The Mormon missionaries came to our front door earlier this evening

[Missy Vixen]

Evidently, church enrollment must be down.

We bought our house new ten years ago. During that ten-year period of time, our neighborhood must have made it onto some kind of list. We have been proselytized multiple times per month by many different religions. I have often considered putting a "No Trespassing" sign in our yard as a result. We're not interested. We're not sure what to do to cease this activity, once and for all.

The "missionaries" in question were not wearing their typical nametags. Nobody had on a tie. My husband answered the door and politely told them that if they didn't get off our property, he was calling the cops. We shut and locked the door, turned off the porch light, and spent a quiet evening enjoying each other's company.

Did anyone else have church members "trick-or-treating" and sharing their (unwanted) religion this evening? Maybe we're just special... :eyes:

[Mind_your_head]

1. Well, you have to give them some credit for 'trying'......

....and then I agree with you to *slam the door in their face*.

:rofl:

[Missy Vixen]

2. I know I often invite unknown strangers into the house on Halloween night

It sounds like the opening to a bad slasher flick, doesn't it? ;-)

In the meantime, I'm going to call the local "stake", and ask if I can take over their service for fifteen minutes or so on Sunday morning. After all, if they have the temerity to show up at our house uninvited, I think I should be able to show up at theirs...

[Mind_your_head]

4. ooooooh, that WOULD be good....

:rofl:

If you 'go for it', please relate how that all goes!

[rd_kent]

75. Fuck that. They should "TRY" to keep their religious BS to themselves.....

[FreeState]

3. Not wearing a tie is a big no-no for Missionaries

When I was on my mission we weren't to leave the appartment without one except on P-day (1/2 a day once a week to shop, clean, write letters etc). It's possible they didn't care or got permission to not wear them but that would be very very unusual.

[Mind_your_head]

5. Any scumbag can wear a tie. n/t

[Hekate]

12. I have Mormon cousins. Tho I don't share your beliefs I respect your missions...

Long, long ago I learned to simply say "Go in peace" as I shut the door on missionaries of all stripes. We get Orthodox Jews as well, as the local Chabad rabbi knows my husband, and sends his sons around on Sukkot to see if hubby has changed his mind about returning to religious practice. If hubby's home he says no thank you and how's your father? If he's not in, I say "Go in peace" and they go visit the people across the street.

Frankly, I don't know why some DUers need to feel hostile about it. You're all trying to do God's work -- I just don't agree with you about what it is.

Go in peace ;-) and don't forget your necktie.

Hekate

[JohnnyLib2]

16. +1

[murielm99]

18. I agree with you.

I see no reason to be rude and nasty to them when they come to the door. When I tell them politely, "No, thank you, I have a church home," they leave, and nobody is left feeling bad.

If I am rude to someone who comes to my door, then I fume about it for awhile. Why put myself through that?

My brother used to live in an apartment that was across the hall from an apartment rented by the Mormons. Every once in awhile, a couple of new young Mormon missionaries would move in. I met several of them. They always seemed shy and sweet and nice.

My brother noticed that they never cooked. Every night, they were invited to some Mormon church member's house for dinner.

One year on his birthday, I brought my brother lasagna and birthday cake. We invited the missionaries over to share our dinner.

[elocs]

19. +2 They are dedicated to a cause greater than themselves.

Perhaps if Democrats were as dedicated we would get the healthcare reform we so desperately need.

[DaveinJapan]

21. Personally, I'd rather be wishy-washy and ineffective than be firmly dedicated to discrimination. nt

[elocs]

50. There's nothing wrong with putting your feet where your faith is.

That is, if you truly believe in it strongly enough to put your feet to your faith.

[rd_kent]

77. Yes there is, especially if your feet walk you toward hypocrisy, discrimination and hate.

[Missy Vixen]

53. How many minds do you believe you will change

showing up at someone's front door on Halloween night?

[FreeState]

55. Heres the thing

I dont want to doubt the poster but when I was on my mission we were never allowed to knock on doors on holidays - including Halloween (and I was not in the US!). Its possible they were Mormons but I doubt it - its more likely someone pretending to be missionaries or some other religion IMO.

