Tormenting Jehovah's Witnesses.

[Hyena Dandy]

Now, this seems like an odd thing to hate. Jehovah's witnesses are, without a doubt, highly frustrating. And for quite a while, I also enjoyed coming up with new ways to mess with their heads.

However, I recently talked to some Jehovah's Witnesses when they came knocking. They'd clearly had a rough time, so I invited them in. And, at least with these particular ones, they didn't much care for going door to door any more than we enjoy being interrupted.

They sleep in cheap beds, and spend all day knocking on people's doors and, well, being creatively tormented. One of them started crying when talking about it, and it turns out, they don't always WANT to. Their religion obliges them to. Yes, they sincerely believe what they're doing is right, but that doesn't mean they LIKE it. As anyone who's ever gone door to door for anything can tell you, its not a fun time.

And particularly in such an anti-theistic area as this, they get a lot of flack for it, and people thinking its funny to pretend to be devil-worshippers or to try to freak them out. These guys had had a hard day.

After that, it puts a whole new perspective on the stories about how people try to 'weird out' the door-to-door conversioners. And it helped me realize that they're not really that different. They're doing what they feel they have to, but just like people in retail or any other job, they don't enjoy being fucked with. They don't 'have it coming to them' or something like that. They're just trying to get along. Even if you're gay/transgender/muslim/anything else, they might hate what you are, but they don't hate you. And maybe showing them a little kindness would help them realize you're not all bad, just like this helped me realize they're not all bad.

Of course I don't think door-to-door religion peddling is going to work. You can tell from my most recent thread in the religion forum, I think it does more harm than good.

So I know this is probably not going to be heeded, but I kind of feel like I have to say it anyway. Give these guys a break. After a long day on their feet, even if you don't embrace Christianity, let them come in, and just chat for a bit. Take them seriously. It'd really cheer the poor guys up. I may have my metrics off, but giving up maybe an hour or so of your time in exchange for helping out someone who's on the verge of a breakdown is a good thing.

[muses_nightmare]

Even if you're gay/transgender/muslim/anything else, they might hate what you are, but they don't hate you

In my opinion If they hate what you are, they hate who you are. Especially if it's something as important as sexuality or gender identification.

I don't think people should be screwing with them as much as they do. I'd just say no thank you and close the door, or something along those lines, and deposit any pamphlets in the garbage after they left, or refuse the pamphlets if they let me. That being said, they may feel like it's something they have to be doing, but it is still a choice, and they know it comes with certain disadvantages. I would personally never invite someone doing door to door conversions in to chat, but that's just me.

[aurelemsrealm]

I've had Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons come to my door before. I don't treat them rudely as long as they simply state the purpose of their visit, and accept my answer when I politely decline an extended conversation. If they want to leave literature for me to review at my leisure, I'm willing to give them that much consideration. I do generally read the literature out of curiosity, so I don't simply dump it once they're gone. Beyond that, I'll determine my own beliefs and interests. If I'm interested, I'll go check out their church for myself. I just don't like any semblance of pressure tactics, and the pushy ones quickly get the brunt of my temper.

I don't let them in the house, and don't really want to let them in. When I'm home, it's my time to get away from the rest of the world. I like my privacy, and would appreciate being left alone unless I or my wife has extended an invitation. They don't ask to come in because my dog usually answers the door as soon as anyone steps up to the porch. He often hears them before they have a chance to knock. I feel no inclination to call down 65 pounds of barking fury unless I was expecting a visitor, or said visitor is family, friend, or someone who has a standing invitation from me or my wife to drop by whenever. I always have things to do because I'm not the type to get bored, so there is really never a good time to just drop by without interrupting me. Even when I'm just having a lazy day, it's because I've set aside that chunk of my personal time to be lazy.

Same philosophy goes for salesmen, political canvassers, and other peddlers. I'm probably not interested, but won't be rude about it as long as they graciously accept my answer when I politely decline. If they want to leave some literature for me to review at my leisure, I MAY change my mind once I review said literature. If I've not already been considering whatever is being offered, I probably wasn't interested or had no use for it anyway.

