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How do you deal with Door-knockers?

Whether they be Witnesses, Mormons, or another proselytizing religion, how do you deal with people coming to your door to spread their religion?
I just had my first experience since getting a place of my own and had a decent conversation through the crack in my door. After I told him I was an atheist he tried to use apologetics; when I told him I was familiar with his arguments and didn't find them convincing further explaining that I take a scientific route of belief and chose not to believe until there is evidence for a god. He understood and thanked me for explaining and listening to him and he left with a handshake. I was surprised at myself for how civil I was to him but how does everyone else usually respond?

Nicsnort 6 Oct 14
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783 comments

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3

nod smile and tell them i'll read whatever theyre offering, except most of the time i dont

the thrill is that i know im lying to them 😉

23

I bought a satanic-looking gargoyle and placed it in the window next to my front door. Never had a problem after that.

Or maybe this

I have actually thought of getting something like that.

I have a little concrete Buddah on my front doorstep, they still come!

3

No trespassing signs and beware of dogs, although mine are actually small, but they don't know that.

3

I often don't answer. We have "live reptiles" and "snakes present" signs on property as deterrents, which seem to be working. Occasionally, I will talk with them, getting their speech over as quickly as possible, taking the pamphlets.

Zster Level 8 Oct 14, 2017
4

Don't answer

4

I certainly aren,t civil to them at all.As an ex JW and an atheist now( also classed as an apostate by JWs)I have a sign on my door and on my letter box that says No Jehovah Witnesses!If by chance they did still grab me as I got in the car, I tell them F... off, I am an apostate.My daughter was molested by one of them in the cult as I call it, and it was kept within the church.She was one of many.To me JWs are just another brainwashing cult,and to cut my story short just use a sign on your post box or door, they won,t be back.As they usually do 6 weekly rounds in the hope that you may be at a low ebb e.g your wife died etc, and they get you when your down .

Sally Level 2 Oct 14, 2017
4

It's easy "thanks not interested have a nice day" shut the door.

3

If you give them the opening, they will try to preach as they feel conversion is their religious duty. What I do is simple - as soon as they start talking, I interrupt and say - "if this is about religion - thank you, but no thanks - have a good day" at that point I close the door - by not giving them the opportunity to talk they simply walk away and don't return - you don't have to tell them what you believe - its none of their business.

I understand your inclination to be polite and guard your own identity. Maybe as a gay man in my 60's and having lived out in the open all my life despite the hostility especially years ago I have learned that being direct is the better policy. Look at the gains gay people have made in the past 40 years. I think it is a result, not so much in changes to the law, but in changes to the gay community itself which has refused to live in the shadows an to be more militant in our demands for civil rights and justice. I think agnostics and atheists should do the same. Come out of the shadows and declare ourselves! Society will not only take notice but change for the better.

3

I had a sign on my door that said "No solicitors, especially religious." It worked.

3

I rarely ever have this happen. If I happen to see them coming, I don’t answer the door. If I’m caught off guard, I usually listen for a little bit but then tell them I’m not interested.

6

I invite them in if I have time, then I close the door behind them and block it. You see I am 6 foot 5 inches tall and about 250 pounds they aren't getting out unless I let them. Once the door closes then my fun begins. Very few ever come back.

Oh, that is hilarious!

5

Bought my first house last year, and now I'm living in a small city. Had a nice couple come to the door last summer with a flyer for a religious event they were holding. After a very brief explanation, they asked if I was interested, and I just smile and politely said, "no, thank you." They wanted me to to take their flyer anyway, so I did. I seem to have always imagined that I'd be more clever or bold in a situation like this, but I kinda blew it.

I was sitting in the living room yesterday when I noticed a man leaving my porch. I was reading, and didn't notice him approach the door. He didn't knock. I assume he tried the doorbell which doesn't work, and left when I didn't answer. I watched as he and a younger man went to the two houses across the street. No one was home there either. When they were safely gone, I checked the porch to see if they'd left literature, and there was a postcard sized ad in my screen door handle. It was a local politician running for city council. Kinda bummed, because after looking him up, I kinda wished I'd been able to talk to him.

Better have your doorbell fixed, asap. Mr. Postman always rings twice.