[Missy Vixen]

57. FreeState, perhaps

At the same time, we live in a rural area with a high percentage of gun-owning Republicans.

I like jokes as much as the next person does, but there is no way I'd do something like this on Halloween, especially in this neighborhood.

[FreeState]

58. Yeah its odd isnt it? I have had the JWs here on holidays...

and I tell them its a Holliday that they need to respect the people they are reaching out to even if they ever expect to get anyone to listen to the and send them on their way...

(Im no longer Christian so Im really not a likely convert anyway! :) )

[Toasterlad]

81. Yes, The Cause of Bigotry and Hate.

What a wonderful world if we were all so "dedicated".

:eyes:

[winyanstaz]

97. They can keep it to themselves....

[mr blur]

28. Why "hostile"? Because their delusions are so fucking infuriating.

Why "respect their missions"? People in your country can't even mention Socialism without being vilified and yet you're suggesting everyone should tolerate idiots dragging their fantasies to the front door? "Doing God's work"? You know, we're all doomed unless we leave this superstitious nonsense behind in the dark ages where it belongs.

Get a grip - just tell them to fuck off and grow up.

[demwing]

66. That's a grown up response

and an elightened attitude. Peace.

[Arugula Latte]

85. I like your style, mr blur

:rofl:

:thumbsup:

[Bluenorthwest]

32. Such a telling post

Well you and your partner are legally married. And taking for granted what others are fighting to attain. The Mormon Church's work, which you respect, is in part the organized attacking of my community. They spent millions to come after us and continue to do so. So my perspective is not the same as yours.

[Mz Pip]

54. I've never been rude

I do a polite form of "Thanks but no thanks.' The last time the Mormons came they were a bit more pushy and I finally told them that my concept of a God was not the same as theirs and left it at that.

[Raine]

61. I agree

I had a teacher who was a Mormon and she was one of the kindest most caring people I have ever met. No way would I be rude to her, if she had tried to convert me (which she never did) I would've just said "no, thanks" and let it go.

[ljm2002]

65. So you think it's A-Okay...

...for strangers to come knocking on the door to discuss your personal beliefs with you and, specifically, to tell you what you *ought* to believe.

Not me. I have sorted out my own beliefs over the years, and am happy with them. I certainly don't need to justify them to random people who show up at my door panting with eagerness to tell me the right beliefs to hold.

What's RUDE, is strangers showing up on my doorstep telling me what I ought to believe. I used to go out of my way to be polite to the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons who would come to my door, since they are unfailingly "polite". Nowadays, though, I've lost patience with it and just tell them that I don't appreciate them coming around and they need to take my house off their list. Then I close the door in their faces. I neither raise my voice nor slam the door, so that's polite enough.

[demwing]

68. Agreed. There's no need to be rude, but no requirement to be coy, either.

Tell them no, then close the door.

Of course, that tactic never worked at my house. The JW just keep coming back. So one day I invited them in, and started preaching to them about Hinduism. I used all the best Kali and Shiva stories I could remember. Lots of pot smoking, sex, and severed heads. I haven't seen the JW since then.

The Mormon missionaries loved it though. Weird.

[ljm2002]

84. Too funny!

My children once engaged some Jehovah's Witnesses out on our front porch, got them into a long discussion of theology. My kids enjoyed the discussion a lot; the JW's, not so much.

I have also quoted Scripture once or twice; proselytizers are always surprised that someone can do that, and their responses often indicate that their own thoughts on these matters are nonexistent -- their "search" for spiritual truth amounts to finding someone who will tell them what the answers are so they can go tell others.

Nowadays I have no inclination to engage them at all.

[Hekate]

92. My dad used to invite the Mormons in--drove mom nuts. In her later years she got downright rude, but

... I never saw the need to do either of those things. The JWs used to come by my college apartment on Sunday mornings when I was scrambling to get ready to go to my job -- and they just don't shut up. That's when I decided I needed to start shutting the door in their faces -- but it felt like bad karma to just cut them off without a word. So the word I gave them was "Go in peace." It's worked very well in the subsequent 40 years.

