Thanks but leave me alone...

[Vagabound]

... then I'll see these JW kids walking around in suits all smiles and hellos... I can't help but wonder if they've got the better idea ...

I think yours is an excellent observation, and a question worth thinking about. In my opinion, and on the so-called negative side, some sizable portion of that observable result can be explained by sustained delusion, in the absence of contrary information.

On the other side, giving credit where credit is due, we're also seeing the impact of the old adage -- it takes a village to raise a child. In this case, what I mean is that they have a  supportive environment with a unified theme in which most or all of the adults (role models) are participating.  

If you just extract those qualities,  absent religion or anything similar, I think you'd see very similar results anywhere.  As it turns out, in what we call regular society, we don't have anything like a unified theme and we certainly don't have all of the adults supporting anything positive. In the absence of that, "regular" teens go looking for their own system with predictable and often drastically different results.

And in conclusion, that's why I think everyone in this thread who doesn't like to be bugged by strangers is exactly right. ;-)

Tom

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Touching on what Brad and Vagabound are discussing. They do have an excellent support system inside the cloak of the church. The cabinet shop I worked for, the owner's wife was a J.W as well as the foreman. If anyone fell on hard times they were all there to lend a hand with whatever they needed. You got sick and were out of work, the members would cover your mortgage, can't feed your kids, food was delivered, need a job, another one would hire you etc. I found that aspect of the religion admirable, but the rest of their beliefs I could leave at the front door.

 

[Gunny]

A friend of mine is Mormon, the white shirted 'Missionaries' are doing a two year stint as part of their becoming members. I was approached by two while visiting my friend (ex-neighbor) and they were pleasant but too persistent for my tastes. They wanted to sit and visit and show me the light. I invited them to go to lunch with my friend and I, they accepted.

I am not particularly religious, and sure don't share my beliefs with others but I did find their enthusiasm interesting in this day when young people seem to be a bit aimless.

It doesn't bother me to answer the door and explain nicely I am not interested. I've never had a pushy one.

Funny thing; My 2nd wife became a Jehovahs witness and she and my ex step-daughter and two others showed up on my doorstep years ago. Shortest conversion attempt on record. Not a word was said to me, just my ex saying lets go.

I don't let a two minute interruption of my day to be anything to bother me. Bigger fish to fry and worry about. But that's just MHO. Rob

 

[ColdBrook]

It used to be super simple, I could just say "I'm Catholic" and they'd bolt.  They knew there was no reason to start a conversation... now they look at it as a challenge.  I'm no longer Catholic but can still throw around "deuterocanonical" speech and confuse em.

Exactly what I always used to say.  Only time it didn't work was once when I was home alone, in the country, and very pregnant.  I opened side door of house (the one friends would come too), and found two people, one a little old white haired lady.  I said I am Catholic so please leave, when I tried to shut the door the old lady had stuck her foot into it.  She thought naturally no one would hurt a little old frail looking white haired lady-wrong!  I told her to immediately remove her foot or I would slam the door on it.   She removed it.
Actually I had learned to be forceful with them because every year the LDS church has a week long convention(or whatever they called it)  a few blocks from us when we lived in a city.  That whole week they canvased the city repeatedly, again and again they came to our door because they had to fill their required quota.  No offence but any church that does that is manipulative and nothing I want to be involved in.  Plus you can only listen to their line of .... so many times in one lifetime. So I am no longer as polite, if they don't leave immediately after one polite request.  Guess as I got older I learned I don't have to be sweet all the time.

 

[Gadget728]

"Without religion, we'd have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." Stephen Weinburg

"Faith is believing in that which I know ain't so." - Mark Twain

"The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." Robert Green Ingersoll

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Gandhi

and finally:
Religion is like a penis. It's fine to have one and it's fine to be proud of it, but please don't whip it out in public and start waving it around... and PLEASE don't try to shove it down my child's throat.

 

[TxLady]

My husband worked for many years with a father and son who were JW. The son worked directly for my husband and considered him a second father. My husband once discovered the son viewing inappropriate material on his computer. They are normal people in most respects. Of course they tried to convince my husband that only the selected 144,000 were going to be saved on judgement day and they wanted him to be saved. We attended the son's wedding years ago and it is very serious business, counseling witnessed by the guests and congregation is part of the ceremony. There is no divorce in that community; I believe wedding anniversaries are the only special occasion they celebrate. No birthdays, no Christmas and certainly no Halloween! But yes it's bothersome when they approach your home and try to impose their beliefs on you. The response we would give depends on the degree of pushiness of the visitors.

 

[Ticklebellly]

Just plain selfish, these people. They are not doing it for my benefit. In slightly different words, they get brownie points from the elders depending on how many they annoyed that day. If they are not being source of aggravation for me, then someone else gets it. If you put it to them - "you only have to say no thanks" or "put a sign on the front gate". No, fool, I don't want you here in the first place. I don't get that you don't get that I don't have to do anything to protect me from your aggressive approach. So, get some manners and wait for me to call you. I think I have sufficiently disclosed my attitude to the cold caller Religious types.

