What makes them think they should do this?

[Gayle]

Well, Less, what happened was - I got a grant to see why some people of Hyndburn rejected all faiths, the project involves people from as many different faiths as possible coming round to the houses of people who have expressed an indifference to faith and finding out why. Over the next few months you will be visited by someone representing all major faiths and a few of the minor ones to find out why you are like you are! I'm not expecting this project to draw any conclusions.

[grannyclaret]

We had them knocking on our door last saturday at 9 30 in the morning,,,,, what time do they start..
They got the short shrift... i have better things to do at that time of day...

[cashman]

sorry aint in agreement with this Gayle, what you are saying to us is you got a grant for people to PESTER, people who are indifferant and DO NOT want pestering. this to me is just a waste of grant money.















[/QUOTE]

[MargaretR]

I totally and absolutely agree - dont DARE to knock on my door!!!

[Eric]

We get the JWs all the time. Don't have a problem talking to them. They really believe in what they are doing, and are no doubt motivated by faith. Hell, they are my neighbours (in the sense that they are from my home town) so I invite them in, tell them to take a load off and give them a cup of coffee.

By the way, I don't extend the same courtesy to politicians after votes as I believe they are peddling an inferior product.

[cherokee]

well when ever i get them i simply say to them sorry no thanks. dont go any further as you,ll bee wasting your time and i wouldnt want to slam the door in your face , but goodbye..and at that they usually leave..

[mani]

just tell em ur a recently converted muslim etc

make your area into a predominantly "muslim" area and watch them go

i dont think i've had anyone knockin on my door for a few yrs now...

i used to love reading their literature on how everything was going to be perfect etc and the way the black kids used to be holding hands with the white kids as they skipped past a tiger who was being patted on the head by a chinese girl

[SPUGGIE J]

Aint had any for many moons but then we have secure access to the close so they cant get in. Why dont they have a list of people that have been visited but are happy as they are?

[garinda]

I find using the farmer's old trick of hanging moles on the fence, to deter others from coming, seems to help.

[Less]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

If our missionaries call on you and you don't want them to call again simply tell them so and they should respect your wishes. They should also make a note of that for future reference so that when they leave and new ones come along they know not to bother you. If you are being pestered by the same guys when you have previously told them not to call again then you are perfectly justified in making a complaint about it. You'll know if they are our lot because they have little black plastic name tags with the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on and their own name "Elder Somebody-or-other" underneath. Sometimes they can be a little over enthusiastic but they should never make a nuisance of themselves.

Willow, I don't want anybody from any, religious group at all calling at my house unless invited, I think it is extremely rude and very bad manners to intrude where you are not wanted.

I hope that you and your fellow 'Christians' will go in peace anywhere except onto my doorstep where they are not only unwelcome but likely to be told so in very short terms to go away.

Please don't tell me it is your 'calling' or your 'duty' to attempt to convert me to the paths of righteousness and I in return won't call such people for being the hypocrites I believe them to be.

Cashman=sorry aint in agreement with this Gayle, what you are saying to us is you got a grant for people to PESTER, people who are indifferant and DO NOT want pestering. this to me is just a waste of grant money.

I think Cashy you will find Gayle was attempting humour with her post.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Less

Willow, I don't want anybody from any, religious group at all calling at my house unless invited, I think it is extremely rude and very bad manners to intrude where you are not wanted.

I hope that you and your fellow 'Christians' will go in peace anywhere except onto my doorstep where they are not only unwelcome but likely to be told so in very short terms to go away.

Please don't tell me it is your 'calling' or your 'duty' to attempt to convert me to the paths of righteousness and I in return won't call such people for being the hypocrites I believe them to be.




I think Cashy you will find Gayle was attempting humour with her post.

fair enough, but if not i stand by my comment.

[garinda]

I respect people's faith, and their need to spread what they see as the truth, but I think all unsolicited calling should be outlawed. If people wanted to reach people they could do it in busy public places, such as shopping centres.

This would probably greatly benefit elderly or disabled people, who may struggle to answer the ding-dong ding-dong, or indeed people on nights, who may not take to kindly to having their peace disturbed.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by Less

Please don't tell me it is your 'calling' or your 'duty' to attempt to convert me to the paths of righteousness and I in return won't call such people for being the hypocrites I believe them to be.

Seriously Less, why do you believe them to be hypocrites? Our missionaries believe 100% in what they are telling people. They don't get anything out of it personally. They serve for 2 years, do so voluntarily and finance themselves. They are not paid a penny for it and most of them have been saving a 'mission fund' from Saturday jobs and holiday jobs for ages before they go. Some get help from parents or other members of their family and in some cases other members of the church donate to help. This just pays for their keep (food and shoe leather) whilst they are on their mission.

So why do they do it? Well we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to hear the gospel even if they choose to reject it. At least then they can't complain that they missed out on something because nobody told them.

Imagine if you lived at the bottom of a valley and further up the hillside a dam was about to burst - the people who lived near it saw it and moved away but didn't bother telling people further down the valley so when the damn burst the waters flooded down and their houses were destroyed and the people drowned whilst those from up the valley looked on from higher ground saying "They should have moved out." Maybe they would have moved out if they'd known. Maybe they'd have told the warning visitors to clear off and stop pestering them - but at least they'd have had the opportunity. This is why they do it.

Actually they much prefer not to go 'cold calling' or 'tracting' as it is referred to within the church and would prefer to be referred to people who genuinely want to know what they have to say so they are chuffed to little mint balls when any of the members have friends who ask questions who they can then go and talk to by invitation.

Yes, I agree with Garinda that street meetings are far less intrusive into people's personal lives and maybe with leaflet handouts that give people a contact number if they want to know more - we've done that in the past but I think it tends to be the council that doesn't go a whole hog on the idea.

In truth every member of the church should be a missionary and talk to everyone they know about the church so I suppose I let the side down because I don't do that - but then again I also appreciate how frustrating it must be for someone who doesn't want to know as I have the same problem with Jehovah's Witnesses who try to convert me. So I will happily answer anyone's queries about Mormons but I'm not into pushing my religion onto anyone else without them asking.

You may occasionally get a lad who has been 'pushed' into serving a mission by his enthusiastic family but those are few and far between and can be spotted a mile off.

[jambutty]

There’s no need to be rude.

A simple, “I’m not interested” and a firm closing of the door before they have a chance to reply does it for me.

The same goes for tele surveys except I put the phone down.

[garinda]

'I'm not interested...thank you'

would be even more polite.