As for what you told the JWs about Hinduism :rofl: Somewhere in my files I have a great laugh-out-loud essay/short story about some JWs who knocked on the door of a nest of Neo-Pagan nudists and were invited in. I would not have the nerve, but I appreciate the sentiment.

This is an interesting subthread. I try to put in a word for religious tolerance (which on the whole was how I was raised) and for politeness toward people on your doorstep as long as they aren't rude to you, and ... well, ouch. If someone came to my door directly advocating against gay marriage or against a woman's right to choose, I would get in their face. But if all they're doing is looking all young and holding the Book of Mormon, I'm not going to be mean.

Hekate

[martymar64]

106. I use their visits as an opportunity to tell them about Atheism

Since most missionaries are young, it's not that hard to challenge their beliefs and get them to startthinking "gee, maybe there really isn't a god after all!"

[WolverineDG]

69. Especially since what goes around comes around

too much negativity in this world...don't need to be adding to it intentionally, ya know? No harm in saying "Sorry not interested, have a nice day."

dg

[rd_kent]

76. No, we are not ALL trying to do "gods" work.

In fact, many of us are trying to UNDO "gods" work. "gods" work is the root cause of nearly ALL the problems in the world today.

[Toasterlad]

80. When "God's Work" Includes Preventing Gays From Getting Married, I Have a Problem With It.

Any mormon who came to my door would hear exactly what kind of ignorant, bigoted asshole he was.

[Arugula Latte]

83. "God's work" -- I don't want to do the work of a non-existent figment, though.

I'd rather do humanity's work.

[verges]

99. How DARE YOU advocate civility!!!

It goes against the very fiber of DU!!!
(do I really need a emoticon ?)

[BR_Parkway]

31. They were in costume?

[LuvNewcastle]

6. We mostly get Baptists here in my neighborhood.

They can be just as bad as the Mormons. And it's not like there's a shortage of Baptists around here -- why are they proselytizing? Baptist missionaries in Mississippi make about as much sense as Mormon missionaries in Utah.

[rpannier]

7. Do What I Did when I was in the States

Get yourself a copy of the Satanic Bible by Anton Szandor LaVey, keep it close to the door and share your 'faith' with them

[aquart]

9. Piffle. Old Testament will do fine.

Ask them if they're sons of Eli. The Bible says the sons of Eli were worthless men. Ask them if they knew a woman who had been gang raped, would they cut her up into pieces and mail her to the 12 tribes like in Judges.

Ask them if they feel secure knowing Christian tradition is founded on a woman with her ass in the air, Book of Ruth. And ask them if they are absolutely sure that Jesus was thirty generations away from his Moab roots because no way was he king of the Jews unless he was.

And then you can turn to the New Testament and quote Jesus about praying in private.

[Mind_your_head]

10. .

[silverweb]

8. The Jehovah Witnesses target my neighborhood.

They have a church right down the street and wander the neighborhood in packs a couple times a month.

Every single time, I say "no" and wave them off, but they keep coming back.

I've gone from polite to bored to irritated to brusque, but they keep coming back.

They were here again this morning and I was about ready to sic my Black Cat on them -- if only he wasn't such a mellow, lounge-about kind of puss! :D

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

11. Try one of these

Made in America!

http://atlassignsandplaques.com/generalsignage.aspx

[Hekate]

13. LOL!

:rofl:

[GoCubsGo]

49. Better yet...

Get one of these:



Unfortunately, a lot of these proselytizers don't see themselves as "solicitors." You need to be blatant, although they may still ignore that.

These help, too. Install one of these in your front door. When the doorbell rings, look through it. If you see two young men dressed in white shirts with ties, don't open the door. They'll go away. I promise.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

62. Ooh, I like that!

I was going to suggest something witchy, which seems to have a good effect here. They might come to the door, but they don't linger, let alone knock.



