righteous to note if they get too intrusive in their persistence.
Really, as a moderate, I just can't wait until it's over tomorrow and I can get back to watching one ideological extreme or the other dictate the next four years of what political dramas take precedence and how my taxes are allocated.