[BlaqueKatt]

Give these guys a break. After a long day on their feet, even if you don't embrace Christianity, let them come in, and just chat for a bit.

hmmm considering the only time they come knocking on my door is when I'm home alone, I am NOT EVER STUPID ENOUGH to let total strangers into my house EVER PERIOD END OF STORY!!!!!!

How easy is it for anyone to get a couple watchtower magazines, a bible, and some nicer clothes?

Yeah no thanks, I'd rather not take the chance of allowing a rapist, murderer, home invasion, to happen by inviting a pair of TOTAL STRANGERS into my house(not all criminals are loners).
oh look-

For example, in 1995, in Philadelphia, four males posing as JWs gained the confidence of a young home-alone female, and robbed and assaulted her. 89 year-old Birmingham, Alabama man robbed in 2001 by a man posing as a JW, and the 77 year-old south Chicago woman robbed and murdered in 1994 by a 19 year-old female and a juvenile female who posed as Jehovah's Witnesses in order to gain entry into the elderly woman's apartment.

yeah I don't think so charlie....

[blas87]

Not too long ago, Sheriff (our neighborhood idiot) scared away all the door to door religion people. And I can honestly say, I'm glad he did it, and I'm not sorry they don't feel welcome back here.

They are annoying and intrusive. I don't care how bad they have it. Going door to door and bothering people is annoying. I don't care what you're pitching to me, I don't want to hear it.

[Gravekeeper]

Give these guys a break. After a long day on their feet, even if you don't embrace Christianity, let them come in, and just chat for a bit.

In a word? No. What they put up with is the direct result of their own actions. It's their own fault and their own responsibility. What they do is rude, disrespectful and in a way downright arrogant. Even if they don't see it that way. I have no sympathy.

That said, I don't torment them. I just don't answer the door.

I do, however, feel sorry for their children. I've had friends who were JW growing up and some of them force you to do this as a child. Go door to door that is. You have to put in x amount of "missionary" work. Even if you've just barely entered high school. The shame and embarrassment of it was brutal for them. If it was a friend or classmate that showed up at my door back then I would let them in to chat a while. But it wouldn't be about JW. It'd be just to let them have a break and hide from their elders so to speak so they could pretend they were putting in their time with the embarrassment/ridicule factor.

It really sucked for them, honestly, and I don't know a one that didn't flee the church the moment they graduated.

[blas87]

I agree GK. I wouldn't by any means advocate being an ass or messing with them, but no one is obligated to answer the door or oblige to their annoyances and ditties to "enlighten" you.

[telecom_goddess]

I really truly don't understand why anyone ever joins this so called religion. I don't see anything good about it....it's all just one big pain in the ass after another, and really what do they get out of trying to convert everyone on the planet?

[Lace Neil Singer]

A work collegue gave me a tip to stop JWs coming to your door; just put an "I give blood" sticker on the door or in the window. Problem solved.

I won't be rude if the JW responds reasonably to a "no thank you"; anyone who pushes after that will be told to get lost, just as any other door to door hawker will be.

[guywithashovel]

I rarely get these people, but if they did come around, I wouldn't be mean to them.

However, in my case, I could understand the temptation to say something a little snarky. After all, there is a "No Soliciting" sign outside the front door in plain sight, and I've read some comments online from JHs saying that those signs don't apply to them because "they aren't selling anything," even though taking a few minutes to look up the word "solicit" in the dictionary would dispel that argument.

Also, if they don't like doing this, then it would seem that their values are out of sync with their religion, which would suggest that maybe they're not in the right religion. I actually hear this line of reasoning quite a bit. Someone will be claiming membership in some group (usually a religious or political group) that is known for doing a certain thing (e.g. hating gays, pushing for inhumane/unconstitutional legislation), while at the same time claiming that they don't support that thing that the group is known for and getting angry with anyone who assumes they do that thing as if making that assumption is the craziest thing anyone could ever do.