Even better was when my snarky daughter finally took it upon herself (after 3 visits in ONE week) to step outside and invite them to dance nekkid around the fire pit in our back yard with us. They congregated at the end of the driveway in a tizzy, but that was almost a year ago and we've had no visitors since. :D

[DainBramaged]

14. Give them a porn movie in exchange for a tract.

:shrug:


That should stop unwanted intrusions.......

[Generic Brad]

46. That could very well have the opposite effect

Porn for a tract? I'd take that deal. It would beat the chance of having a fellow parishioner seeing one check out XXX videos at the video store. Perhaps that explains their persistence.

[Divine Discontent]

15. I agree with you that they're annoying, but simply just tell them go in peace if you don't want them

to stay another second. It's okay for them to do it unless you have a small placard on your door that says "No unrequested solicitations of ANY kind." My Mom has one. It's rarely ignored. I suggest it if you have a house, as they're the most targeted. I used to live in an apt., and for years I only had one business and one religious request, the religious request was funny, they were all in agreement with me until I told them I was Gay! Always fun to burst their judgment-bubble!

Best of luck! And put the placard on your door, no more probs hopefully.

[KharmaTrain]

17. A Friend Was A Missionary

He's a very successful businessman now...and spends a lot of his time and money on building homes for Habitat and for low income folks. He considers that part of his mission.

When I first met him 20some years ago he had just finished up his missionary work, including ringing doorbells to "spread the word". I've had both LDS and JW stop at my door...when I tell them I'm Jewish and where I come from the new testiment is nothing but fiction they get the message quick and move on.

[martymar64]

107. I nicely tell them the whole bible is fiction and that they are being lied to

Then I invited them in and tell them that there is no god, and show them how to think for themselves.

[shimmergal]

20. We get them fairly often

as we're in one of the few ungated developments here.

Actually the Mormon missionaries are usually easy to deal with. We exchange some pleasantries, they give me a DVD and I tell them I'm happy with my own church. Then they go on their way, without rancor. ( A local newspaper once did a feature on the Mormon missionaries--their convert rate to no. of people "pitched" is phenomenally low, so keeping up their morale is sometimes a struggle!) The DVD goes in the trash after they've left. I figure it's money better spent that way than on Prop. 8 propaganda.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are harder to discourage, 'cause they usually bring children with them and they stay maddeningly on topic. I usually cut their spiel off quickly.

And with no gates, we get all kinds of commercial flyers, as well as political "get-out-the-vote" efforts before elections. Mostly Democrats/union members last fall, so I was glad to talk to them. Sometimes the commercial stuff is welcome too, like a coupon giving a $10 discount on any $20 Kohl's purchase which was left last week. I guess the OK stuff kind of balances out the religion pushers.

[DaveinJapan]

22. That is a great thing you just said there!

"The DVD goes in the trash after they've left. I figure it's money better spent that way than on Prop. 8 propaganda."

Mad respect!

I'll do the same next time they come to my door (for some reason I'm a great target for the Jehovah types, not many mormons over the years though).

[winyanstaz]

98. I had a jehovah's witness come to my back door when I lived in the country at the time....

While I was getting my morning cup of coffee...
She had a daughter around age 12 with her.
I first politely told her I was not interested in her religious beliefs and right away she became very angry.
She told me I could go back to "drinking whatever it is you have in that cup there." like I was drinking booze or something at nine in the morning.
I asked her if she always took her little girl to the back porch of strangers homes without knowing who lives there and that I thought it was child abuse to put a child in danger that way.
She started to scream at me and I stood up and said if she didn't remove her way too fat ass off my deck and off my property she would soon find out what was in my cup of coffee because she would be wearing it.
For some reason...she never came back.

[JerseygirlCT]

103. Similar experience here

The LDS boys are nervous and extremely polite. When I say I'm all set and wish them a good day, they go their way with no fuss.

The JWs, though... whole 'nother story. I literally had to shut the door on one woman - it was a question of whether she was going to get her foot squashed, or get it out of my house in time. Pushy, not nice, and most definitely not welcome.

[NuttyFluffers]

23. but did you offer them any demonic Halloween candy?

:evilgrin:

in fact, i think i'll keep a bowl of Halloween candy, with witches and vampires on the candy wrappers, by the door just in case of such events.

