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

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

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

By all means please come in I welcome the opportunity to explain why I am an atheist .

As a former 20 year door knocker, I should warn you that if you engage with them, your address will be noted as a person of good will. The visits will then multiply. Also, you can't change their minds and they attend weekly ministry school to learn how to overcome objections. You best response is to politely say " No thank you, I'm not interested". Do not offer more information or they will feel engaged. Gently close the door. I only say "gently" because slamming the door is aggressive and hurts their feelings, which isn't necessary.

Answer the door and be cordial. Then, for no explained reason, look up in the air and talk to your dead mother like she is bugging you about something. then go back to their conversation. Mom, may interrupt again. Talk to her. by the third time, they usually leave shaking.

When they ask if I can spare a minute to talk about their Lord and savior Jesus Christ, I invite them in and say, "Sure, I'm happy to help. What is it you'd like to know?"

I ask door knockers "what exactly do the churches do with the cash donations they receive? because people are still homeless and children are still starving"

If I have time, I sometime will invite them (it seems always more than one) in for coffee and tea and have a little discussion. If I feel like being mischievious, invite them for a gay orgy next weekend, that usually will ensure their quick exit. Hahaha!

I like to invite them in, as they generally are nice people. I promise to read all the pamphlets and books they want to give me, if they promise to read the books I give them and we have equal time for discussion. I am just as nice to them, but don't even invite me to bible study and they never come back.

I talk through the door and tell them to get off my property ASAP. or I'll call the police, and don't come back.

Politely, but firmly.

I try to be polite, but firm. I tell them I am not a believer, and I'm not interested in discussing it. I actually had a woman ask, "Do you mind telling me what happened to you to make you not believe in God?" Believers truly are convinced that non-believers are somehow damaged.

First and for most the respect for another human being. then i tell them that if there was any god, they wouldn't be at my door to tell me about it. That i do respect their right to belief, but i do not respect their ideas...

I tell them "no thank you, I'm a practicing Witch and a feminist. Blessed be." And nicely shut the door.

I'm polite. I say that my household has exactly the right number of gods required and wish them a good day.

I tell them no soliciting. Then, I usually have to explain that they are trying to sell me a fairy tale. If they are still talking, then I'll tell them to have a nice day while I close the door.

Avoidance.

I once made a Jehovah witness cry. It wasn't intentional, I wasn't even being mean. I was rational and never lost my temper. I think he simply believed that his arguments would be so compelling that I would change. I'd also like to believe that he found my arguments more compelling than he liked, but who knows.

If you are educated at all in apologetics arguing with a door-to-door missionary isn't difficult at all. It's actually depressingly simple. Hell, the Mormons send their kids out.

I don’t have many as I live far out in the country, but the last time I had some Christian ladies stop by and invite me to their church, I was very polite. I told them thanks for the invite, but I’m an atheist. They looked at me like I had just said I eat babies, so I shut the door in their horrified faces and that was that.

Door knockers soon disappear. I spend most of my day when at home without clothes so when I answer the door in a hastily fastened dressing gown..... they just meekly accept my general unwelcoming stance.

witnesses, tell them no , I am atheist and eat babies but only with catsup.

Depends on who it is. I actually like the mormons, I've had some some really interesting intelligent conversations with them, and always invite them in for coffee. The jehovahs witnesses on the other hand, irk me beyond patience. Those are the ones I deliberately frighten or offend in the most creative and amusing way I can think of at the moment. An ex brother in law had one that came to his door every morning at breakfast time, one day he just answered the door nude, and she never came back.

I think they gave up coming here ! But I used to be always polite and smiling, and told them I was glad they have found a belief system that works for them - however that it is very different than mine. End of discussion.

the one and only time I had them come to my door, I was on the treadmill in the bedroom, and I could clearly see them, and they could clearly see me too, I just kept walking on the treadmill, looking at them, they finally left, pretty boring story, but I have a friend who happened to be moving some heavy furniture into his apartment, he asked them to help him carry everything up the stairs and they did, he said they were real nice guys!