Unwelcome Religious Solicitation

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MindMalfunction

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My family moved to a new home in 2015. Since moving in, I have been visited by Jehovah’s Witnesses six or seven times. Sometimes two people, sometimes four people, but the same group in ages between 50 and 80. I’ve been friendly each time. They haven’t acknowledged that they’ve met me before, which is frustrating after so many visits. The first time, I stated that my family is Roman Catholic. They asked about when we moved in, if we like the area, friendly chit chat. She continued to explain her magazine and forced it on me. The second time, they claimed they had to stop in because they loved my JOY nativity scene on my lawn. Another time, my Easter Blessings decor, or Fall Blessings Decor. They continue to push the magazines on me, even when I say, Please hold onto this for someone else. I’m Catholic and have my own religious materials. I’m not well, and some visits I’ve barely made it to the door and they could see I wasn’t doing well…instead of saying “sorry to disturb you, I see you’re not well, take care”. They say that and then continue with their speech and force a magazine on me. I’ve put something in my hands, but they’ve reached around me and set it inside my home. I blocked the door from my small escape artist cat, and they continue acknowledging they will be fast. I can’t be rude, no matter how much I want to be. I also live in a small area…I’m ten minutes outside of a small town. I’m in the country and they actually need to drive to me. Argh. I’m feeling harassed. I need a polite way to say ‘I’m not interested.” I’ve tried that, and they ask why. I’ve explained that I’m Catholic and have different beliefs than the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They then say, that’s great and we are just spreading the word. Their visits didn’t bother me, I was clear about my faith each time, but this time they were preachey and spoke to me like a rude teacher who wasn’t getting through to their child. I thought about putting up a sign that says Welcome to my Catholic Home’ but I know that will just encourage rather than discourage. Help. I need a nice way to say Leave Me Alone!
 
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Happens here. I didn’t answer the door once and they tucked their Watchtower in the door open to the anti-Catholic page. If they do it again I am mailing it back to them with a note not to leave litter on my porch.
 
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If you look out and see them, don’t answer the door.
Also look into whether your area has a No Solicitation law - some places have residents register on a do-not-knock list and then if someone still comes to your door you can say (I just yell it through the door without opening it) “I’m on the city Do Not Knock list, you’re breaking the law, go away”.

Unfortunately when one is the least bit polite or welcoming to JWs or many other door knocker types, they just keep coming back. You pretty much have to be firm and say “go away!” without explanations.
 
The location of my door makes it impossible to see them before they see me. There isn’t a ‘No Knock Registry’ in my area. I may try contacting the JW Church in my area. I’m a people pleaser and I struggle with confrontation. I will do my best.
Original Message: Tis_Bearself4h

If you look out and see them, don’t answer the door.
Also look into whether your area has a No Solicitation law - some places have residents register on a do-not-knock list and then if someone still comes to your door you can say (I just yell it through the door without opening it) “I’m on the city Do Not Knock list, you’re breaking the law, go away”.

Unfortunately when one is the least bit polite or welcoming to JWs or many other door knocker types, they just keep coming back. You pretty much have to be firm and say “go away!” without explanations.
 
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You might want a sign like this. There are similar signs of various politeness, sterness, humor, size, and design.
 
Don’t engage them any more. If you see them come, don’t answer the door, and if you do, say “sorry, please don’t come again” and shut the door. You don’t have to take their booklets off them, or listen to their speech. Just shut the door.

You may be able to find an address to their place of worship, if so apparently you can write to them and request to be taken off the address list - they shouldn’t come to you afterwards.
 
