How to handle the door knockers

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Someone rang my doorbell and knocked on my door this morning. I didn’t even get up to see who it was. Everyone who knows me knows that I don’t use my front door.

I’ve only see JWs in my neighborhood once or twice in the past 10 years. One really hot day last summer I saw the Mormon missionaries riding a couple of blocks from my house. I stopped and asked them if they needed some water b/c of the heat. They thanked me and said no. I have no idea if they ever made it to my house.

In today’s world it is just not safe to open your door for those we don’t know. It’s also not safe for those knocking on the doors.
 
I’ll usually let them in and listen to them for a bit, then I’ll ask them questions which they usually don’t have the answers for. Then I witness to them a bit. 😉
 
I admire people who have the courage to approach perfect strangers and talk about their convictions. Usually I tell callers that, and point out that I am an unbeliever and that they are most unlikely to make any progress with me, but that I am often effective in getting people, even JWs, to question their own beliefs. Usually they don’t believe me, but invariably end up telling me they will have to ask their elders(?) and get back to me on the points I have raised. Once or twice they have. I always ask them in for a cup of something but they always decline. I’m always a bit shocked at JWs’ very low level of understanding of evolution, despite their interest in the subject. I never get visits from the local Catholic parish, much to my disappointment, as I feel I have picked up a few things over the years on CAF! 🙂
 
Hokomai said:
I admire people who have the courage to approach perfect strangers and talk about their convictions. Usually I tell callers that, and point out that I am an unbeliever and that they are most unlikely to make any progress with me, but that I am often effective in getting people, even JWs, to question their own beliefs. Usually they don’t believe me, but invariably end up telling me they will have to ask their elders(?) and get back to me on the points I have raised. Once or twice they have. I always ask them in for a cup of something but they always decline. I’m always a bit shocked at JWs’ very low level of understanding of evolution, despite their interest in the subject. I never get visits from the local Catholic parish, much to my disappointment, as I feel I have picked up a few things over the years on CAF! 🙂
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Me too. I disagree with the Jehovah’s Witnesses about many things but I greatly admire their courage and willingness to actually do something about their faith, not just believe it and leave it at that.
 
A priest once told me a story about a JW couple knocking on the rectory door on a cold rainy winter afternoon. He felt bad for them, invited them inside to warm up, after they were seated brought them hot cocoa, and said, “Now what do we do?”

The elder JW answered, “I’m not sure, we’ve never got this far before!”😃

Peace and all good!
 
I love to retell the story of how my father, when he first moved away from home, was all set up in his apartment. His mother and his friends had finished helping him set up his furniture and put his things away, and he was alone for the first time.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and he had his very first visitors! He was excited to see who it was, so he opened the door and there were a couple of Mormon missionaries standing there. One of them said to him very soberly, “We have a message for you from your brother, Jesus Christ.”

“Oh, no, don’t tell me!” he replied, smacking his forehead. “He must be broke, again. How much money does he need, this time?”
 
JustaServant said:
  1. Slam the door in thier face.
  2. Smile, nod and gently close the door.
  3. Listen for a very brief time, apologize that you must go, take tract, close door.
  4. Take time to listen, take tract, repeat prayer of salvation, and promise to visit the church the following Sunday.
  5. Sick the dog on them.
  6. Receive the Lord as Savior and tell them you have a church other than the one on the back of the tract.
  7. Pretend not to understand the language they are speaking.
  8. Answer the door totally nude except for a hideous African mask
  9. Start witnessing right back to them and out-witness them with your own tracts and Bible. If possible, offer them a free Rosary and Holy Water.
#9 is my personal favorite.
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I like #8

I just say no thanks, gotta go. I am so picky about looking at who is at the door I wouldn’t likely answer in the first place. I’m a woman living alone so I don’t answer the door unless it’s the postman with a package.
 
adf417 said:
I think you should add #8 to your routine. :bluelite: No reason you can’t combine some of these…
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I would, but when then have a stroke and keel over, then I have to call paramedics, clean up a mess, etc. It just wouldn’t be pretty. 😛
 
QUOTE=(name removed by moderator);9634434]One of the more amusing approaches I have seen is by a guy I used to work with who was a Maori and 6 foot 4 and all muscle. He got them constantly knocking on his door at silly o’clock times, such as 6 am on his days off. One morning he wrote 666 on his forehead and opened the door and shouted ‘I am the anti-Christ’. Given he also had tribal tattoos on his body (as per Maori custom) that were pretty distinct the result was rather predictable.

:eek:🍿:rotfl::bigyikes:
 
twopekinguys said:
9 is what I do. Especially since I am the Lay Director of RCIA for our parish. I’ve always got a Bible or catechism handy.

I even evangelize them right down the driveway to their car. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up with them. Some of those folks can really move. 😃
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:rotfl::rotfl:
 
True story:

JW comes to the door and my husband answers it.

JW says, “Are you hoping for peace on earth, sir?”

Husband: “Hell no… I’m an arms dealer! Bye!”