*knock*

"Hello, we'd like to share the good news about..."

"Oh, trick or treaters! Here you go, one for you, and one for you. Rots your teeth as it rots your soul! Take care now, bye!"

*shut door*

[Kitty Herder]

63. That would only encrourage them!

Mormons love Halloween. They have Halloween parties at the church, take their kids trick or treating, the whole nine yards. They don't have crazy superstitions about it like some other denominations. Honestly, they seldom turn down sugar. ;-) It's the only vice they're allowed.

[WVRICK13]

24. No One Has

the right to try to brain wash me and I refuse to give my consent to such actions. I guess my actions have put my house on a do not knock list with missionaries since I have not had any in over 12 years. The last ones to visit were a couple of JW women. I was skinny dipping in my pool behind an 8 foot privacy fence and they let themselves into the pool area and started talking about god. I calmly walked out of the pool totally nude and asked them what they didn't understand about privacy fences. They left.

If missionaries do show up at my door I most likely would open the door, say go away and calmly shut the door.

[Roland99]

25. I never get rude with them. I tell no thanks and wish them a good day and a goodbye.

[Canuckistanian]

26. I would just give them some candy and say "Ooo, aren't YOU scary"

Wow, the nerve of these people.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. You should have invited them in and asked to see their underwear

Well, being Halloween and all. :)

[mmonk]

29. It would have better to say "no thank you, I'm not interested".

Unless they are being rude, I see no reason to be ugly about it.

[DaveinJapan]

30. So if a representative of the KKK came to your door, you'd rather not be ugly about it? nt

[mmonk]

33. Though I don't care for their message due to their beliefs,

they won't burn a cross in the yard or drag out the occupants of the house and hang them. Unless someone just wants to feel good by being nasty to them, it doesn't help one's moral position.

[DaveinJapan]

38. The KKK doesn't burn crosses or drag out occupants these days either.

They along with the Mormons, however, are still committed deeply to destroying families and taking away civil rights.

One and the same.

[Bluenorthwest]

35. That seems to be how most see it

Why be rude, they only come after minorities they don't like with venom, lies and millions of dollars.

[mmonk]

37. Victories in such matters are more often won by letting

the ugly one be the ugly one.

[Bluenorthwest]

42. But your idea of victory is about 'one's moral position'

My idea of victory involves actual rights for my family. Bigotry is not acceptable. They knock and speak their minds, I do the same in return. Fair is fair. Pretending I am fine with their 'mission' would be to lie to them.

[mmonk]

43. No, not really, just a part of it.

Having lived through the civil rights movement concerning persons of color, the tide turned against those against the civil rights of others when society saw their moral failing and/or the ugliness of their position. I think the current struggle will be won the same way. The isolation of hate works the most effectively for the long term in society.

[Bluenorthwest]

45. You did not 'isolate' hate

you told hate thank you.

[mmonk]

48. I said to say "no thank you". "Thank you" is accepting.

[DaveinJapan]

39. Yup. You said it, brutha. nt

[NMMNG]

60. Indeed

Then they pretend they're the victims when anybody dare expose them for what they are and/or protest their actions.

[Missy Vixen]

52. We were polite

At least my husband was. He gave them both some candy, and asked them to leave. We'd already seen the neighbor kids. I didn't write back to this thread for most of the day because I was a) watching football, and b) spending some time with that same husband.

Here's my damage: Halloween is a time for small children in costume to approach our front door, say "trick or treat" and ask us for candy. We're happy to give them some candy. We're even happy to give a few cans of non-perishables to the local youth group, who makes the rounds once a year on behalf of the local food bank. What I truly object to, though, is any religious organization who thinks it's appropriate to come to my door on Halloween night and share their (unwanted) religion with us. It's inappropriate. I'm expecting to see little kids when I open the door that evening, not adults who think they know better than I do how I should be conducting my life.

Re: Prop 8 and the LDS church's role in it? They should be grateful I didn't answer the door.