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MindMalfunction said:
My family moved to a new home in 2015. Since moving in, I have been visited by Jehovah’s Witnesses six or seven times. Sometimes two people, sometimes four people, but the same group in ages between 50 and 80. I’ve been friendly each time. They haven’t acknowledged that they’ve met me before, which is frustrating after so many visits. The first time, I stated that my family is Roman Catholic. They asked about when we moved in, if we like the area, friendly chit chat. She continued to explain her magazine and forced it on me. The second time, they claimed they had to stop in because they loved my JOY nativity scene on my lawn. Another time, my Easter Blessings decor, or Fall Blessings Decor. They continue to push the magazines on me, even when I say, Please hold onto this for someone else. I’m Catholic and have my own religious materials. I’m not well, and some visits I’ve barely made it to the door and they could see I wasn’t doing well…instead of saying “sorry to disturb you, I see you’re not well, take care”. They say that and then continue with their speech and force a magazine on me. I’ve put something in my hands, but they’ve reached around me and set it inside my home. I blocked the door from my small escape artist cat, and they continue acknowledging they will be fast. I can’t be rude, no matter how much I want to be. I also live in a small area…I’m ten minutes outside of a small town. I’m in the country and they actually need to drive to me. Argh. I’m feeling harassed. I need a polite way to say ‘I’m not interested.” I’ve tried that, and they ask why. I’ve explained that I’m Catholic and have different beliefs than the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They then say, that’s great and we are just spreading the word. Their visits didn’t bother me, I was clear about my faith each time, but this time they were preachey and spoke to me like a rude teacher who wasn’t getting through to their child. I thought about putting up a sign that says Welcome to my Catholic Home’ but I know that will just encourage rather than discourage. Help. I need a nice way to say Leave Me Alone!
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Are you in the US?

Get a “no soliciting” sign. They are only like $2 and available at any hardware store.

You also may want to put up a security camera. I know JW’s can be preachy but 6 times a year is a bit aggressive even for them. I’ve know JW’s…they typically know anti-harassment laws well. My fear about this is you don’t have actual JW’s but people pretending to be them so as to case your home.
 
Bought a sign at a religious goods store years ago, it says “This is a Catholic Home”. With that on the front door it eliminates the JWs.
 
MindMalfunction said:
The location of my door makes it impossible to see them before they see me. There isn’t a ‘No Knock Registry’ in my area. I may try contacting the JW Church in my area. I’m a people pleaser and I struggle with confrontation. I will do my best.
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I think in this situation polite replies don’t work. They just ignore politeness.
A sign might work especially if it’s blunt.

Another thought: have some Catholic leaflets on hand. Offer them your religious reading material.
 
My only concern with a Catholic sign is that they make take it as needing to try harder to convert you.
 
You don’t need to engage with these people. When they come to my door I simply say "I’m not interested"and begin closing the door. I’m not rude, but I also don’t have a conversation with them. They go away and I feel ever so slightly empowered.
 
I heard they make some sort of points in their organization for delivering those magazines. It’s like a system. So they need people they can talk with. They are like commercial pushers, they need a list of people who they can talk to. Just don’t talk with them and ignore them. If they can’t make contact they will go to someone else where they can.
 
We’ve had JWs at the door several times recently, which is unusual here. Last weekend, two of them put a booklet in my hand and said “Here’s a useful guide to what to do in an emergency”. I said “Are you JWs?”

They said they were. I said I was a Catholic. They said “Well Catholics also need to know what to do in an emergency”. 😃

I glanced at the booklet before I threw it away - it was mostly telling you what to do if there was an earthquake or a hurricane, with a bit of religious stuff at the back. I live in England, in a seaside town. Strangely enough, we don’t get many earthquakes or hurricanes here. There’s the problem when all your literature is written in the USA.

It’s come to a poor state of affairs when you have to deliberately hide which religion you represent in order to get them to take your booklets!
 
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you can always tell them that you have been disfellowshipped:upside_down_face:🙃🙃
 
I would order a few cheap & affordable booklets from Lighthouse Catholic Media and say “I will read yours if you read mine. If you promise, as God as your witness, that you will read mine, then I will read yours. Then we can discuss both the next time you come over”

They will either take you up on it, which will then give you a chance to flip the table on them, or they will leave you alone.

 
Zaccheus said:
I think in this situation polite replies don’t work. They just ignore politeness.
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Agreed.

Next time ask for multiple copies of their pamphlet so you can put more of that trash in the garbage where it belongs. I bet they wont come back.
 
Thank you, I think I’ll write them and if they show up again, I’ll try really hard to say no thank you. I know myself though, and even when I plan what to say, it still comes out like “thank you for coming. I appreciate the courage it takes to go door to door, but I’m not interested. I’m fulfilled in my faith.” It’s just not very stern.
 
Sounds good, but they’d probably follow up and invite me to their church.
Xystus1h

Next time ask for multiple copies of their pamphlet so you can put more of that trash in the garbage where it belongs. I bet they wont come back.
 
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