(he isn’t (arms dealer)
but he was laughing for hours at the look on the JW’s face.)
 
marlap2 said:
True story:

JW comes to the door and my husband answers it.

JW says, “Are you hoping for peace on earth, sir?”

Husband: “Hell no… I’m an arms dealer! Bye!”

(he isn’t (arms dealer)
but he was laughing for hours at the look on the JW’s face.)
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Ok, that is now my next favorite of all time!!
 
:
marlap2 said:
True story:

JW comes to the door and my husband answers it.

JW says, “Are you hoping for peace on earth, sir?”

Husband: “Hell no… I’m an arms dealer! Bye!”

(he isn’t (arms dealer)
but he was laughing for hours at the look on the JW’s face.)
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:tsktsk::rotfl::rotfl:

The one line my Dad used: Why don’t you come to Church with us Sunday?
 
Hokomai said:
I admire people who have the courage to approach perfect strangers and talk about their convictions. Usually I tell callers that, and point out that I am an unbeliever and that they are most unlikely to make any progress with me, but that I am often effective in getting people, even JWs, to question their own beliefs. Usually they don’t believe me, but invariably end up telling me they will have to ask their elders(?) and get back to me on the points I have raised. Once or twice they have. I always ask them in for a cup of something but they always decline. I’m always a bit shocked at JWs’ very low level of understanding of evolution, despite their interest in the subject. I never get visits from the local Catholic parish, much to my disappointment, as I feel I have picked up a few things over the years on CAF! 🙂
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I always let them in, after presenting arguments against faiths, they give me a magazine and never return.

I’m going to say “no” next time to not waste their time, I used to let them in because most people reject them in a rude way, apparently we can say “no” in a gentle way.
 
Last time a JW was at my door, she handed me a pamphlet and was going on about a large meeting they were having and inviting everyone to attend. I looked at the pamphlet and noticed the word Jehovah on it.

I asked her if she was a Jehovah’s Witness and she said she was. I handed the pamphlet back to her and said, “This is a Christian home and we don’t allow any sort of Satanic literature in the house.” At this point she looked dumbfounded. So I added, “I firmly believe that your religion comes straight from Satan himself. I will pray that you will leave this Satanic cult to be a Christian.” She smiled and excused herself. I quickly added, “I’ll say a prayer right now that you may find the courage to leave Satan’s power.”

And then I went indoors, sat, and prayed to the Holy Spirit to give this poor woman strength to leave of this false religion.
 
In more recent times there’s been a massive increase in the amount of JWs and door-to-door evangelists coming to my neighbourhood. It’s a quiet residential estate right on the edge of town so they’re obviously planning these trips with some care and attention, as well as travelling some way to actually get here.

Their persistence really bugs and amazes/impresses me sometimes. There was one day I was returning home from a mosque trip and obviously for this I was in full hijaab, as well as wearing my abaya. So it’s not like anyone COULDN’T notice from my dress as to what my religious status was. And yet (and I was quite surprised about this, as I always thought JW didn’t talk to Muslims) I was still approached and this young couple (who only looked about the same age as myself) began giving me the usual banter about wanting to worship the one true God. This happened several times, including a few times with this same couple, before they decided I wasn’t going to budge on my religious beliefs and left me alone.

I’ve tried my best to try and do some inter-faith dialogue with them. One of my challenges, when I was asked if I would read the Bible, was that I would do so on the condition that they read the entire Qur’an (in translation, with commentary). Needless to say, they declined. I’ve also offered them a copy of the Qur’an to read or various pieces of Islamic literature I’ve got in the house.

I’ll also confess there’s been times when I’ve done no.7 on that list. Usually I’ll pretend to be French-speaking only, although this has backfired on me once where one of the JWs I was talking to me understood French. But in recent times I’ve changed this to Arabic, which is less common, and it seems to work quite well. 😃
 
Kouyate42 said:
I’ll also confess there’s been times when I’ve done no.7 on that list. Usually I’ll pretend to be French-speaking only, although this has backfired on me once where one of the JWs I was talking to me understood French. But in recent times I’ve changed this to Arabic, which is less common, and it seems to work quite well. 😃
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Good for you. When telemarketers would call, my uncle would speak either Japanese or Russian. One time he got caught and switched to the other language.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Invite them in, give them something to drink, and share
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I like this idea, but would preface it by letting them know what church I belong to, that I’ve already studied their materials (at least, that is, if they are either Mormon or JW), and that I have no intention of changing. Last year, I went through the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ study guide What Does the Bible Really Teach? with some very kind, intelligent, compassionate, and God-loving people. I learned a lot about their faith, and they learned something of mine. We gave each other books and briefly discussed these as they related to the topics in their study guide. We also shared meals, doughnuts, popcorn, and beverages (usually at their home, the husband having been diagnosed with cancer during the period of our studies, and getting out becoming more difficult). There are certainly worse ways to spend an evening a week!
 
If it is a JW, I simply ask to be placed on the do not knock nor call list. I did that last year and they have avoided my house. All one has to do is call the local Kingdom Hall and ask. It’s simple and fast. If they return again, you tell them your request and they are very good at following the rule.
 
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