6

I used to be cordial and invite people in but it became uncomfortable getting rid of them so I resorted to quickly saying I wasn't interested and when asked why not simply replied that I didn't want to talk about it. I used to live a short distance from a mormon temple and would on occasion get a missionary come by to try to convert me that I thought I got good at rejecting but one day when the bell rung when I opened the door to see five young girls well three young girls in their teens and two young girls about 10 or 12 maybe younger standing there all dressed in their sunday best all holding their bibles smiling and grinning at me in anticipation I burst out in uncontrolled laughter. I felt so badly for them and still do to this day for having humiliated and rejected at such a young age by my heathen pagan self such hopeful, willing souls to bring the heathens to god.. It was all I could do to just say I'm sorry and quickly and quietly close the door. I was so ashamed but still giggling gleefully. So I guess laughing in their faces works. It'd be hella funny to someday somehow hear the horror story of one of their first attempts at missionary work and this asian dude laughed us off his porch. So there ya have it. Hope ya learned something or were at least entertained. It's all true!! LMAO

SamL Level 7 Oct 15, 2017

I'll drink to that

3

Laugh and close the door.

3

My Dog keeps them away from the Door, if they show the nuts to come into the yard it takes only one look at my look and they go away!

6

I've always been cordial. I say no thank you, I'm an athiest and they just go oooh ok bye. Lol

4

I used to pretend to be civil but it only encourages them. I used to be more tolerant of religious people and their beliefs. But I look at the world and the harm inflicted by religion and see no reason to be polite. We are in the midst of a cultural war between the intolerance of belief and the rise of secular humanism and rational thought. As a gay man I have borne the brunt of religion attempting to influence our supposedly secular civil government. "Family values" and "Defense of Marriage" are used as weapons in an attempt to infringe upon the civil rights of those of us who do not buy into their narrative. Tax free donations to religious organizations are used to initiate bigoted ballot referendums and our military is used to impose cultural imperialism on other nations spurred on by religious wing nuts who lobby those sympathetic to their cause in Congress and even state legislatures. I now lay in wait for anyone foolish enough to knock on my door with their idiotic babble and bible tracts. I shut them down as quickly as possible, tell them to get off the property and have even been known to chase them down the street hurling epithets. Just recently two women came to my door with two children in tow. I angrily accused them of child abuse and when they hesitated to leave I chased them to the curb with a rolled up newspaper held menacingly in my hand. One woman was in tears. Good! I'm sure I made no converts but neither did they and the fracas drew attention from my neighbors several of whom later congratulated me tired of the annoyance of these people knocking on their doors. The world is embroiled in numerous wars all of which have some religious component to them. Christians, in particular, are responsible for millions of deaths in recent times in their endless Crusades against the non-believers and even violently quarrel amongst themselves as in Northern Ireland. The US military is in the forefront of these Crusades and I resent their activities carried out in my name. Just come to my door with your nonsense. Make my day!

That's a very, very thorough observation of the world we live it. Very Admirable.

5

Politely tell them you are not interested.

3

I simply say in my best Ruth Gordon impersonation, we belong to The First Church of Satan..come on in...!

LOL

6

I have this little notice posted on my front door:

Never Mind The Dog . . . BEWARE OF THE OWNER

4

I just let my 2 mastiffs answer the door. That takes care of it.

ho-ho-ho! must be some mastiffs

3

I live on an acreage. I have 2 big German shepherds and a sign on the gate that says " Please close gate - Dogs loose in yard". Once the JW's came and were "pinned" to their car - not allowed to get back in or step away from it until I came around to the parking area. I told them they should leave and never come back. They haven't.

I surely hope your Shepherds have a regular medical check-up.

Neil Young, formerly of the folk/rock group CSN & Y have a nice song about Alberta titled "Four Strong Winds" he says "weather's good there in the fall." Must really be a photographer's paradise there right now with all the colors of autumn.

If I ever get a chance to choose my place for retirement Canada is on top of my list

2

I close the door. I figure that makes my position clear. I treat them the same way I treat cable salespeople.

2

Take their pamphlet. Tell them you are very busy and need to get back to work, then politely shut to door on them.

BD66 Level 8 Oct 17, 2017
4

this all depends on the mood I am in and the available time I have

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