We've tried polite with other faiths. They don't listen. It's happened repeatedly over the past ten years. I think the best thing to do is to buy the sign someone posted, put it up by our front door, and enjoy the ensuing fun.

I fail to understand why any religious organization would continue bothering those who've already made it clear they're not interested.

[TwilightGardener]

34. Jeez. Harsh. I've had them at the door, and simply told them I was

Catholic and never going to convert, thanked them, told them I had to run. Why be rude?

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TwilightGardener]

41. Ohh, a Catholic basher.

Well, I know just where to put you, then.

[Bluenorthwest]

44. RCC and LDS were in bed together and still are

organized against many of us here on DU. Both groups spent millions to strip us of rights, and to prevent our equal treatment under the law. It is not 'bashing' to say that the reason many of us speak our minds to these door knockers would not be shared by members of either church. And the moment a 'faith' is turned into a political action group, it no longer has the protections given to religion. They are to be treated the same as Republicans are treated, political people who oppose equality for minorities. No Scripture told them to organize against their neighbors, that was their idea. And they own it. LDS and RCC own it. Their money helped pay for attacks against my family. Who exactly is doing the bashing? Is any group organized and attempting to take your rights from you? Like RCC and LDS are doing to millions of Americans? Well? Are they?
If your faith is going to do a thing, you need to own that thing, and the results of that thing. You are part of a political organization that opposes equal treatment of my community. The cross and the silk robes does not mitigate that worldly politics of hate. Sorry, but they do not. Bigotry is as bigotry does. The RCC holds the weapon used against my people, red handed and with a form of sick pride, and yet you claim you have been 'bashed'? What rights have you lost? Which have even been threatened? None.

[piratefish08]

51. Philosophy is questions that may never be answered.

Religion is answers that may never be questioned.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Missy Vixen]

56. Let's see here.

The Jehovah's Witnesses came to the door a few years back after I was up all night finishing a work project. They pounded on our front door till I answered. I opened an upstairs window to see who was standing on our front porch. Here's how the conversation went:

Missy: May I help you?
JW: We'd like to talk with you about Jesus. May we come in?
Missy: Why were you pounding on my front door?
JW: We really need to talk with you.
Missy: Thank you, but no thank you. Please leave.
JW: May I ask what your religion is?
Missy: I am an agnostic. My husband is Jewish.
JW: (Loud gasps, horrified looks.) He's JEWISH? (Same tone of voice someone might use to question that another person was a Satanist, perhaps, or practiced ritual animal sacrifice.)
Missy: (Out of patience...) Yes. He's a big one. Please leave my property. Thank you.

Slams window, goes back to work...

:eyes:

[TwilightGardener]

82. And? Say no thanks, and close the window or door, and that's the end of it.

Telling a couple of missionary kids right up front that they'd better get off the property or you'll call the police seems excessive and unnecessary.

[pipi_k]

36. We were on the JW visiting list for a while

One of the neighbor ladies who lives down the hill is a JW, apparently, and very kindly (?) referred her buddies to us for conversion.

We used to get a couple of visits a year for oh, about 7 or 8 years. Repeated refusals to welcome them finally convinced them that it's a total waste of time to drive all the way out here over crappy dirt roads only to be turned away. We haven't seen them in a while, so I would imagine they've gone after easier prey.

[Ikonoklast]

59. I always ask the God-botherers that come to my door for their permit to solicit.

In my city, even the religious do-gooders need to register when going door-to-door. It's free, easy to get, and if you don't have a permit, you get cited.

Most don't bother to register, and the cops get a few easy bucks out of the citation.


We get more JW's around my place than Mormons; the Mormons usually just leave after being asked to, but the JW's can be real pains in the ass.

One those assholes actually opened my screen door to leave some literature after I yelled from the kitchen that I wasn't interested, please go away I was busy, and let one of my cats run out the door.


The cops had to explain to her what she did was wrong, and that she better hope I got my kitty back, in one piece.


Oh, and she got cited for not having registered as a solicitor with the city.

[brendan120678]

89. I actually have a problem with requiring permits...

for religious and political "solicitation." I don't care if they are free or not. There's something wrong with needing the government's permission to exercise one's First Amendment rights.

