Visits from Jehovah's Witnesses

[VisionQuest]

Not to offend anyone, but I have a question.

For about six months, there has been a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses that keep showing up to my home, typically between 8 and 9 a.m. on Friday mornings. My family typically stays up late so a lot of times, we are still asleep.

I think they got the message the morning I answered the door looking all disheveled and said they would come back another Friday but later in the day.

I really don't want them visiting me anymore. I have my own ideas and beliefs and don't really like the idea of eventually feeling obligated to come into my home so they can share their information. Does anyone know of a polite way that I could tell them that I really don't want them visiting anymore?

Thanks.

[TexasSuz]

I do not open my door for ANYONE that I do not know! I have a no soliciting sign out front and tell everyone else that I am not interested. If you refuse to open the door they will go away. I just do not feel safe opening my door - even if people look safe. Then again I was attacked by "safe" looking people 7 years ago so I guess that blurrs my views.

I say just stop answering the door to them. Pretend you are not home if you have to.

[festivus1]

What I have said in the past, "Thank you, but we have a church that we attend and that we are very happy with." I also have had friends in the past who were JW and LDS, so I tend to throw that in so they know that I have some familiarity with the churches, etc. They have always left politely after that. Sometimes they still want to give me literature or whatever, which is fine.

[1jooj]

I typically let them know I do not have time but I'll take the literature. I even read it sometimes. It can be interesting.

I have family/friends who share stories about being rude to these folks, and laugh. I don't get it. It's part of their faith to proselytize, and I think that is OK. They are doing it out of love for others, for the most part. I can see that. It's not like they are selling anything. I think, too, if I can be as kind in my refusal as they are insistent in their offer, we can both walk away feeling good about what just happened.

It's good to show that your beliefs--in a Creator or otherwise--have a positive effect on your actions. I know it makes me feel better about people when they are kind to me.

[meister31]

My MIL is a JW and does go door to door, I have a lot of personal issues but the thing to say is "I've been disfellowshipped" that should take you off the visit list...JW's shouldnt be talking to anyone that is disfellowshipped. Saying you are excommunicated works too.
I once had 2 JW men come to my door I couldnt believe that they had no problem 'being out in service' 2 men in the middle of the day... what woman would open their door to 2 men even if they knew the organizartion they represented?

[Deirdre]

I generally do what you do, Ummnuh. I am very polite and say that I am happy to take their literature. The last time I even read it and it was all about peace in the world-it was very good.
If I ever feel pressured to discuss things further I either say we have relatives who are both JW and LDS (which we do), or that I am Roman Catholic (I was raised RC anyway) and that is usually good enough. My experience is that they tend to not want to get into a "dogma" discussion with people who belong to churches with very defined dogmas...does that make any sense???

Anyway, I really believe if you don't want them visiting to either politely say this or don't answer the door. It seems like they would take a polite but firm, "no thank you".

Good luck

[Mommy StormRaven]

I haven't had this issue in a long time but I did have a period when the same peopel would come every week. I kept askignthem politely to please not return as I had a faith and was not interested in chaning that faith. They never got hte message. It finally came to the point that Even when I called the Kingdom Hall they STILL came to my house. They fianlly stopped when I answered my door in my ritual clothes (I'm a Celtic/Norse Pagan) with my Priest holding the sacred blade to represent the element of Air and my fellow roommates with their various elemental representations (wand, cauldron and censer) and they saw the ritual space set up behind us that they did not return. No it wasn't doen intentionally , they happened to arrive prior to a seasonal ritual that we were expecting other guests for and we thoguht they might be those we expected when we answered the door. AT least they finally stopped at that point. We did not intend to frighten them off but we did - after all they had not respected our requests for 6 months prior to that point.

[Lindy]

You could always answer the door topless!!!! I did that once accidentally ( nursing a baby, forgot I had my shirt open). They never came back. LOL

[merpk]

Lindy, :LOL

- Amy

[3boysmom]

Yammer's is the best way I've ever heard to deal with this! Love it!

[rianna]

We became the object of their affection recently. My dh and I are very interested in human behavior and belifes so we gave them our time and listend. They came back!!! A wonderful older woman whos disposition is like a calming sea and we did not mind seeing her until she started in with the lessons. We had to to something. I made my dh go out and talk with her (he is so very diplomatic) and kindly said we had our belifes and they were not goignt o change. If she wanted to come by for a visit and we were outside then that would be fine but no more lessons. They have not returned.

[dandelion]

I tell them that I'm busy, but my husband would be happy to discuss what the bible actually says in *Hebrew* rather than a translation. For some reason they've *never* taken us up on that.