 

[GotSmart]

Why does this thread remind me of this...

Just waitin for another traveling salesman.  

 

[johnny b]

Here's a good sign for the door:



:idea:

 

[Nelda]

Every time I drive by your van at the library, I want to stop by and just say hello. One of these days, I will!

 

[flying kurbmaster]

they knocked on my door the other day and when i answered
 i had camo pants, charles manson t shirt & a Trump hat

some people you just can't save 

this is funny.
I don't see the JW as any different then any other faith. I have always found them to be polite. I worked for some JWs, some Mormons as well as closed Brethrens , they were all very nice and always respectful, even if I did not believe their shtick, some became my friends. On the other hand I would be very worried if I had someone show up at my door with a Trump hat. Some faiths promote themselves with integrity others are just vulgar.

 

[LeeRevell]

While on my Navy ship, we had a young squid in my shop who got ensnared by the 7th Day Adventist crowd. He destroyed his music cassettes, his books, and started having home troubles. His wife was about to leave with their baby, he was about to end his enlistment with no job prospects on the outside. His life was nearly ruined.
So, time for an "intervention" by his buddies...
We took him out and got him drunk, and really talked with him.
It worked. He quit that church, got back good with his wife, and reupped, eventually becoming a recruiter back home in NYC.

I am not irreligious, but I do absolutely oppose all major organized religion. It's the people, not the core beliefs I object to. My relationship with God is between me and him.

I an polite to those True Believers who come to my door, but I do send them on down the road.

 

[TrainChaser]

gsfish: "I've got to find a "No Soliciting" sign."

I have one. They apparently think it doesn't apply to them, just like the Do Not Call list -- beggars and politicians don't count.

What I've never understood about JWs: If only 144,000 will be the Chosen Ones, doesn't gathering more members into the fold reduce your own chances of getting into that top group?

 

[USExplorer]

So many offended people here; I thought vandwellers to be more open-minded than most other types. I don't mind the evangelizers, often have long and interesting conversations with them. In a society where many people are oblivious to the world around them or scared of strangers, it is great to meet with those who are willing to have a meaningful conversation. I don't accept their literature, though.

 

[Queen]

So many offended people here; I thought vandwellers to be more open-minded than most other types. I don't mind the evangelizers, often have long and interesting conversations with them. In a society where many people are oblivious to the world around them or scared of strangers, it is great to meet with those who are willing to have a meaningful conversation. I don't accept their literature, though.

You're making judgements that people are offended and not open minded.  If you don't mind door knockers, yay you, but don't assume to understand why others may not.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

This thread is bringing up lots of memories. I've also worked for people of all religions back when I was doing construction and cabinet making. Most would introduce you to their religion and if you didn't bite, they'd leave it be. I can certainly respect that. However, the pushiest guy I ever came across was a member of the Freemasons for which he was one of the higher ups at the local lodge. I built a deck for him that took about a week and he badgered me every day to give it a try. Told me about the weird initiation ceremony i'd have to go through, but wouldn't give exact details. Even months after the job, he would still contact me about it.. Finally had to be not so nice it letting him know it was time to move on.

 

[wayne49]

gsfish:  "I've got to find a "No Soliciting" sign."

I have one.  They apparently think it doesn't apply to them, just like the Do Not Call list -- beggars and politicians don't count.

What I've never understood about JWs:  If only 144,000 will be the Chosen Ones, doesn't gathering more members into the fold reduce your own chances of getting into that top group?

This would be my conversation with JWs. How many active members are in JW? Do you think you are one of the 144,000? When will you find out?

 

[BC Guy]

I found that it only took one "No Trespassing" sign to get the JW's to stop coming to my door, but it took two to stop the Mormons.

 

[jonthebru]

So many offended people here; I thought vandwellers to be more open-minded than most other types. I don't mind the evangelizers, often have long and interesting conversations with them. In a society where many people are oblivious to the world around them or scared of strangers, it is great to meet with those who are willing to have a meaningful conversation. I don't accept their literature, though.

It's harassment, plain and simple. Their thing is to proselytize by showing up in your space and pushing their faith. They are trained to take the rejection, it actually fulfills their mission. It has happened our whole life and people are tired of it. Open minded or not, folks are tired of it.

I had a JW person as a room mate once I told him to never, ever bring his pitch home. He would go out every Saturday and bring his mentor, a nice older gentleman, home for a break before the day ended. I never had any problem with him at all. You just have to lay down the law.
You can't let it get to an us vs them discussion, that is exactly what they want. You must nip it at the bud immediately.

 

[jonthebru]

A little off topic but a good little story.

A guy I worked with a decade ago lived in the middle of nowhere surrounded by Mennonite Farming families. Jeff also had a pretty bad drag racing truck. He told me that for what ever reason going to the races was off limits for the Mennonite community but "When I fire up the truck, by the time I'm ready to make a couple tuning runs down the road I've got two or three trucks of men and boys by the roadside to watch me." Must be a bummer, needing to sneak to get a little fun. He got to consider it as sort of a community service.

Guy

Good story. A sort of guilty pleasure.