[gleaner]

64. Evangelists are a nuisance ...

and they bother everyone. I was raised as a Mormon many years ago and left the church when I was 15. It was not compatible with my views on much of anything. But going door to door is considered by Mormon men who want to enter the priesthood (which is made up of regular male church members) to be a part of their "mission." So you were not singled out. They do it to everyone. I am very fortunate to have a gate which locks off my yard. The evangelical church people can only stand outside. The gate is locked unless I am expecting someone, then I go and let them in. It is worth it for the peace of mind and absence of religious coercion or sales pitches.

My father ended the overtures from the Seventh Day Adventists though, without a gate. He asked them the first time they came not to come back. They ignored him. The second time he yelled a few of his better profane utterances. Still they returned. Finally he flung open the front door, grabbed one of them by the collar of his shirt and the seat of his pants and threw him as far across the yard as he could while yelling his very best profane utterances. They did not return, and word must have spread because we were not bothered that much except by the Mormons who came to see the family as church members. After I left the Mormon church no one but my immediate family would speak to me. I was completely shunned. It made me sad, but it only strengthened my resolve never to be a part of anything like that again, and I never have.

[LanternWaste]

67. I have people coming to my door attempting to share their unwelcome...

I have people coming to my door attempting to share their unwelcome proselytizing of politics (seems to happen about every two years, even worse on the four year cycle), selling girl-scout cookies, and trying to get me to purchase magazines. But I never threaten them with the cops and will not put a No Trespassing sign up, although I do enjoy quiet evenings alone.

[la_chupa]

70. I get sick of this crap too

They come by my house all the time. I've tried being respectful but they seem to see this as an "opening" so now I just turn the sprinklers on them.

[MurrayDelph]

71. I'm not sure what religion

the women who came to the house yesterday morning were selling. We live in what has become a predominantly-Spanish-speaking neighborhood in L.A., and I think they had expected someone of their own background to answer, not a lapsed Jew.

They got as far as saying something about "we are preaching," I said "Have a nice day," and closed the door.

They were lucky it was me, and not my wife (the ex-Lutheran), who has been known to chase Bible Thumpers off our property with a walking stick.

[Kansas Wyatt]

72. You didn't wait for them to say God put dinosaurs in the ground....

To give us fossil fuels for gas?

[seabeyond]

73. ah, just more rude to feed the world. i have a minute to smile, say hi and

chat with them. generally they run away when i talk about kindness, love, taking care of one another and how religion is preaching otherwise.

[marshall]

74. I shudder to think how the Avon lady/gentleman would be treated at your door

And I agree with another poster who said these likely were NOT Mormon missionaries. Tracting on a holiday and without a tie is a dead giveaway. You were punked by some neighborhood tricksters.

[Missy Vixen]

78. We've had the Avon lady at the door

We politely say, "No, thank you." I commented on repeated visits to our home, despite the fact we've told those who proselytize "thanks, but no thanks" several times previously.

I shudder to think of your ability to make snap judgments, and your lack of reading comprehension.

[marshall]

79. Getting a sign was a very good suggestion

Several of my friends in heavily trafficked neighborhoods like yours have signs that say (politely) that no solicitations of any kind are welcome.

It takes a great load off one's mind and lowers one's blood pressure.

[Arugula Latte]

87. What's the difference, though, between punksters and evangelical punks?

They're all annoying, and dealing in delusions, and trying to foist them off on stupid people.

[marshall]

90. The punksters are misreprsenting themselves

And ultimately their goal is to ridicule. The evangelizers, while arguably misguided, usually are quite vocal about who they are and what group they represent.

[Vickers]

86. I'm not very polite to them.

:eyes:

Fucking homophobes.

[bertman]

88. This thread just raised a question in my pointy little head: why is it that ANYONE feels

that it is okay to just walk up to a stranger's door uninvited and try to convert them? I guess it has something to do with a general acceptance of the missionary ethic of christian churches, but it still sucks.