[USAmma]

We had a pair of them visiting us for awhile too, every few weeks they would come by. Once I told them I was in the middle of pumping (I was). Another time I answered the door in a towel with my hair dripping. I took their literature and was polite but told them I was busy. My dh had an idea, that the next time they came we would hand them some pamphlets that we had lying around. One was called 10 Beliefs of Every Hindu and another one was Hindu Gods. We had them from our local temple. We also had several backissues of Hinduism Today magazine that were given to us by the publishers to hand out as subscription promotions. Unfortunately they never came back, but I was kinda looking forward to sharing my literature with them as I took what they had to share with me. I mean it's only fair, right?

Darshani

[merpk]

Darshani, awesome ... that is the best idea I've ever heard.

Have "counter-literature."

Thank you thank you thank you. You have just made my summer. And I'm going to spread this idea around, too. (This is more in reference to other proselytizers in my area this time of year than specifically J'Witnesses ... sounds like it'll work any which way ...)



- Amy

[mmace]

I'm Presbyterian, and I had Baptist visitors last weekend. Not to say anything bad about Baptists, that is just what this group happened to be...

When I explained that I was already a very active member of my own church, the lady started trying to quiz me! She asked if I could name the first five books of the New Testament, the last book of the Old Testament, and the Ten Commandments. She actually seemed a little disappointed when I knew the answers, but I was honestly a little offended that she didn't seem to believe that I might know these things.

When I showed her clearly that I was not going to let her in my house, she asked if she could leave me with some literature. I said yes, trying to be polite, and also because others have left literature and I generally enjoy reading their pamphlets, and when I took them she actually asked me for a donation to help defray the costs of printing. I politely handed the papers back to her and shut the door, gently. To me it was a little over the top to offer something and then ask for a donation, when it was clear I was not really interested in the first place.

Any thoughts?

[MyBoysMommy]

Originally posted by Mommy StormRaven
They fianlly stopped when I answered my door in my ritual clothes (I'm a Celtic/Norse Pagan) with my Priest holding the sacred blade to represent the element of Air and my fellow roommates with their various elemental representations (wand, cauldron and censer) and they saw the ritual space set up behind us that they did not return. No it wasn't doen intentionally , they happened to arrive prior to a seasonal ritual that we were expecting other guests for and we thoguht they might be those we expected when we answered the door. AT least they finally stopped at that point. We did not intend to frighten them off but we did - after all they had not respected our requests for 6 months prior to that point.

What a hoot!! I love it!

[familyman]

after repeated attempts to gently let them know i had my own faith i answered the door in a huff and then yelled at them about disrepecting me my beliefs and their own beliefs by degrading jesus to the level of being "sold" door to door like a fuller brush or a grade b encyclopedia set. i have never seen them on my doorstep again.
p.s. we have an informal neghborhood watch for them and call each other when they are on the prowl

[shari1973]

re jehovah witness

I tell them to go do some chairity work and if I was going to join any religious cult it certainly would not be theirs.

[EFmom]

When we are harrassed by JWs, LDS or the like, I'm polite the first time, ask them to respect my privacy, and tell them that I do not wish any contact with whichever cult they happen to belong to.

When they return a second time (and they always do), I tell them exactly why I would not be interested in their religion, going into detail about the various practices and beliefs that I would never buy into.

If they continue to persist, and sometimes they do, I tell them to please get off my property immediately as I need to let my dogs out right now. The dogs are actually very gentle, but they make a huge racket when people come to the door, so by that time the "missionaries" make a speedy exit.

Another tactic that a friend of mine uses is to tell them that after they give you their address, you'd be happy to come to their house at a convenient time for you to inflict your religious beliefs on them.

[rainsmom]

When dd was a newborn, it seemed like they were coming once a week, right when I had just got her down after lunch. I was so upset one day because they woke her up. Yes, I disconnected the buzzer, but my dogs bark loudly whenever anyone comes to the door. I answered the door, tired and angry that now they just woke my baby whos been up all night, I dont think they cared. They came back the following week, same time!

I know I should be kinder, but Ive thought of every excuse to get them not to come by in a NICE way, and still they come. To me, that kind of religious fanaticism resulted in 9/11.

Im much more upset about the BOrnAgain fanatics in my town who will NOT let up when they see you downtown at an event. This one woman was HARASSING me! She would not let it go and I finally had to tell her I was going to get rude and I didnt want to have to result to that OR I could just call that cop standing over there to come over........

I dont mean to insult any of you born agains out there, but hey, I dont need someone elses beliefs shoved down my throat after I politely say no thanks!