This really upset me

[OrthoCatech]

Kendra,

You must come from the Genteel South. I am also from the South (kind of South-Central/Southwest), but usually we don’t answer the door until all the kids and womenfolk are in the backroom and someone has got a shotgun behind and to the side of the front door, yelling, “Whatch yew waynt?!” Just kidding.

I am in graduate school and just moved into some on campus apartments. In August, I opened my door to a knock thinking it was a welcome-wagon, but really a guy pushing a ‘church’ and asked if I had heard of God the Father. I said yes. Then he asked if I knew about God the Mother? I gently got rid of him and Googled his ‘church.’ Apparently, God the Father and God the Mother reincarnated in South Korea and then God the Father died back in the 1980’s. God the Mother is pushing on though and is living in Seoul.

Don’t worry about feeling bad. When they come around, they are ‘selling.’ If their beliefs were good enough, they should not have to shout to ‘sell’ them to anyone. Grace does not move like that.

 

[guanophore]

  Last night my husband and I got a knock on the door. I was speaking to my grandmother so he answered. **It was a couple who came to bother us.**

Have you considered that God is allowing this to happen to purify your souls? It seems that your presupposition is rather harsh. I doubt if they are coming to “bother” you! Yes, you may find it bothersome, but they are coming because they believe the Lord has commanded them to do so, and because they want to save your souls. Why assign them malicious motives? They are doing the best they can with what they have. You have to admit, Protestants, who have a truncated bible and an incomplete faith, are often more motivated and passionate than Catholics, who have the fullness. How many Catholics do you see going door to door in their parish trying to locate and invite the lapsed Catholics?

“I used to be Catholic,” and started his anti-Catholic speech.

Perhaps God has sent him so you can lead him back to the faith?

so he has never had to deal with people coming to bother us

.

…and they started yelling. I told them that they came to my house. I didn’t come looking for them and not to yell. She yelled again and I slammed the door in their faces.

Doesn’t sound very hospitable. I’m not justifying their bad behavior, but how are you showing Christ to them?

How do I deal with this? Why do people feel the need to come to people’s houses and yell at them?

Most evangelicals feel compelled to literally obey Jesus’ words to “go into all the world and preach the gospel”. Their hearts are in the right place, if their doctrine is not. That being said, the yelling is just a sign of personal character defects.

I was so upset afterwards that I was shaking. This winter I had Mormons who would come by almost weekly, when I did open the door, they never yelled. It was like since we weren’t letting them dog our faith that we were wrong.

It sounds like a lot of opportunity for evangelism!

However, you are not obligated to invite them in for lemonade and discuss the faith. Their agenda is to convert you .

Start by praying for them, then when they come, stand right there in the door, close your eyes and begin praying for them aloud. Pray that God will enlighten them and bring the into all truth. I like the idea of the Holy Water too.

Smile, be charitable, thank them for coming, and encourage them to go to the house of someone who really needs to hear what they have to say, since you have already made your decision for Christ.

I don’t enjoy such debate, so I politely dismiss them, but it may be that God desires that you invite them, or at least be charitable and at peace about them. The fact that you are so stirred up means that there is something in you that needs attention. If you can get to the point where you can love them despite their shortcomings, and they are no longer a “bother” then you have allowed the HS to purify you through the experience.

1 Cor 13:4-7
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

KendraDZ is patient; KendraDZis kind; KendraDZ is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. KendraDZ does not insist on her own way; KendraDZ is not irritable or resentful; 6 KendraDZ does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 KendraDZ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 

[oneofmany]

If you want to engage them, it’ll help if you know which version of altered Christianity they’re selling. Different challenges work against different errors.

But if you want to avoid the whole thing, not answering the door is probably your best option.

Or you could keep a crucifix and some holy water by the door, and as soon as they start, sprinkle them and hold the crucifix up and start praying, preferably in Latin. That should scare them away . . .

Sally

LOL, I read one person threw water on them and said—I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now you are Catholics. They ran away.

Seriously, put a “No Solicitors” sign by your door and don’t answer to them. If you get caught by them just keep saying, “I’m not interested.” Don’t say anything else, just like a broken record, keep saying it and shut the door or go into your house. They can’t argue with you if you don’t argue with them, It takes two.

 

[Domitus]

LOL, I read one person threw water on them and said—I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now you are Catholics. They ran away.

LOL. Now that is one of the funniest things I’ve read. Good idea, if you just want them gone. I hope nobody would hit me for it if I actually tried it!

This thread is funny and I really appreciate all the different stories. I think we’re called to plant seeds, even amongst the briars and the rocky soil in hopes that the soil will become fertile eventually. The more charitable we are to those who show up at our door, the better. Of course, there always comes a time when charity and patience is well-exhausted and one should just shake the dust from their sandals.