This is on a par with the assholes who came up with the telemarketing idea. Those fuckers should be made to spend eternity answering their phones only to hear some barely understandable woman from India ask them if they would like to refinance at a lower rate.

:mad:

It's all invasion of privacy. Period.

[pipi_k]

93. That's how I feel about it too, but amazingly enough...

there are people out there who really do believe that they have a "right" to invade other people's privacy just because they have a telephone or a front door.

Even having an unpublished phone number offers no protection from them (unpublished, in my area, meaning that it's not in the book and can't be gotten from the operator...completely and totally private).

OK, I can kind of see where they would feel they have a right to put pamphlets under the windshield wipers of my car if it's in public. And I can even be persuaded to be somewhat charitable to people who accost me personally in a public place.

But my home...my telephone.

NO.

Same with door-to-door salesmen (if there are any left).

I told one door to door guy that if I want stuff I just go get it at the store. His reply to that was that I was "wrong"...that I shouldn't do it.

whaaaaaaaa??????

Get the hell out of my house!!!!

One great thing about having dogs (two GSDs) is that people don't tend to stick around long. Like they're thinking if they piss me off, I might release the hounds on them or something...

hee hee

:evilgrin:

[bertman]

100. After all, your property IS private property, so why shouldn't someone be required to

gain permission from you BEFORE coming to your door? That would make it a bit more complicated for the buttheads.

On the other hand, they'd probably call you first to get permission.

AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!

The dogs are a great idea.

My lab has a growl that will stop ANYBODY in their tracks. Especially if they don't know that she's all bluff and just a big softy. The good part is that she uses her greeting growl for ANYONE she does not know.

[marshall]

101. It wasn't allowed in the former Soviet countries, and isn't allowed now in Muslim countries

In some ways we might have too much freedom here. Certainly the Muslim housewife in her burka doesn't have to worry about missionaries coming to her door, anymore than the Communist family would.

[southernyankeebelle]

91. Funny you can see these religious people come a mile away. They

come usually in the summer time. I tell them right as they get out of the car that I already have a my faith and I am not looking for anyone else. Usually that will do it but sometimes with the Jehovah witness they get a little pushy than I tell them right to their face I don't believe in cults. That usually does it. If that doesn't work I offer them a beer or whine. That works everytime.

[Stevenmarc]

94. I usually just say sure come right in, I hope you don't mind gay porn

[Mrs. Overall]

95. Sometimes they have asked me if I need any yardwork or cleaning done--my, it is tempting

but I always tell them I respect their willingness to actually live what they believe, but that I don't share their particular belief system. And I send them away even though my yard needs to be raked and my garage is a total mess.

[winyanstaz]

96. If they were mormon they would have been wearing a tie, white shirt, black suit pants.

I resent the constant bother of many different "Christians" pounding on my door trying to shove their particular beliefs down my throat.
I have my own beliefs and I do not see where they have a right to pester everyone on the planet about theirs.
I have a sign up.."NO solicitors"...and still they knock.
I then ask them to give me some id with their name and address on it first..so I can come to their home and tell them about my religion and they always get mad and leave.

[ddeclue]

102. It's a bit much to call the cops on them...

You don't have to do that.

I would hate to have people calling the cops on me simply because I canvassed a neighborhood for a Democratic candidate. In fact I had a cop flip on his blue lights on me one time because I was canvassing for a state house candidate and he didn't think I belonged in the neighborhood. He got to see my driver's license, I got to get his badge number. He called dispatch - I called campaign HQ (the candidate actually) and apparently dispatch told him to back the F off cause he gave me back my license, turned off his lights and went away and left me alone to finish the street.

[Nikki Stone1]

104. See, for Halloween, you grab a same sex neighbor and start making out in front of the Mormons

at your door. That will REALLY scare them! :D

[martymar64]

105. I like to invite them in to convince them that there is no god.

A little missionary in reverse action!

[hobbit709]

108. I have a large sign on my front door

"IF YOU'RE HERE TO PREACH OR PRAY, THEN YOU BEST JUST GO AWAY!"
It's in Headhunter font-all the letters are made of bones.
http://www.searchfreefonts.com/free/headhunter.htm