If you belong to a group centered around certain beliefs and values, it's fair to assume that you have those beliefs and values. If you don't, then you probably don't belong in that group.

[protege]

In a word? No. What they put up with is the direct result of their own actions. It's their own fault and their own responsibility. What they do is rude, disrespectful and in a way downright arrogant. Even if they don't see it that way. I have no sympathy.

No sympathy for them here either. And I *do* have a "no soliciting" sign on my door. With that sign up there, I've already told the JWs (and the hippies, and almost anyone else wanting to pester me*) that they're not wanted on my property. By ignoring that sign, they're telling me "fuck you, we do what we want." They've already pissed me off, and I'm *not* going to be polite. Creating their own mess, in other words. The exception, would be the kids. I have no problem with someone wanting to sell hoagies (sub sandwiches...for those of you who don't speak Pittsburgese ), or school fundraisers. In those cases, I usually do buy something from them...mainly because the money raised is put towards trips or other items for their education.

But, one tree-hugger took the cake last year. Some of you know that my house has no steps up to the front porch. There's a big hole there right now. However, until the steps were completely gone, I had a pile of rubble. Not wanting someone to try to use the steps, I removed one of the railings, and wrapped the entire area with Caution tape. This guy, wanting another signature, couldn't be persuaded otherwise. He actually *climbed* over the pile...and proceeded to ring the doorbell. Seriously?

[Andara Bledin]

This guy, wanting another signature, couldn't be persuaded otherwise. He actually *climbed* over the pile...and proceeded to ring the doorbell. Seriously?

I've done a temp gig or three collecting signatures. It's a really shitty job and one you take because you're desperate. When you get paid based on signature count, every last one means something.

That said, I wasn't the douchebag climbing over rubble to annoy someone who already had a sign up letting me know they didn't want me there. Because I had enough brain power to know that annoying the piss out of your potential mark was a great way to not get what you want.

I've never been rude to anyone that's come to my door. There's just no reason for it.

^-.-^

[crashhelmet]

In a word? No. What they put up with is the direct result of their own actions. It's their own fault and their own responsibility. What they do is rude, disrespectful and in a way downright arrogant. Even if they don't see it that way. I have no sympathy.

This argument can be applied to so many other situations. This can be applied by people against having a Pride Parade in their neighborhood, regardless if it's race, gender, or sexuality based. This first part of this argument can be applied to justify SCs because people choose to work retail or in food service.

It's a horrible set of double-standards we have. We have to defend a person's right to purposely flaunt their sexuality in front of people that may or may not be offended, but if they flaunt their religion it's OK to grab the pitchforks and torches.

We need to be nice to the people that work in retail or food service, even if they screw up our order, but it's OK to be nasty to collections and telemarketers because they chose that job. They knew what they were getting into.

Getting back to the OP, how hard can it be for you to be civil towards them? There's no need to slam doors or yell at them or treat them in any way that you wouldn't want to be treated yourself.

Yes, some people don't like doing it. I never liked evangelizing, myself. If people have questions about my religious beliefs, I'll answer them. I don't force my beliefs on them. Hell, I never liked doing door-to-door sales for school fundraisers. Just because they don't like it doesn't mean their beliefs are waning or that they aren't good believers.

Just be civil and treat them as a fellow human. If they're pushy, be angry with that individual for being pushy. Not the position or the organization.

[Greenday]

I've never actually had to deal with one thank God. I have had to deal with pushy Christians outside my dorm before. They started asking me questions and then they asked me on a scale of 1 to 10, how good of a person did I think I am? I said 10. They were left speechless. Apparently no one ever answers 10. Suckers.

[Mishi]

I normally tell them "Thanks, but I'm happy with my current church" and politely close the door on their amazed expressions. I have told one off, but he asked for it. 30 or so year old man with a bad attitude, saying that whatever denomination I belong to is wrong and then having the gall to say that he, personally, was "discriminated against by the Nazis and put into a concentration camp"... Of course I'm going to tell him off! I can't remember exactly what I said, but he stammered, looked horrified and backed away from the door just before I slammed it.