 

[SAVINGRACE]

A couple of years ago I was visited by two lovely Mormon lads. They had sweat pouring down their faces and one was obviously sunburnt. I invited them in and we discussed faith honestly and respectfully. I served them cold drinks and sandwiches. I asked them about their mission, their families, they were Americans. They put forward their theological arguments, I put forward mine. They were very polite, well mannered and well spoken. Two hours later they left with sunscreen and I invited them to come back which they gladly accepted.

A couple of weeks later they came back and we had more interesting discussions. This continued for more than 6months. I think we really enjoyed these visits. None of us converted either way but a lasting friendship was formed and minds opened regarding each others faith. They have since returned to America and we still keep in contact.

Being welcoming and connecting one on one doesn’t take much effort and if you are strong in your faith and can defend it, I’d encourage it.

I know sometimes we don’t feel like it, are too busy or just don’t care but you never know that person you shut your door on or turned your back on could have been a friend you haven’t met yet or a possible convert.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Have you considered that God is allowing this to happen to purify your souls? It seems that your presupposition is rather harsh. I doubt if they are coming to “bother” you! Yes, you may find it bothersome, but they are coming because they believe the Lord has commanded them to do so, and because they want to save your souls. Why assign them malicious motives? They are doing the best they can with what they have. You have to admit, Protestants, who have a truncated bible and an incomplete faith, are often more motivated and passionate than Catholics, who have the fullness. How many Catholics do you see going door to door in their parish trying to locate and invite the lapsed Catholics?

The whole “bothering” thing is just what my family calls it. We have a group of JWs that live in our little community. They are actually my dad’s step-family. They don’t come to our house very often, usually only to invite us to services. They will leave stuff on the porch and one day my dad comes in with some pamphlets and said, “Uncle Earl is out bothering folks today.” After that, it just stuck.
I feel like people have malicious motives when they tell you a flat out lie, don’t let you finish your sentence, and yell at you.

Perhaps God has sent him so you can lead him back to the faith?

His wife ruined that when she yelled at me. It wasn’t like she just raised her voice. I’m from a big southern family. We are LOUD. She was rude.

Doesn’t sound very hospitable. I’m not justifying their bad behavior, but how are you showing Christ to them?

I tried explaining myself. When I would try, I was cut off and told another lie.

 

[Church_Militant]

Frankly I think Kendra did the right thing. Whenever voices are raised, we are innately conditioned to respond by withdrawing. (That’s why you really shouldn’t yell at your kids…)

In religious discussions that get heated or loud, one needs to simply withdraw…walk away.

When someone comes to your door and yells at you about your Catholic faith you are wise to simply say goodbye and shut the door in their faces because they have shamed themselves and disgraced their witness for Christ with their lack of charity.

Who would want to join such people?

Fortunately, most religious discussions do not fall to that level and Thankd be to God for that.

 

[ahs]

Frankly I think Kendra did the right thing. Whenever voices are raised, we are innately conditioned to respond by withdrawing. (That’s why you really shouldn’t yell at your kids…)

In religious discussions that get heated or loud, one needs to simply withdraw…walk away.

When someone comes to your door and yells at you about your Catholic faith you are wise to simply say goodbye and shut the door in their faces because they have shamed themselves and disgraced their witness for Christ with their lack of charity.

Who would want to join such people?

Fortunately, most religious discussions do not fall to that level and Thankd be to God for that.

Oh, and…" *Whenever voices are raised, we are innately conditioned to respond by withdrawing. (That’s why you really shouldn’t yell at your kids…) *" Ouch! God just slapped me in the head with those words. Thanks for being His voice here today.

 

[Church_Militant]

Oh, and…" *Whenever voices are raised, we are innately conditioned to respond by withdrawing. (That’s why you really shouldn’t yell at your kids…) *

" Ouch! God just slapped me in the head with those words. Thanks for being His voice here today. Something from a parenting course I took many years ago, but a point that most of us recognize as true from our own experience as children and then as adults.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/corona_stellarum/Smilies/1sm191coke.gif and now back to our topic.

 

[WitnessSpouse]

Oh, and…" *Whenever voices are raised, we are innately conditioned to respond by withdrawing. (That’s why you really shouldn’t yell at your kids…) *" Ouch! God just slapped me in the head with those words. Thanks for being His voice here today.

It is amazing how intently people listen when you whisper!

 

[oneseeker2]

Or you could keep a crucifix and some holy water by the door, and as soon as they start, sprinkle them and hold the crucifix up and start praying, preferably in Latin. That should scare them away . . .

Sally

I’ll have to remember that one for when they come to my door!