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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 (526 - 550)

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1

Answer naked.

1

They regularly invade my neighborhood with flyers. It’s quite annoying. Recently some religious coworkers at my job filed a claim that I was “threatening to ‘bomb’ the tattoo policymaker for making me cover my tattoos at work” ... As silly as that sounds, they literally got the police banging on my door as loud as door-knockers themselves. Eventually this will all get sorted out as I have nothing to hide from law enforcement, let alone investigators of alleged terrorists, and the police were very friendly and said I was cool. I figure it takes one to know one in this case, as far as people whose “sincerely held religious belief” causes them to hate and assume all of us LGBTQ people are “taking to the terroristic,” and I definitely have to say, a number of mornings I open my front door in my apartment complex and despite the “no soliciting” bylaws in effect in my complex, it feels like a “bomb” went off with all the flyers littered everywhere! Some of the “fallout” always makes it to my doorknob! XD I think it’s hillarious actually. I honestly tend to just ridicule those aggressive superstitious losers with Gay Satanic imagery. 😉

2

This past summer I was out in my yard planting flowers and I saw 2 man walking down the street, going door to door. My brother was sitting on the porch talking to me when I said " Oh god I don't want to deal with them right now." My brother just sat there. I'm sweaty covered in dirt and they walked up to me and handed me a flier, asking me if I would be attending church that weekend. I clearly looked annoyed but took the flier and throw it on the porch. I politely said I would be busy that day but thanks anyway and continued digging in the dirt. They kept on talking about the service and now wonderful it was and that I should bring the kids. I was totally ignoring them when my brother piped in. He said " Two women came by the other day asking us to come too." One of the men said " Were they from (whatever) Baptist church? My brother said, " yes, same flier". The men looked at each other and said, " I guess Sue and Betty already did this street". They walked away with out going to any more houses, got in a car and drove off. I laughed so hard I had to sit down. My brother not only saved me but the rest of our neighbors, lol.

2

I would have to agree, answering the door nude usually does the trick.

1

We have a glass door, so I can see if its an adult or a child/adult. If its the latter, I open the door and politely but firmly say no. I don't care to hear your spiel. If its an adult, then I'm more.. brusk.. open the door and if I see a bible/religious item, its a very firm NO and the door closes. if its salesperson (cable tv), you've got .005 seconds before the NO comes out. I look at uniform/logos, etc.

5

I tell door-knockers that my husband doesn't allow me to talk to people at the door. I am not married and I am the master of my domain, but this always gets the religious solicitors to leave quietly, since they approve of women's subjugation to men.

2

Tell them I am an atheist and tell them about websites they should follow such as the Atheist experience, Science Today, etc.

1

Depending on how I'm feeling and how early it is.

  1. Look through the peep whole and don't answer.
  2. Answer with sword behind back.
  3. Always wanted to answer naked just to see their reaction.
  4. If I answer and they go off about going to hell I tell them go sell hate banter someplace else.
Tess Level 3 Dec 14, 2017
2

Bloody butchers apron......lol

1

I have a video doorbell, was able to communicate from work and the most recent was a pair from the witness watchtower nonsense. I enthusiastically told them through the doorbell that atheists live here and wished them luck in their recruiting.

1

I answer the door In a towel, and I tell them I'm in a hurry, and if they want to talk, they'll have to come in and take a bath with me.

17

Apparently I'm not as nice as you. I tell them that I worship god by having sex. Then I ask them to come into the bedroom to pray. They usually reach their car before their own shadow.

I wish I had thought of this reply! Mind if I use it? Lol

haha

Hahaha good one!

1

Generally I'm pretty kind. I politely decline their offer. Once in a great while, if I'm bored, I let them in and either a) act like I'm totally in to what they are offering "I'm a convert! Hallelujah!" or b) totally debunk their ridiculous arguments (I'm a seminary grad and know the bible pretty well). But I have to be in the mood, and usually they are not impressed. I'm sure they get it all and are only doing it, not because they believe it themselves, but because it's "what you do" if you are a _____ (fill in the blank).

1

I tell them what I believe is none of their business.

1

I tell them, I do not believe, they ask, "what do you believe in, I reply, "privacy', as I slam the door

1

Kindly, but I tell them to not waste either of our time... true I usually have to repeat more firmly ????

2

Answer the door with a smile and tell them I am an athesist and to have a great gosh darn day... Also I tell them that if they are looking for jesus I hear you can find him in prison.

1

I'd say, Hello, I am a long-time bible student and I have studied seriously and discovered that Jesus isn't real.

1

I usually chase them out of my neighborhood. I don't want those assholes anywhere near my kids.

1

I invite them in and ask questions until they stop having answers.

1

I meet them at the door with Roger Penrose's excellent book on M theory and the multiverse titled " The road to Reality" and challenge them to a comparison of their book to mine.....They usually take one look at the math involved in understanding M theory and leave without further comment! If that doesn't work I ask them to explain cancer in the light of an all loving god and introduce them to my wife, a 8 year survivor of Pancreatic cancer who was cured not by prayer but by cutting edge science! I then show them the paper we wrote on her treatment that was published in 2016 and ask them to explain why if god was so protective of his followers, my atheist wife survived while several others we knew who were devout and prayed for survival right to the end simply died! The knockers cannot effectively do their task.....people who don't believe because they have thought it out, cannot be swayed by their superficial intellect so they are wasting their time and ours in the pursuit of making themselves feel holy. I think they are the ones that begin conversion with their visit but I don't seek them out they subject themselves to my assault on their superstition and I try to be fully effective! I wonder how many of them actually think about the disquieting things they found at my door?

great story about your wife's survival. awful disease

Yep but she is tough and beat it!

1

I have always really enjoyed sharing my experience strength and hope with the Mormons. I live in Idaho so there are plenty of opportunities to do that. I never let them in I will always meet with them outside my front door.
Since my beliefs are very personal to me it is easy for me to share them with others. I don't try to change Minds. And I never ever ever get into philosophical discussions about their religion and the differences we have. I just share my experience strength and hope. Not having an agenda and having pure motives really help as well. As far as the Jehovah's Witnesses that show up they don't really have a desire to talk to me they just want to share the good news. They're going to heaven and I'm going to hell...

emjai Level 3 Dec 10, 2017
1

I give them about 10 seconds to make sure it is not the Post....then I just shut the door in their face and give them no reaction in a bad or good way. I have been known to say that I just feel sorry for them and once or twice I have asked them if they believe in the Bible and if they say yes I challenge them in a bible quoting contest from memory and I have yet to lose.
Peace to everyone here.

1

I tell them I am not interested, thank them for coming by & door.

1

If I'm in a contrary mood, I answer the door naked. They never return. Problem solved. I have enough interruptions without useless conversations.

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